A sudden, violent cosmic shock tears through the natural world, stripping away the surface to expose the deepest, most hidden layers of the earth. David uses this dramatic imagery of divine intervention to express how God shatters the normal rules of both nature and history. Mighty currents of water are violently split apart, laying bare the ocean floor. The very foundations of the world, meaning the lowest and deepest recesses near the center of the earth, are suddenly brought to light [רד״ק, מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ, רלב״ג, מצודת דוד]. This upheaval is brought about by God's rebuke and the breath of His nostrils, which serve as vivid metaphors for His anger and the destructive force unleashed against His enemies [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רש״י].
The primary approach among commentators views this dramatic upheaval as a reference to open historical miracles, specifically the splitting of the Red Sea and the Jordan River. The force of the Red Sea parting was so immense that at that exact moment, all the waters and abysses across the entire world split open simultaneously [רש״י, צאינה וראינה, אברבנאל]. Others understand the exposed seabed as a description of extreme natural disasters, such as severe droughts that completely dry up bodies of water, similar to events that occurred during the war of the kings against Moab [אברבנאל].
This cosmic disruption is also deeply personal to David's own story. The imagery connects to his lineage, tracing back to Nahshon leaping into the Red Sea and the rescue of Lot from the destruction of Sodom, an event where mountains were uprooted and springs burst open. Through these foundational moments of survival, the path was paved for David’s eventual kingship and his own rescue from overwhelming dangers [אלשיך].
Beyond physical destruction, the unearthing of the world's foundations serves as a powerful allegory for entirely unexpected political and historical shifts. It symbolizes events that no one could have predicted. For example, the sudden deaths of Saul, Jonathan, and Ish-bosheth were acts of hidden divine providence that cleared the path for David to ascend to the throne without him ever having to engage in direct conflict [רלב״ג, אברבנאל]. Looking at a broader historical landscape, the foundations revealed in the sea also hint at the eventual rise of the Roman Empire, which was built as a massive metropolis upon the water as a consequence of Israel's sins. This demonstrates God's absolute supremacy over those who denied Him or mistakenly believed His power was restricted only to the sea, such as Titus, who arrogantly tried to challenge divine providence [אהבת יהונתן].
When David later records this same song in the Book of Psalms, he makes a subtle but profound shift in his language. Instead of speaking about God in the third person, he addresses God directly. Furthermore, he slightly alters the phrasing of God's rebuke to soften the imagery. This adjustment ensures that the destruction of the sea is not viewed as a harsh, physical act directly carried out by God, but rather as an ongoing, natural consequence of His divine will [אברבנאל].