TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES IN TARGUM MALACHI: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS

Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 41/1 (2015), pp. xx-xx

Gudrun Elisabeth Lier (University of Johannesburg)

TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES IN TARGUM

MALACHI: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT

This contribution comprehensively analyses how Targum Jonathan Malachi (TgJ Ma)

renders the Hebrew Text (HT) of the book of Malachi. The study shows that this

Targum constitutes a mix of technical and exegetical translation techniques in a

generally periphrastic rendering to make it theologically acceptable. It furthermore

demonstrates how obscure ambiguous passages and idiomatic expressions are

remodelled by contemporizing interpolations. Added prepositions bring clarity to

imagery and scanty syntactical expressions. Anthropomorphism is rendered indirect to

express obvious reverence before the deity. The relative pronoun ד is widely employed

to express various relationships. Single words are extensively substituted to express

the underlying meaning of the biblical text and there is evidence for the use of stock

words.

1. INTRODUCTION

Scholars have identified a number of translation tendencies in the Targum

of the Prophets or Targum Jonathan (TgJ) (cf. Smelik 1998:286-305).1

Some studies focused on TgJ as a whole;2 others on the individual

prophetic books (Cathcart & Gordon 1989; Chilton 1987; Hayward 1987;

Ho 2009; Levey 1987; and Stenning 1949). However, to date no

publication has appeared on TgJ Ma’s translation techniques.3 Churgin

only briefly refers to it in his broad study of Targum Jonathan to the

Prophets (1907), while Cathcart & Gordon (1989) mainly focus on

translating TgJ Ma into English. They refer to some translation techniques

in footnotes only.

Churgin (1907), in three instances, connects TgJ Ma to the question of

TgJ’s historical background: (i) a tradition that TgJ stems from the mouths

of the prophets Haggai, Zachariah and Malachi (Churgin 1907:19); (ii)

1 For a definition on Targum, see Komlosh (2007:513).

2 See Churgin (1907). For a general survey on the Targum to the Latter Prophets

in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, consult Gordon (1994); see also

Levey (1971:186-196).

3 TgJ Ma is the CAL abbreviation for Targum Jonathan Malachi.

2 GUDRUN E LIER

TgJ’s substitution of sacrifice with prayer (Churgin 1907:28) and (iii) an

addition to Mal 1:1, which suggests that Malachi is Ezra, the scribe

(Churgin 1907:110). Apart from these historical relationships, Churgin

(1907:88) identifies an exegetical complement at TgJ Ma 1:4 and a

commentary at TgJ Mal 1:11 (1907:91). Cathcart & Gordon (1989:229-

238) are more categorical in their approach in the footnotes of their

English translation of TgJ Ma. They point out instances of exegetical

complements, metonymy, conversion of metaphor to simile, anthropo-

morphic substitution, addition/omission of suffixes, beth essentiae,

converse translation, as well as changes from literal to figurative meaning.

This study aims to conduct a close reading of TgJ Ma to ascertain how

it renders the HT of Malachi;4 specifically, which typical translation

practices can be identified in TgJ Ma when it is compared with the HT of

Malachi in the process of its rendering.5

2. TECHNICAL AND EXEGETICAL TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES

In the following, diverse translation features are set forth from a close

word-for-word comparison between the HT of Malachi and its rendering

into Aramaic. The different aspects of rendering are separated in line with

their chief distinguishing characteristics, “technical” and “exegetical”

where the former refers to the consistent or formulaic manner in which

TgJ Ma translates Hebrew into Aramaic and the latter describes aspects of

translation that fall into the category of interpretive distinctions between

the HT and TgJ Ma.

2.1 Technical Translation Techniques

When words, expressions or syntactical units in the HT are consistently

and/or repeatedly translated into Aramaic in a typical or fixed manner, the

rendering can be described as technical.

2.1.1 Standard translation

A number of Hebrew words and expressions are repeatedly translated in a

standard fashion throughout TgJ Ma, as shown in the table below:

HT Malachi TgJ Malachi English Reference

י because throughout ארי כ

4 HT is the abbreviation for Hebrew Text.

5 TgJ Ma’s text is retrieved from: The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon: CAL

Targumic Studies Module.

TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES IN TARGUM MALACHI 3

י when 2x in 1:8 ד כ

י 6על ד על כ because that, on

account of this

2:14

emphatic כען נא

particle

1:8;1:9; 3:10

The fact that TgJ Ma without fail translates the above Hebrew

words/expressions in a typical manner, places them squarely into the

category of technical translation techniques.

2.1.2 Unmarked versus marked

A considerable number of words (mainly nouns), which occur in the

construct or absolute state (unmarked) in the HT of Malachi, are rendered

with the article (marked):

