Texts in Conversation
Exodus 10 describes the plague of darkness with a phrase usually read as darkness thick enough to feel. The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos reads it as a time marker instead, saying the darkness began once the night’s own darkness had passed.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Exodus 10:21
Hebrew Bible
20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not release the Israelites. 21 The Lord said to Moses, “Extend your hand toward heaven so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness so thick it can be felt.” 22 So Moses extended his hand toward heaven, and there was absolute darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days.
Onkelos Exodus 10:21
Targum
20 Yet the heart of Pharoh was hardened, and he would not send the sons of Israel away. 21 And the Lord said to Mosheh, Uplift thy hand towards heaven and there shall be darkness upon the land of Mizraim after the darkness of the night hath passed away. 22 And Mosheh lifted up his hand towards heaven, and there was darkness of darkness in all the land of Mizraim three days:
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Notes and References
“... 21. LIFT UP YOUR HAND TOWARD THE HEAVEN. Rather than the biblical ‘stretch out your hand to the heaven.’ See commentary on 9:22. AFTER THE DARKNESS OF THE NIGHT DEPARTS. The Hebrew phrase vayamesh choshekh may be translated in many different ways. Rashi cites and disagrees with Onkelos, which states that the plague of darkness will commence ‘after the darkness of the night departs,’ that is, in the morning. Rashi translates the Hebrew, ‘the darkness of the plague will exceed the darkness of the night.’ Ibn Ezra understands it as the Mekhilta, ‘the darkness will be so intense that one can feel it’ (p. 340). ...”
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text
(pp. 57-58) 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.
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