To learn to read and to understand the words of Scripture
The Aramaic of Targum Onkelos and Targum Jonathan
Biblical Hebrew and Syriac: A Comprehensive Study of Two Great Literary Languages of the Semitic World A Definitive Introduction to Their History, Linguistic Structure, Literature, and Biblical Significance I. Introduction Among the many languages that have shaped the religious, literary, and intellectual history of humanity, few possess the historical depth and enduring influence of Biblical…
The relationship between Hebrew and Aramaic is one of the most important cases of long-term linguistic interaction in the Semitic world. Both languages belong to the Northwest Semitic sphere and preserve a large amount of shared inherited structure from an earlier common Semitic background. At the same time, each developed along its own historical path…
מַהֲלַךְ תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין נֵיזִיל בְּמַדְבְּרָא וּנְדַבַּח קֳדָם יְיָ אֱלָהָנָא כְּמָא דִּיֵימַר לָנָא: (Exodus 8:23 Targum Onkelos) A journey of three days let us go into the wilderness and let us offer sacrifices before YHWH our God, just as He said to us Voices from the Edge of the Wilderness This verse from Targum Onkelos on…
מַלֵּיל עִם אַהֲרֹן וְתֵימַר לֵיהּ בְּאַדְלָקוּתָךְ יָת בּוֹצִינַיָּא לָקֳבֵיל אַפֵּי מְנָרְתָא יְהוֹן מְנָהֲרִין שִׁבְעָא בוֹצִינַיָּא׃ (Numbers 8:2, Targum Onkelos) Speak with Aharon and say to him: “When you kindle the lamps, opposite the face of the menorah, the seven lamps shall give light.” Apprentice and Master Scribe: A Ritual Grammar Lesson Apprentice: Master, I was…
קֻרְבָּנֵיהּ מְגִסְתָּא דִכְסַף חֲדָא מְאָה וּתְלָתִין סִלְעִין הֲוָה מַתְקְלַהּ מִזְרְקָא חַד דִּכְסַף מַתְקְלֵיהּ שַׁבְעִין סִלְעִין בְּסִלְעֵי קוּדְשָׁא תַּרְוֵיהוֹן מְלַן סֻלְתָּא דְּפִילָא בִמְשַׁח לְמִנְחָתָא (Numbers 7:31, Targum Onkelos) His offering: one silver bowl—its weight was one hundred and thirty sheqels; one silver basin—its weight was seventy sheqels, according to the sheqels of the sanctuary; both of…
וַאֲמַר יְיָ לְנֹחַ קִצָּא דְכָל בִּשְׂרָא עַלַּת לִקֳדָמַי אֲרֵי אִתְמְלִיאַת אַרְעָא חֲטוֹפִין מִן קֳדָם עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן בִּישַׁיָּא וְהָא אֲנָא מְחַבֶּלְהוֹן עִם אַרְעָא: And YHWH said to Noaḥ, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with plunder from before them because of their evil deeds, and behold, I am about…
וַאֲמַר יְיָ אֶמְחֵי יָת אֲנָשָׁא דִּי בְרֵאתִי מֵעַל אַפֵּי אַרְעָא מֵאֱנָשָׁא עַד בְּעִירָא עַד רִיחֲשָׁא וְעַד עוֹפָא דִּשְׁמַיָּא אֲרֵי תָבִית בְּמֵימְרִי אֲרֵי עֲבַדְתִּנוּן: (Genesis 6:7) And YHWH said, “I will wipe out mankind whom I created from the face of the earth, from man to beast, to creeping thing and to the bird of the…
וִיהוֹן פִּתְגָּמַיָּא הָאִלֵּין דִּי אֲנָא מְפַקְּדָךְ יוֹמָא דֵין עַל לִבָּךְ And these words which I am commanding you today shall be upon your heart. Why This Verse? This pivotal line from Targum Onkelos on Deuteronomy 6:6, part of the daily Shema, showcases: Emphatic demonstrative construction: פִּתְגָּמַיָּא הָאִלֵּין Paʿel verb with object suffix: מְפַקְּדָךְ Temporal immediacy:…
אֲנָ֣ה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֗ר שְׁלֵ֤ה הֲוֵית֙ בְּבֵיתִ֔י וְרַעְנַ֖ן בְּהֵיכְלִֽי׃ (Daniel 4:1) I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace. Royal First-Person Framing in the Aramaic Court Tale Daniel 4:1 marks a shift in the narrative structure of the book. Nebuchadnezzar speaks in the first person, delivering a royal proclamation concerning his humiliation…
עָנֵ֤ה מַלְכָּא֙ וְאָמַ֣ר לְכַשְׂדָּיֵא מִלְּתָ֖א מִנִּ֣י אַזְדָּ֑א הֵ֣ן לָ֤א תְהֹֽודְעוּנַּ֨נִי֙ חֶלְמָ֣א וּפִשְׁרֵ֔הּ הַדָּמִין֙ תִּתְעַבְד֔וּן וּבָתֵּיכֹ֖ון נְוָלִ֥י יִתְּשָׂמֽוּן׃ () Introduction to the Expression מִלְּתָא אַזְדָּא Daniel 2:5 records King Nebuchadnezzar’s response to the Chaldeans when they were unable to interpret his dream. The phrase: מִלְּתָ֖א מִנִּ֣י אַזְדָּ֑א – "The word from me is firm." This phrase…