Texts in Conversation
Exodus 7 says Moses was made “like God” to Pharaoh, which could imply divine status. The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos avoids this by calling Moses “teacher,” framing his role in human terms, and changing Aaron's from “prophet” to “translator.”
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Exodus 7:1
Hebrew Bible
1 So the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to speak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh that he must release the Israelites from his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and although I will multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt,
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Onkelos Exodus 7:1
Targum
1 But the Lord said to Mosheh, See, I have appointed you a Teacher to Pharoh, and Aharon shall be your interpreter. 2 You shall speak all that I have commanded you, and Aharon thy brother shall speak with Pharoh to send away the sons of Israel from his land. 3 And I will harden the heart of Pharoh, and will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Mizraim.
Date: 100-200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... It is not always easy to understand the Bible, especially when it uses Hebrew words that have different meanings in different contexts. Onkelos usually attempts to mitigate the confusion that this may cause. In verse 7:1, for example, God addresses Moses saying, 'I have appointed you as Elohim [normally: 'God'] to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your navee [customarily translated as 'prophet'. Onkelos translates this in an unambiguous fashion, rendering Elohim as 'teacher,' to avoid the misunderstanding that God might be deifying Moses, and navee as 'translator,' since that would be Aaron's essential function ..."
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text
(p. 40) 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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