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In other respects also the Palestinian had the advantage of the Alexandrian mode of interpretation. There was at least ingenuity, if not always
truth, in explaining a word by resolving it into two others,2 or in discussing the import of exclusive particles (such as 'only,' 'but,' 'from,'), and inclusives (such as 'also,'
'with,' 'all,') or in discovering shades of meaning from the derivation of a word, as in the eight synonyms for 'poor' - of which one (Ani), indicated simply 'the poor;' another
(Ebhyon, from abhah), one who felt both need and desire; a third (misken), one humiliated; a fourth (rash from rush), one who had been emptied of his
property; a fifth (dal), one who property had become exhausted; a sixth (dakh), one who felt broken down; a seventh (makh), one who had come down; and the eighth
(chelekh), one who was wretched - or in discussing such differences as between amar, to speak gently, and dabhar, to speak strongly - and many others.3 Here
intimate knowledge of the language and tradition might be of real use. At other times striking thoughts were suggested, as when it was pointed out that all mankind was made to spring from
one man, in order to show the power of God, since all coins struck from the same machine were precisely the same, while in man, whatever the resemblance, there was still a difference in
each.
2. As, for example, Malqosh, the latter rain =Mal-Qash, fill the stubble.
3. Comp. generally, Hamburger, vol. ii. pp. 181-212, and the 'History of the Jewish Nation,' pp. 567-580, where the Rabbinic Exegesis
is fully explained.
2. (Ad vol. i. p. 45, and note 3.) The distinction between the unapproachable God and God as manifest and manifesting Himself, which lies at
the foundation of so much in the theology of Philo in regard to the 'intermediary beings' - 'Potencies' - and the Logos, occurs equally in Rabbinic theology,4 though there it is
probably derived from a different source. Indeed, we regard this as explaining the marked and striking avoidance of all anthropomorphisms in the Targumim. It also accounts for the
designation of God by two classes of terms, of which in our view, the first expresses the idea of God as revealed, the other that of God as revealing Himself; or, to put it otherwise, which
indicate, the one a state, the other an act on the part of God. The first of these classes of designations embraces two terms: yeqara, the excellent glory, and Shekhinah, or
Shekhintha, the abiding Presence.5
On the other hand, God, as in the act of revealing himself, is described by the term Memra, the 'Logos,' 'the word.' A distinction of ideas
also obtains between the terms Yeqara and Shekhinah. The former indicates, as we think, the inward and upward, the latter the outward and downward, aspect of the revealed God.
This distinction will appear by comparing the use of the two words in the Targumim, and even by the consideration of passages in which the two are placed side by side (as for ex., in the
Targum Onkelos on Ex. 17:16; Numb. 14:14; in Pseudo-Jonathan, Gen. 16:13, 14; in the Jerusalem Targum, Ex. 19: 18; and in the Targum Jonathan, Is. vi. 1, 3; Hagg. i. 8). Thus, also, the
allusion in 2 Pet. 1:17, to 'the voice from the excellent glory' (thV megaloprepouV doxhV) must have been the
Yeqara.6 The varied use of the terms Shekhinah and Yeqara, and then Memra, in the Targum of Is. vi., is very remarkable. In ver. 1 it is the
Yeqara, and its train - the heavenward glory - which fills the Heavenly Temple. In ver. 3 we hear the Trishagion in connection with the dwelling of His Shekhintha,
while the splendour (Ziv) of His Yeqara fills the earth - as it were, falls down to it. In ver. 5 the prophet dreads, because he had seen the Yeqara of the Shekhinah,
while in ver. 6 the coal is taken from before the Shekhintha (which is) upon the throne of the Yeqara (a remarkable expression, which occurs often; so especially in ix. xvii. 16). Finally,
in ver. 8, the prophet hears the voice of the Memra of Jehovah speaking the words of vv. 9, 10. It is intensely interesting to notice that in St. John xii. 40, these words are
prophetically applied in connection with Christ. Thus St. John applies to the Logos what the Targum understands of the Memra of Jehovah.
