Overview
Summary
Targum Jonathan on Ezekiel confronts the most dramatic theophanies in prophetic literature: the Merkavah (chariot-throne) vision of chapter 1, the Shekinah departure in chapters 10-11, and the Shekinah return in chapters 43-48. The targum applies maximal anti-anthropomorphism to the throne vision while developing rich Shekinah theology around the Temple. The valley of dry bones (ch. 37) receives eschatological interpretation, and the Davidic shepherd prophecy is rendered with Messianic specificity.
Notable Renderings
The Merkavah vision (ch. 1) is carefully rendered to avoid describing God's form while preserving the visionary framework. The Shekinah departing the Temple (10:18, 11:23) is explicit and dramatic. The new heart/spirit promise (36:26-27) is rendered literally. The Davidic shepherd (34:23-24) is identified as the Messiah. The dry bones vision (37:1-14) is a resurrection prophecy.
Theological Themes
Shekinah departure and return as the central drama of exile and restoration; anti-anthropomorphism at its most intense in the Merkavah vision; Messianic shepherd theology; resurrection hope; the eschatological Temple as Shekinah's eternal dwelling.
Hebrew (MT)
נִפְתְּחוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וָאֶרְאֶה מַרְאוֹת אֱלֹהִים
The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
Targum (Aramaic)
itpetichu shemayya vachazeiti bechezvanei nvu'ah min qodam Adonai
Targum Rendering
The heavens were opened, and I saw in visions of prophecy from before the LORD.
'Visions of God' becomes 'visions of prophecy from before the LORD.' Ezekiel does not see God — he sees prophetic visions that originate from God's presence. This sets the interpretive framework for the entire Merkavah vision.
Hebrew (MT)
וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ... דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם עָלָיו מִלְמָעְלָה
And above the expanse... a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above.
Targum (Aramaic)
ume'illavei lerqi'a... dumya ke'echzavan bar enash aloi me'illai
Targum Rendering
And above the firmament... a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above.
Jonathan preserves the veiled language — 'a likeness as the appearance of a man' — recognizing that Ezekiel himself used multiple layers of qualification (likeness, appearance). The targum's caution mirrors Ezekiel's own reticence about the divine form.
Hebrew (MT)
הוּא מַרְאֵה דְּמוּת כְּבוֹד יְהוָה
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
Targum (Aramaic)
hu echzavan dumyat yeqara daAdonai
Targum Rendering
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
Three layers of indirection: appearance, likeness, glory. Jonathan preserves all three buffers that Ezekiel himself provides. What was seen was an appearance of a likeness of the glory — not God, not even the glory directly, but a likeness of a semblance of it.
Hebrew (MT)
בֶּן אָדָם עֲמֹד עַל רַגְלֶיךָ
Son of man, stand on your feet.
Targum (Aramaic)
bar enasha qum al riglakh
Targum Rendering
Son of man, stand on your feet.
The 'son of man' (ben adam) address — Ezekiel's signature divine self-address (94 occurrences in the book). The same phrase becomes Jesus' favored self-designation in the Synoptics, deliberately echoing the Ezekielian usage and the Daniel 7:13 'one like a son of man.'
Hebrew (MT)
בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד יְהוָה מִמְּקוֹמוֹ
Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place.
Targum (Aramaic)
berikh yeqara daAdonai me'atar beit Shekhinteih
Targum Rendering
Blessed be the glory of the LORD from the place of the house of his Shekinah.
'His place' becomes 'the place of the house of his Shekinah.' The doxology locates God's glory in the Shekinah's dwelling place, connecting the heavenly vision to the earthly Temple.
Hebrew (MT)
צֹפֶה נְתַתִּיךָ לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל
I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.
Targum (Aramaic)
metzappi yahavtakh leveit yisrael
Targum Rendering
I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.
The watchman metaphor — central to prophetic vocation. Echoed at Acts 20:26-27 (Paul's farewell at Miletus, claiming the watchman's responsibility) and the broader Christian pastoral-vigilance tradition (1 Pet 5:8).
Hebrew (MT)
יוֹם לַשָּׁנָה יוֹם לַשָּׁנָה נְתַתִּיו לָךְ
A day for each year I assign you.
Targum (Aramaic)
yoma leshatta yoma leshatta yahavittei lakh
Targum Rendering
A day for a year, a day for a year, I have given to you.
The day-for-year prophetic-hermeneutic formula. Foundational for the rabbinic and Christian apocalyptic readings of Daniel 9 (the seventy weeks calculation).
Hebrew (MT)
חַי־אָנִי נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה אִם־לֹא יַעַן אֶת־מִקְדָּשִׁי טִמֵּאת
as I live — declares the Lord GOD — surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary.
Targum (Aramaic)
קַיָּם אֲנָא אֲמַר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים אִם לָא חֳלַף דְּסוֹאֵיבְתְּ יָת בֵּית מַקְדְּשִׁי
Targum Rendering
as I live — declares the Lord GOD — because you have defiled my sanctuary.
Ezekiel's first major judgment oracle. Defilement of the temple (where the Shekinah dwells) as ground for exile. Pre-Nicene relevance: temple-Shekinah-defilement triggers withdrawal of divine presence.
