Fragment Targum Exodus

The King Who Did Not Know Joseph

8 And a king began to rule over Egypt, who did not know Joseph and did not walk in his laws.

10 “And they will kill us and go up in peace from the land.” 11 Tanis and Pelusium.

Jochebed and Miriam as the Hebrew Midwives

15 And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, the name of one of whom was Shiphrah, and she was Jochebed, and the name of the second was Puah, she was Miriam.

19 “Because they are vigorous. Before the midwives come to them, they pray before their Father who is in heaven, and He answers them, and they give birth.”

21 Because the midwives feared before the Lord, they acquired for themselves a good name among the generations, and they made houses for themselves, the house of the Levites and the house of the high priesthood.

Jochebed and the Child by the River

1 And a man of the tribe of Levi went and took Jochebed, his beloved, as his wife.

3 And she placed it in the meadow on the bank of the river.

10 “I drew him up.”

Moses Sees by the Holy Spirit

12 And Moses looked by the Holy Spirit at the two young men and saw that no convert was destined to arise from that Egyptian. And he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

The Bush Burns Without Burning Up

2 And he looked, and there was the bush burning with fire, and the bush stayed moist and did not burn up. 3 “I will look at this great sight, why the bush stays moist and does not burn up.”

5 “Take off your sandals.”

The Word of the Lord Speaks of Creation

14 And the Memra of the Lord said to Moses, “He who said to the world, ‘Be,’ and it was, and who will say to it, ‘Be,’ and it will be.” And He said, “This is what you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘EHEYEH has sent me to you.’”

22 From her fellow resident.

Commands Given to Moses

3 And He said, “Throw it on the ground.” And he threw it on the ground. 4 “And grasp it at its tail end.”

7 “Now put your hand inside your clothing.” And he put his hand inside his clothing.

Moses’s Speech and His Interpreter

10 “For my mouth falters and I have difficulty speaking.”

13 “Send now through the one who is fit to be sent.”

16 “He shall be your interpreter, and you shall be to him one who seeks instruction from before the Lord.”

Zipporah, Circumcision, and the Destroyer

25 And she cut off the foreskin of her son and brought it near before the feet of the Destroyer, and said, “The bridegroom wanted to circumcise, but his father-in-law did not allow him. And now, let the blood of this circumcision atone for the sins of this bridegroom.” 26 And when the Destroyer let go of him, then Zipporah gave praise and said, “How precious is the blood of the circumcision that saved the bridegroom from the hands of the angel of death!”

31 And they knelt down.

Revelation in the Word to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

3 “And I was revealed in My Memra to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as the God of heaven, but I did not make the name of the Memra of the Lord known to them.”

9 From impatience.

9 “And throw it before Pharaoh.”

15 To cool himself at the water.

19 And in vases.

1 Pools.

5 Give a sign, and keep your distance until I have prayed for you.

10 Heaps and heaps.

17 A mixed swarm.

3 Great turmoil.

9 Blisters.

17 Domineering.

31 And the flax was forming pods, and its blossom had fallen.

21 And they will grope in the darkness.

Pharaoh’s Threat and Moses’s Answer

28 And Pharaoh said to him, “Go from me. Take care that my anger does not grow strong against you by your saying, ‘Are these not hard words that you are saying to me?’ Indeed, Pharaoh would rather die than listen to your words. Take care that my anger does not grow strong against you, and I hand you over into the hands of these people who sought your life to kill you.” 29 And Moses said, “You have spoken the truth. I was informed the first time, while I was living in Midian, that all the men who were seeking my life to kill me had died. It was not because mercy had come to you in the end that I was praying for you and the plague was withheld. But the tenth plague is for Pharaoh, from your son, your firstborn.” And Moses said to him, “You have spoken rightly and truly. I will never again see your face.”

9 Lightly roasted.

11 Bound with the commandments of the Torah.

Israel Prepares to Leave Egypt

33 For the Egyptians said, “If Israel delays one hour, then all Egypt will die.” 34 The remainder of their Passover sacrifices was tied in their cloaks and placed on their shoulders.

38 And also mixed multitudes.

The Four Nights

42 It is a night watched and appointed for redemption from before the Lord, when the children of Israel were brought out redeemed from the land of Egypt. For four nights are written in the Book of Memorials.

The first night was when the Memra of the Lord was revealed over the world to create it. The world was formless and void, and darkness was spread over the face of the deep, and the Memra of the Lord was shining and giving light. And He called it the first night.

