Targum


The Aramaic Targums are Aramaic translations of the Hebrew Old Testament, as the common language of the postexilic Jews was Aramaic, not Hebrew. (Hebrew remained the scholarly language, and prejudice spurned vulgar translations, but over time, Aramaic readings became accepted in synagogues.)

The translations were extremely interpretative. The translators paraphrased, added explanatory glosses, and often boldly reinterpreted the text according to the theological biases of their time. They sought to relate the Bible text to contemporary life and political circumstances.

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Texts and Manuscripts of the Old Testament by Mark R. Norton, Page 170)