Overview
Summary
Targum Onkelos on Genesis is the most literal of the Palestinian-Babylonian targum traditions, yet still reshapes the text at critical theological junctures. The creation narrative, patriarchal encounters with God, and the blessings of Jacob all receive careful interpretive adjustment to guard divine transcendence while preserving covenantal intimacy.
Notable Renderings
The Memra (Word) of the LORD appears as the active agent of creation, covenant, and revelation. Anthropomorphic descriptions of God walking, resting, and appearing are systematically replaced with language of glory, presence, or Memra. The Aqedah (Genesis 22) subtly emphasizes Isaac's willing participation. Jacob's blessing in Genesis 49:10 introduces explicit Messianic expectation.
Theological Themes
Anti-anthropomorphism is pervasive: God does not walk, descend, or regret in human fashion. The Memra serves as a theological buffer between the transcendent God and the created world, anticipating later Logos theology. Shekinah language appears wherever God's indwelling presence is described. Messianic readings surface in the patriarchal blessings.
Hebrew (MT)
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Targum (Aramaic)
beqadmin bera Adonai yat shemayya veyat ar'a
Targum Rendering
In the beginning the LORD created the heavens and the earth.
Onkelos consistently renders Elohim as 'the LORD' (using the divine name) rather than a generic 'God,' reinforcing monotheistic theology against polytheistic readings of the plural Elohim.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ
And God created man in his image; in the image of God he created him.
Targum (Aramaic)
uvera Adonai yat adam betzalmeih betzelem Adonai bera yateih
Targum Rendering
And the LORD created man in his image; in the image of the LORD he created him.
Onkelos preserves 'image' (tzelem) without alteration here, unlike some later targum traditions that soften it. The rendering is notably literal, suggesting Onkelos understood tzelem as spiritual likeness rather than physical form.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי
And God finished on the seventh day his work which he had made, and he ceased on the seventh day.
Targum (Aramaic)
veshallem Adonai beyoma shevi'a'ah avideiteih di avad venach beyoma shevi'a'ah
Targum Rendering
And the LORD completed on the seventh day his work which he had made, and he rested on the seventh day.
Onkelos retains 'rested' (nach) but the Aramaic carries more the sense of 'ceased activity' than physical rest, subtly guarding against implying divine fatigue.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים
And he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
Targum (Aramaic)
unefach be'appoi nishmeta dechayye
Targum Rendering
And he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
Onkelos preserves the anthropomorphic language of God breathing, one of the few places where the intimacy of the act overrides the anti-anthropomorphic tendency.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת־קוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּגָּן
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden.
Targum (Aramaic)
ushemi'u yat qal Memra daAdonai Elohim demihalekh beganneta
Targum Rendering
And they heard the voice of the Memra of the LORD God walking in the garden.
Classic Memra substitution: it is not God himself who walks in the garden but the Memra (Word) of the LORD. This is one of the earliest and most theologically significant Memra insertions in Onkelos, distancing God from physical locomotion.
Hebrew (MT)
הֵן הָאָדָם הָיָה כְּאַחַד מִמֶּנּוּ לָדַעַת טוֹב וָרָע
Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil.
Targum (Aramaic)
ha adam hava yechida'i be'ar'a kema dehu yachid bishemayya leminda' tav ubishu
Targum Rendering
Behold, man has become unique on earth as [God] is unique in heaven, knowing good and evil.
Onkelos eliminates the troublesome plural 'one of us' (which could imply a divine council or plurality in God) by rendering it as a comparison of uniqueness: man is unique on earth as God is unique in heaven.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֶת־הָאָדָם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן מִקֶּדֶם לְגַן־עֵדֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִים
And he drove out the man, and he placed east of the Garden of Eden the cherubim.
Targum (Aramaic)
vetarekh yat adam ve'ashri miqqedem leganeta de'Eden yat keruvayya
Targum Rendering
And he drove out the man, and he caused his Shekinah to dwell from of old, east of the Garden of Eden, with the cherubim.
Onkelos introduces 'Shekinah' for God's dwelling presence east of Eden, transforming a narrative of placement into a theology of divine indwelling. God does not merely station guards; he establishes his presence.
