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Targum Psalms

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Psalm 91

1 He who makes his presence abide in secret is the Most High; he will lodge in the shadow of the clouds of the glory of Shaddai. 2 David said: “I will say to the Lord, ‘My confidence and my strong fortress’; my God, I will trust in his word.” 3 For he will deliver you, Solomon my son, from the snare and the obstacle, from death and confusion. 4 With the shelter of his presence he will shelter you, and you will be confident under the shelter of his glory; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 5 Be not afraid of the terror of demons who walk at night,⁠ of the arrow of the angel of death that he looses during the day;⁠ 6 Of the death that walks in darkness, of the band of demons that attacks at noon. 7 You will invoke the holy name; a thousand will fall at your left side, and ten thousand at your right; they will not come near you to do harm. 8 Only with your eyes you will watch, and you will see the wicked as they are destroyed. 9 Solomon answered and said: “For you are my confidence, O Lord; in the highest dwelling place you have placed the house of your presence.” 10 The lord of the world responded and thus he said: “No harm shall happen to you; and no plague or demon shall come near to your tents.” 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 They will lift you up by their strength, lest you stumble on the evil impulse, which is likened to the stones at your feet. 13 You will trample on the lions’ whelp and the adder; you will tread down the lion and the viper. 14 Because he has taken pleasure in my word, and I will deliver him; I will exalt him because he knows my name. 15 He will pray in my presence and I will answer him; I am with him in distress, I will save him and glorify him. 16 I will satisfy him with length of days; I will show him my redemption.

Texts in conversation

Compare Luke 10:19 and Targum Psalm 91:13

New Testament · Targum

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Summary

Luke 10 may draw on Psalm 91, which describes snakes and serpents as supernatural beings from ancient Near Eastern tradition. The Aramaic Targum makes this explicit by interpreting them as demons, matching the image of Jesus claiming authority over them.

Passages

Luke 10:19

New Testament
15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be thrown down to Hades! 16 “The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” 17 Then the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!” 18 So he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven.”
75–85 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Luke

Targum Psalm 91:13

Targum
5 Be not afraid of the terror of demons who walk at night, of the arrow of the angel of death that he looses during the day; 6 Of the death that walks in darkness, of the band of demons that attacks at noon. 7 You will invoke the holy name; a thousand will fall at your left side, and ten thousand at your right; they will not come near you to do harm. 8 Only with your eyes you will watch, and you will see the wicked as they are destroyed. 9 Solomon answered and said: “For you are my confidence, O Lord; in the highest dwelling place you have placed the house of your presence.” 10 The lord of the world responded and thus he said: “No harm shall happen to you; and no plague or demon shall come near to your tents.” 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 They will lift you up by their strength, lest you stumble on the evil impulse, which is likened to the stones at your feet. 13 You will trample on the lions’ whelp and the adder; you will tread down the lion and the viper.
200–600 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Targum Psalms

References

"... Jesus assures his disciples that he has given them the 'authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy' (Luke 10:19). Jesus is alluding to Psalm 91:13 ("You will tread on the lion and the adder"), but as this passage was interpreted in pseudepigraphal (Testament of Levi 18:10-12; Testament of Simeon 6:6; Testament of Zebulon 9:8) and targumic tradition (Targum Psalms 91:5-6, 10, 13). The demonic interpretation of Psalm 91, attested at Qumran (compare 11Q11), also clarifies the function of Psalm 91:11-12 in the temptation narratives (Matthew 4:5-7; Luke 4:9-12). Moreover, Jesus' declaration that he 'watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning' (Luke 10:18) also coheres with pseudepigraphal (Testament of Solomon 20:16-17; 2 Enoch 29:5) and targumic (Targum Isaiah 14:12) tradition ..."
Craig A. Evans, Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies: A Guide to the Background Literature (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2005), 71.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Luke 10:19 and Targum Psalm 91:13

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