Here we find a poetic description of Israel’s journey through the Red Sea. He refers to sea monsters that were common in Semitic lore. Though Pagan in origin, Scripture does mention them (Job 3:8; Job 9:13; Job 26:12; Job 40:20; Psalm 87:4; Psalm 89:10; Psalm 104:26; Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 30:7; Isaiah 51:9). Poetic licence allows for using words and images of these fabled creatures, much like we would use adjectives like gigantic
or titanic
even though we do not believe in giants or titans, figures from Greek mythology. Here these monsters are used as figures of speech, helping to get the psalmist’s point across.
13 Tu as fendu la mer par ta puissance,Tu as brisé les têtes des monstres sur les eaux;