HT Malachi TgJ Malachi Reference

1:2 אחא אח

1:4 חרבתא חרבות

1:4 תחומא גבול

שעה יעא ר 1:4 רש

3:4 ;1:4 עלמא עולם

1:6 ברא בן

2:10 ;1:6 אבא אב

1:6 עבדא עבד

לחן 1:7 פתורא ש

1:9 אלהא אל

משא שמש 3:20 ;1:11 ש

קרא עולה 2:6 ש

מעה מעתא ד 2:13 ד

זבח 2:13 מדבחא מ

3:1 אורחא דרך

ישתא אש 3:2 א

ית יתא בר 3:2 בור

3:3 כספא כסף

לה 3:17 סגולתא סג

יש ברא א 3:17 ג

6 Probably an abbreviated combination of על דא ,על דין, “because that” (cf.

Winer & Hackett 1845:106). In biblical Aramaic, the expression also occurs as

.(cf. Rosenthal 1968:35) על דנה

4 GUDRUN E LIER

יק יקיא צד 3:18 צד

יעיא רשע 3:18 רש

ים יעיא זד 3:19 רש

3:19 קשא קש

3:20 אסותא מרפא

בקא מרבק 3:20 ר

טמא אפר 3:21 ק

3:23 יומא יום

ים 3:24 בניא בנ

The change from unmarked forms in HT Malachi to marked forms in TgJ

Ma can mostly be attributed to their typical use in Jewish Literary

Targumic Aramaic (JLAtg), the standard dialect that characterizes TgJ.7

Atypical changes from unmarked nominal forms in HT Malachi to

marked nominal forms in TgJ Ma include construct nouns in construct

chains (i.e., שעה ,גבול לחן ;1:4 ר זבח ;3:20 ,1:11 שמש ;1:7 ש יום ;2:13 מ3:23), which are rendered marked in TgJ Ma as part of a relative clause.

More specifically, a case of metonymy8 at Mal 1:4 שעה גבול ר “border of

wickedness” is rendered expansive יעא דעמיה תחומא רש “the border of [lit.

his] wicked people”. Two unmarked adjectival substantives יק צד

“righteous” and רשע “wicked” at Mal 3:18 יק בין לרשע צד are rendered

marked יקיא בין יעיא צד לרש . Similarly, the unmarked adjectival substantive

ים ים arrogant” at Mal 3:19“ זד is rendered marked – by nominal כל־זד

substitution – יעיא כל רש “all the wicked”.

2.1.3 Temporal clause

At Mal 1:7, 1:12, and 2:17, TgJ Mal consistently renders the temporal

clause preposition plus infinitive construct plus pronominal suffix,

דאתון when you say”, with“ באמרכם ין ב אמר , preposition plus ד plus

pronoun plus participle.

2.1.4 Participles

Where the participle in HT Malachi functions as a relative clause, TgJ Ma

introduces subtle modifications: ד at Mal 3:2 is rendered imperfect העמ

7 For linguistic discussions, consult Goshen-Gottstein (1978:169-179); Kutscher

(1976); Tal (1975). On different Aramaic dialects, consult Kutscher (2007:342-

359).

8 I.e., where a concept is indicated by means of something that is related to it

(Van der Merwe, Naudé & Kroeze 2002:235).


ד while ,יקום פלח at Mal 3:17 is rendered העב plus peal perfect ד relative ,ד

3 masculine singular.

Three times, TgJ Ma renders participles with infinitive construct: (i) at

Mal 1:14, נדר “vowing” becomes ידר מצרף ,to vow”, (ii) at Mal 3:3“ למ

“refining” becomes לצרפא “to refine” and (iii) at Mal 3:3, מטהר

“purifying” becomes לדכאה “to purify”.

2.1.5 Verbs

TgJ Ma does not translate all verb forms in Malachi verbatim; instead

circumlocutory, to make sense of the HT.

When the deity is threatened to be conceived in terms of human

characteristics, verbs are rendered in line with TgJ’s overall characteristic

theological orthodoxy, avoiding anthropomorphism (cf. Cathcart &

Gordon 1989:6). At Mal 1:4, the intransitive verb זעם “he is angry” is

rendered with a transitive verb י לוט עליהון ... אית “he brings over them a

curse”. At Mal 1:6, where the jussive implicates the deity יכבד “he should

honour”, the rendering is passive יר ליקרא אמ “… is said to honour”. To

avoid direct reference to the deity at Mal 1:9, the idiomatic expression

שא כם הי ים מ פנ “will he show favour among you” is rendered with a plural

passive verb תנסבון ין לכון הי אפ “will you be shown favour?” (cf. Sokoloff

2002:70).

At Mal 1:12, יבו בזה ונ נ “and its fruit is vile”, the noun יבו its fruit” is“ נ

substituted with an explanatory phrase ניה מתנתא מ “the gifts from it”.

Here, the substituting noun מתנתא is plural; consequently, the verb also:

ניה ירן מתנתא מ .”and the gifts from it are vile“ ובס

When a verb in HT Malachi implies an ongoing action, TgJ Ma renders

demonstratively, personal pronoun plus participle plus ד: at Mal 1:13,

ד אתון מיתן and you bring” is rendered“ והבאתם “you are bringing that

which”; at Mal 2:8, שון ין אתון you offer” is rendered“ תג ד מקרב “you are

offering that which” and at Mal 2:13, תעשו “you do” is rendered דאתון ין .that which you are doing” (cf. also 2.1.3)“ עבד

For various reasons, periphrastic rendering may syntactically involve a

change from a singular to a plural verb. At Mal 2:11, the collective noun

יהודה בית Judah” is twice rendered in terms of its legislative body“ יהודה

“the house of Judah”; consequently, the verb singular בגדה in יהודה בגדה

“Judah acted treacherously” is rendered plural as שקרו in יהודה דבית שקרו

“those of the house of Judah have been deceitful”. Likewise, the verb

singular לל לל יהודה in ח ח “Judah profaned” is rendered plural as יסו in אפ

יסו יהודה דבית אפ “those of the house of Judah have profaned”.

6 GUDRUN E LIER

At Mal 3:18, ים עבד עבדו לא לאשר אלה , the participle עבד “serving” and

perfect עבדו “he served him” are both rendered plural as part of expansive

clauses: פלחו יוי קדם ד “those who have served before the LORD” and דלא ל

י פלחו קדמוה “those who have not served before him”.

2.1.6 Nouns

Nouns or noun phrases that infer an action are often rendered expansive,

using different types of verbal clauses that follow typical arrangements.

