Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 114:2
Judah was his sanctuary, [and] Israel his dominion.
2. Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his dominion (R.V.).
The division of the lines is rhythmical not logical. Israel became Jehovah’s sanctuary and dominion. No contrast is intended between Judah and Israel, as though one was preeminent as the centre of religious life, the other as the chief civil power, but for the sake of the parallelism the whole nation is designated by its two principal divisions in later times as in 1Ki 4:20, and often. By His act of Redemption Jehovah consecrated it to be His dwelling place, and marked His choice of it as His kingdom. See the fundamental passage in Exo 19:3-6; and cp. Exo 15:13; Exo 15:16; Deu 4:20; Deu 7:6 ff; Deu 32:9 ff.; 1Ki 8:51; Hos 13:4; Amo 3:1-2; Jer 2:2-3: &c.
It is commonly noted as an indication of the poet’s art that the simple pronoun His is used, and the name of God not introduced till Psa 114:7, as though to excite the reader’s curiosity. The suggestion is fanciful. “The whole of the preceding Psalm had been saying who the object of their praise was” (Kay); and the two Psalms were probably intended to be used liturgically together, as we know they actually were used. Moreover a Hallelujah preceded the Psalm as in the LXX, and supplied the antecedent for the pronoun.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Judah was his sanctuary – His home; his abode; his sacred dwelling-place. Judah was the principal or leading tribe, recognized as the tribe where power was to be concentrated, and from which the Messiah was to proceed Gen 49:8-12; and hence, the name was early used to denote the entire people, and ultimately, as modified in the word Jews, became the common name of the nation.
And Israel his dominion – The nation that he ruled; the nation that had his law; the nation that he governed by his presence – or, of which he was the recognized king. There can be no doubt that the reference here is to God, but it is remarkable that the name God is not used. Perhaps the reason may be that this psalm was designed to be employed in connection with the preceding one, and as that consists entirely of the praises of God, it was not necessary to repeat the name when his praise was to be continued under another form, and in connection with another line of thought.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. Judah was his sanctuary] He set up his true worship among the Jews, and took them for his peculiar people.
And Israel his dominion.] These words are a proof, were there none other, that this Psalm was composed after the days of David, and after the division of the tribes, for then the distinction of Israel and Judah took place.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Judah, or Israel, as it is explained in the next clause; one tribe being put for all; which is a common synecdoche. Judah he mentions as the chief of all the tribes, not only in number and power, but also in dignity, in which the kingdom was to be seated, Gen 49:10, &c., as at this time it actually was, and from which the Messias was to spring. His, i.e. Gods, which is easily understood from the whole context, and from the nature of the thing.
Sanctuary; or, holiness; the people of Gods holiness, as they are called, Isa 63:18; or, his holy people, as Deu 26:19; Dan 8:24; sanctified or set apart from all the nations of the world to be his peculiar people and possession. His dominion, in a peculiar manner, to be governed by his laws, and honoured with his special presence and favour.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Judah was his sanctuary,…. Meaning not the tribe of Judah only, though that in many things had the preeminence; the kingdom belonging to it, the chief ruler being out of it, especially the Messiah; its standard was pitched and moved first; it offered first to the service of the Lord; and the Jews have a tradition, mentioned by Jarchi and Kimchi, that this tribe, with its prince at the head of it, went into the Red sea first; the others fearing, but afterwards followed, encouraged by their example: but rather all the tribes are meant, the whole body of the people; for this is not to be understood of the tabernacle or temple in the tribe of Judah, sometimes called a sanctuary; for neither of these were in being when Israel came out of Egypt; but it may be rendered, “Judah was his holiness” u, or was holiness to the Lord, the Lord’s holy people; see Jer 2:2, not all internally holy; for there were many that came out of Egypt that were unholy, rebellious, and disobedient, and whose carcasses fell in the wilderness; but externally, when brought out of Egypt they were separated from all other people, and in this sense sanctified, and became a holy and special people, chosen by the Lord to be so; with whom, he made a covenant, and to whom he gave holy laws and righteous statutes: and in this they were typical of those who are effectually called by grace with an holy calling, and unto holiness; have principles of grace and holiness wrought in them, and have Holiness to the Lord written upon them; they have the sanctification of the Spirit, and Christ is made sanctification to them; and they are the Lord’s sanctuary, in which he dwells.
