εὐαγγελίζεσθαι (very rarely εὐαγγελίζειν; see LXX 1 Sam 31:9; 2 Sam 18:19; and in the NT Rev 10:7; 14:6), the
verb that is associated with εὐαγγέλιον, corresponds to the OT בִּשֵּׂר.
This verb בִּשֵּׂר (Aram. בַּשַּׂר or בַּסַּר)
means α. in general: “to
deliver news”a (therefore it is also used in the case of news
concerning misfortune)b and β.
specifically (and most of the time): “to deliver good news,”c which
is expressed more fully and precisely as: בִּשֵּׂר טוֹב or בִּשֵּׂר בְּשׂוֹרָה טוֹבָה.d — בִּשֵּׂר
can be used in a transitive construction with the accusative of the person to
whom the news is directed, just as εὐαγγελίζεσθαι can be used (see Luke 3:18; Acts 8:25, 40; 13:32; 14:15, 21; 16:10;
Gal 1:9; 1 Pet 1:12);e accordingly, both verbs can be used with a
personal subject in the passive.f
a. Targum 1 Samuel 11:12: “Who is it who
brought the news (דִּי מְבַסַּר
= who proclaimed), saying, ‘Saul is not fit to be king over us?’ ” ‖
Targum 2 Samuel 18:20: “Joab said to him, ‘You are not a man who is fit to
deliver news לְבַסָּרָא on this day. You may deliver news תְּבַסַּר on another day, but on this day you should
not deliver news תְּבַסַּר.’ ”
‖ Psalm 40:10, “I have proclaimed בִּשַּׂרְתִּי righteousness in the great assembly.” — Targum: “I have
proclaimed בַּשְּׂרֵית righteousness in the great community.” ‖
Targum Psalms 68:12: “Yahweh gave the words of the Torah to his people, but
Moses and Aaron proclaimed מְבַשְּׂרִין
the word of God to the great host of Israel.”
b. 1 Samuel 4:17: “Then the one who
delivered the news הַמְּבַשֵּׂר
answered and said, ‘Israel fled before the Philistines, and there has been a
great defeat among the people, and both your sons are dead, Hophni and
Phinehas, and the ark of the covenant has been stolen.’ ” — Targum: “And
the one who delivered the news דִּמְבַשַּׂר
answered.…” ‖ Targum Yerušalmi I Genesis 41:26f.: “The seven beautiful cows,
they proclaim מְבַשְּׂרָן seven years; the seven beautiful ears of
corn, they proclaim מְבַשְּׂרָן
seven years. This is a dream. (Here בַּשַּׂר is used in the case of good news.) And the seven lean and ugly
cows, which came up after them, they proclaim מְבַשְּׂרָן seven years; the seven puny ears struck by the east wind
proclaim מְבַשְּׂרָן that there will be seven years of hunger.”
(Here בשר is used in the case of bad news.)
c. Nahum 2:1: “Behold, on the mountains the
feet of one who delivers (good) news מְבַשֵּׂר רַגְלֵי (about the fall of Nineveh), who proclaims peace.” — Targum is
similar with just מְבַסַּר.
‖ Psalm 68:12: “The Lord proclaimed; there was a great host of women
proclaiming (glad) news הַמְבַשְּׂרוֹת.”
— See the translation of the targum ad
loc above at n. a. ‖ 2 Samuel
18:26: “Behold, a man comes running alone! And the king said, ‘This one too is
one who brings (good) news מְבַשֵּׂר.’ ”
— The targum is similar with just מְבַסַּר. ‖ Isaiah 41:27: “As the first (I said it) to Zion — behold,
behold, here it is now! And I gave to Jerusalem a proclaimer of (good) news מְבַשֵּׂר (sg. with a collective meaning).” —
Targum: “The words of comfort that the prophets prophesied beforehand about
Zion, behold, they have arrived, and I will give Jerusalem a proclaimer of
(glad) news מבסר.” ‖ Targum Yerušalmi I Genesis 21:7: “How
trustworthy was the one who proclaimed (good) news, who brought Abraham the
(good) news מְבַשְּׂרָא
דִּבַשַּׂר
and said, ‘Sarah will suckle children one day.’ ” ‖ Babylonian Talmud Pesaḥim
3B.41: Yohanan of Huqqoq (ca. 200) went out into the villages. When he came
(back), people said to him, “Did the wheat turn out well?” He answered them,
“The barley turned out well.” (From this it should be assumed that there was
nothing good to say about the wheat.) People said to him, “Go out and bring the
(good) news בַּשֵּׂר to the horses and donkeys. For it is
written, ‘The barley and the straw for the horses and the animals used for
riding’ (1 Kgs 5:8).” ‖ See further examples in n. e; additionally, Tg. Yer. I Gen. 41:26 above in n. b; m. Soṭah 9.6 and b. Soṭah 11A at §
Luke 2:25 C, #4, n. b.