Hebrew (MT)
אָז הוּחַל לִקְרֹא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה
Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD.
Targum (Aramaic)
beidayin sheri litzalaya bishma daAdonai
Targum Rendering
Then men began to pray in the name of the LORD.
Onkelos interprets 'calling on the name' as formal prayer (tzelota), reading the origin of worship back into the earliest generations and connecting it to synagogue practice.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיִּנָּחֶם יְהוָה כִּי־עָשָׂה אֶת־הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ וַיִּתְעַצֵּב אֶל־לִבּוֹ
And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.
Targum (Aramaic)
vetav qodam Adonai arei avad yat adam be'ar'a ve'amar bimemreih lemimcha yathon
Targum Rendering
And it was pleasing before the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and he said by his Memra to destroy them.
Onkelos radically reworks this verse to eliminate divine regret and grief. God does not change his mind or experience emotional pain; rather, it 'was pleasing before him' (a reverential circumlocution), and he resolves through his Memra to act. This is one of the strongest anti-anthropomorphic moves in Genesis.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיָּרַח יְהוָה אֶת־רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ
And the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma.
Targum (Aramaic)
veqabbel Adonai bereva qorbaneih
Targum Rendering
And the LORD received with favor his offering.
God does not 'smell' in Onkelos. The physical act of smelling is replaced with the abstract concept of favorable reception, removing any implication that God has a sense of smell or physical nostrils.
Hebrew (MT)
זֹאת אוֹת־הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי נֹתֵן בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם
This is the sign of the covenant which I give between me and you.
Targum (Aramaic)
da at keyama di ana yahev bein Memri uveineikhon
Targum Rendering
This is the sign of the covenant which I give between my Memra and you.
The covenant is not between God directly and humanity but between God's Memra and humanity. The Memra mediates the covenant relationship, a pattern that becomes foundational for understanding covenant theology in the targum tradition.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה לִרְאֹת אֶת־הָעִיר וְאֶת־הַמִּגְדָּל
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'itgeli Adonai lemechza yat qarta veyat migdala
Targum Rendering
And the LORD revealed himself to see the city and the tower.
God does not 'come down' physically. Onkelos replaces descent with revelation (itgeli), preserving God's transcendence: God does not move through space but reveals himself where he wills.
Hebrew (MT)
הָבָה נֵרְדָה וְנָבְלָה שָׁם שְׂפָתָם
Come, let us go down and confuse their language there.
Targum (Aramaic)
hava itgelei venabelbel taman lishanehon
Targum Rendering
Come, let me reveal myself and confuse there their language.
The plural 'let us go down' is eliminated, removing any suggestion of a divine council or plurality. God alone reveals himself and acts. This parallels the handling of Genesis 1:26.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיֵּרָא יְהוָה אֶל־אַבְרָם
And the LORD appeared to Abram.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'itgeli Adonai le'Avram
Targum Rendering
And the LORD revealed himself to Abram.
Throughout Genesis, 'appeared' (vayera) is rendered 'revealed himself' (itgeli), shifting from visual perception to divine self-disclosure. God is not seen; he makes himself known.
Hebrew (MT)
אַל־תִּירָא אַבְרָם אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ
Fear not, Abram; I am a shield for you.
Targum (Aramaic)
la tidchal Avram Memri maggen lakh
Targum Rendering
Fear not, Abram; my Memra is a shield for you.
God's Memra, not God himself directly, is the shield. This Memra usage in a covenantal promise to Abraham is theologically significant — the Word of God is the protective agent in the covenant relationship.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהֶאֱמִן בַּיהוָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה
And he believed in the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Targum (Aramaic)
veheimin beMemra daAdonai vachashvah leih lezakhu
Targum Rendering
And he believed in the Memra of the LORD, and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Abraham's faith is directed toward the Memra of the LORD, not toward God abstractly. This is one of the most theologically loaded Memra passages in the Torah, directly relevant to Paul's citation in Romans 4 and Galatians 3. The object of saving faith is the Word of God.
Hebrew (MT)
וַתִּקְרָא שֵׁם־יְהוָה הַדֹּבֵר אֵלֶיהָ אַתָּה אֵל רֳאִי
And she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, 'You are the God who sees me.'
