Former Prophets — Targum Jonathan
29 renderings documented
Overview
Summary
Targum Jonathan on the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) is more expansive than Onkelos, offering interpretive paraphrases, theological commentary, and narrative expansion. The Memra, Shekinah, and anti-anthropomorphic patterns continue, but Jonathan adds historical identifications, moral commentary, and eschatological readings not found in Onkelos.
Notable Renderings
The divine commander in Joshua 5 is identified as an angel. Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2 receives Messianic interpretation. The Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7 is rendered with royal-Messianic overtones. Elijah's encounters with God at Horeb parallel the Sinai theophany treatment. Solomon's Temple dedication in 1 Kings 8 features dense Shekinah language.
Theological Themes
Anti-anthropomorphism in theophanies and divine encounters; Memra as agent of salvation and judgment in the conquest and monarchy narratives; Shekinah theology centered on the Temple; Messianic readings in the Davidic covenant and royal psalms embedded in the narrative; moral interpretation of Israel's historical failures.
Hebrew (MT)
כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי עִם־מֹשֶׁה אֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ
As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
Targum (Aramaic)
kema di havat Memri besiyyeih deMosheh yehei Memri besiyyakhah
Targum Rendering
As my Memra was in the help of Moses, so my Memra shall be in your help.
The divine promise to Joshua is Memra-mediated, continuing the Torah pattern. The transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua is accompanied by the same Memra-presence.
Hebrew (MT)
בְּזֹאת תֵּדְעוּן כִּי אֵל חַי בְּקִרְבְּכֶם
By this you shall know that the living God is among you.
Targum (Aramaic)
beda tide'un arei Elaha chayya Shekhinteih beinekhon
Targum Rendering
By this you shall know that the living God — his Shekinah is among you.
God's presence among Israel at the Jordan crossing is expressed as Shekinah indwelling, continuing the wilderness pattern into the conquest.
Hebrew (MT)
וְאִישׁ עֹמֵד לְנֶגְדּוֹ... אֲנִי שַׂר צְבָא־יְהוָה
And a man was standing opposite him... I am the commander of the LORD's army.
Targum (Aramaic)
vegavra qa'im leqovleih... ana rav cheila daAdonai
Targum Rendering
And a man was standing opposite him... I am the commander of the host of the LORD.
Jonathan preserves the mysterious commander figure without explicit identification as an angel or pre-incarnate appearance, maintaining the Hebrew's deliberate ambiguity.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ
And the LORD was with Joshua.
Targum (Aramaic)
vahava Memra daAdonai besiyyeih diYehoshua
Targum Rendering
And the Memra of the LORD was in the help of Joshua.
After Jericho's fall, God's presence with Joshua is expressed through the Memra, following the identical formula used for Joseph (Gen 39:2) and Moses.
Hebrew (MT)
הַיּוֹם יָדַעְנוּ כִּי בְּתוֹכֵנוּ יְהוָה
Today we know that the LORD is among us.
Targum (Aramaic)
yoma den yeda'na arei Shekhinteih daAdonai beineina
Targum Rendering
Today we know that the Shekinah of the LORD is among us.
The resolution of the trans-Jordan altar crisis affirms Shekinah presence. National unity is confirmed by the Shekinah remaining among all Israel.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיַּעַל מַלְאַךְ־יְהוָה מִן־הַגִּלְגָּל אֶל־הַבֹּכִים
And the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim.
Targum (Aramaic)
useliq malakha daAdonai min Gilgala leBokhim
Targum Rendering
And the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim.
Jonathan preserves the angel of the LORD as the speaker of the covenant lawsuit. The angel functions as God's authorized representative in judgment speeches.
Hebrew (MT)
יְהוָה בְּצֵאתְךָ מִשֵּׂעִיר
LORD, when you went out from Seir.
Targum (Aramaic)
Adonai bemiflakhakh miSe'ir
Targum Rendering
O LORD, when you went forth from Seir.
In the Song of Deborah, Jonathan preserves the martial theophany language. As with Onkelos in the Song of the Sea, poetic/hymnic passages receive more literal treatment than prose narratives.
Hebrew (MT)
הָרִים נָזְלוּ מִפְּנֵי יְהוָה
The mountains melted before the LORD.
Targum (Aramaic)
turayya nazlu min qodam Adonai
Targum Rendering
The mountains flowed from before the LORD.
The cosmic theophany imagery in Deborah's song is rendered literally with the standard 'from before' (min qodam) addition.
Hebrew (MT)
יְהוָה עִמְּךָ גִּבּוֹר הֶחָיִל
The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.
Targum (Aramaic)
Memra daAdonai besiyyakhah gibbara decheila
Targum Rendering
The Memra of the LORD is in your help, O mighty warrior.
The angel's greeting to Gideon uses the Memra formula. God's presence with the judge-deliverer operates through the Word.
Hebrew (MT)
מוֹת נָמוּת כִּי אֱלֹהִים רָאִינוּ
We shall surely die, for we have seen God.
Targum (Aramaic)
memat nemut arei malakha daAdonai chazeina
Targum Rendering
We shall surely die, for we have seen the angel of the LORD.
