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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 114

Translation and Transliteration of 

1When Yisrael went forth from Egypt, the house of Yaakov from a people of strange speech,

b'-tze-TET yis-ra-AYL mi-mitz-RA-yim, BAYT ya-a-KOV may-AM lo-EZ

אבְּצֵ֣את יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם בֵּ֥ית יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב מֵעַ֥ם לֹעֵֽז׃

2Yehuda became His holy one, Yisrael, His dominion.

ha-Y'-ta y'-hu-DAH l'-ko-D'-sho, yis-ra-AYL mam-sh'-lo-TAV

בהָיְתָ֣ה יְהוּדָ֣ה לְקׇדְשׁ֑וֹ יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל מַמְשְׁלוֹתָֽיו׃

3The sea saw them and fled, Yarden ran backward,

ha-YAM ra-AH va-ya-NOS ha-YAR-den yi-SOV l'-a-KHOR

גהַיָּ֣ם רָ֭אָה וַיָּנֹ֑ס הַ֝יַּרְדֵּ֗ן יִסֹּ֥ב לְאָחֽוֹר׃

4mountains skipped like rams, hills like sheep.

he-ha-RIM ra-K'-du k'-ei-LIM, g'-va-OT kiv-NEI tzo-AN

דהֶ֭הָרִים רָקְד֣וּ כְאֵילִ֑ים גְּ֝בָע֗וֹת כִּבְנֵי־צֹֽאן׃

5What alarmed you, O sea, that you fled, Yarden, that you ran backward,

mah-le-KHA ha-YAM ki-ta-NOOS ha-YAR-den ti-SOV l'-a-KHOR

המַה־לְּךָ֣ הַ֭יָּם כִּ֣י תָנ֑וּס הַ֝יַּרְדֵּ֗ן תִּסֹּ֥ב לְאָחֽוֹר׃

6mountains, that you skipped like rams, hills, like sheep?

he-ha-RIM tir-ke-DU k'-ei-LIM, g'-va-OT kiv-NEI tzo-AN

והֶ֭הָרִים תִּרְקְד֣וּ כְאֵילִ֑ים גְּ֝בָע֗וֹת כִּבְנֵי־צֹֽאן׃

7Tremble, O earth, at the presence of Hashem, at the presence of the God of Yaakov,

mi-lif-NEI a-DON khu-LEE a-RETZ mi-lif-NEI e-LO-a ya-a-KOV

זמִלִּפְנֵ֣י אָ֭דוֹן ח֣וּלִי אָ֑רֶץ מִ֝לִּפְנֵ֗י אֱל֣וֹהַּ יַעֲקֹֽב׃

8who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flinty rock into a fountain.

ha-ho-f'-KHEE ha-TZUR a-gam MA-yim kha-la-MEESH l'-ma-y'-no MA-yim

חהַהֹפְכִ֣י הַצּ֣וּר אֲגַם־מָ֑יִם חַ֝לָּמִ֗ישׁ לְמַעְיְנוֹ־מָֽיִם׃

 114:8   Who turned the rock into a pool of water

This verse describes the great strength of Hashem, Who can produce water from a rock. The Hebrew word for ‘the rock,’ ha-tzur (הצור), alludes to something that is unmoving or stubborn. Yet if read backwards, the word becomes rotzeh (רוצה) which means ‘want’ or ‘willing.’ Just as a rock can be turned into water, so too, obstinacy can be turned into willingness. And no matter how far a person is from God, he or she can always come closer. Additionally, Tzur is one of the Bible’s names for the Almighty Himself. Hashem’s pro­tection and kindness are as solid and unchanging as a rock.