4. Besides the designations of God to which reference is made in the text, Philo also applies to Him that of topoV, 'place,' in precisely the same manner as the later Rabbis (and especially the Kabbalah) use the word
Mwqmaf. To Philo it implies that God is extramundane. He sees this taught in Gen. 22:3, 4, where
Abraham came 'unto the place of which God had told him;' but, when he 'lifted up his eyes,' 'saw the place after off' Similarly, the Rabbis when commenting on Gen. 28:11, assign this as the
reason why God is designated Mw&qmaf that He is extramundane; the discussion being whether
God is the place of His Word or the reverse, and the decision in favour of the former - Gen. 28:11 being explained by Ex. 33:21, and Deut 33:27 by Ps. 90:1 (Ber. R. 68, ed. Warsh. p 125
b).
5. I think it is Köster (Trinitätslehre vor Christo) who distinguishes the two as God's Presence within and without the
congregation. In general his brochure is of little real value. Dr. S. Maybaum (Anthropmorphien u. Anthropopathien ber Onkelos) affords a curious instance of modern Jewish
criticism. With much learning and not a little ingenuity he tries to prove by a detailed analysis, that the three terms Memra, Shekhinah, and Yeqara have not the
meaning above explained! The force of 'tendency-argumentation' could scarcely go farther than his essay.
6. Not as Grimm (Clavis N.T. p. 107 a) would have it, the Shekhinah, though he rightly regards the N.T. doxa in this signification of the word, as the equivalent of the Old Testament yy
dwbk . Clear notions on the subject are so important that we give a list of the chief passages in which the two terms are used in the Targum Onkelos, viz. Yeqara: Gen. 17:22; 18:33;28:13; 35:13; Ex.3:1, 6; 16:7, 10; 17:16; 18:5: 20:17, 18, 24:10, 11, 17; 29:43; 33:18, 22, 23,:40:34, 38;
Lev. 9:4, 6, 23; Numb. 10:36: 7:8; 14:14, 22. Shekhinah: Gen. 9:27; Ex. 17:7, 16; 20:21: 25:8; 29:45, 46; 33:3, 5, 14-16, 20; 34:6,9; Numb. 5:3; 6:25 11:20; 14:14, 42; 23:21; 35:34;Deut. 1:42; 3:24; 4:39; 6:15; 6:21 7:5, 11, 21; 14:23, 24; 16:2, 6, 11, 23:15; 26:2; 32:10; 33:26.
But, theologically, by far the most interesting and important point, with reference not only to the Logos of Philo, but to the term Logos as
employed in the Fourth Gospel, is to ascertain the precise import of the equivalent expression Memra in the Targumim. As stated in the text of this book (vol. i. p. 47), the term
Memra as applied to God, occurs 176 times in the Targum Onkelos, 99 times in the Jerusalem Targum, and 321 times in the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. We subjoin the list of these passages,
arranged in three classes. Those in Class I. mark where the term does not apply to this, or where it is at least doubtful; those in Class II. where the
fair interpretation of a passage shows; and Class III. where it is undoubted and unquestionable, that the expression Memra refers to God as revealing
Himself, that is the Logos.
Classified List of all the Passages in which the term 'Memra' occurs in the Targum Onkelos.
(The term occurs 176 times. Class III., which consists of those passages in which the term Memra bears undoubted application to the Divine
Personality as revealing Himself, comprises 79 passages).7
7. As these sheets are passing through the press for a second edition, the classic edition of the Targum Onkelos by Dr. Berliner (in
2 vols. berlin, 1884) has reached me. Vol. i. gives the text after the editio Sabioneta (of they 1557). Vol ii. adds critical notes to the text (pp. 1-70). which are followed by very
interesting Prolegomena, entering fully one all questions connected with this Targum, historical, exegetical, and critical, and treating them with equal learning and breadth and
sobriety of judgment. On comparing our ordinary text with that published by Dr. Berliner I find that in the three passages italicised (Gen. 7:16, 6:6, once, and 28:21) the ed.
Sabion. has not the word Memra. This is specially noteworthy as regards the very important passage, Gen. xxviii. 21.