The second night was when the Memra of the Lord was revealed to Abram between the pieces. Abraham was a hundred years old, and Sarah was ninety years old, to fulfill what the Scripture says, “Is it possible for Abraham, a hundred years old, to father a child? And is it possible for Sarah, ninety years old, to give birth?” Was not our father Isaac thirty-seven years old at the time he was offered on the altar? The heavens bent down and came down, and Isaac saw their perfections, and his eyes were dimmed from the heights. And He called it the second night.

The third night was when the Memra of the Lord was revealed against the Egyptians at midnight. His right hand was killing the firstborn of the Egyptians, and His right hand was saving the firstborn of Israel, to fulfill what the Scripture says, “My son, My firstborn, is Israel.” And He called it the third night.

The fourth night will be when the world reaches its appointed end to be redeemed. The bands of wickedness will be destroyed, and the iron yokes will be broken. Moses will come out from the midst of the wilderness, and King Messiah from the midst of Rome. This one will lead at the head of a cloud, and that one will lead at the head of a cloud, and the Memra of the Lord will lead between the two of them, and they will walk together. This is the night of the Passover before the Lord, watched and appointed for all Israel throughout their generations.

Gentile Workers and the Passover Sacrifice

45 A man’s resident laborer and a hired worker, when he is a Gentile, shall not eat of it.

10 From these days to these months.

13 And you shall kill it.

The Word of the Lord Leads Israel Out Redeemed

18 And the Memra of the Lord led the people by the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. Armed with good works, the children of Israel went up redeemed from the land of Egypt. 19 For he had made the children of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “The Lord will surely remember you in His Memra and in His good mercies.” 20 Which reaches to the edge of the wilderness. 21 So that they might travel by day and by night. 22 It did not cease.

The Camps Near Hiratha and the Idols

2 “And let them turn back and encamp before the inns of Hiratha, between Migdol and the sea, before the idol of Zephon. You shall encamp opposite it.” 3 And Pharaoh said concerning the children of Israel, “They are wandering lost in the wilderness. The idol of Peor has barred the passes against them in the wilderness.”

5 And it was reported to the king.

8 But the children of Israel went out redeemed. 9 Before the inns of Hiratha, before the idol of Zephon.

The Four Groups and Moses’s Answers

13 The children of Israel were formed into four groups when they were standing by the Red Sea. One said, “Let us fall into the sea.” And one said, “Let us return to Egypt.” And one said, “Let us draw up battle lines against them.” And one said, “Let us shout against them and confuse them.”

To the group that said, “Let us fall into the sea,” Moses said, “Do not be afraid. Stand ready and see the redemption of the Lord that He will work for you today.”

To the group that said, “Let us return to Egypt,” Moses said, “Do not be afraid. For as you have seen the Egyptians today, you will not see them again in bondage, for all time.”

14 To the group that said, “Let us draw up battle lines against them,” Moses said, “Do not be afraid. It is the Lord, in the glory of His Shekinah, who will win battle victories for you.”

To the group that said, “Let us shout against them and confuse them,” Moses said, “Do not be afraid. Stand and be silent, and give glory and praise, and exalt God.”

15 And the Memra of the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you stand praying before Me? Your prayer is heard before Me, but the prayer of My people has come before yours. Speak with the children of Israel, and let them set out. 16 And you, raise your staff and stretch out your hand.”

Light for Israel and Judgment on Egypt

20 And the cloud was half light and half darkness, light shining on Israel and darkness casting darkness over Egypt. And they did not come near one another to draw up battle lines all night. 21 And he stretched out.

24 And it was at the time of morning that the Memra of the Lord looked down on the camps of the Egyptians, and hurled on them naphtha and fire and hailstones, and threw the camps of the Egyptians into confusion. 25 And He broke off the wheels of their chariots, and they were driving them, dragged from behind. It is the way of the mules to pull the wheels, but the wheels and the chariots turned around to pull the mules and were thrown into the sea.

The Egyptians answered and said to one another, “Let us flee from before the people of the children of Israel, for this is the Memra of the Lord who used to win their battle victories for them while they were living with us in Egypt.” 26 “Stretch out.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned at the time of morning to its place.