At Mal 1:6, two noun phrases י י my honour” and“ כבוד ”my fear“ מורא

are respectively rendered with a verbal clause where ד is employed as

copula “are” (ד plus pronoun plus participle): (i) י ”my honour“ כבוד

becomes ין קדמי אתוןד מיקר “are you honouring before me” and (ii) י מורא

“my fear” becomes ין דאתון ן דחל קדמי מ “are you fearing from before me”.9

At Mal 1:14, the noun נוכל “deceiver” is rendered with the relative

clause נכל דיעביד ב “who deals with deception” (ד plus imperfect plus

preposition plus noun). At Mal 1:6, the construct noun בוזי in י בוזי שמ

“despisers of my name” is rendered with a relative clause י ין על שמ מבסר ד

“who are acting despicably against my name” (ד plus participle plus

preposition). Similarly, at Mal 2:17 שפט God of justice”, the“ אלהי המ

construct noun אלהי is rendered with a relative clause ינא אלהא דעביד ד

“the God who does justice”.

Collective nouns are commonly rendered plural as well as marked: at

Mal 2:13, מעה מעתא becomes ד ”offering“ תרומה ,the tears”; at Mal 3:8“ ד

becomes תרומתא “the offerings”; at Mal 3:8, ר tithe” becomes“ מעש

יק ,the tithes” and at Mal 3:18“ מעסריא righteous” (singular) becomes“ צד

יקיא יעיא evildoer” becomes“ רשע the righteous” (plural) and“ צד the“ רש

evildoers”.

Conversely, plural nouns are twice rendered singular: at Mal 1:6, ים אדונ

“lords” become בון ”Lord“ ר10

and at Mal 3:21, the construct plural noun

.”sole of“ פרסת soles of” is rendered singular“ כפות

9 Cf. Johns (1972:26-27); see also Dan 2:33 “its legs were of iron” י י ... ד רגלוה

in Rosenthal (1967:21). In these instances, the participles indicate פרזל

continuous and habitual action (cf. Rosenthal 1974:55); see also Mal 1:7:

ין דאתון אמר ין :Mal 1:8 ;ב ין :Mal 1:11 ;אתון מקרב ין :Mal 1:12 ;אתון עבד ;אתון אמר

Mal 1:13: אתון מיתן ; Mal 1:14: הוא חייב.

10 Perhaps to avoid confusion with the related divine name?


2.1.7 Complex ideas

TgJ Ma renders complex ideas or apposition in the form of genitive

construction with the relative particle ד.11

Golomb (1985:218) identifies

three types of genitive constructions in Targum Neofiti: (i) Type A: noun

with anticipatory pronominal suffix + ד + noun; (ii) Type B: noun + ד +

noun and (iii) Type C: noun + noun (the “construct” state). Of these, type

B genitive construction (noun + ד + noun), is regularly employed in TgJ

Ma to render explanatory: at Mal 1:4, שעה גבול ר “wicked border” is

rendered יעא דעמיה תחומא רש “the border of the wicked people”; at Mal

יר ,3:5 כ כר־ש ירא אגרא hired wages” is rendered“ ש דאג “the wages of the

hireling”; at Mal 3:4, ים יות וכשנ קדמנ “and like the former years” is

rendered ין שנ ין וכ לקדמ דמ “and like the years of aforetime” and at Mal 3:2,

ית ים כבר מכבס “like washing soap” is rendered יתא ין כבור מחור ד “like the

soap of bleaching”.

Twice, TgJ Ma renders apposition through explanatory substitution: at

Mal 1:3, דבר תנות מ “desert jackals” becomes דבר צדות מ “desert

dwellings” and at Mal 1:7, מגאל לחם “defiled bread” is rendered קורבן .”abominable offering“ מרחק

2.1.8 Construct relationship

Construct chains are routinely rendered with the relative pronoun ד: at

Mal 2:16, ראל אלהי ש י becomes שראל אלהא די ; at Mal 3:11, י האדמה את־פר

is rendered יבא דארעא א ; at Mal 3:16, ראי יהוה י becomes דיוי דחליא ; at Mal

צדקה שמש ,3:21 changes to משא דזכו משה תורת ,and at Mal 3:22 ש is

translated אוריתא דמשה.

2.2 Exegetical Translation Techniques

The term “exegetical”, denotes when the Targumist does not follow the

HT word-for-word or thought-for-thought, but instead gives its intended

meaning in line with his conceptual orientation. In such instances, TgJ Ma

shows a significant change of form in comparison to the Hebrew source

text. In the following, I extricate various categories of exegetical

translation techniques in TgJ Ma’s rendering of HT Malachi.12

11 Driver (1998:247) refers to apposition as “the combination of two parts of a

simple judgment of a ‘simple judgment’ into a complex idea”.

12 Cathcart & Gordon (1989:229-238) demonstrate that the majority of changes in

the rendering of TgJ Ma are of an exegetical nature.

8 GUDRUN E LIER

2.2.1 Rhetoric

TgJ Ma renders rhetorical speech as anacoluthon or question. Thus, Mal

1:2, 6, 7, 13; Mal 2:14, 17; Mal 3:7, 8, 13 ואמרתם “and you say” is

rendered ם תימרון וא “and if you say”; similarly at Mal 2:16, נא ”hating“ ש

is rendered ם סניתלה א “if you hate her”. In order to focus on an implied

question, TgJ Ma adds the particle ה at Mal 2:14 so that לא־אחד is

rendered הלאחד.

2.2.2 Interpolations and Complements

Interpolations and complements are added for various reasons in TgJ Ma.

Some add historical detail to the text, while others seek to clarify or

explain the HT where it is ambiguous or unclear.

