Texts in Conversation
Exodus 5 calls God the God of the “Hebrews,” using their early name. The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos updates this to the God of the “Judeans,” matching the later name for the people in the early centuries of the common era.
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Exodus 5:3
Hebrew Bible
2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey him by releasing Israel? I do not know the Lord, and I will not release Israel!” 3 And they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go a three-day journey into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, so that he does not strike us with plague or the sword.” 4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you cause the people to refrain from their work? Return to your labor!”
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Onkelos Exodus 5:3
Targum
2 And Pharaoh said, The name of the Lord is not known to me, that I should listen to His word to send Israel away. The name of the Lord is not revealed to me, and Israel I shall not release. 3 And they said, The God of the Judeans has revealed Himself to us; let us now go three days journey into the desert to sacrifice before the Lord our God, otherwise He will come upon us with death or with slaughter. 4 And the king of Mizraim said to them, Why, Mosheh and Aaron, do you hinder the people from their works? Go to your employment.
Date: 100-200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Often, there are scriptural designations of names or places that were either no longer used or not generally known in the time of this Targum. The names by which the Jewish people are called is an excellent example. At first, they were Hebrews. Then, they were referred to as 'the children of Israel.' Ultimately, after the exile and disappearance of the northern kingdom of Israel (circa 722 BCE), the name Judeans and later, Jews, was applied to the entire nation. Onkelos updates many biblical names, as in verse 5:3, where the targumist renders 'Hebrews' as 'Judeans,' the term by which the people were more commonly known in the early centuries of the Common Era, when the translation was written ..."
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text
(p. 28) Gefen, 2006
* 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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