The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

280 The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context
Sihon and Og
(This was) after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who
lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Matnan, who lived in Edra'th
(Pseudo-Jonathan Deut. 1.4)
In translating the Hebrew verb nkh (Hif.), 'strike, smite, defeat',
Pseudo-Jonathan and Onqelos use the corresponding Aramaic verb
mh', whereas Neofiti employs qtl, 'kill'. Pseudo-Jonathan and Onqelos
sometimes agree with Neofiti in translating nkh as qtl, especially when
the object of the verb is a human person (cf. e.g., Gen. 4.15; 36.35;
37.21; Exod. 12.12, 13; 12.29 [here Neofiti marginal gloss also uses
gtl]; Exod. 3.20). On the other hand Neofiti marginal gloss can join
Onqelos and Pseudo-Jonathan in using mhy, especially when the object
of the verb is an inanimate object (cf. e.g., Exod. 7.17, 20, 25; 8.12,
13 [also Neofiti marginal gloss]; 17.5, 6). Neofiti also agrees with
Onqelos and Pseudo-Jonathan in their use of mhy in Gen. 19.11 where
HT informs us that the men who were inside Lot's house struck (hkw)
those who were outside with blindness. Pseudo-Jonathan and Onqelos
often employ mhy, against qtl of Neofiti (cf. e.g., Gen. 14.5 [also V
which agrees with Neofiti]; 14.7, 17; 32.9 [also Neofiti marginal
gloss], 12; Exod. 2.12 [also P and V which agree with Neofiti; but see
2.11 where Neofiti, like Onqelos and Pseudo-Jonathan, has mhy]; 3.20
[here Neofiti marginal gloss agrees with Onqelos and Pseudo-
Jonathan]). Similarly, Onqelos and Pseudo-Jonathan use mhy when
Neofiti has sysy (cf. e.g., Gen. 8.21; Exod. 9.15, 25 [twice]). It can be
seen then that Pseudo-Jonathan generally agrees with Onqelos in its
translation of Hebrew nkh, and that these Targums' rendering of that
verb often differs from that of Neofiti (and the Fragmentary
Targums).
The Hebrew verb ysb occurs twice in our present verse (Deut. 1.4),
and on both occasions Pseudo-Jonathan follows Onqelos and translates
that verb by its Aramaic cognate, ytb. Neofiti on the other hand
renders it as sry, 'dwell, encamp'. In fact Pseudo-Jonathan and
oNQELOS USUALLY AGREE IN EMPLOYING YTB AGAINST SRY OF THE pALESTINIAN
Targums, to translate ysb when that verb means 'to dwell, settle'. Cf.
e.g., Gen. 4.16 (Onqelos, Pseudo-Jonathan and [surprisingly] V
against Neofiti, P, Ctg B); 11.2 (Onqelos, Pseudo-Jonathan against
Neofiti, P, V); 24.3 (Onqelos, Pseudo-Jonathan against Neofiti, Ctg
KK); 24.62 (Onqelos, Pseudo-Jonathan against Neofiti, P, V); 29.19