Sunday, February 3, 2019

Genesis 40:12 of Targum Neofiti and Genesis 50:24-25 of Targum Pseudo-Jonathan

In his article Joseph's Prophecy of Moses and Aaron, John A. Tvedtnes, in an attempt to support 2 Nephi 3:17, appeals to Targum Neofiti of Gen 40:12 and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan of Gen 50:24-25. To make these sources more accessible, I will reproduce (1) the Aramaic and (2) a translation of these sources.

Gen 40:12 of Targum Neofiti:

      ואמר ליה יוסף דין פתרוניה תלתי שרביטיה תלתי אבהת עלמא אנון אברהם יצחק ויעקב דמן בני בניהון עתידין למשתעבדא בשעבודא דארעא דמצרים ועתידין למתפרקא על ידי תלתא פרנסין מהמנין משה ואהרן ומרים דמתילין בסגוליא ודי אמרת נסבית ענביה ועצרת יתהון בכסא דפרעה )ושוית( כסא בידוי דפרעה היא כסא דפורענתא דפרעה עתיד למשתי בסופא ואת רב מזוגיא לא מובדין אגרין דחלמת חלמא טבא הדין ברם פתרוניה דחלמא לא הוה יוסף אמר ופתר ליה יוסף היך מה דהוה שפר באפוי ואמר ליה יוסף דין פתרוניה תלתא שרביטא תלתא יומין אנון


Source: Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon, Targum Neofiti to the Pentateuch (Hebrew Union College, 2005), Ge 40:12.
And Joseph said to him: “This is its interpretation: The three branches are the three fathers of the world:' namely; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the sons of whose sons are to be enslaved in the slavery of the land of Egypt and are to be delivered by the hands of three faithful leaders: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, who are to be likened to the clusters of grapes. And as regards what you said: took the grapes" and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and I placed the cup in the hands of Pharaoh,’ this is the cup of retribution " which Pharaoh is to drink in the end. And you, chief cupbearer, (your) reward shall not be lost, because you have dreamed this good dream.” But Joseph did not say the interpretation of the dream. And Joseph interpreted as seemed good in his sight. And Joseph said to him: “This is its interpretation; the
three branches are three days.

Source: 
Martin McNamara, Targum Neofiti 1: Genesis, The Aramaic Bible, vol. 1A (Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 1992), 182.



Gen 50:24-25 of Targum Pseudo-Jonathan:

ואמר יוסף לאחוי הא אנא מיית וייי מידכר ידכר יתכון ויסק יתכון מן ארעא הדא לארעא דקיים לאברהם ליצחק וליעקב
ואומי יוסף ית בני ישראל למימר לבנהון הא אתון משתעבדין במצרים

Source: Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan to the Pentateuch (Hebrew Union College, 2005), Ge 50:24–25.
And Joseph said to his Brethren Behold, I die the Lord remembering will remember you and will bring you up from this land, into the land Which He sware to Abraham, to Izhak, and to Jakob. And Joseph adjured the sons of Israel to say to their sons Behold, you will be brought into servitude in Mizraim ; but you shall not presume to go up out of Mizraim until the time that two Deliverers shall come, and say to you, Remembering, remember ye the Lord. And at the time when ye go up ye shall carry up my bones from hence.





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