The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

MAKER Targum Pseudo-Jonathan of Deuteronomy 1.1-8 281
(Onqelos, Pseudo-Jonathan against Neofiti, Ctg E); 34.10a (Onqelos,
Pseudo-Jonathan against Neofiti, Ctg C); 34.10b (Onqelos, Pseudo-
Jonathan and Ctg C against Neofiti); 34.16 (Onqelos, Pseudo-Jonathan
against Neofiti, Ctg C); 34.21 (Onqelos, Pseudo-Jonathan against
Neofiti, Ctg C). When, however, Hebrew ysb means 'sit' rather than
'dwell' the Palestinian Targums can agree with Onqelos and Pseudo-
Jonathan in using ytb; cf., e.g., Gen. 18.1 (Onqelos, Pseudo-Jonathan,
Neofiti, V, P); 19.1 (Onqelos, Pseudo-Jonathan, Neofiti, V); 21.16
(twice) (Onqelos, Pseudo-Jonathan, Neofiti, Ctg LL); 31.34 (Onqelos,
Pseudo-Jonathan, Neofiti).
Pseudo-Jonathan agrees with Onqelos in rendering the place-name
Bashan as Matnan. Neofiti translates it as Butnin or Batanea (bwtnyri).
In translating this place-name Pseudo-Jonathan regularly follows
Onqelos, against the Palestinian Targums; cf. e.g., Num. 21.33
(twice); Deut. 1.4; 3.1 (twice), 3, 4, 10 (twice), 11. In Num 32.33
Neofiti has mwtnyn. Like Onqelos and Pseudo-Jonathan, Targum
Jonathan of the Prophets also renders 'Bashan' as 'Matnan'; cf. e.g.,
Josh. 9.10; 12.4, 5; 13.11, 12. Matnan, Batanea and Butnin seem to
have been different designations for the territory of Bashan in
Talmudic times. 37
Like Neofiti and Onqelos, Pseudo-Jonathan renders the place name
Edrei in Num. 21.33 as 'dr'y (= editio princeps; Lond. has 'rd'y). In
other places in the Pentateuch where Edrei is mentioned (Deut. 1.4;
3.1, 10) Pseudo-Jonathan presents the name as 'dr't, 'Edra'th'.
The Words of the Law
Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to teach the words
of this law, saying (Pseudo-Jonathan Deut. 1.5).
The designation 'the land of Moab' occurs in the Hebrew Bible in
Deut. 1.5; 28.69; 32.49; 34.5, 6, and each time Onqelos renders it
directly 'r" dmw'b. Pseudo-Jonathan agrees with Onqelos in Deut.
1.5; 28.69 and 34.5. In 32.49 the words 'which is in the land of Moab,
opposite Jericho' is omitted in Pseudo-Jonathan, and in 34.6, which
37. Cf. L. Smolar and M. Aberbach, Studies in Targum Jonathan to the Prophets
(Library of Biblical Studies; New York: Ktav, 1983), p. 115; D. Raphel,
'Geographic and Ethnic Names in Targum Onkelos' (in Hebrew), Beth Miqra 96
(1983), p. 73; B. Grossfeld, The Targum Onqelos to Leviticus and Numbers (The
Aramaic Bible 8; Wilmington, DE: Glazier, 1988), p. 129, n. 23.