33:7 He piles up the water of the sea; 1
he puts the oceans 2 in storehouses.
46:3 when its waves 3 crash 4 and foam,
and the mountains shake 5 before the surging sea. 6 (Selah)
77:19 You walked through the sea; 7
you passed through the surging waters, 8
but left no footprints. 9
78:53 He guided them safely along,
while the sea covered their enemies.
80:11 Its branches reached the Mediterranean Sea, 10
and its shoots the Euphrates River. 11
89:9 You rule over the proud sea. 12
When its waves surge, 13 you calm them.
89:25 I will place his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers. 14
95:5 The sea is his, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land.
106:22 amazing feats in the land of Ham,
mighty 15 acts by the Red Sea.
107:23 16 Some traveled on 17 the sea in ships,
and carried cargo over the vast waters. 18
107:25 He gave the order for a windstorm, 19
and it stirred up the waves of the sea. 20
114:5 Why do you flee, O sea?
Why do you turn back, O Jordan River?
136:13 to the one who divided 21 the Red Sea 22 in two, 23
for his loyal love endures,
136:15 and tossed 24 Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
for his loyal love endures,
148:7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea creatures and all you ocean depths,
1 tn Heb “[he] gathers like a pile the waters of the sea.” Some prefer to emend נֵד (ged, “heap, pile”; cf. NASB) to נֹד (nod, “bottle”; cf. NRSV; NIV “into jars”), but “pile” is used elsewhere to describe water that the
2 tn Or “watery depths.” The form תְּהוֹמוֹת (tÿhomot, “watery depths”) is the plural form of תְּהוֹם (tÿhom, “great deep”; see Gen 1:2).
3 tn Heb “its waters.”
4 tn Or “roar.”
5 tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 draw attention to the characteristic nature of the activity described.
6 tn Heb “at its swelling.” The Hebrew word often means “pride.” If the sea is symbolic of hostile nations, then this may be a case of double entendre. The surging, swelling sea symbolizes the proud, hostile nations. On the surface the psalmist appears to be depicting a major natural catastrophe, perhaps a tidal wave. If so, then the situation would be hypothetical. However, the repetition of the verbs הָמָה (hamah, “crash; roar,” v. 3) and מוֹט (mot, “shake,” v. 2) in v. 6, where nations/kingdoms “roar” and “shake,” suggests that the language of vv. 2-3 is symbolic and depicts the upheaval that characterizes relationships between the nations of the earth. As some nations (symbolized by the surging, chaotic waters) show hostility, others (symbolized by the mountains) come crashing down to destruction. The surging waters are symbolic of chaotic forces in other poetic texts (see, for example, Isa 17:12; Jer 51:42) and mountains can symbolize strong kingdoms (see, for example, Jer 51:25).
7 tn Heb “in the sea [was] your way.”
8 tn Heb “and your paths [were] in the mighty waters.”
9 tn Heb “and your footprints were not known.”
10 tn Heb “to [the] sea.” The “sea” refers here to the Mediterranean Sea.
11 tn Heb “to [the] river.” The “river” is the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia. Israel expanded both to the west and to the east.
12 tn Heb “the majesty of the sea.”
13 tn Heb “rise up.”
14 tn Some identify “the sea” as the Mediterranean and “the rivers” as the Euphrates and its tributaries. However, it is more likely that “the sea” and “the rivers” are symbols for hostile powers that oppose God and the king (see v. 9, as well as Ps 93:3-4).
15 tn Or “awe-inspiring.”
16 sn Verses 23-30, which depict the Lord rescuing sailors from a storm at sea, do not seem to describe the exiles’ situation, unless the word picture is metaphorical. Perhaps the psalmist here broadens his scope and offers an example of God’s kindness to the needy beyond the covenant community.
17 tn Heb “those going down [into].”
18 tn Heb “doers of work on the mighty waters.”
19 tn Heb “he spoke and caused to stand a stormy wind.”
20 tn Heb “and it stirred up its [i.e., the sea’s, see v. 23] waves.”
21 tn Or “cut.”
22 tn Heb “Reed Sea” (also in v. 15). “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See the note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.
23 tn Heb “into pieces.”
24 tn Or “shook off.”