The Song Praising the Lord’s Victory

1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang the praise of this song before the Lord, and they were saying, “Let us give thanks and praise before the Lord, for He is high above the high and exalted above the proud, and whoever exalts himself before Him, He punishes him by His Memra. Because the horses and their riders exalted themselves and pursued the people of the house of Israel, He threw them into the Red Sea and sank them.” 2 “The Lord, who is feared over all the world, is strength and abundant praise. He spoke by His Memra and became our Redeemer.”

From their mothers’ breasts the infants were pointing with their fingers to their fathers and saying to them, “This is our Father, who nursed us with honey from the rock and anointed us with oil from the flint of the rock.”

The children of Israel answered and said to one another, “This is our God, and we will praise Him, the God of our fathers, and we will exalt Him.” 3 “The Lord, in the glory of His Shekinah, wins your battle victories for you. In every generation He makes known His might to the people of the house of Israel. His Name is the Lord: as His name is, so is His might. May His name be praised forever and ever. 4 He shot arrows at the chariots of Pharaoh and his army in the sea. He sank the finest of his young men and his mighty men in the Red Sea.”

6 “How praiseworthy in power is Your right hand, Lord, which crushes and shatters the walls of the enemies of Your people!”

9 Pharaoh the wicked, the hater and enemy, said, “I will pursue the people of the children of Israel and overtake them encamped on the shore of the sea. I will carry off many captives from them and take great treasure from them. I will divide their possessions among my people who wage war. And when my soul is filled with them, after that I will draw my sword and destroy them with my right hand.”

12 The sea and the earth were disputing, one against the other. The sea said to the earth, “Receive your children,” and the earth said to the sea, “Receive your slain.” But the earth did not want to swallow them, and the sea did not want to sink them. And by a command from before You, You stretched out Your right hand in an oath and swore to the earth that You would not demand them back from her in the world to come. Then the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up.

16 “You will make the terror of death and destruction fall upon them. By the power of Your mighty arm they will be as silent as stones, until this people whom You have redeemed has crossed the fords of the Jabbok and the fords of the Jordan, until the time when this people whom You have acquired for Your name has crossed. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of the house of Your inheritance, the dwelling of the house of the Shekinah of Your holiness, which You, Lord, have prepared for Yourself. Lord, Your two hands have perfected the house of the sanctuary.”

18 When the house of Israel saw the miracles and wonders that the Holy One, blessed be He, had done for them at the shore of the sea, may His great name be blessed forever and ever, they gave glory and praise and exalted their God.

The children of Israel answered and said to one another, “Come, let us set the crown on the head of the Redeemer, who makes things pass away but does not pass away, who changes things but is not changed, who is King of kings in this world. And the crown of the kingdom in the world to come also belongs to Him, and it is His forever and ever.”

21 They were dancing with tambourines. 22 The way of Haluza.

The Oleander Tree and the Tenth Trial

24 And the people quarreled. 25 And Moses prayed before the Lord, and the Memra of the Lord showed him an oleander tree, and he threw it into the midst of the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There the Memra of the Lord showed him statutes and ordinances of judgment, and there He tested him with trials, the tenth trial.

26 “For I am the Lord who heals you by My Memra.”

Elim’s Springs, Tribes, Palms, and Elders

27 And they came to Elim, and there were twelve springs of water, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel, and seventy palm trees, corresponding to the seventy elders of the Sanhedrin of Israel.

7 “And we, what do we count for?”

14 Like frost.

21 It melted.

31 Like coriander seed, white, and its taste like pastries in honey.

Moses’s Raised Hands and Israel’s Victory

11 And it was that when Moses lifted up his hands in prayer, the house of Israel prevailed, and when he held back his hands from praying, the house of Amalek prevailed, and they fell in the battle lines. 12 And the hands of Moses were lifted up in prayer.

The Oath Against Amalek

16 And he said, “An oath has gone out from beneath the throne of glory of the Master of all the world, the Lord. Saul son of Kish is the first king who is to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the children of Israel, and he will draw up battle lines against the house of Amalek and kill them. And Mordecai and Esther will destroy what remains of them. The Lord has said by His Memra that He will destroy the memory of Amalek for all generations.”

The Covenant and the Instruction of the Torah

3 And Moses went up to seek instruction from before the Lord, and the Dibbera of the Lord came to meet him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall say to the men of the house of Jacob, and you shall give instruction to the congregation of the children of Israel. 4 You have seen how I took vengeance on the Egyptians, and how I carried you on swift clouds as on eagles’ wings and brought you near to the instruction of My Torah. 5 And now, if you will truly listen to the voice of My Memra and keep My covenant, you shall be to My name a distinct and beloved people, as a treasured possession above all the nations, for all the earth belongs to the name of the Lord. 6 And you shall be to My name kings and priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak.”