Targum (Aramaic)
vetqerat shema daAdonai dimalil immah att Elaha dechazyan qodam
Targum Rendering
And she called the name of the LORD who spoke with her, 'You are God before whom all is seen.'
Onkelos reverses the direction of seeing: it is not God who sees Hagar (implying eyes) but God before whom all is visible. Divine omniscience replaces anthropomorphic vision.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיֵּרָא יְהוָה אֶל־אַבְרָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי־אֵל שַׁדַּי
And the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am God Almighty.'
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'itgeli Adonai le'Avram va'amar leih ana El Shadday
Targum Rendering
And the LORD revealed himself to Abram and said to him, 'I am God Almighty.'
Standard Onkelos pattern: 'appeared' becomes 'revealed himself.' The divine name El Shaddai is preserved without interpretation.
Hebrew (MT)
וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ
And I will establish my covenant between me and you.
Targum (Aramaic)
va'aqim yat keyami bein Memri uveinakh
Targum Rendering
And I will establish my covenant between my Memra and you.
Again the covenant is mediated through the Memra. The Abrahamic covenant is not a bare divine-human agreement but one established through the Word — a consistent Onkelos pattern for all covenant formulations.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְהוָה בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא
And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'itgeli leih Adonai bemesharei Mamre
Targum Rendering
And the LORD revealed himself to him in the plains of Mamre.
The theophany at Mamre is rendered as revelation rather than appearance. Onkelos does not elaborate on the three visitors, maintaining focus on the divine self-disclosure.
Hebrew (MT)
אֵרְדָה־נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה
I will go down and see.
Targum (Aramaic)
itgelei kevan ve'echzei
Targum Rendering
I will reveal myself now and see.
God does not descend to Sodom; he reveals himself. The same anti-anthropomorphic principle applied at Babel (11:5) operates here.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיהוָה הִמְטִיר עַל־סְדֹם וְעַל־עֲמֹרָה גָּפְרִית וָאֵשׁ מֵאֵת יְהוָה מִן־הַשָּׁמָיִם
And the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD from heaven.
Targum (Aramaic)
vaAdonai achit al Sedom ve'al Amora kavritha venura min qodam Adonai min shemayya
Targum Rendering
And the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from before the LORD from heaven.
Onkelos adds 'from before' (min qodam), a reverential circumlocution. The fire comes not directly 'from the LORD' but 'from before the LORD,' maintaining distance between God and the physical act of destruction.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל־אֲבִימֶלֶךְ בַּחֲלוֹם הַלָּיְלָה
And God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night.
Targum (Aramaic)
va'ata pitgama min qodam Adonai levat Avimelekh bechelma deleilya
Targum Rendering
And a word came from before the LORD to Abimelech in a dream of the night.
God does not 'come' to Abimelech. Instead, a word (pitgama) comes from before the LORD. The physical movement is replaced with verbal communication, and the reverential 'from before' (min qodam) adds distance.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיְהִי אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הַנַּעַר
And God was with the lad.
Targum (Aramaic)
vahava Memra daAdonai besiyyeih de'ulema
Targum Rendering
And the Memra of the LORD was in the help of the lad.
God's presence with Ishmael is mediated through the Memra. 'God was with' becomes 'the Memra of the LORD was in the help of,' specifying that divine accompaniment operates through the Word.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת־אַבְרָהָם
And God tested Abraham.
Targum (Aramaic)
vaAdonai nissi yat Avraham
Targum Rendering
And the LORD tested Abraham.
The Aqedah begins with Onkelos rendering straightforwardly, but the targum tradition surrounding this chapter expands significantly in other targum recensions. Onkelos is restrained here but sets the stage for theological interpretation.
Hebrew (MT)
אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה־לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה בְּנִי
God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.
Targum (Aramaic)
Adonai yitmin leih immar le'alata beri
Targum Rendering
The LORD will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.
Onkelos renders 'see/provide' (yir'eh) as 'provide' (yitmin), making the provision explicit. The ambiguity of the Hebrew — which could mean 'God will see to it' — is resolved into definite provision.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָהָם שֵׁם־הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא יְהוָה יִרְאֶה
And Abraham called the name of that place 'The LORD will provide.'
