Texts in Conversation
Leviticus says God will appear to the people during a ceremony, implying a physical presence. The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos changes this to say only the “glory” of God will appear. This physical description of God may have been intolerable, as this is the only place in Leviticus where the Targum makes this change.
Share:
Leviticus 9:4
Hebrew Bible
3 Then tell the Israelites: ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering and a calf and a lamb, both a year old and flawless, for a burnt offering, 4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with olive oil, for today the Lord is going to appear to you.’” 5 So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the Meeting Tent, and the whole congregation presented them and stood before the Lord.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Onkelos Leviticus 9:4
Targum
3 And with the sons of Israel he spake, saying, Take a kid of the goats for a sin offering, and a calf, and a lamb of the year, unblemished, for a burnt offering; and a bullock and a ram for a hallowed offering, 4 to sacrifice before the Lord; and a mincha of flour sprinkled with oil: for this day will the glory of the Lord be revealed to you. 5 And what Mosheh had commanded they brought before the tabernacle of ordinance, and all the congregation approached and stood before the Lord.
Date: 100-200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Search:
Notes and References
"... Our Targumist transforms scripture's anthropomorphic “for today the Lord appears to you” by adding yekara, “glory,” the only instance in Leviticus where this insertion is made. Rashbam and Ibn Ezra explain that the Bible's "revelation of God" was not meant to be taken literally: it is a metaphor for the miraculous fire that will consume the sacrifice at the end of the ceremony, which is described in verse 24. However, Sforno maintains that the word nirch is actually past tense and refers to the glory of God that had already filled the Tabernacle in Exodus 40:34, and that the sacrifices were being brought now to honor His present presence ..."
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Leviticus: Understanding the Bible Text
(p. 58) 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.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.