Psalms 114:5 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

What happened to you, sea, that made you run away? And you, Jordan River, what made you turn back and flow the other way?

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

The writer is asking why the sea and Jordan River fled when God showed His power, emphasizing how all of creation responds to God's mighty presence.

📚 Historical Context

This psalm celebrates Israel's exodus from Egypt and entry into the Promised Land. The 'sea' refers to the Red Sea parting when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, and the Jordan River stopping its flow when Joshua led them into Canaan. These were two of the most dramatic miracles in Israel's history where God controlled nature itself.

Explore Similar Verses

Matthew 3:5

Word spread fast, and people started coming from everywhere — Jerusalem, all over Judea, and everyone living around the Jordan River area.

John 1:28

All of this happened in Bethabara, which is across the Jordan River — that's where John was out there baptizing people.

Joshua 3:13

And this is what will happen: as soon as the priests carrying the ark of the LORD, who is the Lord of all the earth, step into the Jordan River, the water will stop flowing from upstream and pile up like a wall.

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