Targum (Aramaic)
uqra Avraham shem attra hahu qodam Adonai hakhah yitmin
Targum Rendering
And Abraham called the name of that place 'Before the LORD here it shall be provided.'
The place-name YHWH-Yireh is interpreted as 'Before the LORD here it shall be provided,' pointing to the Temple mount in rabbinic tradition. The 'before the LORD' circumlocution is characteristic of Onkelos.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיֶּעְתַּר יִצְחָק לַיהוָה לְנֹכַח אִשְׁתּוֹ
And Isaac entreated the LORD on behalf of his wife.
Targum (Aramaic)
vetzalli Yitzchaq qodam Adonai leqoveil ittetheih
Targum Rendering
And Isaac prayed before the LORD on behalf of his wife.
Onkelos renders 'entreated' as formal prayer (tzalli), consistent with its pattern of reading liturgical practice into the patriarchal narratives.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָנָה
And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba and went toward Haran.
Targum (Aramaic)
unefaq Ya'aqov miBe'er Sheva ve'azal leCharan
Targum Rendering
And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba and went to Haran.
Onkelos renders this verse literally, setting the stage for the Bethel theophany that follows.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהִנֵּה יְהוָה נִצָּב עָלָיו
And behold, the LORD stood above it.
Targum (Aramaic)
veha yeqar Adonai mitmanna aloi
Targum Rendering
And behold, the glory of the LORD was appointed over him.
God does not 'stand' above the ladder. Onkelos replaces physical posture with 'the glory of the LORD' (yeqar Adonai), one of the most common anti-anthropomorphic substitutions in the targum.
Hebrew (MT)
וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ
And behold, I am with you.
Targum (Aramaic)
veha Memri besiyyakhah
Targum Rendering
And behold, my Memra is in your help.
The promise of divine presence to Jacob is mediated through the Memra. God's 'being with' someone is consistently rendered as the Memra being in one's help, providing both intermediary theology and practical specificity.
Hebrew (MT)
אִם־יִהְיֶה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי... וְהָיָה יְהוָה לִי לֵאלֹהִים
If God will be with me... then the LORD shall be my God.
Targum (Aramaic)
im yehei Memra daAdonai besiyyai... viyehei Memra daAdonai li l'Elah
Targum Rendering
If the Memra of the LORD will be in my help... then the Memra of the LORD shall be my God.
Jacob's vow at Bethel places the Memra at the center of the covenant relationship. The Memra is simultaneously God's agent and the object of Jacob's devotion — a remarkable theological formulation.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־יַעֲקֹב שׁוּב אֶל־אֶרֶץ אֲבוֹתֶיךָ
And the LORD said to Jacob, 'Return to the land of your fathers.'
Targum (Aramaic)
va'amar Adonai leYa'aqov tuv le'ar'a da'avahathakh
Targum Rendering
And the LORD said to Jacob, 'Return to the land of your fathers.'
Onkelos renders this command literally. Direct divine speech is generally preserved without Memra mediation when God is quoted using first-person address.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ עַד עֲלוֹת הַשָּׁחַר
And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'ishtaddal gavra immeih ad deseliq tzafra
Targum Rendering
And a man wrestled with him until the rising of the dawn.
Onkelos preserves the mysterious 'man' (gavra) without identifying him as an angel or divine being, maintaining the deliberate ambiguity of the Hebrew. The identification is left to the reader.
Hebrew (MT)
כִּי־רָאִיתִי אֱלֹהִים פָּנִים אֶל־פָּנִים
For I have seen God face to face.
Targum (Aramaic)
arei chazeiti malakha daAdonai appei be'appei
Targum Rendering
For I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.
Onkelos cannot allow Jacob to claim he saw God directly. 'God' is replaced with 'the angel of the LORD,' maintaining divine transcendence while preserving the drama of the encounter.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיֵּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶל־יַעֲקֹב עוֹד
And God appeared to Jacob again.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'itgeli Adonai leYa'aqov tuv
Targum Rendering
And the LORD revealed himself to Jacob again.
Standard Onkelos rendering of theophany: 'appeared' becomes 'revealed himself.'
