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. vii. 16, vi. 6, once, and xxviii. 2 1) 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. xxvi. 5; Ex. ii. 25; v. 2; vi. 8; xv. 8, 10, 26; xvi.
8; xvii. 1; xxiii. 21, 22; xxv. 22; xxxii. 13; Lev. xviii. 30; xxii. 9; xxvi. 14, 18, 21, 27;
Num. iii. 39, 51; iv. 37, 41, 45, 49; ix. 18 (bis), 19, 20 (bis), 23 quat; x. 13; xiii. 3; xiv.
11, 22, 30, 35; xx. 12, 24; xxiii. 19; xxiv. 4;16; xxvii. 14; xxxiii. 2, 38; xxxvi. 5; Deut. i.
26; iv. 30; viii. 3, 20; xiii. 5, 19 (in our Version 4, 18); xv. 5; xxvi. 15, 18; xxvii. 10;
xxviii. 1, 2, 15, 45, 62; xxx. 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. vii. 16; xx. 3; xxxi. 3, 24; Ex. xix. 5; Lev. viii. 35; xxvi. 23; Numb.
xi. 20; 23; xiv. 41; xxii. 9, 18, 20; xxiii. 3, 4, 16; xxvii. 21; xxxvi. 2; Deut. i. 32; iv 24,
33, 36; v. 24, 25, 26; ix 23 (bis) ; xxxi. 23; xxxiv. 5.
CLASS III. Undoubted: Gen iii. 8, 10; vi. 6 (bis), 7; viii. 21; ix. 12, 13, 15,16, 17; xv. 1,
6; xvii. 2, 7, 10, 11; xxi. 20, 22, 23; xxii. 16; xxiv. 3; xxvi. 3, 24, 28; xxviii. 15, 20 21;
xxxi. 49, 50; xxxv. 3; xxxix, 2, 3, 21, 23; x1viii. 21; xlix. 24, 25; Ex. iii. 12; iv. 12, 15; x.
10; xiv. 31; xv. 2; xviii. 19; xix. 17; xxix. 42, 43; xxx. 6; xxxi. 13, 17; xxxiii. 22, Lev. xx.
23; xxiv. 12; xxvi 9; 11, 30, 46; Numb. xiv. 9 (bis), 43; xvii. 19 (in our Version v. 4); xxi.
5; xxiii. 21; Deut. i. 30; ii. 7; iii. 22; iv. 37; v. 5; ix. 3; xviii. 16, 19, xx. 1; xxiii. 15; xxxi.
6, 8; xxxii. 51; xxxiii. 3, 27.