Hebrew (MT)
וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה
Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
Targum (Aramaic)
vetidd'un arei ana Adonai
Targum Rendering
And you shall know that I am the LORD.
The 'know that I am the LORD' formula — Ezekiel's signature refrain (66 occurrences in the book). The judgment serves to bring divine recognition.
Hebrew (MT)
כַּסְפָּם בַּחוּצוֹת יַשְׁלִיכוּ וּזְהָבָם לְנִדָּה יִהְיֶה
They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing.
Targum (Aramaic)
kaspehon bishuqayya yashlon udhabbehon lericheq yehei
Targum Rendering
They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold shall be for refuse.
The judgment-day silver-and-gold-as-trash motif. Echoed at James 5:3 ('your gold and silver have rusted'); Mark 10:25 ('easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle').
Hebrew (MT)
וְהִנֵּה שָׁם כְּבוֹד אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there.
Targum (Aramaic)
veha tamman yeqara de'Elaha deYisrael
Targum Rendering
And behold, there was the glory of the God of Israel.
The Hebrew already specifies 'glory' rather than God directly. Jonathan renders literally, since Ezekiel's own language is already appropriately mediated.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהִתְוִיתָ תָּו עַל מִצְחוֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים הַנֶּאֱנָחִים
And put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh.
Targum (Aramaic)
uteva tava al muchei guvrayya de'achidu
Targum Rendering
And mark a mark upon the foreheads of the men who groan.
The mark-on-the-forehead motif. Echoed at Rev 7:3 ('seal the servants of our God on their foreheads') and Rev 14:1 — foundational for the eschatological-marking imagery.
Hebrew (MT)
מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ דָּמִים
The land is full of blood.
Targum (Aramaic)
imeleyat ar'a midmin
Targum Rendering
The land is full of bloodshed.
The blood-guilt judgment. Foundational for biblical theology of bloodshed-pollutes-the-land.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיָּרָם כְּבוֹד יְהוָה מֵעַל הַכְּרוּב עַל מִפְתַּן הַבָּיִת
And the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'istalek yeqara daAdonai me'al keruvayya al ispat beita
Targum Rendering
And the glory of the LORD lifted up from above the cherubim to the threshold of the house.
The Shekinah departure begins. The glory moves from the cherubim to the threshold — the first stage of departure from the Temple. Jonathan renders with careful precision, tracking each phase of the glory's withdrawal.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיֵּצֵא כְּבוֹד יְהוָה מֵעַל מִפְתַּן הַבָּיִת
Then the glory of the LORD went out from over the threshold of the house.
Targum (Aramaic)
venafaq yeqara daAdonai me'al ispat beita
Targum Rendering
And the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house.
The glory departs the Temple threshold — the Shekinah is leaving. This is one of the most devastating moments in prophetic theology: the divine presence abandons its own house because of Israel's sin.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהָסִרֹתִי לֵב הָאֶבֶן מִבְּשָׂרָם וְנָתַתִּי לָהֶם לֵב בָּשָׂר
I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'a'avr libba kaviya mibisrehon ve'eten lehon libba dachil min qodamai
Targum Rendering
And I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart that fears before me.
The new-heart promise. The Targum's libba dachil ('fearing heart') interprets the MT's 'heart of flesh' as a yielding, awe-filled disposition. Paralleled at Ezek 36:26. Foundational for Christian regeneration theology (2 Cor 3:3 'tablets of human hearts').
Hebrew (MT)
וַיַּעַל כְּבוֹד יְהוָה מֵעַל תּוֹךְ הָעִיר וַיַּעֲמֹד עַל הָהָר
And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain.
Targum (Aramaic)
useliqu yeqara daAdonai me'al go qarta veqam al tura
Targum Rendering
And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain.
The final stage of departure: the glory ascends from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives. Rabbinic tradition (Rashi, Lamentations Rabbah) says the Shekinah waited three and a half years on the mountain for Israel to repent. The New Testament records Jesus' departure from the same mountain (Acts 1:12).
Hebrew (MT)
וַיַּעַל כְּבוֹד יְהוָה מֵעַל תּוֹךְ הָעִיר
And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city.
Targum (Aramaic)
uneseiq yeqara deAdonai megav qarta
Targum Rendering
And the Glory of the LORD ascended from the midst of the city.
The departure of the Glory from Jerusalem before the destruction. The reverse pattern is the return of the Glory at Ezek 43:5. Theologically pivotal.
Hebrew (MT)
בֶּן אָדָם בְּתוֹךְ בֵּית הַמֶּרִי אַתָּה יֹשֵׁב
Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house.
Targum (Aramaic)
bar enasha begav am sarvana at yatev
Targum Rendering
Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious people.
The rebellious-house critique.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהָיְתָה יָדִי אֶל־הַנְּבִיאִים הַחֹזִים שָׁוְא
my hand will be against the prophets who see false visions.
Targum (Aramaic)
וּתְהֵי מַחְתִי בִּנְבִיאַיָּא דְמִתְנַבְּן שִׁקְרָא
Targum Rendering
my plague will be against the prophets who prophesy lies.
