The Hebrew Bible records Moses and the Israelites singing a triumphant song after the sea closes over the Egyptians (Exodus 15). Targum Onkelos transforms this victory hymn into something even more expansive—a theological declaration about the nature of God's power.
"I will sing to God, for He is most high" (Exodus 15:1)—Onkelos expands: "We will praise and give thanks before God, for He exalted Himself above those who are exalted, and exaltation is His." The song is not just celebration. It is a statement about cosmic hierarchy. God is not merely powerful. God is the source of power itself.
"This is my God and I will glorify Him" (Exodus 15:2)—Onkelos renders "glorify" as "build a Temple for." The spontaneous praise at the seashore already points toward the future sanctuary. The Song at the Sea is not just about the past. It is a prophecy of the Temple that will one day stand in Jerusalem.
"God is the master of wars" (Exodus 15:3)—Onkelos writes "the master of victories." Not a warrior, but a guarantor of outcomes. God does not fight. God wins. The distinction preserves divine dignity while maintaining divine supremacy.
The most striking expansion comes at (Exodus 15:11): "Who is like You among the mighty, God!" Onkelos adds: "There is none besides You, for You are God! There is none besides You, O God!" The rhetorical question of the Hebrew becomes an absolute declaration in the Aramaic. There is no comparison. There is no competition. The Song at the Sea, in Onkelos's hands, becomes the purest expression of monotheism in the entire Torah.