d. Sifre Deuteronomy 32:4 § 307 (133A): You
have brought me good news טוֹבָה בִּשַּׂרְתַּנִי בְשׂוֹרָה, tomorrow my portion will be with these ones in the future
world (see the whole passage at § Luke 23:43, #1). ‖ Numbers Rabbah 14 (173D):
“Much studying is weariness for the body יְגִעַת בָּשָׂר” (Eccl 12:12). If you exert yourself much יגעת in studying the words of the learned, God will proclaim to you
good news מבשרך
בשורות טובות.
This is how בָּשָׂר should be interpreted in Eccl 12:12. ‖ In
b. Ḥul. 87A, a Sadducee (heretic) says to the Patriarch Judah I († 217?):
“Rabbi, I bring you good news מבשר טובות אני לך.” ‖ Midrash Lamentations 1:5 (52A) איתבשרת בשורתא טבתא; see #1, d. ‖ 1 Kings 1:42: “Come in, for you are a brave man and you will
bring good news וְטוֹב תְּבַשֵׂר.” Targum: וְטָב תְּבַסַּר.
‖ Targum Yerušalmi I Genesis 49:21: “Naphtali, a quick messenger, is like the
roe which bolts over mountaintops, he who delivers good news מבשר בשורן טבן.” — See Tg. Yer. II Gen. 49:21. ‖ Isaiah
52:7: “The one who brings good news מבשר טוב”; Tg.: מְבַסַּר טָב.
e. 1 Samuel 31:9: “They cut off his
(Saul’s) head and removed his armor and sent (them) throughout the land of the
Philistines to bring (good) news to the temple of their idols and to the people
לְבַשֵּׂר
בית עצביהם ואת העם.”
— Targum: לְבַסָּרָא
בֵית טַעֲוָתְהוֹן וְיַת עַמָּא.
‖ 2 Samuel 18:19: “Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, ‘I will run and deliver the
news to the king את המלך וַאֲבַשְּׂרָה.’ ” Targum: וַאֲבַסַּר ית מלכא. ‖ Isaiah 61:1: “To bring (good) news to the wretched עֲנָוִים לְבַשֵּׂר.” Targum: לְבַשָּׂרָא עִנְוְתָנַיָּא. ‖ Genesis Rabbah 30 (18B): R. Judan (ca. 350) said in the name
of R. Abba b. Kahana (ca. 310), “ ‘And you will go to your fathers in
peace’ (Gen 15:15); thereby he brought him (Abraham) the good news בִּשְּׂרוֹ that his father would have a share in the
future world.” ‖ Tanḥuma שמות
64B: Abraham said before God, “Lord of the world, for all the good works I have
amassed in this world, am I to go to my fathers (Gen 15:15)?” Then God brought
him the good news בשרו,
“Assuredly, by your life! Your father repented (and therefore has a share in
the future world).” — See parallels at § Luke 22:31, n. c. ‖ Babylonian Talmud Baba Meṣiʿa 86B: Who were those three men
(with Abraham in Gen 18)? Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Michael, who had come
to bring Sarah the good news לבשר את שרה
(see Gen 18:10).… — The whole passage can be found at § Luke 1:19 A, #4, n. i. — Additionally, see SDeut 32:4 and
Num. Rab. 14 above in n. d.