Manoah's claim to have 'seen God' is corrected to 'seen the angel of the LORD.' Jonathan will not allow a human to claim direct vision of God — what they saw was the angelic mediator.
Hebrew (MT)
אֵין קָדוֹשׁ כַּיהוָה כִּי אֵין בִּלְתֶּךָ
There is none holy like the LORD; there is none besides you.
Targum (Aramaic)
leit qaddish keAdonai arei leit bar minakh
Targum Rendering
There is none holy as the LORD, for there is none beside you.
Hannah's prayer opens with monotheistic confession rendered literally. The Targum treats Hannah's Song as prophetic poetry.
Hebrew (MT)
יְהוָה יָדִין אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ וְיִתֶּן עֹז לְמַלְכּוֹ וְיָרֵם קֶרֶן מְשִׁיחוֹ
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.
Targum (Aramaic)
Adonai yedun siyyafei ar'a viyitten taqof lemalkeih virom qeren meshicheih
Targum Rendering
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth, and he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his Messiah.
Jonathan renders 'his anointed' (meshicho) as 'his Messiah' (meshicheih) with eschatological force. Hannah's concluding prophecy is read as pointing beyond any immediate king to the ultimate Messianic ruler. This is significant because no king existed yet in Israel when Hannah spoke.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיָּבֹא יְהוָה וַיִּתְיַצַּב
And the LORD came and stood.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'itgeli Adonai veqam
Targum Rendering
And the LORD revealed himself and stood.
God does not 'come' to Samuel's location — he reveals himself. The spatial movement is replaced with revelation, though 'stood' is preserved since the context describes a prophetic vision.
Hebrew (MT)
יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת יֹשֵׁב הַכְּרֻבִים
The LORD of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim.
Targum (Aramaic)
Adonai Tzevaot di Shekhinteih sharyah al keruvayya
Targum Rendering
The LORD of Hosts, whose Shekinah rests upon the cherubim.
God does not sit on the cherubim — his Shekinah rests upon them. The Ark theology is Shekinah theology: the cherubim-throne is the locus of Shekinah presence.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד הָלוֹךְ וְגָדוֹל וַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת עִמּוֹ
And David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him.
Targum (Aramaic)
va'azal David azala verav uMemra daAdonai Elahei cheilavata besiyyeih
Targum Rendering
And David went on and became great, and the Memra of the LORD God of hosts was in his help.
David's rise to power is attributed to the Memra's help, establishing the same divine-accompaniment pattern used for the patriarchs, Moses, and Joshua.
Hebrew (MT)
אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָא שֵׁם שֵׁם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת יֹשֵׁב הַכְּרֻבִים עָלָיו
Over which is called the name, the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim.
Targum (Aramaic)
di itqeri shema shema daAdonai Tzevaot di Shekhinteih sharyah al keruvayya da'aloi
Targum Rendering
Over which is called the name, the name of the LORD of hosts, whose Shekinah rests upon the cherubim that are upon it.
The Ark procession to Jerusalem brings the Shekinah-cherubim formula again. The Shekinah is what David brings to Jerusalem, establishing the city as the Shekinah's dwelling place.
Hebrew (MT)
כִּי לֹא יָשַׁבְתִּי בְּבַיִת... וָאֶהְיֶה מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּאֹהֶל וּבְמִשְׁכָּן
For I have not lived in a house... but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle.
Targum (Aramaic)
arei la ashrei Shekhineti beveita... vahavat Shekhineti mehalikha bemashkena
Targum Rendering
For I have not caused my Shekinah to dwell in a house... and my Shekinah has been moving about in a tent and in a tabernacle.
God's mobility in a tent becomes the Shekinah's mobility. The Shekinah has not been stationary in a permanent house — it has moved with Israel since the Exodus. This is the theological foundation for the Temple's construction.
Hebrew (MT)
וַהֲקִימֹתִי אֶת־זַרְעֲךָ... וְכֹנַנְתִּי אֶת־כִּסֵּא מַמְלַכְתּוֹ עַד־עוֹלָם
And I will raise up your offspring... and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
Targum (Aramaic)
va'aqim yat bar'akh... va'atqin yat kurseih demalkhutei le'alma
Targum Rendering
And I will raise up your offspring... and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
The Davidic covenant promise is rendered literally. The eternal throne becomes the basis for all subsequent Messianic expectation. Jonathan treats the 'forever' as genuinely eschatological.
Hebrew (MT)
אֲנִי אֶהְיֶה־לּוֹ לְאָב וְהוּא יִהְיֶה־לִי לְבֵן
I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.
Targum (Aramaic)
ana ehei leih le'abba vehu yehei qodamai kevar
Targum Rendering
I will be to him as a father, and he shall be before me as a son.
Jonathan adds 'as' (ke-) to soften the father-son language, rendering 'as a father... as a son' rather than directly 'a father... a son.' This subtle qualification may reflect caution about divine sonship language while preserving the relational content.
Hebrew (MT)
יְהוָה סַלְעִי וּמְצֻדָתִי
The LORD is my rock and my fortress.
