Texts in Conversation
In Genesis 3, the sentries and flaming sword are placed on the east side of Eden, using a word that can mean “from ancient times.” The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos uses the second meaning, that the guards were placed there in anticipation.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Genesis 3:24
Hebrew Bible
23 So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken. 24 When he drove the man out, he placed on the eastern side of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life.
Date: 750–400 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Onkelos Genesis 3:24
Targum
23 and the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to cultivate the ground from where he had been created. 24 And He drove out the man. In early times, he stationed the cherubim, and the sharp sword which turned to guard the way of the Tree of Life.
Date: 50–500 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Bible: mikedem, which could mean 'east' or 'from early times.' Both are in Genesis Rabbah. Our targumist, who borrowed material from this Midrash, opted for the latter interpretation, and suggested that the cherubim and sword were placed at the entrance to the garden before the episode with the tree ... The Hebrew metaphor lahat, 'fiery,' probably refers to an unsheathed sword that flashed brightly in the sun. It could also be a clean, ready-to-use sword. The Aramaic translation captures the intent of the metaphor by using 'sharp.' The sword discourages Adam from returning to the garden (Rashi) ..."
Israel Drazin and Stanley M. Wagner, Onkelos on the Torah, Genesis: Understanding the Bible Text (Jerusalem: Gefen, 2006), 21.
* 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.
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