Exodus 1:8
Hebrew Bible
7 The Israelites, however, were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and became extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them. 8 Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power over Egypt. 9 He said to his people, “Look at the Israelite people, more numerous and stronger than we are!
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Pseudo Jonathan Exodus 1:8
Targum
7 But the Israelites multiplied and begot children; they increased and became very strong, so that the land was filled with them. 8 Then a new king—as if at the beginning of his reign—arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph, and he did not walk according to his laws. 9 And he said to his people, 'Behold, the people of the children of Israel are much more numerous and stronger than we.'
Date: 300-1200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Sotah 11a
Babylonian Talmud
Rabbinic
§ The Gemara proceeds to discuss the sojourn of the Jewish people in Egypt. The verse states: “And there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). Rav and Shmuel disagree about the interpretation of this verse. One says that this means he was actually a new king, and one says that this means that his decrees were transformed as if he were a new king. The one who says that he was actually a new king holds that it is because it is written “new.” And the one who says that his decrees were transformed holds that it is because it is not written: “And the previous king of Egypt died and a new king reigned.” This indicates that the same king remained. According to this interpretation, the words: “Who knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8), mean that he was like someone who did not know him at all. Although he certainly knew Joseph and his accomplishments, he acted as if he didn’t.
Date: 450-550 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Texts in Conversation
The Hebrew version of Exodus describes the rise of a “new king” over Egypt who did not know Joseph. Later interpretations, including the Aramaic Targum Pseudo-Jonathan and Rabbinic traditions, explain that the king was not new in identity but in behavior, to resolve a problem with the narrative logic of how a new king could not have known someone as important and as high rank as Joseph.
Share:
Notes and References
"... In translating the biblical phrase “a new king,” Targum Pseudo-Jonathan translates “new” (חָדָשׁ) by its Aramaic cognate (חֲדָתָא; compare Targums Onkelos, Neofiti), and then as “as (if) at the beginning” (כְּמֵרֵאשִׁית; compare the Latin Vulgate). This latter phrase seems to be an explanation of Hebrew חָדָשׁ, an explanation that is in line with the view which asserts that the king was “new” only in the sense that he issued new decrees. See Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 53a; Sotah 11a; Tanhuma A, Shemot 5 (164-65); Tanhuma B, Shemot 1 (2:4); Exodus Rabbah 1:8. See also Iso‘dad of Merv, who said that the king was called “new” because “he was the first enemy of the Hebrews, and because of the new laws which he decreed against them” ..."
* 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:
User Comments
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.