False prophets condemned. 'Hand of YHWH' becomes 'plague' (מחתא) — anti-anthropomorphism preserves divine action without humanlike body.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהָיוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה נֹחַ דָּנִיֵּאל וְאִיּוֹב
Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it.
Targum (Aramaic)
vihevon teli'tat ha'illein gibrayya noach daniyyel ve'iyyov
Targum Rendering
Even if these three men were there — Noah, Daniel, and Job.
The three righteous men formula. Provides one of the earliest external attestations of Daniel — placing him in a triad with Noah and Job (figures of mythic-historical antiquity). Important for dating Daniel.
Hebrew (MT)
וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־פָּנַי בָּהֶם
I will set my face against them.
Targum (Aramaic)
וַאֲשַׁוֵּי רוּגְזִי בְהוֹן
Targum Rendering
I will set my anger against them.
Vine-allegory judgment. Anti-anthropomorphism: 'set my face' → 'set my anger' — God's wrath rather than bodily face is set against rebels. Recurs throughout Ezekiel.
Hebrew (MT)
וָאֲעִידָה לָךְ וָאֵרַע אַתָּה
And I plighted my troth to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became mine.
Targum (Aramaic)
veqayyamtit lakh qeyam dichvat ammin va'imerit at
Targum Rendering
And I established a covenant with you like the covenant for the peoples, and you became my own.
The bridal-covenant metaphor. The marriage of YHWH and Israel — foundational for Christian Christ-and-Church bridal theology (Eph 5:25-32, Rev 19:7-9 wedding of the Lamb).
Hebrew (MT)
בְּהַר מְרוֹם יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶשְׁתֳּלֶנּוּ
On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it.
Targum (Aramaic)
betura raman deyisrael etzlinneih
Targum Rendering
On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it.
The eschatological-cedar planting on Zion — messianic-tree imagery. Echoed at Matt 13:32 (mustard seed becomes a tree where the birds of the air nest).
Hebrew (MT)
הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַחֹטֵאת הִיא תָמוּת
The soul who sins shall die.
Targum (Aramaic)
nafsha dichavavat hi temut
Targum Rendering
The soul that sins shall die.
The individual-responsibility principle. Cited in Reformation theology (Westminster Confession's 'shorter catechism' on imputation). Counters intergenerational-guilt (cf. Exod 20:5).
Hebrew (MT)
הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַחֹטֵאת הִיא תָמוּת
The soul who sins shall die.
Targum (Aramaic)
nafsha dichavavat hi temut
Targum Rendering
The soul that sins shall die.
Variation of v. 4. The individual-responsibility principle.
Hebrew (MT)
הֶחָפֹץ אֶחְפֹּץ מוֹת רָשָׁע נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD.
Targum (Aramaic)
ha re'uta be'i bemota deresha amar Adonai elahim
Targum Rendering
Do I delight at all in the death of the wicked? says the LORD God.
The classic divine-mercy text — God does not delight in the death of the wicked. Echoed at 1 Tim 2:4 ('God desires all people to be saved') and 2 Pet 3:9 ('not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance').
Hebrew (MT)
וַעֲשׂוּ לָכֶם לֵב חָדָשׁ וְרוּחַ חֲדָשָׁה
Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'aviru lekhon libba chadeita veruach chadeita
Targum Rendering
Make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
The new-heart imperative — a striking command (alongside Ezek 36's promise that GOD will give a new heart). The two passages create the theological tension of divine-gift and human-action that runs through biblical regeneration theology.
Hebrew (MT)
כִּי לֹא אֶחְפֹּץ בְּמוֹת הַמֵּת נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD.
Targum (Aramaic)
arei la evi bemota demayyet amar Adonai Elohim
Targum Rendering
For I do not desire the death of the one who dies, says the Lord GOD.
God's refusal to delight in death is rendered literally. This is divine character, not anthropomorphism — God's will toward life is a theological truth, not a physical attribute.
Hebrew (MT)
וְלֹא־הָיָה בָהּ מַטֵּה־עֹז שֵׁבֶט לִמְשׁוֹל
in her there is no strong stem, no scepter for ruling.
Targum (Aramaic)
וְלֵית בַּהּ חוּטְרָא תַקִּיף שִׁבְטָא לְמִשְׁלָט
Targum Rendering
in her there is no strong rod, no scepter for ruling.
Lament for the princes of Israel — no Davidic scepter remains. The pre-exilic dynastic loss that the messianic prophecies of Ezek 34, 37 will reverse.
Hebrew (MT)
אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
I am the LORD your God.
Targum (Aramaic)
ana Adonai elahakhon
Targum Rendering
I am the LORD your God.
The signature divine self-revelation formula.
Hebrew (MT)
וָאֶתֵּן לָהֶם אֶת חֻקּוֹתַי וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי הוֹדַעְתִּי אוֹתָם אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אוֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם
I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live.
Targum (Aramaic)
veyahabit lehon yat qeyamai veyat dinai hodait yathon de'avid yathon enasha veyichei behon
Targum Rendering
And I gave them my statutes and my ordinances I made known to them, which a human shall do them and live by them.
