The author quotes the following from Dr. Ryland and the Prolegomena to
Walton's Polyglot: "There are many passages of the Chaldee Paraphrasts
which could have been derived only from the remains of the expositions
and doctrines delivered by the prophets. They have many things
concerning the Word of God, by whom the universe was created, &c., and
which admirably confirm the declarations of St. John upon the Logos, and
prove that in so designating the Messiah or Son of God, the Evangelist
employed a name already in familiar use among the Jews, as received from
their ancestors, though not perfectly understood by all among them. To
this Word the Jerusalem Targum on Gen. i. 27 attributes _creation_: 'The
Word of the Lord created man.' And xxxii. 22: 'And the Word of the Lord
said, Behold Adam whom I have created.' Jonathan on Deut. xxxii. 39,
says: 'When will the Word of the Lord be manifested to redeem his
people?' The same Targum on Gen. xix. 24, ascribes to the Word of the
Lord the sending down of sulphur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah:
'Sulphur and fire were sent down upon it from the Word of the Lord out
of heaven.' So likewise Onkelos: 'And the Word of the Lord returned.'
And on Gen. v. 24: 'Enoch was taken away by the Word before the Lord.'
So the Jerusalem, Deut. xviii. 19: 'My Word will take vengeance upon
him.' So Onkelos and Jonathan. The passages are innumerable in which
actions and properties are attributed to the Word of God, as a distinct
Person."
Again, quoting Owen as referred to by Ryland: "The Chaldee Paraphrast,
observing that some especial presence of God is expressed in the words,
Gen. iii. 8, renders them, 'And they heard the voice of the Word of the
Lord God walking in the garden.' So all the Targums. And that of
Jerusalem begins the next verse accordingly: 'And the Word of the Lord
God called unto Adam.' And this expression they afterwards make use of
in places innumerable; and that in such a way as plainly to denote a
distinct Person in the Deity. That this was their intention in it, is
hence manifest; because about the time of the writing of the first of
those Targums which gave the rule of speaking unto them that followed,
it was usual amongst them to express their conceptions of the Son of God
by the name of the Logos, or Word of God." (_Owen on Epist. Heb. Vol.
1._)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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