Texts in Conversation
Exodus 25 shows God meeting and speaking with Moses from between the cherubim, suggesting direct physical presence. The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos avoids this by using “memra” to emphasize divine communication instead through an intermediary.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Exodus 25:22
Hebrew Bible
21 You are to put the atonement lid on top of the ark, and in the ark you are to put the testimony I am giving you. 22 I will meet with you there, and from above the atonement lid, from between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will command you for the Israelites. 23 “You are to make a table of acacia wood; its length is to be 36 inches, its width 18 inches, and its height 27 inches.
Date: 750–400 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Onkelos Exodus 25:22
Targum
21 And you will put the Mercy Seat on top of the Ark, and in the ark you will put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 And I will appoint My Memra to meet you there; and I will speak with you from above the Mercy Seat, from between the two Cherubim that are on the Ark of the Testimony, all that I will command you for the sons of Israel. 23 And you will make a Table of acacia wood, two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.
Date: 50–500 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Bible: 'and I will meet with you there.' Onkelos avoids the anthropomorphic divine appearance with memra, meaning 'word,' 'wisdom,' 'command,' 'will,' 'teaching,' 'inspiration,' 'power,' or 'protection.' The targumist does not use 'glory' or Shekhinah, because of the context of the passage. The verse states: 'I will speak with you,' therefore 'word'" or 'wisdom' is appropriate. However, the Babylonian Talmud (Sukkah 5a and Sanhedrin 7a), since it is not a biblical translation and does not follow the targumic style, mentions Shekhinah in reference to this verse ..."
Israel Drazin and Stanley M. Wagner, Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text (Jerusalem: Gefen, 2006), 169.
* 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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