Texts in Conversation
Exodus 15 describes Israel’s journey from the sea to Marah, focusing on the bitter water. The Aramaic translation in Targum Pseudo-Jonathan connects the lack of water to neglecting the Torah, following a tradition that equates the Torah with water.
Share:
Exodus 15:22
Hebrew Bible
21 Miriam sang in response to them, “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and its rider he has thrown into the sea.” 22 Then Moses led Israel to journey away from the Red Sea. They went out to the wilderness of Shur, walked for three days into the wilderness, and found no water. 23 Then they came to Marah, but they were not able to drink the waters of Marah, because they were bitter. (That is why its name was Marah.)
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Pseudo Jonathan Exodus 15:22
Targum
21 And Miriam sang to them, “Let us give thanks and praise before the Lord because might and eminence are his; he is exalted above the exalted, and he is elevated above the high. Because the wicked Pharaoh plotted and pursued the people of the children of Israel, his horses and his chariots, he threw (them) and sank them in the Sea of Reeds.” 22 Then Moses caused Israel to set out from the Sea of Reeds, and they went to the wilderness of Haluzah. They traveled three days in the wilderness, neglecting the commandments, and they found no water. 23 They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water of Marah, because it was bitter. That is why it was named Marah.
Date: 300-1200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Search:
Notes and References
"... Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael Exodus 15:22 (2, 89-90); 15:27 (2, 98); Babylonian Talmud Baba Qamma 82a; Tanhuma A, Beshalach 19 (233). Since the Torah was compared with water (see, for example, the text from Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael Exodus 15:22), Pseudo-Jonathan associates lack of water with neglect of Torah, not only in our present text but also in Exodus 17:1; Numbers 21:20; 33:14 ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.