Texts in Conversation
In Exodus 33:20, the Hebrew text says no one can see God’s face and live, suggesting a direct, physical encounter with God. The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos changes this to say no one can see the Shekhinah, meaning God’s presence rather than a physical form, avoiding a description of God with human features.
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Exodus 33:20
Hebrew Bible
19 And the Lord said, “I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the Lord by name before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious; I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.” 20 But he added, “You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.” 21 The Lord said, “Here is a place by me; you will station yourself on a rock.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Onkelos Exodus 33:20
Targum
19 And He said, I will make all My Goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before you, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy to whom I will show mercy. 20 And He said, You cannot see the Face of My Shekinah; for no one can see Me and live. 21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place near Me, and you shall stand on the rock,
Date: 100-200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The targumist changes the biblical 'My face.' It is likely that the insertion of Shekhinah here, as well as other such insertions in this chapter, were late interpolations by overzealous scribes. It is also possible that they thought that the reader would misconstrue the negative statement and suppose that God has anthropomorphic features, but that they could not be seen. Therefore, the statement does not concern God, but His Shekhinah ..."
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text
(p. 232) 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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