א׳
בְּצֵ֣את יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם בֵּ֥ית יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב מֵעַ֥ם לֹעֵֽז׃
1
When Israel went forth from Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech,
1
When Israel came forth out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
מֵעַם לוֹעֵז. עַם שְׂפַת לָשׁוֹן אַחֵר שֶׁאֵינוֹ לְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ, וְחֲבֵרוֹ: ״אֶת עַם נוֹעָז לֹא תִרְאֶה עַם עִמְקֵי שָׂפָה וְגוֹ׳״ (ישעיה לג:יט), וְנוּ״ן וְלָמֶ״ד נֶחְלָפוֹת זוֹ בָּזוֹ, כְּמוֹ ״נִשְׁכָּה״ שֶׁהוּא לִשְׁכָּה בְּסֵפֶר עֶזְרָא (נחמיה יג:ז-ח):
a people of a strange tongue With another language, which is not the Holy Tongue. A similar expression is (Isa. 33:19): “A people of a strange tongue you shall not see, a people of speech too obscure, etc.” The “nun” and the “lammed” are interchangeable, like נִשְׁכָּה, chamber, which is [equivalent to] לִשְׁכָּה, in the Book of Ezra (Neh. 13:7).
ב׳
הָיְתָ֣ה יְהוּדָ֣ה לְקָדְשׁ֑וֹ יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל מַמְשְׁלוֹתָֽיו׃
2
Judah became His holy one,
Israel, His dominion.
2
Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominion.
הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקָדְשׁוֹ. לָקַח יְהוּדָה לְגוֹרַל חֶבְלוֹ וּקְדֻשָּׁתוֹ, וְאַף הֵם קִדְּשׁוּ שְׁמוֹ בִּירִידַת הַיָּם, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים סח:כח) ״שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה רִגְמָתָם״. וּכְמוֹ כֵן נִדְרַשׁ בָּאַגָּדָה מִקְרָא זֶה הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקָדְשׁוֹ, שֶׁקָּפַץ נַחְשׁוֹן לְתוֹךְ הַיָּם וְאָמַר: אֲנִי אֵרֵד תְּחִלָּה. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקָדְשׁוֹ:
Judah became His holy nation He took Judah as the lot of His portion and His sanctity, and even they sanctified His name when they descended into the sea, as the matter that is stated (above 68: 28): “the princes of Judah pelt them with stones.” Similarly, this verse is explained in the Aggadah (Mid. Ps. 114:8): Judah became His holy people, for Nahshon sprang into the sea and said, “I shall descend first,” and that is what [the Psalmist] says: Judah became His holy people.
ג׳
הַיָּ֣ם רָ֭אָה וַיָּנֹ֑ס הַ֝יַּרְדֵּ֗ן יִסֹּ֥ב לְאָחֽוֹר׃
3
The sea saw them and fled,
Jordan ran backward,
3
The sea saw it, and fled; The Jordan turned backward.
הַיַּרְדֵּן יִסֹּב לְאָחוֹר. שֶׁכָּל מֵימֵי בְרֵאשִׁית נִבְקְעוּ:
the Jordan turned backward because all the water of Creation split.
ד׳
הֶֽ֭הָרִים רָקְד֣וּ כְאֵילִ֑ים גְּ֝בָע֗וֹת כִּבְנֵי־צֹֽאן׃
4
mountains skipped like rams,
hills like sheep.
4
The mountains skipped like rams, The hills like young sheep.
ה׳
מַה־לְּךָ֣ הַ֭יָּם כִּ֣י תָנ֑וּס הַ֝יַּרְדֵּ֗ן תִּסֹּ֥ב לְאָחֽוֹר׃
5
What alarmed you, O sea, that you fled,
Jordan, that you ran backward,
5
What aileth thee, O thou sea, that thou fleest? Thou Jordan, that thou turnest backward?
ו׳
הֶֽ֭הָרִים תִּרְקְד֣וּ כְאֵילִ֑ים גְּ֝בָע֗וֹת כִּבְנֵי־צֹֽאן׃
6
mountains, that you skipped like rams,
hills, like sheep?
6
Ye mountains, that ye skip like rams; Ye hills, like young sheep?
ז׳
מִלִּפְנֵ֣י אָ֭דוֹן ח֣וּלִי אָ֑רֶץ מִ֝לִּפְנֵ֗י אֱל֣וֹהַּ יַעֲקֹֽב׃
7
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
7
Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob;
חוּלִי אָרֶץ. הַמְּחוֹלֵל אֶרֶץ, יוֹ״ד יְתֵרָה בּוֹ, כְּמוֹ ״מַגְבִּיהִי״ (תהלים קיג:ה) ״מַשְׁפִּילִי״ (תהלים קיג:ו) וְ״הַהֹפְכִי״ (תהלים קיד:ח):
Who created the earth Heb. חולי, Who created the earth. The “yud” is superfluous as מגביהי, משפילי and ההוֹפכי.
ח׳
הַהֹפְכִ֣י הַצּ֣וּר אֲגַם־מָ֑יִם חַ֝לָּמִ֗ישׁ לְמַעְיְנוֹ־מָֽיִם׃
8
who turned the rock into a pool of water,
the flinty rock into a fountain.
8
Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters.
לְמַעְיְנוֹ מָיִם. וָי״ו יְתֵירָה, כְּמוֹ וָי״ו שֶׁל ״וְחַיְתוֹ יַעַר״ (תהלים נ:י):
into a fountain of water Heb. למעינו. The “vav” is superfluous, as the “vav” in (above 104:11, 20) “the beasts (חיתו) of the forest.”