Psalms 113:6
Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams, and ye hills, like lambs of the flock?
Open Psalms 113:6 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- montes, exsultastis sicut arietes ? et colles, sicut agni ovium ?
- Septuagint (Swete)
- τὰ ὄρη, ἐσκιρτήσατε ὡς κριοί;
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 114:6
- הֶֽ֭הָרִים תִּרְקְד֣וּ כְאֵילִ֑ים גְּ֝בָע֗וֹת כִּבְנֵי צֹֽאן
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LXXII
5. “Let the mountains bear peace to the people, and the hills justice” ( ver. 3 ). The mountains are the greater, the hills the less. These are without doubt those which another Psalm hath, “little with great.” For those mountains did exult like rams, and those hills like lambs of the sheep, at the departure of Israel out of Egypt, that is, at the deliverance of the people of God from this world’s servitude. Those then that are eminent in the Church for passing sanctity, are the mountains, who are meet to teach other men also, by so speaking as that they may be faithfully taught, by so living as that they may imitate them to their profit: but the hills are they that follow the excellence of the former by their own obedience. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CXIV
2. “When Israel came out of Egypt, and the house of Jacob from among the strange people” ( ver. 1 ), “Judah was His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion” ( ver. 2 ); “the sea saw that and fled, Jordan was driven back” ( ver. 3 ). Think not that past deeds are related unto us, but rather that the future is predicted; since, while those miracles also were going on in that people, things present indeed were happening, but not without an intimation of things future.…Some things he has related differently to what we have learnt and read there: that he might not truly be thought to be repeating past acts rather than to be prophesying future things. …
St Gregory Nazianzen The Fourth Theological Oration, Which is the Second Concerning the Son
II. In their eyes the following is only too ready to hand “The Lord created me at the beginning of His ways with a view to His works.” How shall we meet this? Shall we bring an accusation against Solomon, or reject his former words because of his fall in after-life? Shall we say that the words are those of Wisdom herself, as it were of Knowledge and the Creator-word, in accordance with which all things were made? For Scripture often personifies many even lifeless objects; as for instance, “The Sea said” so and so; and, “The Depth saith, It is not in me;” and “The Heavens declare the glory of God;” and again a command is given to the Sword; and the Mountains and Hills are asked the reason of their skipping. We do not allege any of these, though some of our predecessors used them as powerful arguments. But let us grant that the expression is used of our Saviour Himself, the true Wisdom. …