Hebrew (MT)
וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת־יוֹסֵף
And the LORD was with Joseph.
Targum (Aramaic)
vahava Memra daAdonai besiyyeih deYosef
Targum Rendering
And the Memra of the LORD was in the help of Joseph.
God's presence with Joseph is mediated through the Memra, following the same pattern as with Ishmael (21:20) and Jacob (28:15). The Memra is the consistent mode of God's companionship with individuals.
Hebrew (MT)
וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת־יוֹסֵף וַיֵּט אֵלָיו חָסֶד
And the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love.
Targum (Aramaic)
vahava Memra daAdonai besiyyeih deYosef umatei leih chisda
Targum Rendering
And the Memra of the LORD was in the help of Joseph and extended mercy to him.
Even in prison, the Memra accompanies Joseph. The targum emphasizes that divine mercy (chisda) is an active quality of the Memra's help, not merely passive accompaniment.
Hebrew (MT)
אָנֹכִי אֵרֵד עִמְּךָ מִצְרַיְמָה
I will go down with you to Egypt.
Targum (Aramaic)
Memri yechot immakh leMitzrayim
Targum Rendering
My Memra will go down with you to Egypt.
God does not descend to Egypt. The Memra descends, maintaining divine transcendence while assuring Jacob of accompanied presence. The pattern of Memra-mediated divine companionship extends to the descent into exile.
Hebrew (MT)
לֹא־יָסוּר שֵׁבֶט מִיהוּדָה וּמְחֹקֵק מִבֵּין רַגְלָיו עַד כִּי־יָבֹא שִׁילֹה
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes.
Targum (Aramaic)
la ye'addei alit shultana mideveith Yehudah vesafra mibenei benoi ad de'yeitei Meshicha dedalei hi malkhuta
Targum Rendering
The ruler shall not depart from the house of Judah, nor the scribe from his children's children, until the Messiah comes, whose is the kingdom.
This is the most important Messianic rendering in Onkelos on Genesis. The enigmatic 'Shiloh' is rendered explicitly as 'the Messiah, whose is the kingdom.' This shows that pre-Christian Jewish tradition read Genesis 49:10 as a prophecy of a coming Messiah from the tribe of Judah.
Hebrew (MT)
אֹסְרִי לַגֶּפֶן עִירֹה וְלַשֹּׂרֵקָה בְּנִי אֲתֹנוֹ
Binding his foal to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine.
Targum (Aramaic)
yiskechor le'ireh Yisrael leqarteih yashvei qirvin le'arteih
Targum Rendering
Israel shall surround his city; the peoples shall build his temple; the righteous shall be round about him.
Onkelos allegorizes the agricultural imagery of Jacob's blessing to Judah into a vision of the Messiah's kingdom: the city of Israel, the temple, and the gathering of the righteous. The literal vine and donkey become symbols of restoration.
Hebrew (MT)
לִישׁוּעָתְךָ קִוִּיתִי יְהוָה
For your salvation I wait, O LORD.
Targum (Aramaic)
lefurqanakh savveit Adonai
Targum Rendering
For your redemption I wait, O LORD.
Onkelos renders yeshu'ah as 'redemption' (furqan), a term with eschatological and Messianic overtones in Aramaic. Placed amid the tribal blessings, it reinforces the Messianic expectation of the passage.
Hebrew (MT)
מִשָּׁם רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל
From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.
Targum (Aramaic)
mitamman parnes taqif deYisrael
Targum Rendering
From there the strong shepherd of Israel.
'Stone of Israel' is rendered 'strong one of Israel,' interpreting the metaphor as messianic leadership rather than literal stone imagery.
Hebrew (MT)
וְאַתֶּם חֲשַׁבְתֶּם עָלַי רָעָה אֱלֹהִים חֲשָׁבָהּ לְטֹבָה
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Targum (Aramaic)
ve'atton chashavton alai bishta min qodam Adonai itchashivat letava
Targum Rendering
And you intended evil against me, but from before the LORD it was reckoned for good.
The attribution of planning to God is softened: it was not God who 'intended' but rather 'from before the LORD it was reckoned,' using the reverential circumlocution to distance God from the appearance of causing evil.