Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Trevor Peterson <06PETERSON AT cua.edu>]

>===== Original Message From Schmuel <schmuel AT escape.com> =====
>I am a little surprised here about the reference to Targum Jonathan,
>although not at all to Onqelos.
>
>Since Targum Jonathan to the Prophets (not Pseudo-Jonathan which
>is later and Pentateuch) is well-known for the Messianic exegesis,
>per the Samson Levey book, and the rather commentary-ish nature
>of its Isaiah 53 translation, I am puzzled by your statement here :-)
>
>Any assistance on how one looks at such a passage as the TJ
>Isaiah 53 as "very direct translation, with very little exegesis"
>would be much appreciated.

Well, this was precisely my point. On the whole, the two Targums tend to 
follow the Hebrew text rather closely. But there are places where they can 
get 
quite expansive with their interpretations. I wouldn't look at these places 
as 
aberrations in an otherwise straightforward translation. Whatever the intent 
was in the production of the Targums, it seems to have made just as much 
sense 
to provide detailed interpretation of poetic passages as to be rather 
word-for-word in much of the prose material. (And as I said before, it seems 
from what I've read like the principle was really more one of representing 
each word in the Hebrew text somehow, even if that meant a lengthy 
explanation 
based on one word.) I haven't read Isa 53 in Jonathan myself, but Hannah's 
song in 1 Sam 2 is pretty interpretive.

Trevor Peterson
CUA/Semitics