CLASS I. Inapplicable or Doubtful: Gen. 26:5; Ex. 2:25; 5:2; 6:8; 14:8, 10, 26; 16:8; 17:1; 23:21, 22; 25:22;32:13; Lev. 18:30; 22:9;
26:14, 18, 21, 27; Num. 3:39, 51; 4:37, 41, 45, 49; 9:18 (bis), 19, 20 (bis), 23 quat; 10:13; 13:3; 14:11, 22, 30, 35; 20:12, 24; 23:19; 24: 4;16; 27:14; 33:2, 38; 36:5; Deut. 1:26; 4:30;
8:3, 20; 13:5, 19 (in our Version 4, 18); 15:5; 26:15, 18; 27:10; 28:1, 2, 15, 45, 62; 30:2, 8, 10, 20.
An examination of these passages would show that, for caution's sake, we have sometimes put down as 'inapplicable' or 'doubtful' what, viewed in
connection with other passages in which the word is used, appears scarcely doubtful. It would take too much space to explain why some passages are put in the next class, although the
term Memra seems to be used in a manner parallel to that in Class I. Lastly, the reason why some passages appear in Class III., when others, somewhat similar are placed in Class II.,
must be sought in the context and connection of a verse. We must ask the reader to believe that each passage had been carefully studied by itself, and that our conclusions have been
determined by careful consideration, and by the fair meaning to be put on the language of Onkelos.
CLASS II. Fair: Gen. 7:16; 20:;3; 31:3, 24; Ex. 19:5; Lev. 8:35; 26:23; Numb. 11:20; 23; 14:41; 22:9, 18, 20; 23:3, 4, 16; 27:21;
26:;2; Deut. 1:32; 4:24, 33, 36; 5:24, 25, 26; 9:23 (bis) ; 31:23; 34:5.
CLASS III. Undoubted: Gen 3:8, 10; 6:6 (bis), 7; 8:21; 9:12, 13, 15,16, 17; 14:1, 6; 17:2, 7, 10, 11; 21:20, 22, 23; 22:16; 24:3; 26:3,
24, 28; 28:15, 20 21; 31:49, 50; 25:3; 39:2, 3, 21, 23; 48:21; 49:24, 25; Ex. 3:12; 4:12, 15; 10:10; 14:31; 15:2; 18:19; 19:17; 29:42, 43; 30:6; 31:13, 17; 33:22, Lev. 20:23; 24:12; 26:9;
11, 30, 46; Numb. 14:9 (bis), 43; 17:19 (in our Version v. 4); 21:5; 23:21; Deut.1:30; 2:7; 3:22; 4:37; 5:5; 9:3; 18:16, 19, 20:1; 23:15; 31:6, 8; 32: 51; 33:3, 27.
Of most special interest is the rendering of Onkelos of Deut. 33:27, where instead of 'underneath are the everlasting arms,' Onkelos
has it: 'And by His Memra was the world made,' exactly as in St. John 1:10. This divergence of Onkelos from the Hebrew text is utterly unaccountable, nor has any explanation of it,
as far as I know, been attempted. Winer, whose inaugural dissertation 'De Onkeloso ejusque Paraphrasi chaldaica' (Lips. 1820), most modern writers have simply followed (with some
amplifications, chiefly from Luzatto's 'Philoxenus,' rgh bh) makes no reference to this passage, nor do his
successors, so far as I know. It is curious that, as our present Hebrew text has three words, so has the rendering of Onkelos, and that both end with the same word.
In classifying the passages in which the word Memra occurs in the Jerusalem Targum and the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, we have reversed the
previous order, and Class I. represents the passages in which the term undoubtedly applies to the Personal manifestation of God; Class II., in which this is the fair
interpretation; Class III., in which application is, to say the most, doubtful.
Classified List of Passages (according to the above scheme) in which the term 'Memra' occurs in the Targum Jerushalmi on the Pentateuch.
