Psalm 115 (113):2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When Israel exited Egypt, and Jacob’s descendants left a foreign land, it was declared that Judah was His sanctuary and Israel His kingdom. (Psalm 112:1-2) The sea observed and fled while the Jordan turned backward. (Psalm 112:3) We should not view these past events as disconnected from us, for they prophetically suggest future occurrences. The miraculous nature of these events was not merely historical but also pointed towards what was to come. For instance, the Scriptures do not suggest that the Jordan simply receded; rather, it was halted at the point closest to its source as the people journeyed through. Furthermore, while we do not read of mountains leaping, that imagery was later added. After noting that "the sea saw it and fled; the Jordan turned back," (Psalm 113:4) he poses the rhetorical question: “What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, why do you turn back?” (Psalm 112:5-6).

Thus, we are encouraged to recognize our identity in these accounts; they serve as a reflection of our own experiences. If we cling to the grace of God bestowed upon us, we become part of Israel, descendants of Abraham, as the Apostle affirms: “Therefore you are Abraham's seed.” As such, no Christian should see themselves as separate from the name of Israel. We are united with the faithful among the Jewish believers who were the early apostles. Jesus states, “And I have other sheep which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, that they may be one flock and one Shepherd.” (John 10:16) Consequently, the Christian community represents true Israel, akin to the house of Jacob, whereas those Jews who are justly criticized for their betrayal sold their birthright for transient pleasures and divorced themselves from Jacob, aligning instead with Esau, as indicated by the insight that “the elder shall serve the younger.”

Egypt, often interpreted as a symbol of affliction or oppression, represents this world, from which we must spiritually distance ourselves to avoid being yoked with unbelievers. (2 Corinthians 6:14) Each believer becomes a rightful citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem upon renouncing worldly ties, just as the Israelites couldn’t enter the promised land until they were delivered from Egypt. Their liberation was the result of divine assistance; similarly, no individual can genuinely turn away from worldly pursuits without the grace of divine mercy. What was once a figure has become real in the lives of the faithful within the Church during these latter days, as St. John implies. (1 John 2:18)

Listen to Paul, the herald of the Gentiles, as he teaches us, saying: “I do not wish for you to be unaware, brothers, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, many of them displeased God and were cast out in the wilderness. These things happened to us as examples.” (1 Corinthians 10:1-6)

What more could you, dear brothers, desire? It is clear, not based on human theory but through the Apostle's affirmation—God spoke through them, though from the flesh, and it is evident that all those symbolic actions find their fulfillment in our salvation; the future was foretold then, now we reflect on the past while recognizing the present.

Enter into the wonders of divine revelation, for the mysteries of ancient scripture have, to some degree, been made known. As the prophet Micah confirms, “In the days of your departure from Egypt, I will show him wonders.” Thus, although this psalm captures prophetic essence, it recounts past events in familiar terms. “Judah was His sanctuary; the sea saw it and fled”—these phrases recount events in the past tense, yet the future can be discerned through them. Although long after the exodus and before the Church's time, the psalmist conveys future promises: “In the days of your coming out of Egypt, I will show him wonders; the nations will see and be put to shame.” The passage asserting that “the sea saw it and fled” suggests that even within the recounting of history, future revelations are embedded when it expresses, “the nations shall see and be confounded.”

Moreover, the psalm hints more clearly than daylight about our adversaries—symbolizing our sin—which are vanquished and submerged in Baptism, akin to the Egyptians drowned in the sea. For He will not retain His wrath forever, for He is gracious and merciful; He will turn back and show us mercy, tossing our transgressions into the depths of the sea.

O beloved, realize your identity as Israelites by the lineage of Abraham, as heirs of the promise; you have indeed come out of Egypt because you have forsaken the world. You emerged from a foreign nation as you distanced yourself from the blasphemies of the Gentiles through your commitment to godliness. It is not your own voice but rather a strange tongue, unfamiliar with praise, that forgets to sing praises to God. In you, Judah has become His dwelling place—He who is truly a Jew abides in the spirit, not merely in outward form, as genuine circumcision is of the heart. (Romans 2:28-29)

Therefore, examine your hearts to see if faith has purified them; if your confession has washed them clean. Within you, Judah becomes His sanctuary, and you embody Israel, for He has conferred upon you the authority to become children of God. (John 1:12)

But let not your heart seek misfortune as the Jordan turns back; do not foreshadow evil, for the Lord reproves those who turn their back on Him rather than face Him. (Jeremiah 2:27) All who abandon the source of their lives and turn away from their Creator descend into the bitterness of this world. It is better for such a one to revert and find the God they had neglected eventually before them, turning from the sea of this world, which they pursued, becoming a past concern, enabling them to forget what is behind in pursuit of what lies ahead. (Philippians 3:13)

Tremble, O earth, in the presence of the Lord, before the God of Jacob. (Psalm 113:7) What does it mean to be in the presence of the Lord, but His promise that “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:30) The earth trembles because, in its slackness, it may become stronger in His presence.

He transformed solid rock into flowing water and flint into springs. (Psalm 113:8) For He, in His vulnerability, quenched the thirst of believers, becoming within them a spring that wells up to eternal life. (John 4:14) Prior to their understanding, He appeared unyielding, and those who remarked, “This is a hard teaching; who can accept it?” (John 6:60) failed to recognize the depth of His revelations. The rock, once thought impenetrable, became a life-giving stream at His resurrection when He elucidated scriptures to them, starting from Moses and the prophets, revealing how Christ was destined to suffer. (Luke 24:26-27) He sent the Holy Spirit, urging, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink.” (John 7:37)

The Prophet then succinctly presents three reasons why it is fitting for God to seek the honor of His name in the protection of His people: firstly, due to His gracious nature; secondly, because He is steadfast and faithful in upholding the covenant; and thirdly, to prevent the nations from having grounds to speak ill when they witness God’s people abandoned.

Those who acknowledge Christ as the true God and believe in Him emerge from the transgressions of sinful Egypt into the realm of grace offered by Christ, hailing from the tribe of Judah. The sea and the Jordan River illustrate how those who witnessed Christ’s grace turned from wickedness to embrace the holy faith, ready to undergo baptism. Nature itself yielded, parting ways as they encountered the Leader, demonstrating to the Jews that God's power is universally present. Mountains symbolize prophets, and hills represent apostles, rejoicing in Christ the Lord, who aims to redeem humanity. The sea was separated by God’s authority as the transient Israelites passed through. The Jordan reversed its course when they received the Lord's sacred covenant. This foreshadows the Lord’s baptism, as among all rivers, Christ ordained the sacrament of baptism in the Jordan. This river merges from two sources, Porus and Dan, which converge to form a waterway that flows not into the living sea, but into the Dead Sea. The Jordan reflects the likeness of our mortal existence. Mountains resemble angels, and hills embody the beloved of God, filled with joy about Christ, the Savior of the world. Humanity—the soil—transformed by the good tidings of the Gospel, moving from sin to repentance. The kindness of Jacob, the offspring of Abraham, includes patriarchs and prophets who proclaimed Christ, whom He delivered from the depths of hell.