Chapter 93

Translation and Transliteration of

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Hashem is king, He is robed in grandeur; Hashem is robed, He is girded with strength. The world stands firm; it cannot be shaken.

איְהֹוָה מָלָךְ גֵּאוּת לָבֵשׁ לָבֵשׁ יְהֹוָה עֹז הִתְאַזָּר אַף־תִּכּוֹן תֵּבֵל בַּל־תִּמּוֹט׃

2Your throne stands firm from of old; from eternity You have existed.

בנָכוֹן כִּסְאֲךָ מֵאָז מֵעוֹלָם אָתָּה׃

3The ocean sounds, Hashem, the ocean sounds its thunder, the ocean sounds its pounding.

גנָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת יְהֹוָה נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת קוֹלָם יִשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת דָּכְיָם׃

4Above the thunder of the mighty waters, more majestic than the breakers of the sea is Hashem, majestic on high.

mi-ko-LOT ma-YIM ra-BEEM a-dee-REEM mish-b'-ray YAM a-DEER ba-ma-ROM a-do-NAI

דמִקֹּלוֹת מַיִם רַבִּים אַדִּירִים מִשְׁבְּרֵי־יָם אַדִּיר בַּמָּרוֹם יְהֹוָה׃

93:4 The breakers of the sea

Rosh Hanikra

In Psalm 93, verse 4 discusses the voices of the water and the breaking waves of the sea, while verse 5 speaks of Hashem’s testimonies and His house. What is the relationship between the two verses? Divrei Hayamim II 2:15 relates that cedar trees were cut from Lebanon and brought to the Land of Israel by sea, to construct Shlomo’s Beit Hamikdash: “We undertake to cut down as many trees of Lebanon as you need, and deliver them to you as rafts by sea to Jaffa; you will transport them to Yerushalayim”. One interpretation of this psalm suggests that the sailors who brought the mighty cedar trees from Lebanon to build the House of God recited this psalm. As part of their route, they certainly passed the northern sea area known as Rosh Hanikra (currently on Israel’s border with Lebanon), and heard the crashing of the waves into the rock. They must have marveled at the beauty and power of the sea, and praised Hashem for giving them the merit of participating in the building of His great house.

5Your decrees are indeed enduring; holiness befits Your house, Hashem, for all times.

העֵדֹתֶיךָ נֶאֶמְנוּ מְאֹד לְבֵיתְךָ נַאֲוָה־קֹדֶשׁ יְהֹוָה לְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים׃