A manual of the Chaldee language - PubMan

NOTES. 131 @*
This is the true translation of the Hebrew text, and this all CMstians
understand of the Messiah ; and so anciently did the chief priests and
scribes of the people of the Jews, when consulted by Herod. But
since that 'me, in opposition to the gospel, Jewish writers have en-
deavoure & give this text another meaning, some interpreting it of
Hezekiah, some of Zerubbabel, and eome otherwise. But Jonathan,
who perchance was one among those scribes whom Herod consulted,
gives the true meaning of it by interpreting it of the Messiah, in the
same manner as Christians do: for his version of the text -is: Out
of thee shall come forth before me the Messiah, who shall ezercise sove-
reign ruk over Israel." (Id. p. 642.)
In another place (p. 635) Prideaux remarks, that " the Targums
of Jonathan and Onkelos are in so great esteem among the Jews, that
they hold them to be of the same authority with the original sacred
text.'J
The other Targums are, one on the Hagiographa ; one on the Me-
gilloth or five books of Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamenta-
tione, Ruth and Esther; three on Esther alone ; and one on the two
books of Chronicles. The first has been ascribed to Rabbi Joseph
the blind, who livd in the third century. But neither the dates nor
authors of any of these Targums are known with certainty. The bar-
barous style in which they are written, is considered as affording suC
ficient proof that they are comparatively modern ; though they appear
to have been compiled from more ancient materials.
For a full account of the Targums, see Prideaux, Conn. Vol. IV.
pp. 618-4345. Horne's lntrod. Vol. 11. pp. 157-163. Walton Pr*
leg. ,XII. QQ 4-20, and Winer De Onkeloso ejusque paraphrasi Chal-
daica Dissertatio. Compare also Stackhouse's Hist. of the Bible, pre-
lim. discourse p. 90, seq. Calmet's Dict. of the Bible, articles Jona-
than, Onkelos, and Targum. Father Simon's Crit. Hist. B. 11. Ch.
18. Eichhorn's Einleitung QQ 213--245. De Wette, Einl. QQ 57-
62. Wolffii Bibliotheca Hebraea Vol. 11. pp. 1135-1189. Allix,
Judgment of the ancient Jewish Church, etc. Ch. VII. Carpzov. Crit-
ica Sacra, Part 11. Ch. I. Gesenius, Comm. iiber Jesa. Einl. Q 11.
and Jahn's Introd. to the 0. T. pp. 64-68 of the English translation.