The addition of historical detail may be illustrated from contemporizing

interpolations: at Mal 1:1, ספרא עזרא שמיה דיתקרי “whose name is Ezra

the scribe” ascribes the authorship of the book of Malachi to Ezra, placing

its redaction squarely into the post-exilic period; at Mal 1:11, the lengthy

interpolation י צלותכון מקביל אנא תקדש רבא ושמ ידיכון על מ “I receive your

prayers and my great name is sanctified through your hands”

contemporizes Scripture in the aftermath of the destruction of the Second

Temple, when the sacrificial system was substituted by prayer.

Numerous instances introduce a clarifying or explanatory complement

into TgJ Ma’s rendering: at 1:4, עתרנא כען “now we have become rich”; at

יר ... על הא ,1:6 אמ “behold concerning [a son] it is said” and דחל the]“ למ

servant] to respect [his master]”; at 1:7, ין ית אתון מקרב “you [are offering]

it”; at 1:8, דעלך “[the governor] who is over you” and בך “[will he be

pleased] with you”; at 1:10, the clauses הכא “[who is among you] here”

and י בית מקדש “[the doors] of the house of the sanctuary” are

interpolated; and לרעוא “[an offering] for pleasure” to indicate the freewill

offering. More interpolations are found at 1:11, קדמי ... וצלותכון “your

prayers are [like a pure offering] before me”; 1:13 ברעוא “[will I receive

it] with pleasure” and twice at 2:2, י my fear [if not you will place]“ דחלת

[on heart]”; 2:6 13וברעותא “[in peace] and in willingness and [and in

uprightness]”; 2:9 דתקנן “[my way] which is upright”; twice at 2:11 דבית

“those of the house of Judah” is added. At 2:12 interpolations are ם ין וא כהליה יהי לא הוא “and if a priest he is, he may not [offer a sacrifice]” and בית

בר ליה יהי לא the house of the sanctuary of”, as well as“ מקדשא “not he

shall have a son”. The problematic clause at Mal 2:16, סה חמס על־לבושו וכ“and he covers violence on his clothing” is rendered conversely and

13 This addition occurs only in some manuscripts.


explanatory with טאה תכס ולא לבושך ח ב “and you shall not cover the sin

with your clothing”.14

At Mal 2:17, the clause הוגענו במה “in what have

we been weary” is complemented with an expression of respect for the

deity ינא במא י אהל קדמוה “in what have we wearied before him”. At TgJ

Ma 3:3, an explanatory simile is interpolated גבר מצריף כ ומדכי ד “like a

man who refines and purifies”; TgJ Ma 3:4 renders יהודה “Judah”

expansively with יהודה אנש “people of Judah” and ירושלם “Jerusalem”

expansively with ירושלם יתבי “inhabitants of Jerusalem”. TgJ Ma 3:5

renders שפט ינא למעבד for the judgement” with a verbal complement“ למ ד

“to do the judgment”; at Mal 3:6, the verbal clause י לא ית שנ “I do not

change” is rendered with an explanatory complement י לא ית י אשנ ן קימ דמ הגוי ,I do not change my covenant that is from eternity”; at Mal 3:9“ עלמאלו בית :the nation, its entirety” gets a clarifying addition in TgJ Ma“ כ

כולהון ישראל “the people, the house of Israel, all of them”. At TgJ Ma

3:10, the expounding interpolation is נבייא אמר “the prophet said”; at Mal

3:14, TgJ Ma renders שמרתו שמרנו מ “[we have kept] his charge” with the

clarifying addition מימריה מטרת נטרנא “[we have kept] the charge of his

word”. At Mal 3:16, TgJ Ma clarifies the phrase שמו ולחשבי “and for the

thinkers of his name” with a relative clause ין ליקרא שמיה דמחשב and for“ ל

those who are thinking to honour his name”. At Mal 3:17, י ה אנ עש “I will

make” is rendered more time specific ידאנא עת למעבד “I am about to

make”; at Mal 3:19 קש “chaff” the metaphor is changed to a simile ין חלש weak like the chaff”. TgJ Ma adds explanatory interpolations at“ כקשא

Mal 3:22 יתהון לאלפא “to teach them [statutes and judgments]” and at Mal

יד ,3:23 ן למיתי דעת קדם מ “[the day] which is about to come from before

[the LORD]”. At Mal 3:24, the phrase את־הארץ “the earth” is expanded

with an adjectival complement to ארעא כל ית “the entire earth”.

2.2.3 Circumlocutions

TgJ Ma employs circuitous language not only to evade

anthropomorphisms, but also to express obvious reverence for the deity.