Class I. Of undoubted application to a Personal Manifestation of God: Gen. 1:27; 3:9, 22; 5:24; 6:3; 8:16; 15:1; 16:3; 19:24; 21:33;
22:8,14; 28:10; 30:22 (bis); 31:9; 35;9 (quat.); 38:25; 40:23; exod. 3;14; 6:3; 12:42 (quat.); 13:18; 14: 15, 24, 25; 15:12, 25 (bis); 19:5, 7, 8, 9 (bis); 20:1, 24; 25:4; 27:16; Deut. 1:1;
3:2; 4:34; 26:;3, 14, 17, 18; 28:27, 68; 33:15, 39, 51; 33:2, 7; 34:9, 10, 11.
Class II. Where such application is fair: Gen. 5:24; 21:33; Ex. 6:3; 15:1; Lev. 1:1; Numb. 23:15, 21:24, 16; Deut. 32:1, 40.
Class III. Where such application is doubtful: Gen. 6:6; 18:1, 17; 22:14 (bis); 30:22; 40:23; 49:18; Ex. 13:19; 15:2, 26; 17:19; 19:3;
Deut.1:1; 32:18; 34:4, 5.
Classified List of Passages in which the term 'Memra' occurs in the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on the Pentateuch.
Class I. Undoubted: Gen. 2:8, 10, 24;4:26; 5:2; 7:16; 9:12, 13, 15, 16, 17; 11:8; 12:17; 15:1; 17:2, 7, 10, 11; 18:5; 19:24 (bis);
20:6, 18: 21:22; 22, 23, 33; 22:1; 24:3; 26:3, 24, 28; 27:28, 31; 28:10, 15, 20; 29:12; 31:3, 50; 35:3, 9; 39:2, 3, 21, 23; 41:1; 46:4; 48:9, 21; 49:25; 1. 20; Exod. 1:21; 2:5; 3:12; 7:25;
10:10; 12:23, 29; 13:8, 15, 17; 14:25, 31; 15:25; 17:13, 15, 16 (bis); 18:19; 20:7; 26:28; 29:42, 43; 30:6, 36; 31:13, 17; 32:35; 33:9, 19; 34:5; 36:33; Lev. 1:1 (bis); 6:2; 8:35; 9:23;
20:23; 24:12 (bis); 26:11, 12, 30, 44, 46; Numb.3:16, 39, 51; 4:37, 41, 45, 49; 9:18 (bis), 19, 20, (bis), 23 (ter); 10:13, 35, 36; 14:9, 41, 43; 16:11, 26; 17:4; 21:5, 6, 8, 9, 34; 22:18,
19, 28; 23:3, 4, 8 (bis), 16, 20, 21; 24:13; 27:16; 31:8; 33:4; Deut. 1:10, 30, 43; 2:7, 21; 3:22; 4:3, 7, (bis) 20, 24, 33, 36; 5:5 (bis), 11, 22, 23, 24 (bis), 25, 26; 6:13, 21, 22;
9:3;11:23; 12:5, 11; 18:19; 20:1; 21:20; 24:18, 19; 26:5, 14, 18; 28:7,9, 11, 13, 20, 21, 22, 25, 27, 28, 35, 48, 49, 59, 61, 63, 68; 29:2, 4; 30:3, 4, 5, 7; 31:5, 8, 23; 32:6, 9, 12, 36;
33:29; 34:1, 5, 10, 11.
Class II. Fair: Gen. 5:24; 15:6; 16:1, 13; 18:17; 22:16; 29:1; 30:22; 46:4; Ex. 2:23; 3:8, 17, 19; 4:12; 6:8, 12:27; 13: 5, 17; 32:13;
33:12, 22; Lev. 26:44; Numb. 14:30; 20:12, 21; 22:9, 20; 24:4, 16, 23; Deut. 8:3; 11:12; 29:23; 31:2, 7; 32:18, 23, 26,38, 39, 43, 48, 50, 51; 33:3, 27; 34:6.
Class III. Doubtful: Gen. 4:3, 6 (bis); 8:1, 21; 22:18; 26:5 (bis); Ex. 4:15; 5:2; 9:20, 21; 10:29; 14:7; 15:2, 8; 19:5; 25:22; Lev.
