Texts in Conversation
In the Hebrew version of 1 Kings 18:27, Elijah sarcastically mocks the prophets of Baal, suggesting their god might be absent or asleep. The Aramaic translation in Targum Jonathan draws out one of the possible interpretations of the Hebrew and says explicitly that the idol may be using the bathroom.
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1 Kings 18:27
Hebrew Bible
26 So they took a bull, as he had suggested, and prepared it. They invoked the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us.” But there was no sound and no answer. They jumped around on the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah mocked them, “Yell louder! After all, he is a god; he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened.” 28 So they yelled louder and, in accordance with their prescribed ritual, mutilated themselves with swords and spears until their bodies were covered with blood.
Date: 6th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Jonathan 1 Kings 18:27
Targum
26 So they took the bull that was given to them and prepared it, and they called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, answer us But there was no voice and no one answered And they limped about the altar that they had made 27 And it came to pass at noon that Elijah mocked them and said, Cry aloud, for he is a god Perhaps he is meditating, or he has gone aside to relieve himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened 28 And they cried out with a loud voice and cut themselves after their manner with swords and spears until blood gushed out upon them
Date: 200-300 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The Kings targumist makes a number of changes in the translation to clarify the text, to enhance the honor of God, and to distinguish idols from the deity. The targumist adds memra (word or wisdom) in verses 24 and 37, Shekhinah in 36, and "before" in 1, 3, 12 (twice), 22, and other verses to remove anthropomorphisms. He inserts 'prophecy' in verse 1 to make perfectly clear what Elijah is experiencing and adds 'with' in the same verse to show that God was not dictating 'to' the prophet, but was having a conversation 'with' him. He changes words for clarity: 'cut off' in verse 4, for example, becomes 'killed'; 'put to death' in verse 9 is 'kill'; and 'standing' in verse 15 becomes 'serving.' Sometimes he adds words to make the meaning clearer, as in verse 3 'was appointed,' in verses 4 and 13 'with,' in 7 'going,' and in 20 'false.' When the prophet speaks of false gods, as in 25, he calls them idols. In verse 27, he inserts a disparaging description of the idols 'relieving' themselves. Three verses have significant alteration, being virtually rewritten: 21, 24. and 37 ..."
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text
(p. 302) 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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