Texts in Conversation
In translating the description of the earth as formless and empty in Genesis 1:2, the Aramaic translation of Targum Pseudo-Jonathan adds interpretive details drawn from other biblical texts, including Psalms and Jeremiah. Rather than leave the phrase vague, it uses familiar imagery like desolation and emptiness to clarify the scene.
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Genesis 1:2
Hebrew Bible
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was hovering11 over the surface of the water. 3 God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light!
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Pseudo Jonathan Genesis 1:2
Targum
1 At the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, desolate of people and empty of all animals; darkness was upon the surface of the deep and a merciful wind from before God was blowing over the surface of the water. 3 God said: 'Let there be light to illuminate the world' and immediately there was light.
Date: 300-1200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Pseudo Jonathan, like Neofiti and other Targums, gives an Aramaic transcription of the words tôhu wabôhu. These Targums then explain each of these terms, using “desolate and empty,” the words used by Targum Onkelos to translate tôhu wabôhu. Shinan claims that the additions made by Pseudo Jonathan and the Palestinian targums are prompted by Psalm 104:14 (which mentions grass, cattle, plants and men who cultivate the earth), and possibly by Genesis 2:5. See also Jeremiah 4:23,25; 33:10 ..."
* 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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