Exodus 3:12

Hebrew Bible

11 Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, or that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He replied, “Surely I will be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you and they will serve God at this mountain.” 13 Moses said to God, “If I go to the Israelites and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’—what should I say to them?”

Onkelos Exodus 3:12

Targum

11 And Mosheh said before the Lord, Who am I, that I should go to Pharoah to bring the sons of Israel out of Mizraim? 12 And He said, Because My Memra shall be your helper: and this shall be the sign that I have sent you: In your leading of the people from Mizraim you shall do service before the Lord upon this mountain. 13 And Mosheh said before the Lord, Behold, when I come to the sons of Israel, and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, What is His name? what shall I say to them?

 Notes and References

"... 'My Memra will help you' ... the biblical phrase 'because I will be with you' is rejected by the targumist as being too anthropomorphic ..."

Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text (p. 15) Gefen, 2006

 User Comments

Do you have questions or comments about these texts? Please submit them here.