THE PALESTINIAN TARGUM

ON

THE BOOK SHEMOTH,

OR

EXODUS.

SECTION OF THE LAW XIII. TITLE SHEMOTH.

And these are the names of the sons of Israel who went into Mizraim with Jakob, each with the men of his house entered in: Reuben, Shimeon, Levi, and Jehudah; Issakar, Zebulon, and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. And the number of all the souls coming from the thigh of Jakob, seventy souls, with Joseph and his sons, who were in Mizraim.

And Joseph died, and after him died all his brethren, and all that generation. And the sous of Israel increased, and multiplied children, and became strong, and prevailed greatly, and the land was filled with them. And there arose a new king (other) than he who was formerly over Mizraim, who took no knowledge of Joseph, and walked not in his laws. [Jerusalem Targum. And a king arose (different from him who was) formerly over Mizraim, who took no knowledge of Joseph, and walked not in his laws.] And he said to his people, Behold now, the people of the house of Israel are many, and are stronger than we. Come, let

us take counsel against them in these matters, to diminish them that they multiply not, so as that, should war be arrayed against us, they be not added to our adversaries, and destroy us that not one of us be left, and they afterward go forth from the land. [JERUSALEM. And they kill us, and go up in peace from the land.] And they set over them work-masters to afflict them in their servitude; and they builded walled cities to become Pharoh's treasure-places, Tanis and Pilusin. [Jerusalem. Tanis and Pilusin.] But as much as they depressed them, so much they multiplied, and so much they prevailed, and the Mizraee were troubled in their lives before the sons of Israel. And the Mizraee enslaved the sons of Israel, and made their lives bitter by hard service in clay and bricks, and all the labour of the face of the field; and in all the work which they made them do was hardness.

And Pharoh told that he, being asleep, had seen in his dream, and, behold, all the land of Mizraim was placed in one scale of a balance, and a lamb, the young of a sheep, was in the other scale; and the scale with the lamb in it overweighed. Forthwith he sent and called all the magicians of Mizraim, and imparted to them his dream. Immediately Jannis and Jambres, the chief of the magicians, opened their mouth and answered Pharoh,—A certain child is about to be born in the congregation of Israel, by whose hand will be destruction to all the land of Mizraim. Therefore did Pharoh, king of Mizraim, give counsel to the Jehudith midwives, the name of one of whom was Shifra, who is Jokeved, and the name of the other Puvah, who is Miriam her daughter. [Jerusalem. And the king of Mizraim told the Hebrew midwives, the name of the first of whom was Shifra, and she was Jokeved, and the name of the second Puvah, she was Miriam.] And

he said, When you attend Jehudith women, and see them bear, if it be a male child, you shall kill him; but if a daughter, you may let her live. But the midwives feared before the Lord, and would not do according to what the king of Mizraim had said to them, but they saved the children. And the king of Mizraim called the midwives, and said to them, Why have you done this thing, and have saved the children? And the midwives said to Pharoh, The Jehudith women are not as the Mizraite, for they are sturdy (or, courageous) and wise-minded before the midwife cometh to them they lift up their eyes in prayer, supplicating mercy before their Father who is in heaven, who heareth the voice of their prayer, and at once they are heard, and bring forth, and are delivered in peace. [Jerusalem. Because they are vivacious, and before the midwife cometh to them they pray before their Father who is in heaven, and He answereth them, and they bring forth.] And the Lord did good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and prevailed greatly. And forasmuch as the midwives feared before the Lord, they obtained for themselves a good name unto the ages; and the Word of the Lord up-builded for them a royal house, even the house of the high priesthood. [Jerusalem. Because the midwives feared before the Lord, they obtained for themselves a good name in the midst of the ages, and made unto themselves houses,—the house of the Levites and the house of the high priesthood.] But when Pharoh saw this, he commanded all his people, saying, Every male child that is born to the Jehudaee you shall cast into the river; but every daughter you may

spare.

II. And Amram, a man of the tribe of Levi, went and returned to live in marriage with Jokeved his wife, whom he had put away on account of the decree of

Pharoh. [Jerusalem. And there went a man of the tribe of Levi and took Jokeved, who was beloved of him, (or, who was related to him,) to wife.] And she was the daughter of a hundred and thirty years when he returned to her; but a miracle was wrought in her, and she returned unto youth as she was, when in her minority she was called the daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and bare a son at the end of six months; and she saw him to be a child of steadfastness, (or, of steadfast life,) and hid him three months, which made the number nine. But she could conceal him no longer, for the Mizraee had become aware of him. And she took an ark of papyrus, (tunēs,) and coated it with bitumen and pitch, and placed the child within it, and laid him among the reeds on the bank of the river. And Miriam his sister stood at a distance to take knowledge of what would be done to him. And the Word of the Lord sent forth a burning sore and inflammation of the flesh upon the land of Mizraim; and the daughter of Pharoh came down to refresh herself at the river. And her handmaids, walking upon the bank of the river, saw the ark among the reeds, and put forth the arm and took it, and were immediately healed of the burning and inflammation. And she opened, and saw the child, and, behold, the babe wept; and she had compassion upon him, and said, This is one of the children of the Jehudaee. And his sister said to Pharoh's daughter, May I go and call for thee a nursing woman from the Jehudesses, to suckle the babe for thee? And Pharoh's daughter said, Go; and the damsel went and called the child's mother. And the daughter of Pharoh said, Take this child and suckle it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child and suckled him. And the child grew, and was brought to Pharoh's daughter, and he

was beloved by her as a son; and she called his name Mosheh, Because, said she, I drew him out of the water of the river. [Jerusalem. I uplifted him.]

And in those days when Mosheh was grown up, he went forth to his brethren, and saw the anguish of their souls, and the greatness of their toil. And he saw a Mizraite man strike a Jewish man of his brethren ; and Mosheh turned, and considered in the wisdom of his mind, and understood that in no generation would there arise a proselyte from that Mizraite man, and that none of his children's children would ever be converted; and he smote the Mizraite, and buried him in the sand. [Jerusalem. And Mosheh, by the Holy Spirit, considering both the young men, saw that, behold, no proselyte would ever spring from that Mizraite; and he killed him, and hid him in the sand.]

And he went out the second day, and looked; and, behold, Dathan and Abiram, men of the Jehudaee, contended; and seeing Dathan put forth his hand against Abiram to smite him, he said to him, Wherefore dost thou smite thy companion? And Dathan said to him, Who is he who hath appointed thee a chief man and a judge over us? Wilt thou kill me, said he, as thou didst the Mizraite? And Mosheh was afraid, and said, Verily, the thing has become known. And Pharoh

heard this thing, and sought to kill Mosheh; and Mosheh escaped before Pharoh, to dwell in the land of Midian. And he sat by a well. And the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew, and filled the watering-troughs, to give drink to the flocks of their father. But the shepherds came and drave them away. And Mosheh arose in the power of his might, and rescued them, and gave the flocks drink. And they came to Beuel, their grandfather, who said to them, How is it that you are come (so) early to-day?