Biblical Hermeneutics
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
PRINCIPLES OF BIBLICAL HERMENETICS ; M. M. NINAN<br />
When Rabbi Yonossan ben Uziel revealed his Targum (translation) of prophets, Eretz Yisroel ( the whole<br />
land of Israel ) was shocked by earth tremor 400 parsas (measurements) by 400 parsas. A bat Kol<br />
(heavenly voice) came out and said "who is the one revealing my secrets to mankind? ". Yonaton ben Uzial<br />
stood up on his feet and said "I am the one who revealed Your secrets to mankind knowingly in front of You,<br />
not for my honor I did it and not for the honor of the house of my father but for Your honor I did it, for<br />
wouldn't be many machloket (disputes) in Israel".<br />
He also asked to reveal targum of Katuvim (writings of the Tanach / Bible) a voice - "Bat Kol" came out and<br />
said to him (Y ben U) "you have revealed enough for the moment " , and Why ? because if you reveal all the<br />
secrets now , you will reveal when the Moshiach will come and the dates of final Peace in the world".<br />
Targum Yerushalmi<br />
The Jerusalem Targum exists only in fragmentary form. It translates a total of approximately<br />
850 verses, phrases, and words. No one knows who wrote it. Some speculate that it was a<br />
printers error. The printer saw a manuscript headed with "TY" and assumed it was a Targum<br />
Yerushalmi when actually it was an early version of Targum Yonathan. Others speculate that<br />
it was written by a R. Yosef or R. Hoshea (Yihoshua).<br />
Targum Neofiti<br />
Targum Neofiti (or Targum Neophyti) is the largest of the Western Targumim on the Torah,<br />
or Palestinian Targumim. It consists of 450 folios covering all books of the Pentateuch, with<br />
only a few damaged verses.<br />
More than a mere Aramaic translation of the Hebrew text, Neofiti offers lengthy expansions<br />
on the biblical text at several places. It is often more expansive than Targum Onkelos, but<br />
less so than Targum Pseudo-Jonathan.<br />
The Targum Sheni<br />
The Targum Sheni ("Second Targum") is an Aramaic translation (targum) and elaboration of<br />
the Book of Esther, that embellishes the <strong>Biblical</strong> account with considerable new apocryphal<br />
material, not on the face of it directly germane to the Esther story. Notable among these<br />
additions is an account of the visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, which sees the<br />
King commanding a daunting army of animals, birds and demonic spirits as subjects; and the<br />
Queen demanding from him the answer to three riddles, before she will pay homage. The<br />
Jewish Encyclopedia characterises the story as a "genuine and exuberant midrash", i.e. a free<br />
elaboration, of a kind not unusual in Rabbinic literature.<br />
8