The 'do them and live by them' formula. Cited at Galatians 3:12 by Paul ('the law is not of faith, rather: the one who does them shall live by them') in his contrast of law and faith. The Targum preserves the form Paul cites.
Hebrew (MT)
עַד־בֹּא אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ הַמִּשְׁפָּט וּנְתַתִּיו
until he comes whose right it is, and I will give it to him.
Targum (Aramaic)
עַד דְּיֵיתֵי מְשִׁיחָא דְּדִילֵיהּ הִיא מַלְכוּתָא וְאֶתְּנִינָּהּ לֵיהּ
Targum Rendering
until the Messiah comes, whose is the kingdom, and I will give it to him.
Echoes Gen 49:10 ('until Shiloh comes'). Targum makes the messianic identification explicit: 'until Messiah comes whose is the kingdom.' The Davidic crown-formula. Pre-Nicene messianic foundation for kingdom-coming language in Gospels.
Hebrew (MT)
וָאֲבַקֵּשׁ מֵהֶם אִישׁ גֹּדֵר גָּדֵר וְעֹמֵד בַּפֶּרֶץ
And I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the breach.
Targum (Aramaic)
uta'evit minhon gevra de'avid charta vekayyem be'iddana detiqfa
Targum Rendering
And I sought from them a man who would build a wall and stand in the breach.
The 'man in the breach' image. Adopted into Christian intercessory-prayer theology — the intercessor stands between God's wrath and his people. Foundational for the role of priestly mediation.
Hebrew (MT)
וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה
you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
Targum (Aramaic)
וְתִדְּעוּן אֲרֵי אֲנָא יְיָ אֱלֹהִים
Targum Rendering
you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
Recognition formula closes the Oholah/Oholibah parable. Ezekiel's signature refrain — appears 70+ times in the book — preserved verbatim.
Hebrew (MT)
הִנְנִי מְחַלֵּל אֶת מִקְדָּשִׁי גְּאוֹן עֻזְּכֶם
Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power.
Targum (Aramaic)
ha ana mesar yat beit maqdeshi tuqfa de'utzaqkhon
Targum Rendering
Behold, I am profaning my sanctuary, the strength of your pride.
The temple-profaning prophecy. Anticipates Lam 2:1 ('the Lord cast off his sanctuary') and Mark 13:14 ('the abomination of desolation').
Hebrew (MT)
וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־נִקְמָתִי בֶּאֱדוֹם בְּיַד עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל
I will lay my vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel.
Targum (Aramaic)
וְאֶתֵּן יָת פּוּרְעֲנוּתִי בֶאֱדוֹם בִּידָא דְעַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל
Targum Rendering
I will lay my vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel.
Oracle against Edom. Divine vengeance executed through Israel as mediating instrument — covenantal restoration via military reversal.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי הֲמוֹן שִׁירָיִךְ
And I will silence the music of your songs.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'evattel ham shiraikh
Targum Rendering
And I will silence the multitude of your songs.
The Tyre-judgment silencing. Echoed at Rev 18:22 ('the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more').
Hebrew (MT)
מְלָכֵי־אֶרֶץ הֶעְשַׁרְתְּ בְּרֹב הוֹנַיִךְ וּמַעֲרָבַיִךְ
you enriched the kings of the earth with your abundant wealth and merchandise.
Targum (Aramaic)
מַלְכֵי אַרְעָא אַעְתַּרְתְּ בִּסְגֵי נִכְסַיִךְ וְעֵסַקַיִךְ
Targum Rendering
you enriched the kings of the earth with the abundance of your wealth and your wares.
Tyre-lament. Echoed in Rev 18:9-19 (lament over Babylon). Apocalyptic-archetype of trading-empire-judgment.
Hebrew (MT)
אֵל אָנִי מוֹשַׁב אֱלֹהִים יָשַׁבְתִּי בְּלֵב יַמִּים
I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas.
Targum (Aramaic)
el ana mishar elaha yetivta beliba deyamma
Targum Rendering
I am God; the dwelling of God I sit in the heart of the seas.
The hubris of the king of Tyre — claiming divine status. Christian tradition (esp. Justin Martyr, Tertullian) sees this as the prototype of Antichrist's self-deification (cf. 2 Thess 2:4).
Hebrew (MT)
אַתְּ כְּרוּב מִמְשַׁח הַסּוֹכֵךְ
You were a guardian cherub.
Targum (Aramaic)
att malka rabbeta itmenita lemechtam mashqoper
Targum Rendering
You — a great king, were appointed to seal a sealing crown.
The 'king of Tyre as fallen cherub' passage. The MT's striking cherub-language has been read in Christian tradition (esp. early church fathers) as a figurative reference to Satan, paralleling Isaiah 14. The Targum reframes the cherub-language as 'great king,' historicizing the rebuke without the demonic-fall typology.
Hebrew (MT)
וְלֹא יִהְיֶה־עוֹד לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִבְטָח
and Egypt shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel.
Targum (Aramaic)
וְלָא יְהֵי עוֹד לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל לְרוֹחֲצָן
Targum Rendering
Egypt shall no longer be a confidence for the house of Israel.