7 And Moses came and called the sages of Israel and set in order before them all these words which the Memra of the Lord had commanded him. 8 And all the people answered together with a whole heart and said, “We will do all that the Memra of the Lord has spoken.” And Moses brought back the words of the people in prayer before the Lord.

9 And the Memra of the Lord said to Moses, “Look, My Memra will be revealed to you in the thickness of the cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe forever in the words of your prophecy, Moses My servant.” And Moses repeated the words of the people in prayer before the Lord.

Preparing for the Revelation at Sinai

13 “No hand of man shall come near it, for he will surely be stoned, or arrows of fire will be shot at him. Whether beast or man, he will not live. When the horn is blown, they shall go up to the mountain.”

15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for three days. Do not have marital relations.”

18 And all of Mount Sinai was smoking, because the glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed on it in a flame of fire.

21 And many multitudes of them fall.

25 And Moses went down from the mountain to the people and said to them, “Come near and receive the Ten Words.”

The Word of the Lord Speaks at Sinai

1 And the Memra of the Lord spoke all the praise of these words, saying.

15 And all the people saw the thunders and the lightning flashes, and the sound of the horn, and the mountain smoking. And the people saw and trembled, and stood far off.

The Altar and the Revelation of the Word

21 “You shall make an altar fixed in the ground for My name, and you shall offer on it your burnt offerings and your holy sacrifices, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where you mention My holy name, My Memra will be revealed to you and bless you. 22 But if you make an altar of stones for My name, you shall not build it with hewn stones, because the sword is made of iron. If iron passes over it, you have profaned it. 23 And you, the priests, the sons of Aaron, who stand and minister on My altar, shall not go up by steps onto My altar, so that your nakedness is not uncovered on it.”

The Wife’s Food, Adornment, and Marital Rights

10 And if he takes another wife besides her, he shall not withhold from her her food, her adornment, or his coming and going to her.

The High Priest and Premeditated Killing

14 But if a man plots against his fellow to kill him from ambush, even if he is the high priest who stands and ministers before Me, from there you shall take him and put him to death.

17 And whoever treats with contempt.

18 Or with a blow of the fist, and he does not die but is cast onto a sickbed.

20 He shall surely be punished.

Evidence of an Animal’s Death

12 If it was really killed, he shall bring some of its limbs as a witness, and he shall not make restitution for the one that was killed.

Marriage After Seduction

15 If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed and has sex with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to make her his wife.

Lending Without Oppression or Interest

24 “If you lend money to My people, to the poor who are with you, you shall not be an oppressive creditor to him, and you shall impose on him neither interest nor an extra charge.”

Following the Many in Good and Defending a Neighbor

2 “My people, children of Israel, you shall not go after the many to do evil, but to do good. And none of you shall hold back from pleading the just cause of his neighbor in judgment, nor say in your heart, ‘Judgment follows the many.’”

The Sapphire Footstool

10 The footstool of His feet, like the work of a sapphire brick, and like the appearance of the heavens when they are clear of clouds.

11 A crown of gold running all around it.

25 A border a handbreadth wide, running all around.

The Tabernacle’s Framework

12 And the overhang.

15 Boards.

19 Bases of silver.

27 And five bars for the boards of the sides of the tabernacle stretching to the west.

32 And their hooks of gold.

Bronze Utensils for the Altar

3 And you shall make its pots for clearing away its ashes, and its shovels and its basins, and its forks and its firepans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. 4 A grate.

9 Hangings.

The Breastpiece’s Stones and Tribal Names

14 Chains.

16 A handbreadth. 17 And you shall set in it a setting of stones, four rows of precious stones. The first row, carnelian, topaz, and carbuncle. The names of three tribes shall be written and clearly set out on them, Reuben, Simeon, Levi. 18 And the second row, ruby, sapphire, and calf’s eye. The names of three tribes shall be written and clearly set out on them, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 19 And the third row, jacinth, beryl, and emerald. The names of three tribes shall be written and clearly set out on them, Dan, Naphtali, and Gad. 20 And the fourth row, aquamarine, bdellium, and pearl. The names of three tribes shall be written and clearly set out on them, Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin. They shall be set in gold in their settings.