Evasion of anthropomorphism is achieved by alluding to the deity

indirectly: at Mal 3:2, the personal pronoun הוא directly implicates the

deity. Here, TgJ Ma makes use of circumlocution by referring to God in

terms of his sentiment, גזיה י ,his anger”; at Mal 3:5“ ר ית I shall be” is“ הי

rendered by way of that which embodies him, namely י יהי מימר “my word

shall be”; at Mal 1:5, גדל יהוה י “may the LORD be magnified” is rendered

סגי דיוי יקרא י “may the glory of the LORD be magnified”; at Mal 3:7, the

14 On converse translation techniques, see Klein (1976:515-537).

10 GUDRUN E LIER

pronominal suffix at אלי “[turn] to me” is extended with an indirect object

י .”to my service [turn]“ לפולחנ

To demonstrate awe of the deity, TgJ Ma inserts קדם wherever the

Tetragrammaton is implied; at Mal 1:10 and 3:17, י for me” is rendered“ ל

and ליהוה ,לאדני before me”. References to the deity in terms of“ קדמי

ים at Mal 1:14, Mal 3:3, Mal 3:4 and Mal 3:15 are all rendered אלה

circumlocutory יוי קדם “before the LORD”. Other instances of circuitous

reference to the deity are found at Mal 1:6, דחל ן למ קדם מ “to fear from

before”, ין דאתון קדמי מיקר “[those] of you [who] honour before me”, and

ין דאתון ן דחל קדמי מ “[those] of you [who] fear from before me”; at Mal

1:9, TgJ Ma renders אלהא יוי קדם “before the LORD God” and at Mal

1:11, TgJ Ma renders רבן וצלותכון קדמי דכי כק “and your prayers are like a

pure offering before me”. At Mal 2:5, י יראנ and he revered me”, TgJ Ma“ וי

has ן ודחיל קדמי מ “and he feared from before me”; at Mal 2:6, י ת with“ א

me”, TgJ Ma has קדמי “before me”; at Mal 2:9, את־דרכי “my way”, TgJ

Ma has קדמי ... אורחן ית “the way … before me”; at Mal 2:17, יהוה הוגעתם

“you have wearied the Lord”, TgJ Ma has יתון יוי קדם אהל “you wearied

before the LORD”; at Mal 2:17, בעיני “in the eyes of [the LORD]”, TgJ

Ma has קדם “before [the LORD]”; at Mal 2:17, חפץ הוא ובהם “[and in

them] he delights”, TgJ Ma has י רעוא ובהון קדמוה “[and in them] pleasure

is before him”; at Mal 3:5, TgJ Ma has ילו ן דח קדמי מ “they feared from

before me”; at Mal 3:8, Mal 3:9 and Mal 3:10, TgJ Ma renders י ”me“ את

regularly with קדמי “before me”; at Mal 3:8, קבענוך “we have robbed

you”, TgJ Ma renders קדמך ארגיזנא “we have provoked before you”; at

Mal 3:18, TgJ Ma renders יקדמוה they serve before him”; at Mal“ פלחו

ים ,3:15 יוי קדם God”, TgJ Ma renders“ אלה “before the LORD”. However,

TgJ Ma renders יהוה אמר consistently with יוי אמר .

2.2.4 Added prepositions

TgJ Ma adds numerous prepositions to shed light on matters relating to

imagery and syntax in HT Malachi.

2.2.4.1 Metaphor to simile by כ

TgJ Ma regularly converts metaphors in HT Malachi to similes by adding

the inseparable preposition כ: at Mal 1:6, אב “father” becomes כאב “like

the father” but ים בון lords” is rendered in the singular“ אדונ like a“ כר

lord”; at Mal 1:11, נחה טהורה מ “a pure offering” becomes רבן דכי כק “like

a pure offering”; at Mal 2:3, את־הזרע “the seed” is furthermore rendered

explanatory ארעא כעללת “like the produce of the land” and at Mal 3:19,

.”like the chaff“ כקשא chaff” is rendered“ קש


2.2.4.2 Specification by ל and ם דע

TgJ Ma provides specified information regarding something that is not

defined in HT Malachi by adding ל of specification: At Mal 1:3, שממה

“desolation” is rendered לצדו “for desolation”.15

At Mal 2:8, ית י בר הלו “the

covenant of Levi”, TgJ Ma adds ם ם to specify the covenant as דע קימא דעי .”the covenant – that with Levi“ לו

2.2.4.3 Indication of norm by ב

TgJ Mal tends to render general expressions in HT Malachi more specific

by indicating a state or condition with beth of norm (cf. Williams

2007:100): at Mal 1:14, נוכל “deceiver” is rendered נכל דיעביד ב “one who

deals with deception”; at Mal 2:13, רצון “favour” is rendered ברעוא “with

pleasure” and at Mal 1:3, ים אשר־אתם חפצ “whom you desire” is rendered

ביה צבן דאתון lit. “whom you find pleasure in him”.

2.2.4.4 Indication of place by על and ב locative

The tendency of TgJ Ma to render general expressions more specific can

also be observed from its addition of על and ב locative to indicate place

(cf. Williams (2007:112). At Mal 1:10, י זבח על my altar” is rendered“ מי י ,on my altar”; at Mal 3:5“ מדבח ית עד והי “and I shall be a witness” is

rendered expansive together with ב locative and ל of product יהי י ו מימריד בכון לסה “and my word shall be among you for a witness”.

16

2.2.4.5 Introduction of object or agent by ב instrumenti

In accord with the aim of Targum to give the meaning of Scripture (cf.

Flesher & Chilton 2011:325-338), TgJ Ma makes use of ב instrumenti: at

Mal 3:2, ית ים וכבר מכבס “and like soap of washing” is rendered expansive

יתא ין וכבור מחור בה ד “and like the lye whereby bleaching [is done]” (cf.

also 2.2.5.1). At Mal 3:8, והתרומה “the tithe and the offering”, ב

instrumenti is prefixed to each noun ר תרומתא במעסריא המעש וב “by tithes

and by offerings”.

2.2.4.6 Indication of price or exchange by ב pretii (for)

Williams (2007:99) points out that the preposition ב can indicate the price

paid for something, citing as example 1 Kgs 21:6 “Sell me your vineyard

15 Scripture implies the accusative of specification at שממה; this is often left

untranslated in MT (cf. Williams 2007:22; 100 108).

16 Cf. Williams (2007:97). “When the verb היה means ‘become’, it is often

followed by a ל of product” (Williams 2007:110).

12 GUDRUN E LIER

for money”. In this sense, at Mal 1:13, נחה והבאתם את־המ “and you bring

the free-will offering”, TgJ Ma makes use of ב pretii to point towards the

despicable act of offering torn, blind and lame animals, rendering ומיתן

ין ליה אתון בקורבנ “you bring it for offerings” where ליה “it” refers to the

unacceptable value of the animals brought “for” (ב pretii) the sacrifice.

