Bible Strands
Psalms 114:6
O mountains, that you skipped like rams, O hills, like lambs?
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the mountains and hills directly, describing their physical reaction to the divine presence. This declaration occurs within a poetic recounting of the Exodus, positioned between the fleeing of the sea and Jordan and the command for the earth to tremble.
The words — The verb תִּרְקְדוּ (tir.ke·du) literally means "you will skip about" or "leap." It pairs with הָרִים (ha·rim) and גְּבָעוֹת (ge·va·ot) to depict the landforms moving with sudden, bounding motion.
The thread — This leaping imagery runs parallel to Psalms 29:6, where Lebanon and Sirion skip at God's voice. The psalmist also restates the exact motif in Psalms 114:4 to reinforce the consistency of creation's response.
Why it lands — The text states that mountains and hills physically bounded before God's arrival, requiring the reader to acknowledge creation's subordination to divine command. It demands a clear-eyed recognition that natural forces do not resist but react to the God of Jacob.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
Cross-references
- Psalms 29:6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
- Psalms 114:4 the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.