Texts in Conversation
In Exodus 25:22, the Hebrew text depicts God meeting and speaking with Moses from between the cherubim, a scene that could suggest physical presence. The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos avoids this by using the term “memra,” or “word,” to emphasize divine communication but now through a kind of indirection or intermediary.
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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: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Onkelos Exodus 25:22
Targum
21 And you will set the propitiatory upon the Ark over above, and within the ark you will put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 And I will summon my Memra with you there; and I will speak with you from above the Propitiatory, from between the two Cherubim that are upon the Ark of the Testimony, all that I may command you for the sons of Israel. 23 And you will make a Table of sittin woods, two cubits the length of it, and a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.
Date: 100-200 C.E. (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 ..."
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text
(p. 169) 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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