Studies in the Targum to the Twelve Prophets: From Nahum to Malachi.

• Author: Grossfeld, Bernard

The ancient Jewish Aramaic Bible version of the Prophets known as Targum Jonathan (TJ) has in the past half decade not been given the attention given the various targums to the Pentateuch. The number of scholarly studies devoted to this subject pales in comparison to those focusing on Targum Neofiti and Pseudo-Jonathan. TJ's apparent literal translation of the Masoretic Text undoubtedly contributed to this unfortunate situation. In fact, a careful study of TJ to First and Second Kings, for example, immediately reveals its largely nonliteral character, while simultaneously indicating its relationship to the other ancient Bible versions. This is especially so upon examination of the numerous variants contained in the Sperber critical edition.

It is therefore gratifying to see the appearance of this volume. Gordon's work represents the first extensive study on the subject since L. Smolar and M. Aberbach, Studies in Targum Jonathan to the Prophets (New York: KTAV Publishing House Inc.; Baltimore Hebrew College, 1983), and only the third this century since P. Churgin, Targum Jonathan to the Prophets (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1927).

Aside from the English translations and commentaries of Chilton, Hayward, Levey, and Cathcart-Gordon and articles on the relationship between 1QpHab and TJ to Habakkuk from the 1950s and '60s, the major studies (i.e., those of W. Bacher, C. H. Cornhill, and Z. Frankel) all appeared in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

Limited to the latter six of the twelve minor prophets, the volume deals with the origin and development of TJ from the viewpoint of the historical allusions (chapter two), the Hebrew...