Isaiah 28:25

Hebrew Bible

23 Pay attention and listen to my message. Be attentive and listen to what I have to say! 24 Does a farmer just keep on plowing at planting time? Does he keep breaking up and harrowing his ground? 25 Once he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter the seed of the caraway plant, sow the seed of the cumin plant, and plant the wheat, barley, and grain in their designated places? 26 His God instructs him; he teaches him the principles of agriculture. 27 Certainly caraway seed is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin seed. Certainly caraway seed is beaten with a stick and cumin seed with a flail.

Jonathan Isaiah 28:25

Targum

23 The prophet said, Listen to, and hear my voice, turn and hear my word. 24 The prohets prophesied at all times in order to teach, if peradventure the ears of sinners might be opened, and receive instruction. 25 Is it not so? If the house of Israel would set their faces to do the law, and repent, then behold. He would gather them from among the nations, amongst whom they were dispersed, like fitches and cumin that are scattered: and, behold, he would bring their offspring together accord ing to their tribes, as seed of wheat in the uncultivated field, and barley in the appointed place, and spelt in the borders. 26 All these things are instruction of judg ment, that they may know, that our God shows them the right path, in which they ought to walk. 27 For they do not tread out the fitches with an iron threshing instrument, nor do they turn the wheels of a cart upon the cumin; but they beat out the fitches with a staff, and the cumin with a rod.

 Notes and References

"... The meturgeman [Aramaic translator] viewed the law as the central idea concerning the living of the righteous ... The law as the central idea for the living of the righteous is common throughout the Targum to the Prophets. Examples included: Targum Isaiah 28:25, 32:2, 7, 37:32, and Targum Hosea 14:10 ..."

DelRio, Delio "The Targums and the Apostle Paul" in Chilton, Bruce, and Alan J. Avery-Peck (eds.) Earliest Christianity within the Boundaries of Judaism: Essays in Honor of Bruce Chilton (pp. 151-167) Brill, 2016

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