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The Aramaic Bible 11 THEARAMAIC BIBLE 0 THE TARGUMS e PROJECT DIRECTOR Martin McNamara, M.S.C. EDITORS Kevin Cathcart 0 Michael Maher, M.S.C. Martin McNamara, M.S.C. EDITORlAL CONSULTANTS Daniel J. Harrington, S.J. * Bernard Grossfeld The Aramaic Bible Volunqe 11 The Isaiah Targum Introduction, Translation, Apparatus and Notes BY Bruce D. Chilton p Michael Glazier, Inc. c2 . ;,: 4":> -- Wilrnington, Delaware About the Translator: Bruce D. Chilton is a Lillian Claus Associate Professor of New Testament in the Divinity School of Yale University. He holds degrees from Bard College, and General Theological Seminary and Cambridge University. Among his publications are God in Strength: Jesus' Announcement of the Kingdom. First published in 1987 by Michael Glazier, inc., 1935 West Fourth Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19805. @Copyight 1987 by Michael Glazier, Inc. All rights reserved. Library of Cong- Cataloging in Publication Data Bible. O.T. Isaiah. English. Chilton. 1987. The Isaiah Targum. (The Aramaic Bible ; v. 11) Translation of the Aramaic Targum of Isaiah, which is itself a translation from Hebrew Bibliography: p. Includes indexes. I. Bible. O.T. Isaiah. Aramaic-Translations into English. 2. Bible. O.T. Isaiah. Aramaic- Criticism, Textual. I. Chilton, Bruce. 11. Series: Bible. O.T. English. AramaicBibie. 1986 ; v.11. BS895.A72 1986 Voi. 11 221.42 s 86-45346 [BS1513] [224'.1M2] ISBN 0-89453-480-7 Logo design by Florence Bern. Printed in thc United States of America. For E. B. and C. f? D. M., with gratitude. TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORS' FOREWORD ..................................................................................... ix PREFACE ............................................................................................................ xi ... INTRODUCTION xi11 The Theology of the Isaiah Targum xiv Distinctions of Emphasis within the .............................. xviii The Formation and Historical Circumstances of the Targum ........................... xx The Importance of the Targum for the Study of Early Judaism and of the New Testament ............................. xxv Early Citations and Manuscripts of the Targum ....................................... xxviii Editions and Translations of the Targum xxxi The Format of the Present Volume xxxiii TRANSLATION, NOTES AND APPARATUS ............................................. I INDICES ........................................................................................................... 129 Index of Primary Sources ................................................................ 129 Index of Secondary Contributions ................................................................ 129 Index of Targumic Subjects ............................................................................ 130 EDITORS' FOREWORD While any translation of the Scriptures may in Hebrew be called a Targum, the word is used especially for a translation of a book of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic. Before the Christian era Aramaic had in good part replaced Hebrew in Palestine as the vernacular of the Jews. It continued as their vernacular for centuries later and remained in part as the language of the schools after Aramaic itself had been replaced as the vernacular. Rabbinic Judaism has transmitted Targums of all books of the Hebrew Canon, with the exception of Daniel and Ezra-Nehemiah, which are themselves partly in Aramaic. We also have a translation of the Samaritan Pentateuch into the dialect of Samaritan Aramaic. From the Qumran Library we have sections of a Targum of Job and fragments of a Targum of Leviticus, chapter 16, facts which indicate that the Bible was being translated in Aramaic in pre-Christian times. Translations of books of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic for liturgical purposes must have begun before the Christian era, even though none of the Targums transmitted to us by Rabbinic Judaism can be shown to be that old and though some of them are demonstrably compositions from later centuries. In recent decades there has been increasing interest among scholars and a larger public in these Targums. A noticeable lacuna, however, has been the absence of a modern English translation of this body of writing. It is in marked contrast with most other bodies of Jewish literature for which there are good modern English translations, for instance the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, Josephus, Philo, the Mishnah, the Babylonian Talmud and Midrashic literature, and more recently the Tosefta and Palestinian Talmud. It is hoped that this present series will provide some remedy for this state of affairs. The aim of the series is to translate all the traditionally-known Targums, that is those transmitted by Rabbinic Judaism, into modern English idiom, while at the same time respecting the particular and peculiar nature of what these Aramaic translations were originally intended to be. A translator's task is never an easy one. It is rendered doubly difficult when the text to be rendered is itself a translation which is at times governed by an entire set of principles. All the translations in this series have been specially commissioned. The translators have made use of what they reckon as the best printed editions of the Aramaic Targum in question or have themselves directly consulted the manuscripts. The translation aims at giving a faithful rendering of the Aramaic. The introduction to each Targum contains the necessary background information on the particular work. In general, each Targum translation is accompanied by an apparatus and notes. The former is concerned mainly with such items as the variant readings in the Aramaic texts, the relation of the English translation to the original, etc. The notes give what explanations the translator thinks necessary or useful for this series. Not all the Targums here translated are of the same kind. Targums were translated at different times, and most probably for varying purposes, and have more than one interpretative approach to the Hebrew Bible. This diversity between the Targums themselves is reflected in the translation and in the manner in which the accompanying explanatory material is presented. However, a basic unity of presentation has been maintained. A point that needs to be stressed with regard to this translation of the Targums is that by reason of the state of current targumic research, to a certain extent it must be regarded as a provisional one. Despite the progress made, especially in recent decades, much work still remains to be done in the field of targumic study. Not all the Targums are as yet available in critical editions. And with regard to those that have been critically edited from known manuscripts, in the case of the Targums of some hooks the variants between the manuscripts themselves are such as to give rise to the question whether they have all descended from a single common original. Details regarding these points will be found in the various introductions and critical notes. It is recognised that a series such as this will have a broad readership. The Targums constitute a valuable source of information for students of Jewish literature, particularly those concerned with the history of interpretation, and also for students of the New Testament, especially for those interested in its relationship to its Jewish origins. The Targums also concern members of the general public who have an interest in the Jewish interpretation of the Scriptures or in the Jewish background to the New Testament. For them the Targums should be both interesting and enlightening. By their translations. introductions and critical notes the contributors to this series have rendered an immense service to the progress of targumic studies. It is hoped that the series, provisional though it may be, will bring significantly nearer the day when the definitive translation of the Targums can he made. Kevin Cathcart Martin McNamara, M.S.C. Michael Maher, M.S.C. PREFACE When Martin McNamara informed me of plans to render the Targums in English, I was excited. When he asked me to look after the Isaiah Targum, I was thrilled. Although I had then been working with the document for some time, in connection with my study of Jesus' preaching, the opportunity to order and develop my thoughts for a translation and commentary was a timely stimulus. No scholar could ask for a more rewarding challenge than Prof. McNamara gave me, and I remain most grateful to him. In accordance with the aims of The Aramaic Bible project, the present volume is designed with the English-speaking reader primarily in view. Some of the material in the Apparatus and Notes may nonetheless be of use to Aramaists and more advanced students of the Targum. Those among the last group mentioned may in any case have recourse to my earlier book, The Glury of'lsrael. The Theoloxy and Provenience of'the Isaiah Targum. The present contribution brings up to date and extends the discussion I have been concerned to develop, without superseding the detailed work of the previous study. Much of this volume was written while I was a visitor at Union Seminary in Richmond; I am particularly grateful to Patrick Miller, who was then Dean, for his arrangement of the visit, and for a research grant from Sheffield University. While this volume was being produced, 1 took up a position at Yale University, where two students helped to deal with the proofs. Emily Holcombe has exercised her eagle's eye, and Gay Forsstrom has prepared the indices. Progress in theology is difficult to attain. One might imagine that one should
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