יְהוָ֣ה מֶ֭לֶךְ עוֹלָ֣ם וָעֶ֑ד אָבְד֥וּ ג֝וֹיִ֗ם מֵֽאַרְצֽוֹ׃
גאָט איז אַ מלך אײביק און שטענדיק, די פֿעלקער גײען אונטער פֿון זײַן לאַנד.
Rabbeinu Bahya
A Kabbalistic approach: after Israel had watched the emanation מלכות split the sea and they had offered their praises to G’d and His Kingdom, they concluded their praises by invoking the tetragram just as they had used that attribute at the beginning of the song when they sang אשירה לי-ה-ו-ה.
Onkelos translates the word ימלך as if it were present tense; i.e. “G’d’s kingdom endures forever.” We find the same in Psalms 10,16: “The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations will perish from His land.” [Whenever G’d’s kingdom is expressed in the present tense some of our commentators are concerned that the reader who in his lifetime sees no evidence of G’d exerting His power may find such terminology bothersome. This is especially so if, as here, the grammar clearly speaks of the future. Ed.] Perhaps what prompted Onkelos to translate the word ימלך as a present tense instead of as a future tense is that Moses and the people of Israel had in mind G’d in His capacity as representing מלכות, kingdom, sovereignty. This is why they thought it appropriate to conclude the song with that theme. This then was in contrast to the opening of the song when they emphasized the tetragrammaton, at the conclusion they emphasized the מלכות aspect of G’d.
Onkelos translates the word ימלך as if it were present tense; i.e. “G’d’s kingdom endures forever.” We find the same in Psalms 10,16: “The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations will perish from His land.” [Whenever G’d’s kingdom is expressed in the present tense some of our commentators are concerned that the reader who in his lifetime sees no evidence of G’d exerting His power may find such terminology bothersome. This is especially so if, as here, the grammar clearly speaks of the future. Ed.] Perhaps what prompted Onkelos to translate the word ימלך as a present tense instead of as a future tense is that Moses and the people of Israel had in mind G’d in His capacity as representing מלכות, kingdom, sovereignty. This is why they thought it appropriate to conclude the song with that theme. This then was in contrast to the opening of the song when they emphasized the tetragrammaton, at the conclusion they emphasized the מלכות aspect of G’d.