Oracle against Egypt. Historical-theological lesson: Israel must trust YHWH's Memra, not Egyptian alliances. Echoes Isa 30-31.
Hebrew (MT)
כִּי־קָרוֹב יוֹם וְקָרוֹב יוֹם לַיהוָה
for the day is near, the day of the LORD is near.
Targum (Aramaic)
אֲרֵי קָרֵיב יוֹמָא וְקָרֵיב יוֹמָא קֳדָם יְיָ
Targum Rendering
for the day is near — the day before the LORD is near.
Egypt-judgment oracle. Day-of-the-LORD ('before the LORD' — anti-anthropomorphism). Apocalyptic-day-of-the-Lord theme echoed in Joel, NT eschatology.
Hebrew (MT)
יָפֶה עֲשִׂיתִיו בְּרֹב דָּלִיֹּתָיו וַיְקַנְאֻהוּ כָּל־עֲצֵי־עֵדֶן אֲשֶׁר בְּגַן הָאֱלֹהִים
I made it beautiful with its many branches, and all the trees of Eden in the garden of God envied it.
Targum (Aramaic)
שַׁפִּירָא עֲבַדְתֵּיהּ בִּסְגֵי עוֹפֵוהִי וְקַנִּיאוּ בֵיהּ כָּל אִילָנֵי עֵדֶן דִּבְגִּנְּתָא דַייָ
Targum Rendering
I made it beautiful in the abundance of its branches, and all the trees of Eden in the garden of the LORD envied it.
Pharaoh-as-cedar allegory. The 'garden of God' becomes 'garden of the LORD' (יְיָ) — even Eden-imagery is mediated through proper-name reverence.
Hebrew (MT)
וְכִסֵּיתִי בְכַבּוֹתְךָ שָׁמַיִם וְהִקְדַּרְתִּי אֶת־כֹּכְבֵיהֶם
when I blot you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars.
Targum (Aramaic)
וַאֲחַפֵּי בְכִיבָיוּתָךְ שְׁמַיָּא וַאֲחַשֵּׁיךְ יָת כּוֹכְבַיָּא דְלָקֳבֵילְהוֹן
Targum Rendering
when you are extinguished I will cover the heavens and darken their stars.
Apocalyptic imagery in Pharaoh-lament. Echoes Joel 2:31, Matt 24:29 (Olivet discourse), Rev 6:12-13. Cosmic-collapse imagery for political downfall — typological in NT for end-of-age judgment.
Hebrew (MT)
וְאַתָּה בֶן אָדָם צֹפֶה נְתַתִּיךָ לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל
So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'at bar enasha metzappi yahavtakh leveit yisrael
Targum Rendering
And you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel.
The watchman call repeated. The double commissioning at 3:17 and 33:7 frames the book's two halves (judgment / restoration). Theologically central to OT prophetic vocation.
Hebrew (MT)
חַי אָנִי אִם אֶחְפֹּץ בְּמוֹת הָרָשָׁע כִּי אִם בְּשׁוּב רָשָׁע מִדַּרְכּוֹ
As I live, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way.
Targum (Aramaic)
qayam ana im re'uta be'i bemota deresha elahein bemitav resha me'urcheih
Targum Rendering
As I live, I have no delight in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way.
The double of 18:23. Together with that verse, foundational for Christian repentance theology. Cited indirectly at Acts 17:30 ('he commands all people everywhere to repent').
Hebrew (MT)
וְהִנְּךָ לָהֶם כְּשִׁיר עֲגָבִים
Behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs.
Targum (Aramaic)
veheviti lehon kemizmar de'avid
Targum Rendering
And you have become to them like a love song.
The hearers-as-spectators critique. Foundational for the prophetic and Christian critique of preachers-as-entertainers.
Hebrew (MT)
הִנְנִי אָנִי וְדָרַשְׁתִּי אֶת צֹאנִי
Behold, I, even I, will search for my sheep.
Targum (Aramaic)
ha ana umeimri uveiyei yat ammi
Targum Rendering
Behold, I myself, and my Memra, I will seek out my people.
Pre-Nicene Tier S: the Memra-as-divine-shepherd formula. The doubled 'I, even I' becomes 'I and my Memra' — explicit hypostatic doubling. Foundational for John 10's 'Good Shepherd' Christology — Jesus identifies himself with the divine shepherd promised at Ezek 34.
Hebrew (MT)
וַהֲקִמֹתִי עֲלֵיהֶם רֹעֶה אֶחָד... אֵת עַבְדִּי דָוִד
And I will set up over them one shepherd... my servant David.
Targum (Aramaic)
va'aqim aleihon parnas chad... yat avdi David
Targum Rendering
And I will raise up over them one shepherd... my servant David.
Jonathan preserves 'my servant David' as the one shepherd, maintaining the Messianic identification implicit in the name. The singular shepherd contrasts with the corrupt shepherds condemned earlier in the chapter.
Hebrew (MT)
וַאֲנִי יְהוָה אֶהְיֶה לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים וְעַבְדִּי דָוִד נָשִׂיא בְתוֹכָם
And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them.