2.2.4.7 Indication of ethical dative by ל

At Mal 2:16, the vague expression נא י־ש because [when] hating” is“ כ

rendered more specific in a conditional clause with the ethical dative ארי ם לה סנית א “because if you hate [for] her” (cf. Johns 1972:11; Levy

1974:189).

2.2.5 The relative pronoun ד

TgJ Ma introduces the relative pronoun .to express various relationships ד

2.2.5.1 Relative clause

At Mal 1:5, ראל ש גבול י גדל מעל ל יהוה י “may the LORD be magnified from

beyond the border of Israel”, the reference to the deity is rendered

circumlocutory in a relative clause שראל י ית תחום י סגי יקרא דיוי דאפת י“great is the Glory of the LORD who broadens the border of Israel”. At

Mal 1:13, סח גזול והבאתם ואת־החולה ואת־הפ “and you bring robbed and the

lame and the sick”, the relative pronoun ד replaces the definite object

marker את, describing the three Hebrew nouns in consecutive subordinate

clauses יר יס ודחג יע ומיתן אתון דאנ מר וד “and you bring that which is

violated and that which is lame and that which is sickly”. The participle at

Mal 2:17 ה רע כל־עש “everyone doing evil” is rendered in a relative clause יש דעביד כל ב “everyone who does evil”.

TgJ Ma expresses the genitive relationship with the use of the relative

pronoun ד: at Mal 3:2, the construct chain ית ים וכבר מכבס “and like soap of

washing” is rendered with an explanatory relative clause יתא ין וכבור מחור ד

“and like the lye which bleaches”; at Mal 3:16, ראי יהוה י “the fearers of

the LORD”, TgJ Ma employs the relative pronoun ד to express the

genitive relationship דיוי דחליא ; at Mal 3:17 העבד “who serves” the

relative pronoun פלח replaces the article ד יש יחמל כאשר at Mal 3:17 ;ד א

“just as a man has pity” the comparative particle כאשר is rendered as a

combination of the relative pronoun ד with the interrogative pronoun מא

“what” to form a temporal clause ברא דחאיס כמא ג “how when [the] man

has compassion”.


2.2.5.2 Continuous and habitual action

At Mal 1:11, י שמ גש ל קטר מ in every place incense is lifted“ ובכל־מקום מ

up to my name” is interpreted in a temporal clause ין דן דאתון עבד ובכל עי in every instance when you do my will”. Here the relative pronoun“ רעות

ין together with the participle ד indicates continuous and habitual דאתון עבד

action (cf. Rosenthal 1974:55). At Mal 2:13, TgJ Ma renders the adverbial

accusative זבח ואנקה י את־מ יהוה בכ “the altar of the LORD [with] weeping

and [with] groaning”, with the relative ד plus participle ית מדבחא דיוי דבכןין ידנק the altar of the LORD by weeping and by vexing” (see also 3x“ ודמ

at Mal 1:6; 1x at Mal 1:7; 6x at Mal 1:8; 1x at Mal 1:12; 4x at Mal 1:13;

1x at Mal 1:14).

2.2.6 Substitution

TgJ Ma substitutes single words (verbs, nouns, adjectives etc.) to explain

the basic core meaning suggested by the HT.

Chapter one: at Mal 1:3, י נאת ית I have hated”, TgJ Ma has“ ש I“ רחיק

have rejected” and renders תנות “jackals” with צדות “desolation”. At Mal

1:4, ששנו תמסכננא we were beaten down”, TgJ Ma has“ ר we were“ א

impoverished” and renders אהרוס “I will destroy” with אפגר “I will break

down”. At Mal 1:6, ינו we have“ בסרנא we have despised” is rendered“ בז

acted despicably”. At Mal 1:7, ים יש ין approaching” is rendered“ מג מקרב

“offering/sacrificing” and גאלנוך “we have defiled you” is changed to

ירו ,loathsome/despicable”. At Mal 1:10“ מרחק you are lighting” is“ תא

rendered תקרבון “you are offering”; at Mal 1:12, מגאל “defiled” becomes

יר ,loathsome/despicable”; at Mal 1:14“ בס ין feared” is changed to“ נורא חס

“strong”.

Chapter two: at Mal 2:2, שמעו you do [not] listen” is interpreted“ ת

חת ,you do [not] receive/accept”; at Mal 2:5“ תקבלון ”he was dismayed“ נ

is rendered דחיל “he feared”; at Mal 2:6, TgJ Ma substitutes עולה

“iniquity” with קרא .”the lie/false“ ש17

At Mal 2:9, ים humiliated” is“ שפל

rendered ין he will cut off” is“ יכרת ,weakened”; at Mal 2:12“ חלש

rendered ישיצי “he will destroy”; at Mal 2:14, בגדתה “you have acted

treacherously” is rendered שקרת “you have deceived” (cf. also Mal 2:15

and Mal 2:16). At Mal 2:16, שלח is taken to mean פטרה “release her”.

