Jewish philosophy -- Early works to 1800; Judaism -- Works to 1900; Philosophy, Medieval -- Early works to 1800
Onkelos, in translating this verse, adopts the same method which he
applies to the explanation of similar passages, viz., every expression
implying corporeality or corporal properties, when referring to God, he
explains by assuming an ellipsis of a nomen regens before “God,” thus
connecting the expression (of corporeality) with another word which is
supplied, and which governs the genitive “God”; e.g., “And behold the
Lord stood upon it” (Gen. xxviii. 13), he explains, “The glory of the
Lord stood arrayed above it.” Again, “The Lord watch between me and
thee” (Gen. xxxi. 49), he paraphrases, “The word of the Lord shall
watch.” This is his ordinary method in explaining Scripture. He applies
it also to Exod. xxxiv. 6, which he paraphrases, “The Lord caused his
Presence to pass before his face and called.” According to this
rendering the thing which passed was unquestionably some physical
object, the pronoun “his” refers to Moses, and the phrase ʻal panav is
identical with lefanav, “before him.” Comp. “So went the present over
before him” (ʻal panav) (Gen. xxxii, 22). This is likewise an
appropriate and satisfactory explanation; and I can adduce still
further support for the opinion of Onkelos from the words “while my
glory passeth by” (ba-ʻabor) (Exod. xxxiii. 22), which expressly state
that the passing object was something ascribed to God, not God Himself;
and of this Divine glory it is also said, “until I pass by,” and “And
the Lord passed by before him.”
Should it, however, be considered necessary to assume here an ellipsis,
according to the method of Onkelos, who supplies in some instances the
term “the Glory,” in others “the Word,” and in others “the Divine
Presence,” as the context may require in each particular case, we may
also supply here the word “voice,” and explain the passage, “And a
voice from the Lord passed before him and called.” We have already
shown that the verb ʻabar, “he passed,” can be applied to the voice, as
in “And they caused a voice to pass through the camp” (Exod. xxxvi. 6).
According to this explanation, it was the voice which called. No
objection can be raised to applying the verb kara (he called) to kol
(voice), for a similar phrase occurs in the Bible in reference to God’s
commands to Moses, “He heard the voice speaking unto him”; and, in the
same manner as it can be said “the voice spoke,” we may also say “the
voice called”; indeed, we can even support this application of the
verbs “to say,” and “to call,” to “the voice,” by parallel passages, as
“A voice saith ‘Cry,’ and it says ‘What shall I cry?’” (Isa. xl. 6).
According to this view, the meaning of the passage under discussion
would be: “A voice of God passed before him and called, ‘Eternal,
Eternal, All-powerful, All-merciful, and All-gracious!’” (The word
Eternal is repeated; it is in the vocative, for the Eternal is the one
who is called. Comp. Moses, Moses! Abraham, Abraham!) This, again, is a
very appropriate explanation of the text.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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