Targum (Aramaic)
va'ana Adonai ehei lehon l'Elah ve'avdi David rav beinehon
Targum Rendering
And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David shall be ruler among them.
The dual structure: God is Israel's God; David (the Messiah) is Israel's prince/ruler. Jonathan distinguishes between divine sovereignty and Messianic vice-regency — the Messiah rules under God, not as God.
Hebrew (MT)
וְכָרַתִּי לָהֶם בְּרִית שָׁלוֹם
I will make with them a covenant of peace.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'aqayyem lehon qeyam dishelama
Targum Rendering
And I will establish for them a covenant of peace.
The covenant-of-peace promise. Pairs with the new covenant of Jer 31:31. Echoed at Eph 2:14 ('Christ is our peace').
Hebrew (MT)
כִּשְׂמֹחַ כָּל־הָאָרֶץ שְׁמָמָה אֶעֱשֶׂה־לָּךְ
as the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.
Targum (Aramaic)
כְּמֵיחְדֵי כָּל אַרְעָא צָדוּ אֶעְבֵּיד לָךְ
Targum Rendering
as all the earth rejoices, I will make you a desolation.
Oracle against Mount Seir. Covenantal-reversal: Edom's joy at Israel's fall is repaid in kind.
Hebrew (MT)
וְאַתֶּם הָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַנְפְּכֶם תִּתֵּנוּ וּפֶרְיְכֶם תִּשְׂאוּ
But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'atton turei yisrael saggu utenun u'fireikhon tehevon dekhilin
Targum Rendering
But you, mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit.
The land-revives promise. Foundational for biblical theology of post-exilic restoration.
Hebrew (MT)
וְקִדַּשְׁתִּי אֶת שְׁמִי הַגָּדוֹל
And I will sanctify my great name.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'aqdesh yat shemi rabba
Targum Rendering
And I will sanctify my great name.
The hallow-the-name formula. Foundational for the Lord's Prayer ('hallowed be your name'). The Targum's preservation matches the formula.
Hebrew (MT)
וְזָרַקְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם מַיִם טְהוֹרִים וּטְהַרְתֶּם
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'aze' aleikhon kemei addusha be'elma vetiddakkun
Targum Rendering
And I will sprinkle upon you cleansing water, like the waters of purification, and you shall be clean.
The eschatological-cleansing-water promise. Cited (in concept) at Hebrews 10:22 ('our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience') and is the OT background of Christian baptismal theology. The Targum's connection to ritual purification waters (the parah adummah / red heifer ashes of Numbers 19) is explicit.
Hebrew (MT)
וְנָתַתִּי לָכֶם לֵב חָדָשׁ וְרוּחַ חֲדָשָׁה אֶתֵּן בְּקִרְבְּכֶם
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'eittein lakhon libba dechallaf velibba dechayyat de'urta eittein begovveikhon
Targum Rendering
And I will give you a heart that is changed, and a spirit that fears the Torah I will put within you.
The 'new heart' becomes 'a heart that is changed,' and the 'new spirit' becomes 'a spirit that fears the Torah.' Jonathan interprets the inward renewal as Torah-oriented transformation — the new heart is one disposed to Torah obedience. This parallels Jeremiah 31:33.
Hebrew (MT)
וְאֶת רוּחִי אֶתֵּן בְּקִרְבְּכֶם
And I will put my Spirit within you.
Targum (Aramaic)
veyat ruach qudshai eittein begovveikhon
Targum Rendering
And my holy spirit I will put within you.
'My spirit' becomes 'my holy spirit' (ruach qudshai), specifying the divine spirit as the holy spirit. This is one of the clearest references to the Holy Spirit in the targum tradition.
Hebrew (MT)
הָיְתָה עָלַי יַד יְהוָה
The hand of the LORD was upon me.
Targum (Aramaic)
havat alai ruach nvu'ah min qodam Adonai
Targum Rendering
There was upon me the spirit of prophecy from before the LORD.
'The hand of the LORD' becomes 'the spirit of prophecy from before the LORD,' replacing the anthropomorphic hand with prophetic endowment. The same substitution applies throughout Ezekiel.
Hebrew (MT)
הִנֵּה אֲנִי מֵבִיא בָכֶם רוּחַ וִחְיִיתֶם
Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.
Targum (Aramaic)
ha ana memei bekhon rucha vetiqayamun
Targum Rendering
Behold, I am bringing spirit into you, and you shall live.
Jonathan renders the resurrection prophecy literally. The spirit/breath entering dry bones is both the restoration of Israel from exile and, in rabbinic tradition, the eschatological resurrection of the dead.
Hebrew (MT)
וַתָּבוֹא בָהֶם הָרוּחַ וַיִּחְיוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ עַל רַגְלֵיהֶם חַיִל גָּדוֹל מְאֹד
And the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'atat behon rucha veqamu al raglehon cheila saggi lachada
Targum Rendering
And the spirit came into them, and they lived and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
The climax of the dry bones vision is rendered literally. The resurrection produces an army — the restored Israel is a formidable host, not merely surviving but mobilized.