f. For the passive εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, see LXX 2 Sam 18:31: εὐαγγελισθήτω ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς = “Let the good news be delivered to my
lord king,” or, “May my lord king receive the good news.” — Septuagint Joel
2:32 (= 3:5 in the Hebrew text), where וּבַשְּׂרִידִים is translated with καὶ εὐαγγελιζόμενοι = those
to whom the good news was delivered. In the NT, see Matt 11:5; Luke 7:22; Heb
4:2, 6; 1 Pet 4:6. ‖ For the passive of בִּשֵּׂר, see 2 Sam 18:31: יִתְבַּשֵּׂר אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ; targum: יִתְבַּסַּר רִבּוֹנִי מַלְכָּא = “let the good news by delivered to my
lord king.” ‖ Targum Yerušalmi I Genesis 22:5: “We want to go there to test
whether what has been proclaimed to me as good news מה דאתבשרית is true.” ‖ Targum Ruth 1:6: “Then she
headed off … and began to return from the country of Moab, because the good
news had been proclaimed אתבשרת
to her in the country of Moab by the mouth of an angel.…” ‖ Targum Lamentations
1:2: “When the people, the house of Israel, heard this bad news which had been
brought דאתבשרו to them concerning the land of Israel.” ‖
Genesis Rabbah 47 (29C): R. Nehemiah (ca.150) said, “Could the good news about
breastfeeding already be brought נתבשרה בחלב
to her (Sarah), since she was not yet pregnant?” ‖ Pesiqta Rabbati 42 (178A):
Immediately the good news about offspring was proclaimed (to Abraham) נתבשר בבנים. ‖ Midrash Lamentations 1:5: See above in
#1, n. d. ‖ TanḥumaB שמות § 15 (5A): Our father Abraham did not die
before the good news about his father Terah’s conduct was brought to him עד שנתבשר, namely that he repented. ‖ Jerusalem
Talmud Šeqalim 3.47C.62: It has been taught in the name of R. Meir (ca. 150):
“Whoever clings to the land of Israel (permanently dwells there) and speaks the
holy language and enjoys its fruits in purity and recites the Shema morning and
evening, to him let the good news be brought יְהֵא מְבוּשָּׂר that he is a son of the future world.” — The parallel passage
in y. Šabb. 1.3C.23 reads: He may consider himself assured מוּבְטָח לוֹ that he belongs to the life of the future
world. — Differently in SDeut 32:43 § 333 (140B). ‖ Jerusalem Talmud Ketubbot
12.35A.26: A voice from heaven came forth and called to them, “Whoever has not
slacked in mourning Rabbi, to him let the good news be brought יהא מבושר concerning the life of the future world
(namely that he will have a share in it).” — A parallel passage can be found in
y. Kil. 9.32B.18. ‖ Jerusalem Talmud Berakot 5.9D.25: R. Samuel b. Nahman (ca.
260) said, “If you incline your heart to prayer (you pray devoutly), let the
good news be brought to you תהא מבושר
that your prayer is heard. And what basis is there for this in Scripture? ‘If
you incline your heart, you will listen with your ear’ (so Midr. Ps. 10:17).”6
R. Joshua b. Levi (ca. 250) said, “If a person’s lips (in prayer) move
(automatically), let the good news be brought יהא מבושר to him that his prayer is heard. What basis is there for this
in Scripture? If he achieves the self-movement of the lips, (then there is)
‘peace, peace to those far and near, says Yahweh, and I will heal him’ (so
Midr. Isa. 57:19).” — In the parallel passage of Lev. Rab. 16 (116D), instead
of מבושר, one finds מוּבְטָח = he may be assured; additionally, R. Joshua b. Nahmani is the
author instead of R. Samuel b. Nahman; in the ed. Ven. 1545 the text is
corrupt. — In Midr. Ps. 108 § 1 (232A), only the quotation of R. Samuel b.
Nahman is found, but with many additions. ‖ Exodus Rabbah 46 (101B): Moses
began grieving over the shattering of the tablets of the Law. God said to him,
“Do not grieve because of the earlier tablets, for they contained only the ten
commandments; but I will give you the second tablets so that on them will be
halakoth, midrash (study, interpretation, explanation of Scripture), and
haggadoth (nonhalakic interpretations of Scripture)”; this is what Job 11:6
means: “and that he would make known to you the secrets of wisdom, that it
contains true knowledge twice” (that is, the written and the oral Torah). And
not only this, but may the good news also be brought אתה מנושר to you that I have forgiven your sins; as
it says, “Know that God overlooks your guilt” (Job 11:6). ‖ מְבוּשָׂר in these passages corresponds to εὐηγγελισμένος in Heb 4:2 and εὐαγγελισθείς in Heb 4:6. (Hermann L. Strack
and Paul Billerbeck, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and
Midrash, ed. Jacob N. Cerone, 4 vols. [trans. Andrew Bowden and Joseph
Longarino; Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2021], 3:6-9)
Further
Reading:
Responding
to William Whalen on Alleged Anachronisms in the Book of Mormon