18:30; 22:9; 26:40; Numb. 6:27; 9:8; 12:6; 14:11, 22, 35;15:34; 20:24; 23:19; 27:14; 33:2. 38; 36:5; Deut. 1:26, 32; 4:30; 5:5; 8:20; 9:23; 11:1; 13:18; 15:5; 19:15; 25:18; 26:17; 27:10;
28:1, 15, 45, 62; 30:2, 8, 9, 10; 31:12; 33:9.
(Ad vol. i. p. 53, note 4.) Only one illustration of Philo's peculiar method of interpreting the Old Testament can here be given. It will at
the same time show how he found confirmation for his philosophical speculations in the Old Testament, and further illustrate his system of moral theology in its most interesting, but also
most difficult, point. The question is, how the soul was to pass from its state of sensuousness and sin to one of devotion to reason, which was religion and righteousness. It will be
remarked that the change from the one state to the other is said to be accomplished in one of three ways: by study, by practice, or through a good natural disposition
(maqhsiV, askhsiV, eufuia) exactly as Aristotle put it. But Philo found a symbol for each, and for a preparatory state
in each, in Scripture.
The three Patriarchs represented this threefold mode of reaching the supersensuous: Abraham, study; Jacob, practice; Isaac, a good disposition; while
Enos, Enoch, and Noah, represented the respective preparatory stages. Enos (hope), the first real ancestor of our race, represented the mind awakening to the existence of a better life.
Abraham (study) received command to leave 'the land' (sensuousness). But all study was threefold. It was, first, physical - Abram in the land of Ur, contemplating the starry
sky, but not knowing God. Next to the physical was that 'intermediate' (mesh) study, which embraced the ordinary 'cycle
of knowledge' (egkuklioV paideia). This was Abram after he left Haran, and that knowledge was symbolised by his union
with Hagar, who tarried (intermediately) between Kadesh and Bered. But this stage also was insufficient, and the soul must reach the third and highest stage, that of Divine philosophy
(truly, the love of wisdom, filosofia) where eternal truth was the subject of contemplation. Accordingly, Abram left
Lot, he became Abraham, and he was truly united to Sarah, no longer Sarai. Onwards and ever upwards would the soul now rise to the knowledge of virtue. of heavenly realities, nay, of the
nature of God Himself.
But there was yet another method than 'study,' by which the soul might rise - that of askesis, discipline, practice, of which Scripture speaks
in Enoch and Jacob. Enoch - whom 'God took, and he was not' (Gen. 5:24) - meant the soul turning from the lower to the higher, so that it was no longer found in its former place of evil.
From Enoch, as the preparatory stage, we advance to Jacob, first merely fleeing from sensuous entanglements (from Laban), then contending with the affections, ridding himself of five
of the seventy-five souls with which he had entered Egypt (Deut. 10:22, comp. with Gen. 46:27), often nearly misled by the Sophists (Dinah and Hamor), often nearly failing and faint in the
conflict (Jacob's wrestling), but holpen by God, and finally victorious, when Jacob became Israel.
But the highest of all was the spiritual life which came neither from study nor discipline, but through a good disposition. Here we have, first of
all, Noah, who symbolises only the commencement of virtue, since we read not of any special virtue in him. Rather is he rest - as the name implies - good, relatively to those
around. It was otherwise with Isaac, who was perfect before his birth (and hence chosen), even as Rebekah meant constancy in virtue. In that state the soul enjoyed true rest
(the Sabbath, Jerusalem) and joy, which Isaac's name implied. But true virtue, which was also true wisdom, was Paradise, whence issued the one stream (goodness), which again divided into
four branches (the four Stoic virtues): - Pison, 'prudence' (fronhsiV); Gihon, 'fortitude' (andria); Tigris, 'desire' (epiqumia), and
Euphrates, 'justice' (dikaiosunh). And yet, though these be the Stoic virtues, they all spring from Paradise,
the Garden of God - and all that is good, and all help to it, comes to us ultimately from God Himself, and is in God. |