Hebrew (MT)
וְנָתַתִּי רוּחִי בָכֶם וִחְיִיתֶם
And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'eten ruach qudshi bekhon utichun
Targum Rendering
And I will put my Holy Spirit in you, and you shall live.
The Targum specifies 'my Holy Spirit' (ruach qudshi) — same Holy-Spirit identification as Joel 2:28. The Spirit-and-life pairing is foundational to Pauline pneumatology (Rom 8:11).
Hebrew (MT)
וְעַבְדִּי דָוִד מֶלֶךְ עֲלֵיהֶם וְרוֹעֶה אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּם
My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'avdi David malka aleihon ufarnas chad yehei lekhullehon
Targum Rendering
And my servant David shall be king over them, and one shepherd shall be for all of them.
The Messianic shepherd-king is reaffirmed in the context of national resurrection and reunification. The Messiah's reign follows Israel's resurrection — the eschatological sequence is clear.
Hebrew (MT)
וְנָתַתִּי אֶת מִקְדָּשִׁי בְּתוֹכָם לְעוֹלָם
And I will set my sanctuary in their midst forever.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'eittein yat beit maqdashi beinehon le'alma
Targum Rendering
And I will set my Temple among them forever.
The eschatological Temple is established permanently among Israel. 'My sanctuary' becomes 'my Temple' (beit maqdashi). This points forward to the Temple vision of chapters 40-48.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהָיָה מִשְׁכָּנִי עֲלֵיהֶם וְהָיִיתִי לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים
My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'ashrei Shekhineti beinehon ve'ehei lehon l'Elah
Targum Rendering
And I will cause my Shekinah to dwell among them, and I will be their God.
The covenant formula with Shekinah indwelling: this is the eschatological reversal of the Shekinah departure in chapters 10-11. What left the Temple in judgment returns in the Messianic age to dwell permanently. Revelation 21:3 echoes this verse.
Hebrew (MT)
בֶּן אָדָם שִׂים פָּנֶיךָ אֶל גּוֹג
Son of man, set your face toward Gog.
Targum (Aramaic)
bar enasha shavi appakh leqobel gog
Targum Rendering
Son of man, set your face against Gog.
The Gog-of-Magog oracle. Foundational for Christian eschatology — cited at Revelation 20:8 ('Gog and Magog') in the final eschatological battle. The Targum preserves the proper-name.
Hebrew (MT)
וְיָדְעוּ הַגּוֹיִם כִּי בַעֲוֺנָם גָּלוּ בֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל
And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity.
Targum (Aramaic)
vidd'un ammayya arei bechovavehon glu beit yisrael
Targum Rendering
And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into exile because of their iniquity.
The exile-as-divine-judgment formula. Foundational for biblical theology of historical consequence.
Hebrew (MT)
אֲשֶׁר שָׁפַכְתִּי אֶת רוּחִי עַל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל
When I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel.
Targum (Aramaic)
di areiqit yat ruach qudshai al beit Yisrael
Targum Rendering
When I have poured out my holy spirit upon the house of Israel.
'My spirit' again becomes 'my holy spirit.' The eschatological outpouring of the Spirit follows the defeat of Gog — the sequence is warfare, victory, Spirit-outpouring, and then the Temple vision.
Hebrew (MT)
בְּיַד יְהוָה וַיָּבֵא אֹתִי שָׁמָּה
By the hand of the LORD he brought me there.
Targum (Aramaic)
biyada deAdonai ve'aytiyani letamman
Targum Rendering
By the hand of the LORD he brought me there.
The visionary-transport formula. Foundational for the apocalyptic 'in the Spirit' transports (Rev 1:10, 4:2).
Hebrew (MT)
זֶה הַשֻּׁלְחָן אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
this is the table that is before the LORD.
Targum (Aramaic)
דֵּין פָּתוֹרָא דִּקֳדָם יְיָ
Targum Rendering
this is the table that is before the LORD.
Eschatological-temple incense altar/table. The divine 'before' (קֳדָם) preserved — even the eschatological sanctuary stands before the divine presence, not in God's literal proximity.
Hebrew (MT)
כִּי הַמָּקוֹם קָדֹשׁ
for the place is holy.
Targum (Aramaic)
אֲרֵי אַתְרָא קַדִּישׁ
Targum Rendering
for the place is holy.
Eschatological-temple priestly chambers. The sanctity-marker preserved verbatim — the Shekinah's-dwelling demands holiness even in chambers.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהִנֵּה כְּבוֹד אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּא מִדֶּרֶךְ הַקָּדִים
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east.
Targum (Aramaic)
veha yeqara de'Elaha deYisrael itgeli me'orach madnecha
Targum Rendering
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was revealed from the way of the east.
The glory returns. The Shekinah that departed eastward over the Mount of Olives (11:23) now returns from the east. Jonathan uses 'revealed' (itgeli) rather than 'came,' maintaining the pattern of divine self-disclosure. This is the climactic reversal of the Shekinah departure.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהִנֵּה מָלֵא כְבוֹד יְהוָה אֶת הַבָּיִת
And behold, the glory of the LORD filled the Temple.
