GBBL 631 (Early Judaism: The Writings and the Dead Sea Scrolls): Targumim

by Philip S. Alexander
Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary A-Z online, V.6, Si-Z
Also available in print: Stamps Reference Floor BS440 .A54 1992 v.1-v.6

This translation is based upon the text of MS Urb. 1 and the copyright is held by C. M. M. Brady. No use of this translation may be made without the author's permission.

If you have any comments please contact the translator at cbrady@psu.edu

The differences in syntax and grammar between Aramaic and English would render a truly literal translation of any Targum nearly unintelligible to the English reader. However, the attempt was made with this translation to be as faithful to the text as possible while maintaining readability. Therefore some singular nouns have been switched to plural when it was called for. Also, the punctuation was adapted for an English reader. Verses were cut up into separate sentences when their meaning would be more evident in that format. Any words in parentheses are not explicitly in the text but are, in my opinion, implied.

The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel
On the Pentateuch With The Fragments of the Jerusalem Targum From the Chaldee
by J. W. Etheridge, M.A.
First Published 1862

The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel
On the Pentateuch With The Fragments of the Jerusalem Targum From the Chaldee
by J. W. Etheridge, M.A.
First Published 1862

“Targum Jonathan (תרגום יונתן בן עוזיאל) – otherwise referred to as Targum Yonasan/Yonatan is the official eastern (Babylonian) targum to the Nevi’im. Its early origins, however, are western i.e. from the Land of Israel, and the Talmudic tradition attributes its authorship to Jonathan ben Uzziel. Its overall style is very similar to that of Targum Onkelos, though at times it seems to be a looser paraphrase.” (Wikipedia)

We provide here the Targums of Jonathan Ben Uzziel. This contains the Aramaic of the Prophets.

This was published in 1907.

The following notes may be helpful in the use of this English translation of the Psalms Targum. An introduction to some of the issues involved in the study and translation of this Targum may be found in the forthcoming Ernest G. Clarke memorial volume, to which the interested reader is referred.

In most cases where words are found in [] and are not italicized they are missing in the MS but are necessary to represent the Hebrew vorlage (MT). In some cases, particularly in TgRuth 1:1, there are words or phrases which are not in V (and are part of an aggadic expansion) but are necessarily for the expansion to make sense. If you have any corrections or comments please contact the me at cbrady@targuman.org.

The copyright is held by Christian M. M. Brady. No use of this translation may be made without the author’s permission.

from Samson H. Levey, "The Targum to the Book of Ruth: Its Linguistic and Exegetical Character, together with a discussion of the date, a study of the sources, and an idiomatic English translation" (Ordination Thesis, Hebrew Union College, 1934)]

Published in The Text and I, S. Chyet, ed., South Florida Studies in the History of Judaism 165 (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1998). Reproduced here with permission.

The Targum to Song of Songs is available in both European and Yemenite manuscripts. The Aramaic text used in this translation is that of Raphael Hai Melamed, “The Targum to Canticles According to Six Yemen Mss. Compared with the ‘Textus Receptus’ (Ed. de Lagarde),” Jewish Quarterly Review, New Series, 10 (1919-20): 377-410, 11 (1920-21): 1-20, and 12 (1921-22): 57-117.

This translation began as an adaptation of the translation by Marvin H. Pope, Song of Songs: A New Translation and Commentary, The Anchor Bible 7C (New York: Doubleday and Company, 1977).