The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

MAKER Targum Pseudo-Jonathan of Deuteronomy 1.1-8 273
The Palestinian Targums (Neofiti, Fragmentary Targums, Ctg Br)
and Pseudo-Jonathan link HT 'Paran' with the episode of the spies
(Num. 13). Onqelos on the other hand associates it with Israel's murmuring
about the manna (cf. Num. 21.5). The association of Paran in
Deut. 1.1 with the spies does not occur in Sifre. In fact Sifre does not
associate Paran with any sin. However, ARN A 34 does say that Paran
refers to the episode of the spies. The Palestinian Targums refer in
general terms to the sending of the spies, presumably to the whole
episode narrated in Numbers 13, as is also the case in ARN. Pseudo-
Jonathan on the other hand specifically mentions the report (mymr';
read mymr) of the spies; cf. HT Num. 13.26 wysybw 'wtm dbr, which
Onqelos, Neofiti and Pseudo-Jonathan translate as w'tybw ythwn
ptgm'; see also HT and Targums of Deut. 1.25.
The Fragmentary Targums and Neofiti marginal gloss have God
declare his intention to exclude Israel from the Promised Land as a
punishment for the spy episode. See also Targum Song 2.7. Pseudo-
Jonathan, Neofiti and Ctg Br refer to no such punishment.
Tophel and Laban
Pseudo-Jonathan combines its interpretations of the names Tophel and
Laban to form one little unit within its midrashic expansion of v. 1.
In this it follows Sifre where the comment on 'And Tophel and Laban'
reads as follows:
This refers to the disparaging words (dbry tplwf) that they spoke concerning
the manna, as it is said, And our soul loathed this light bread
(Num. 21.5).
We shall note, however, that the place-name Laban is not clearly represented
in this Sifre text.
Midrash Tannaim strengthens this interpretation by adding that
'Laban' refers to the manna which was white. 24 ARN A 34 also refers
Tophel to the manna, but it links 'Laban' with the controversy of
Korah (Num. 16). Onqelos and Pseudo-Jonathan follow the SifreKorah (Num. 16). Onqelos and Pseudo-Jonathan follow the Sifre
interpretation of Tophel, both of them representing the play on that
place-name by using the verbal tpl (Onqelos) or tpl (Pseudo-
24. Cf. Hoffmann (ed.), Midrasch Tannaim, p. 2; See also Midrash Leqah Tab
to Deut. 1.1; Rashi in his commentary on Deut. 1.1. Cf. B.J. Malina, The
Palestinian Manna Tradition (Leiden: Brill, 1968), p. 72 n. 4.