And Israel his dominion: for, though all the world is his kingdom and his government, yet the people of Israel were in a very particular and remarkable manner his dominion; from the time of their coming out of Egypt to their having a king, their government was properly a theocracy; God was their King, and by him they were immediately ruled and governed, and had a body of laws given them from him, and were under his immediate care and protection, Ex 19:5. In this they were typical of the saints called by grace, who are then translated from the power of Satan into the kingdom of Christ; whom they acknowledge to be their Lord and King, and whose laws, commands, and ordinances, they willingly observe; the people of God are often represented as a kingdom, and Christ as King of saints; the Targum is
“the congregation of the house of Judah was united to his holiness, and Israel to his power.”
u “sanctificatio ejus”, Pagninus, Vatablus; “sanctitas ejus”, Gejerus, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(2) Judah was.Better, became. The feminine verb shows that the country is intended, and not the tribe, and the parallelism directs us to think not of the territory of the tribe of Judah alone, but of the whole country. Notice the art with which the name of God is reserved, and the simple pronoun, His, used. (Comp. Exo. 19:6.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Judah was his sanctuary That is, after the departure of Israel from Egypt, “Judah” became “his sanctuary.” The author certainly belonged to a late period, when the rivalry of Ephraim had yielded to the power of Judah; and Jerusalem, then belonging to the kingdom of Judah, became, in the eyes of the nation, the holy city. The pronoun “his” refers to God, though the name is suppressed till Psa 114:7 a peculiarity of the psalm.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 114:2. Judah was his sanctuary The tribe of Judah is here put for the Jews in general, because Judah was the principal tribe. See Num_2:3; Num_7:12; Num_10:14. A correspondent of Sir Richard Steele’s (Spectator, No. 461.) has translated this psalm into English verse; and in doing it he perceived a beauty, which was entirely new to him, and which, he says, he was going to lose; and that is, that the poet utterly conceals the presence of God in the beginning of it, and rather lets the possessive pronoun go without a substantive, than he will so much as mention any thing of the divinity there. Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. The reason now seems evident, and this conduct necessary; for if GOD had appeared before, there could be no wonder why the mountains should leap, and the sea retire; therefore, that this convulsion of nature may be brought in with due surprise, his name is not mentioned till afterward; and then, with a very agreeable turn of thought, God is introduced at once in all his majesty. Mr. Cowley, in his Davideis, makes David perform this ode before Saul, when he relieved him from his melancholy; and it was a pretty thought of his, for the subject of it is very well calculated for such a purpose: but from this verse it appears as if it was written after the division of the ten tribes from the kingdom of Judah. So that it was, probably, not composed by David, but by some other person, as a paschal hymn. The reader will observe how exactly the alternate lines correspond with those preceding them throughout the psalm.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Reader, do not fail to remark, that when Israel was brought out of Egypt, the Lord set up his tabernacle among them, and manifested his presence to them. And when the Lord Jesus brings out his people from the Egypt of the world, doth he not still fulfil that sweet promise, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world? Is it not the privilege of his people, to live to him, to live with him, and to live upon him? Doth he not in every act declare, I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God. Mat 28:20 ; Zec 13:9 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 114:2 Judah was his sanctuary, [and] Israel his dominion.
Ver. 2. Judah was his sanctuary ] Or sanctity, or sanctification. This was a happy change for them, from their Egyptian idolatry, Eze 23:19 , like as it was from their Egyptian servitude, when Israel became God’s dominions, dominations, and signiories.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
was = became. See note on Gen 1:2.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Exo 6:7, Exo 19:5, Exo 19:6, Exo 25:8, Exo 29:45, Exo 29:46, Lev 11:45, Deu 23:14, Deu 27:9, Deu 27:12, Eze 37:26-28, 2Co 6:16, 2Co 6:17, Rev 21:3
Reciprocal: Job 26:12 – divideth Psa 20:1 – defend Jer 46:15 – the Lord
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
114:2 Judah was his {b} sanctuary, [and] Israel his dominion.
(b) The whole people were witnesses to his holy majesty in adopting them, and of his mighty power in delivering them.