Texts in Conversation
In Exodus 20, God forbids making “gods alongside me,” language some interpreters saw as banning images of heavenly beings or avoiding comparisons to God. The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos uses “idols”, removing any sense of equality with God.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Exodus 20:23
Hebrew Bible
22 The Lord said to Moses, “Thus you will tell the Israelites: ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken with you from heaven. 23 You must not make gods of silver alongside me, nor make gods of gold for yourselves. 24 “‘You must make for me an altar made of earth, and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause my name to be honored I will come to you and I will bless you.
Date: 750–400 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Onkelos Exodus 20:20
Targum
19 And the Lord said to Moses, This is what you shall say to the children of Israel: You have seen that I have spoken to you from the heavens. 20 You shall not make idols of silver before Me, and you shall not make idols of gold for yourselves. 21 You shall make an altar of earth before Me, and offer on it your burnt offerings and your holy sacrifices, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause My Shekinah to dwell, there I will send My blessing and bless you.
Date: 50–500 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Rather than the biblical 'with me,' which, according to opinions in the Babylonian Talmud (Avodah Zarah 43b), means 'heavenly beings' or 'a human face.' Rabbi Akiva in the Mekhilta sees it as an ethical injunction: do not treat Me as others treat their gods, praising them only for good tidings. Onkelos sidesteps the anthropomorphism. Rashi, borrowing from the Mekhilta, renders it as 'you shall not make an image of my servants who serve before Me in the heavens.' Ibn Ezra explains that the Israelites might be inclined to make gods to serve as intermediaries between them and God (as in the case of the Golden Calf.) Hence, God warns them, 'I do not need intermediaries with Me.' ... 'Idols' is more specific than the biblical 'gods.' The Aramaic makes the change for clarity and so as not to give them equality with the Lord ..."
Israel Drazin and Stanley M. Wagner, Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text (Jerusalem: Gefen, 2006), 128.
* 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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