Targum (Aramaic)
veha male yeqara daAdonai yat beita
Targum Rendering
And behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.
The eschatological Temple is filled with the glory, just as the original Tabernacle was filled (Ex 40:34) and Solomon's Temple was filled (1 Kings 8:11). The cycle is complete: Shekinah fills, Shekinah departs, Shekinah returns and fills again.
Hebrew (MT)
בֶּן אָדָם אֶת מְקוֹם כִּסְאִי... אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁכָּן שָׁם בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעוֹלָם
Son of man, this is the place of my throne... where I will dwell among the children of Israel forever.
Targum (Aramaic)
bar adam atar kursei yeqari... di ashrei Shekhineti tamman bego benei Yisrael le'alma
Targum Rendering
Son of man, the place of the throne of my glory... where I will cause my Shekinah to dwell there among the children of Israel forever.
The throne is 'of my glory' (yeqar), and God's dwelling is the Shekinah dwelling. The eschatological Temple is the Shekinah's eternal home — 'forever' (le'alma) means the Shekinah will never depart again. This is the theological resolution of the entire exile narrative.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהִנֵּה מָלֵא כְבוֹד־יְהוָה אֶת־בֵּית יְהוָה
behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple of the LORD.
Targum (Aramaic)
וְהָא אִתְמְלִי יְקָרָא דַייָ יָת בֵּית מַקְדְּשָׁא דַייָ
Targum Rendering
behold, the Glory of the LORD filled the sanctuary of the LORD.
Glory-return to the eschatological temple. Climax of Ezekiel: the Glory (Yeqara) that left in chs. 10-11 returns. Pre-Nicene relevance: divine Glory as visible mediator-presence, related to NT use of δόξα for Christ.
Hebrew (MT)
רַב־לָכֶם נְשִׂיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חָמָס וָשֹׁד הָסִירוּ
enough, princes of Israel; put away violence and oppression.
Targum (Aramaic)
סַגִּי לְכוֹן רַבְרְבָנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲטוֹף וּבִיזָא אַעְדּוֹ
Targum Rendering
enough, princes of Israel — put away violence and robbery.
Eschatological-prince ethics. Even in restoration, the rulers must practice covenantal justice — the messianic age is morally exacting, not merely powerful.
Hebrew (MT)
וּבְבוֹא עַם־הָאָרֶץ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה בַּמּוֹעֲדִים
when the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts.
Targum (Aramaic)
וּבְמֵיתֵי עַמָּא דְאַרְעָא קֳדָם יְיָ בְּמוֹעֲדַיָּא
Targum Rendering
when the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts.
Eschatological-temple pilgrimage instruction. 'Before the LORD' (קֳדָם) preserved — pilgrimage-presence-language remains anti-anthropomorphic.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהִנֵּה מַיִם יֹצְאִים מִתַּחַת מִפְתַּן הַבַּיִת קָדִימָה
And behold, water was flowing out from below the threshold of the house toward the east.
Targum (Aramaic)
veha mayya nafiqin mitechot saf beita madinacha
Targum Rendering
And behold, waters were flowing out from below the threshold of the house toward the east.
The river-from-the-temple vision. Echoed at Revelation 22:1 ('the river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb') and at John 7:38 ('out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water').
Hebrew (MT)
וּבָאוּ הַיָּמָה אֶל הַיָּם הַמּוּצָאִים וְנִרְפּוּ הַמָּיִם
When they enter the sea, the stagnant waters of the sea, the water will become fresh.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'attyan leyamma leyamma deshaltehu ve'asyu mayya
Targum Rendering
And they shall come to the sea — to the salt sea — and the waters shall be healed.
The river-heals-the-sea image. Eschatological restoration of cosmic ecology.
Hebrew (MT)
וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יָבוֹא שָׁמָּה יִחְיֶה
And every living creature that swarms shall live wherever the river goes.
Targum (Aramaic)
vekhol denei'tei tamman yechun
Targum Rendering
And everything that comes there shall live.
The river-of-life / everything-that-comes-shall-live formula. Echoed at Rev 22:1-2 (the river from the throne) and Rev 22:17 ('let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price').
Hebrew (MT)
וְהָיָה פִרְיוֹ לְמַאֲכָל וְעָלֵהוּ לִתְרוּפָה
Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.
Targum (Aramaic)
vihei pireihon lemeikhal ve'altereihon lasakku
Targum Rendering
Their fruit shall be for food, and their leaves for healing.
The river-trees-of-life imagery. Echoed at Revelation 22:2 ('the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations').
Hebrew (MT)
וְשֵׁם הָעִיר מִיּוֹם יְהוָה שָׁמָּה
And the name of the city from that time on shall be, 'The LORD is there.'
Targum (Aramaic)
ushem qarta min yoma Adonai Shekhinteih tamman
Targum Rendering
And the name of the city from that day: 'The LORD — his Shekinah is there.'
The final word of Ezekiel: YHWH-Shammah ('the LORD is there') becomes 'the LORD — his Shekinah is there.' The entire book's theological arc is captured in this name: the Shekinah departed, the Shekinah returns, and the eschatological city bears witness forever that the Shekinah is present.