Psalm 114 or Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26

“When Israel went out from Egypt… the sea looked and fled.” (Psalm 114:1, 3)

This is a hymn, but a unique one. It contains no imperative call for worship. The only mention of human figures are Israel, Jacob, and Judah of the distant past. The psalm’s only imperative verb is addressed to the earth or “land.” The listeners/readers are dramatically transported back to the historical moments of the exodus, wilderness wanderings, and the entry into the promised land. This reliving of Israel’s sacred past is featured in other festival psalms (e.g., Pss. 46; 48; 66; 95). The prominence given to the exodus from Egypt may point to the Passover festival in particular, for which this event was central. Moreover, the OT narrative notes that immediately after the crossing of the Jordan, Passover was celebrated (Josh. 5:10). Finally, according to Jewish tradition, this psalm is the second of “the Hallel” psalms to be sung at Passover (see on Ps. 113).

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