Chapter three: at Mal 3:2, מצרף “refining” is rendered ממסי “causing to

decay/melting” and ים ין washing” becomes“ מכבס bleaching”. At“ מחור

Mal 3:3, ישב “he will sit” is taken to mean תגלי ;”he will reveal himself“ י

at Mal 3:4, “it will be sweet” ערבה is rendered תקבל .”it will be accepted“ י

17 In reference to a prophet of another deity (cf. Churgin 1907:118).

14 GUDRUN E LIER

At Mal 3:5, the idiom י I will come near” is rendered explanatory“ קרבת

oppressors of” is replaced with“ עשקי I will reveal myself” and“ אתגלי

שראל בית sons of Jacob” becomes“ בני־יעקב ,robbers of”; at Mal 3:6“ אנסי י

“house of Israel” and קי from my statutes” at Mal 3:7, is rendered“ מח

קיימי rob” is used in“ קבע from my covenants”. Whenever the word“ מ

relation to the deity, it is interpreted provocative”: at Mal 3:8, the“ רגז

question קבע ים אדם הי אלה “will a man rob God” is rendered

circumlocutory with regard to the deity: רגיז דיינא קדם גבר הי “will a man

be provocative before the judge?” The question at Mal 3:8 במה קבענוך “in

what have we robbed you” is rendered קדמך ארגיזנא במא “in what have

we been provocative before you” and ים אתם י קבע את “you are robbing

me”, at Mal 3:9, is rendered ין אתון קדמי מרגז “you are provocative before

me”. At Mal 3:10, י יקת I will bring“ אחית I will empty” is rendered as“ הר

down”; אכל “eater” at Mal 3:11 is explained to be מחבלא “the destroyer”;

at Mal 3:11, י יבא fruit” is broadly referred to as“ פר the produce”; at“ א

Mal 3:15, ים זד יםאנחנו מאשר “we are blessing proudly”, the term ים זד“proudly” is substituted with ין יע ,wickedly”. Similarly, at Mal 3:19“ רש

ים יעיא proud” is rendered“ זד שעה ,the wicked ones”. At Mal 3:19“ רש ר

“evil” is rendered טאה שתם ,sin”; at Mal 3:20“ ח you shall skip” is“ ופ

replaced with טלון I will come” at Mal 3:24, is“ אבוא ;”you shall lift up“ ות

rendered אתגלי “I will reveal myself” and י כית and I will smite” is“ וה

interpreted ואשכח “and I will find”.

2.2.7 Interpretive rendering

Apart from the more regular translation practises found at TgJ Ma, there

are various explanatory renderings, which cannot be systematically

grouped. Most of these renderings aim to clarify expressions from the

Hebrew Bible that had become obscure at the time when the book of

Malachi was translated into Aramaic.

Chapter one: at Mal 1:5 the expansion of Israel’s territory גבול מעל ל

ראל ש from beyond the border of Israel” is rendered as action of the“ י

LORD” י שראל יתתחום דאפת י “who broadens the border of Israel”. The

apposition מגאל לחם “defiled bread” at Mal 1:7 is rendered מרחק קורבן

“offering of apathy”. At Mal 1:8, פני־אל “before God” is rendered

expansive as אלהא יוי קדם “before the LORD God”; at Mal 1:10, נם in“ ח

vain” becomes מרחק קורבן “offering of apathy”. The meaning of מקוםשמ גש ל קטר מ ימ “[in every] place incense is lifted up to my name” at Mal

1:11 is contemporized דן ין דאתון ע י עבד רעות “[in every] instance when you

do my will”. The verbal clause at Mal 1:12 יבו בזה ונ אכלו נ “and its fruit is

vile to eat” is rendered by substitution ירן ניה מתנתא ובס מ “and vile are the


gifts from it”. At Mal 1:13, the difficult combination of מתלאה “what

weariness” is clarified to mean ינא ליאותנא דאית מ “what we have brought

from our toil” and the direct object נחה נחה והבאתם in המ את־המ “you

bring the offering” is rendered pronoun ליה plus indirect object: אתון ומיתן ין ליה בקורבנ “and you bring it in offerings” (cf. Mal 2:13 where the

adverbial accusative לקחת רצון “to receive with pleasure” is rendered

nota objecti ית plus pronominal suffix followed by an indirect object

.(”to receive it with pleasure“ לקבלא יתיה ברעוא18

Chapter two: the expression י ית פרש וזר “and I will scatter dung” at Mal

2:3 is explained to mean חוביכון בהתת ואגלי “and I cause the shame of your

sin to go into exile” and the construct chain פרש חגיכם “the dung of your

feasts” is rendered expansive חגיכון רבות ואבטיל “and I will abolish the

greatness of your feasts”. At Mal 2:5, the asyndectic expression ואתנם־לו

and I gave them to him [for] reverence” is modified by“ מורא

amplification to יתליה יהב י אולפן ו ים אורית של “and I gave him the

instruction of my Torah [for] peace”.19

At Mal 2:7, the noun מלאך “a

messenger” is substituted with a verbal phrase קדם משמיש “serving

before”. At Mal 2:11, the ambiguous clause אהב אשר יהוה קדש לל יהודה ח

“Judah has profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved” is

rendered expansive יסו ישא דהות נפשהון יהודה דבית אפ רחם די יוי קדם קד

“the people of the house of Judah have profaned their soul which was holy

before the LORD”; similarly at Mal 2:11, the idiomatic expression ובעל

נכר בת־אל “and he married the daughter of a foreign god” is modified

expansively for elucidation: יאו תרע יסב וא ין להון למ בנת נש עממיא מ “and

they are pleased to take for themselves women from the daughters of the

nations”.20

At Mal 2:12, the elapsed idiom וענה ער is rendered בר ובר בר

“son and grandson”. At Mal 2:15, the obscure question and answer ומה

ה זרע מבקש האחד יםעש לוולא־אחד רוח ושאר אלה “And did not He make one,

and a remainder of spirit is for him, and what is the one seeking? – Godly

seed” is rendered with explanatory additions ידאי אברהם הוה חד הלא יח

ניה י דמ תבר תקיים אלהין בעי חד עלמא א ן ולד הלי די יוי קדם מ “Was not one,

Abraham alone, from whom the world was created? One thing seeking

18 On the use and form of the nota objecti, see Folmer (in Gzella & Folmer

2008:131-158).

