Texts in Conversation
The Hebrew version of Exodus 6:1 describes Pharaoh driving the Israelites out with a term that suggests forceful expulsion. The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos replaces this with softer language to avoid any suggestion that the people were expelled like cattle, likely motivated to protect their dignity.
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Exodus 6:1
Hebrew Bible
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for compelled by my strong hand he will release them, and by my strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” 2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name ‘the Lord’ I was not known to them.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Onkelos Exodus 6:1
Targum
1 But the Lord said to Mosheh, Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he send them away, and with a strong hand cause them to descend from this land. 2 And the Lord spake to Mosheh and said to him, I am the Lord; 3 and I appeared unto Abraham and to Izhak and to Jakob by (the name) El-Shaddai, but by My name Jehovah I was not known to them.
Date: 100-200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Onkelos is rigorous in the defense of the honor of the Jewish people. The targumist's customary literal translation is sidestepped to avoid what might be regarded as disparaging comments about Israel's ancestors. There are eighteen such alterations in the Exodus translation. In verse 6:1, where God seems to imply that Pharaoh will be forced to 'chase out' the Israelites from Egypt, Onkelos avoids the implication that the Israelite people are like cattle, which will be 'herded' out of the land. Rather, the translation providing that Pharaoh will 'cause them to descend [from Egypt]' connotes a more respectful and humane treatment ..."
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text
(p. 34) 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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