Texts in Conversation
Isaiah 16 describes Moab sending gifts and offering refuge to refugees. The Aramaic translation in Targum Jonathan interprets this as Moab submitting to a messiah, showing Moab as both an ally and a rival. This reflects the uncertain political alliances of the time.
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Isaiah 16:1
Hebrew Bible
1 Send rams as tribute to the ruler of the land, from Sela in the wilderness to the hill of Daughter Zion. 2 At the fords of the Arnon the Moabite women are like a bird that flies about when forced from its nest. 3 “Bring a plan, make a decision. Provide some shade in the middle of the day. Hide the fugitives! Do not betray the one who tries to escape.
Date: 7th-5th Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Jonathan Isaiah 16:1
Targum
They shall bring tributes to the Messiah of Israel, who shall prevail over those who are in the wilderness, unto the mountain of the congregation of Zion. Otherwise it shall come to pass, as a bird which men have driven away, being cast out of its nest, the daughters of Moab shall be led round about, made to Wadi Arnon. Take counsel, execute counsel. Make thy shadow as the night in the day, in the midst of the noonday: hide the outcasts; touch not the dispersed.
Date: 200-300 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The picture of a gift sent freely in the MT is transformed in the Tg into one of submission to the Messiah by means of tributes (verse 1). But Moab’s submission is not merely a matter of defeat: his “kingdom” (verse 4) has a specific purpose, a role to play, in the events leading up to the messianic reign (compare 15:21). Moab is to serve as a refuge from “the one who distresses” until the Messiah’s throne is established in the “goodness” of just judgment (verse 5). (This may explain why in verse 3 the “shadow” of Moab is said to be now “as the night” [against Israel] and now “as the day” [in favor of the outcasts]) ..."
* 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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