19 Asyndectic indicates a connection of words, phrases or clauses without the

normal coordinate or subordinate conjunction (cf. Van der Merwe, Naudé &

Kroeze 2002:354).

is an idiomatic expression for a woman worshipping a foreign god בת־אל נכר 20

(cf. Holladay 1988:1130).

16 GUDRUN E LIER

only that should be established for him, even offspring from before the

LORD”. Another ambiguous statement at Mal 2:16, סה חמסעל־לבושו וכ

“and he covers with violence his garment”, is rendered conversely to

reinforce an argument for divorce: טאה תכס ולא לבושך ח ב “and you should

not cover sin with your garment” (cf. Cathcart & Gordon 1989:235 n. 30).

Chapter three: the idiomatic expression at Mal 3:5 ומטי־גר “and

stretching out a stranger” is rendered to mean ין ומסטן גיור ד “and

misrepresenting judgement of a stranger”. At Mal 3:6, the scant

expression יתם לא כל “you are not complete” is expanded: דמן מדמן אתון

ית יניה הדין בעלמא דמא יק ד פס “you imagine whosoever is dying in this

world, his judgement has come to an end”. Evasion of anthropomorphism

is achieved at Mal 3:7 when the reference to the deity יכםאל ואשובה “and I

will turn to you” is rendered indirectly י לאיטבא לכון and I“ ואתפני במימר

will turn myself by my word [י to do good to you”. At Mal 3:10, the [במימר

general observation י יה י טרף ו בבית “and food shall be in my house” is

rendered with detail ין פרנוס משמש יהי בבית לד יו מקדש “and support shall be

for those who minister in my sanctuary”; also at Mal 3:10, the obscure

declaration י־די ברכה עד־בל “blessing (lit.) until without enough” is

clarified to mean יסת דתימרון עד טובא מ “prosperity until you say enough”.

At Mal 3:12, היו ארץ אתם חפץת “you shall be a delightful land” is rendered

periphrastically ין אתון תהון י בית בארע יתב ינת ין שכ י בה ועבד רעות “you shall

dwell in the land of the house of my Shekhinah and do my will in it”. The

question at Mal 3:13, דברנו עליך מה־נ “what have we spoken against you”,

is enhanced with an interpolation קדמך למללא אסגינא מא “what have we

exaggerated to speak before you?” At Mal 3:14 the complaint עבד שוא

ים ממון לי להנאה לא in vain to serve God” is rendered expansive [it is]“ אלה

יוי קדם במא דפלח מן “whoever serves before the LORD does not benefit by

interchanging wealth” and מה־בצע “what unjust gain” is rendered ממון מא

תהני לנא נ “what wealth do we gain for ourselves?” Further, at Mal 3:14,

ית הלכנו קדרנ “we went mourning” is rendered explanatory יכות הליכנא כמכ

we went akin to meekness of spirit”. At Mal 3:16, the“ רוח

anthropomorphic reference to the deity שמע he heard” is rendered“ י

indirect י it was revealed before him”. At Mal 3:19, the“ גלי קדמוה

idiomatic expression וענף שרש “root and branch” is explained to denote

son and son of son/grandson” and at Mal 3:24, the adverbial“ ברוברבר

accusative חרם “[with] a curse” is rendered expansive ואמחיניה בחובהא

.”in sin and smite it [with] destruction“ גמירא


3. CONCLUSION

A close reading of TgJ Ma has shown that this Targum largely constitutes

a periphrastic rendering of the book of Malachi.

Mechanical translation techniques can mainly be ascribed to

developmental stages in the Aramaic dialect.21

For instance, many

unmarked nominal forms became marked, typical for the standard JLAtg,

which characterizes TgJ. Collective nouns are generally translated plural

and marked. Temporal clauses, participles, and verbs that imply an

ongoing action are rendered according to typical syntactical patterns.

Nouns or noun phrases that infer an action are rendered expansive.

Genitive relationships are routinely rendered with the relative pronoun ד.

TgJ Ma mostly constitutes a mix of technical and exegetical translation

techniques, in particular where the Targumist seeks to import additional

information into the Aramaic version to make it theologically acceptable.

Some contemporizing interpolations submit historical detail, which

provide clues for the period during which the book of Malachi was

rendered into Aramaic. Moreover, ambiguous passages, such as idiomatic

expressions that became obscure are remodelled through expansive and/or

explanatory rendering.

Anthropomorphic references to the deity are regularly rendered indirect

or circuitous to express obvious reverence before the deity. Whenever the

Tetragrammaton is implied, םקד is inserted. However, יהוה אמר is always

translated יוי אמר .

Added prepositions bring clarity to imagery and scanty syntactical

expressions, such as conversion of metaphor to simile by כ and

specification by ל and ם locative and state ב or על Place is indicated by .דע

or condition by adding ב of norm. Objects or agents are introduced by ב instrumenti and ל presenting the ethical dative aims to bring clarity to

vagueness in HT Mal.

TgJ Ma employs the relative pronoun together with the participle to ד

express continuous and habitual action. Single words are extensively

substituted to express the underlying meaning of the biblical text. TgJ Ma

makes use of two stock words (i) רגז “to rob” is regularly rendered קבע “to

be provocative” and (ii) ים יעיא proud” is consistently rendered“ זד the“ רש

wicked ones”.

21 Cf. Kaufman (1994:118-141) and Cook (1994:142-156).

18 GUDRUN E LIER

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TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES IN TARGUM MALACHI: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS

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