Texts in Conversation
The Hebrew version of Leviticus 5:19 contains a repetitive phrase that may simply intensify the statement of guilt. The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos, however, reads the repetition differently by interpreting one instance as the name of the offering and another as the act of transgression.
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Leviticus 5:19
Hebrew Bible
18 and must bring a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels, for a guilt offering to the priest. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his error that he committed (although he himself had not known it), and he will be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; he was surely guilty before the Lord.”
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Onkelos Leviticus 5:19
Targum
18 But he shall bring a lamb unblemished from the flock according to the estimation for a trespass offering to the priest; and the priest shall atone for his error which he committed unwittingly, and it shall be forgiven him. 19 It is an asham for his transgressions that he transgressed; he shall offer the asham before the Lord.
Date: 100-200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The Pentateuch's five words are obscure. It literally reads: 'It is an asham, ashom asham to the Lord.' The second half of the verse may be the Hebrew grammatical intensifier achieved by repetition, thus meaning 'he is certainly guilty.' This is apparently how ibn Ezra understood it. He states that the second phrase explains why the offering is called an asham ... Our targumist takes an entirely different approach. He treats the first and final asham as the name of the sacrifice and the middle one as 'transgression.' He also makes three additions to clarify the text as he understands it: 'his,' 'that he transgressed,' and 'offers' ..."
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Leviticus: Understanding the Bible Text
(p. 32) 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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