The Woven Opening of the Robe

32 And the opening for its head shall be in the middle. A border shall surround its opening all around, the work of a weaver. It shall be like the opening of a coat of mail, so that it is not torn.

42 Undergarments of fine linen.

Preparing the Ram Offering

17 And you shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its inner parts and its legs, and put them on its pieces and on its head.

12 When you take the total headcount of the children of Israel.

Choice Myrrh Weighed in Selas

23 And you, take for yourself the finest spices, choice myrrh, weighing five hundred selas.

34 Balsam, spikenard myrrh, and galbanum.

Bezalel Is Called by a Good Name

2 “See, Moses, I have anointed Bezalel and called him by a good name.”

Aaron, Hur, and Foreign Worship

5 And Aaron saw Hur slain before it, and he was afraid, and he built an altar before it. And Aaron called out and said, “A feast.” 6 And they rose up to celebrate in foreign worship.

17 Doing evil. 18 The sound of those who sing praise in foreign worship.

The Gold Crowns and the Explicit Name

25 And Moses saw the people, that they were uncovered, for they had stripped off the crown of gold that was on their heads, on which the Explicit Name had been engraved since Mount Horeb.

Joshua Remains in the Tabernacle

11 But his assistant, Joshua son of Nun, a young boy, did not leave the tabernacle.

The Goodness and Glory of the Lord

19 And He said, “Look, I will make the whole measure of My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the good name, the Lord, before you, and I will have pity on whomever it is fitting to pity, and I will have mercy on whomever it is fitting to show mercy.”

22 “And I will shade you with My hand. 23 And I will make the companies of angels who stand and minister before Me pass by, and I will show you the Dibbera, for it is not possible for you to see the glory of My Shekinah.”

Moses’s Prayer Before the Glory of the Shekinah

6 And the glory of the Shekinah of the Lord passed by before him, and Moses prayed and said, “Lord God, merciful and gracious, far from anger and near to mercy, and abundant in acts of kindness and truth. 7 Keeping goodness for thousands of generations, forgiving and pardoning sins and transgressions, but the Lord will by no means acquit the guilty on the great day of judgment, and remembering the sins of wicked fathers upon rebellious children, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation.”

8 And Moses hurried and bowed down on the ground, and gave thanks and praised.

15 And they lead astray.

Firstborn Offerings and Obeying the Commandments

19 “You shall set apart for My name every firstborn that opens the womb, all your firstborn males, the firstborn that opens the womb, of ox and of sheep. 20 My people, house of Israel, you are not permitted to see the Lord your God without having fulfilled any commandment.” 21 In plowing time.

Passover, Firstfruits, and Meat With Milk

25 “You shall not sacrifice the blood of the Passover sacrifice with leaven, and none of the flesh that you sacrifice on the night of the first festival day of Passover shall remain overnight from evening until morning. 26 You shall bring the first of the firstfruits of your produce to the house of the sanctuary of the Lord your God. My people, house of Israel, you are not permitted either to cook or to eat meat and milk mixed together.”

29 That the rays of his face shone.

33 A cloth.

Fire on the Sabbath

3 You shall not light a fire anywhere in the house where you live on the Sabbath day.

Parts of the Tabernacle

11 The tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its clasps and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its bases.

29 A freewill offering.

Stonecutting and Woodworking

33 And in the cutting of precious stones for setting, and in woodworking, to do every kind of skilled work.

3 The gift.

The Tabernacle’s Joints and Middle Bar

11 At the joining.

12 Opposite each other.

27 At the slopes.

29 And they were joined at the edges.

33 And he made the middle bar to pass through between the boards.

The Border and Its Gold Crown

12 A border a handbreadth wide, running all around, and he made a crown of gold for the border, running all around.

The Bronze Basin and the Women’s Mirrors

8 And he made the basin of bronze and its base of bronze from the mirrors of the modest women who lived in seclusion at the door of the tent of meeting.

9 Its length was a handbreadth and its width a handbreadth, doubled.

The Bread of the Presence

23 And he set in order on it the arranged bread of the Presence before the Lord.

The Glory of the Shekinah Over the Tabernacle

38 For the cloud of the glory of the Shekinah of the Lord overshadowed the tabernacle by day, and fire gave light over it at night, and all the house of Israel saw it on all their journeys.