Targum (Aramaic)
Adonai taqfi umetzadati
Targum Rendering
The LORD is my strength and my fortress.
As in the Song of Moses (Deut 32), 'rock' (sela/tzur) is rendered 'strength/mighty one' (taqif). Jonathan follows the same pattern as Onkelos: God is not compared to a physical object.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיִּרְכַּב עַל־כְּרוּב וַיָּעֹף
And he rode on a cherub and flew.
Targum (Aramaic)
veashri Shekhinteih al keruvayya vetqif
Targum Rendering
And he caused his Shekinah to rest upon the cherubim, and he was strong.
God does not 'ride' a cherub — the Shekinah rests upon the cherubim. Flying is replaced with strength (tqif). The entire divine-warrior storm theophany is refracted through Shekinah and glory language.
Hebrew (MT)
וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
And I will dwell among the children of Israel.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'ashrei Shekhineti bego benei Yisrael
Targum Rendering
And I will cause my Shekinah to dwell among the children of Israel.
God's promise during Temple construction mirrors the Tabernacle promise (Ex 25:8). The Temple is the Shekinah's permanent house, replacing the mobile tent.
Hebrew (MT)
יְהוָה אָמַר לִשְׁכֹּן בָּעֲרָפֶל
The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.
Targum (Aramaic)
Adonai amar le'ashraah Shekhinteih ba'arafela
Targum Rendering
The LORD said he would cause his Shekinah to dwell in the thick cloud.
Solomon's dedication speech opens with Shekinah theology. God dwells in the Temple's darkness through the Shekinah, not in his essence.
Hebrew (MT)
הִנֵּה הַשָּׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם לֹא יְכַלְכְּלוּךָ אַף כִּי הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה
Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you — how much less this house!
Targum (Aramaic)
ha shemayya ushemei shemayya la yekhulun leqodam yeqarakh af arei beita hadein
Targum Rendering
Behold, the heavens and the heavens of heavens cannot contain your glory — how much less this house!
The heavens cannot contain God's glory (yeqar), not God himself. Jonathan adds a layer of abstraction: it is the glory that exceeds all spatial bounds, preserving Solomon's theology of divine transcendence while using the glory concept.
Hebrew (MT)
וְאַתָּה תִּשְׁמַע אֶל־מְכוֹן שִׁבְתְּךָ אֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם
And you will hear from heaven, your dwelling place.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'att tiqabbeil tzlotehon min atar beit Shekhinetakh min shemayya
Targum Rendering
And you will receive their prayers from the place of the house of your Shekinah, from heaven.
God's 'dwelling place' in heaven becomes 'the house of your Shekinah.' There is a heavenly Shekinah-dwelling that corresponds to the earthly Temple, establishing a two-tiered Shekinah theology: the Temple below mirrors the heavenly abode above.
Hebrew (MT)
לָשׂוּם שְׁמִי שָׁם עַד־עוֹלָם
To put my name there forever.
Targum (Aramaic)
le'ashraah Shekhineti tamman le'alma
Targum Rendering
To cause my Shekinah to dwell there forever.
'My name' dwelling forever becomes 'my Shekinah' dwelling forever. Jonathan equates the divine Name with the Shekinah, both being modes of God's accessible presence.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהִנֵּה יְהוָה עֹבֵר... לֹא בָרוּחַ יְהוָה... לֹא בָרַעַשׁ יְהוָה... קוֹל דְּמָמָה דַקָּה
And behold, the LORD was passing by... the LORD was not in the wind... the LORD was not in the earthquake... a still small voice.
Targum (Aramaic)
veha Adonai itgeli... la berucha shekhinteih daAdonai... la bezu'a shekhinteih daAdonai... qal memallel berchichut
Targum Rendering
And behold, the LORD revealed himself... not in the wind was the Shekinah of the LORD... not in the earthquake was the Shekinah of the LORD... a voice speaking softly.
The Horeb theophany for Elijah receives full Shekinah treatment. God 'passing by' becomes God revealing himself. The Shekinah was not in the wind, earthquake, or fire — but in the 'voice speaking softly' (qal memallel berchichut). The 'still small voice' becomes an articulate voice whispering, emphasizing verbal communication over numinous experience.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיַּעַל אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּסְעָרָה הַשָּׁמָיִם
And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
Targum (Aramaic)
useliqu Eliyahu be'alala lishemayya
Targum Rendering
And Elijah went up in a whirlwind to heaven.
Elijah's ascension is rendered literally. Jonathan does not rationalize or spiritualize the bodily translation to heaven.
Hebrew (MT)
יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יֹשֵׁב הַכְּרֻבִים אַתָּה־הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים לְבַדְּךָ
O LORD God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone.
Targum (Aramaic)
Adonai Elaha deYisrael di Shekhinteih sharyah al keruvayya att hu Elaha balchudakh
Targum Rendering
O LORD God of Israel, whose Shekinah rests upon the cherubim, you alone are God.
Hezekiah's prayer uses the Shekinah-cherubim formula. Even in desperate prayer, the theological grammar is maintained: God's Shekinah rests on the cherubim.