Texts in Conversation
Exodus 15 calls God a man of war, describing divine embodiment and combat. The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos changes “man” to “master” and adding the word “victory,” describing God no longer as a warrior but as one who directs the outcomes.
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Exodus 15:3
Hebrew Bible
2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a man of war10— the Lord is his name. 4 The chariots of Pharaoh and his army he has thrown into the sea, and his chosen officers were drowned in the Red Sea.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Onkelos Exodus 15:3
Targum
2 The Lord is my strength and my song; He has spoken through His Word that He will be my Redeemer. This is my God, and I will build Him a sanctuary; the God of my ancestors, and I will worship before Him. 3 The Lord is a master of victory in war, the Lord is His Name. 4 He has cast Pharaoh's chariots and horses into the sea; his chosen warriors are drowned in the Sea of Reeds.
Date: 100-200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Bible: 'God is a Man of War.' Our translator and Saadiah avoid the crude and aggressive anthropomorphism. Rashi cites the similar targumic conversion of 'man' to 'master' in Ruth and 1 Kings 2:2. The targumist's addition of 'victory' implies that God is not physically engaged in battle, but influences the outcome ..."
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text
(p. 89) 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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