CLAIM: The oldest Jewish commentary on Isaiah, the Targum Jonathan teaches that the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is the Messiah.
In almost every missionary book or article that brings Rabbinic sources to try and prove their arguments, the Targum of Yonason Ben Uzziel is mentioned as a ‘proof’ that the ancient Rabbis believed that the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 was the Moshiach Ben Dovid, the King Messiah. Most sources just quote a single verse from it. Here is an example from an Internet article by Victor Buksbazen:
‘From the earliest days, Isaiah 53 was interpreted by Jews as applying to the Messiah. Thus, Jonathan ben Uziel of the first century, in his Targum (an Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible) paraphrases Isaiah 53: "My servant, the Messiah, will be great, who was bruised for our sins."’[1]
It should be noted that the author has fabricated part of this passage. The words: “who was bruised for our sins" do not appear in the original Targum in any place as we can see from the translation that will be discussed in detail below.
There are few sources that deal with the Targum in full. Those that do, while they claim that this Targum is a support for the idea that Isaiah 53’s suffering servant is the Messiah, they will at the same time attack the author of the Targum for ‘completely twisting’ the text, or making a ’virtual rewrite’. If the issue were not so serious, it would be laughable.
Here are some quotes from Dr. Michael Brown’s latest work that shows what I mean:[2]
“So, for example the Targum interprets the passage with reference to the Messiah – as warring, victorious king, even to the point of completely twisting the meaning of key verses”[3]
“Targum Jonathan interprets Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (which for simplicity in this discussion, we will simply call Isaiah 53) with reference to the Messiah, despite the fact that the Targum virtually rewrites the entire passage, changing the verses that speak clearly of the servant’s sufferings so that they speak instead of the suffering of the nations.”[4]
It should be noted that the second quote above has an error. The suffering (as we shall see) is not “of the nations” but of a single nation. It is the suffering of the Jewish people in exile. In another of his works we find:[5]
“Note that the Targum Jonathan, the Targum to the prophetic books, applied this section directly to the Messiah (“my servant the Messiah”) but changed the text in a number of key points, thereby effectively removing all references to the Messiah’s suffering. How odd it is that the Targum recognized that the servant of the Lord spoken of in Isaiah 52:13-53:12 was actually the Messiah – a fundamental position of the New Testament – and yet found it necessary to radically alter the meaning of the text to make it into a statement of the Messiah’s military prowess and his victory over the nations. It would have been more logical to attempt to argue that the text did not refer to the Messiah at all!” [6]
Why do they have to go through such contortions? Why not just accept that the Targum has another opinion? Why not just admit that the Targum does not help their cause? The reason is simple. The traditional church believed in a theology of Replacement of Israel by the church. This was not a good tactic to convince Jews to willingly convert. It failed for hundreds of years. Over the last few decades, the missionaries ‘got it.’ The overwhelming majority of Jews don’t want to stop being Jews. So the missionaries needed to say that the church does NOT replace the Jewish people.
This creates a problem. Historical Christianity and Historical Judaism are NOT the same, or even similar on many fundamental theological points. They need to show that the Jews weren’t so wrong, and that we can find ‘roots’ for Christianity in ancient Judaism. If they are there, then they can claim the Rabbis just made a wrong turn along the way.
But for that to work, there still needs to be some leftover traces of the ‘true’ theology by the Rabbis, in addition to their new mistakes. The further back, the closer to the truth. Rashi, Maimonides and all the later Rabbis got rid of the ancient beliefs. So the Targum and other sources have to have ‘hints’ showing that the ancient Jews, before the Rabbis ruined it, had beliefs that were consistent with Christianity. Whether it is with regards to Isaiah 53, or the Unity of G-d, or many of the other critical theological issues. Rabbinic works need to be examined to find indicators of the existence of this pre-Rabbinic ‘Biblical’ Judaism that believed similarly to the early Christians. THEN, they can claim that someone of Jewish background can become a Christian, and still be a Jew, since he has not abandoned the ancient Jewish beliefs. It was the RABBIS who have abandoned the ancient Jewish beliefs.
This explains the anger and exasperation that we see in the words of Dr., Brown and others when they discuss the full text of the Targum. We shall see that, in fact, the theology that comes out of the Targum is EXACTLY what later Rabbis, like Rashi, and Maimonides would write with regards to the Messiah and the subject of Isaiah 53.
The first issue we need to examine is what type of a commentary this Targum is. We shall see that this is a key issue to understanding the Targum, and also Jewish eschatology. Targum literal means ‘translation’, but not all Targums are the same. In my article 'What is Midrash?' I discuss the nature and content of Midrashic commentary. There I brought some sources that explain this method of interpretation. Dr. Michael Brown in his work ‘Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus’[7] states:
“Talmudic citations are not meant to be precise interpretations of the biblical text but are often based on free association and wordplays.”
“Where the Midrash does not concern legal enactments and provisions, but merely inquires into the meaning and significance of the laws or where it only uses the words of Scripture as a vehicle to convey a moral teaching or a religious instruction and consolation, it is called a ‘Midrash Agadah’ Interpretation of the Agadah, homiletical interpretation.”
In essence a Midrash is NOT a translation or literal commentary, but a pedagogical style of teaching theological concepts that is not strictly dependant on the text it is using.
The well-known scholarly translation of the Targumic Messianic texts, by Samson H. Levey, ‘The Messiah: An Aramaic Interpretation; The Messianic Exegesis of the Targum” says with regards to the Targum on Isaiah 53:[9]
“This is an excellent example of Targumic paraphrase at its best. It is not a translation, nor is it loose meaningless commentary, but a reworking of the text to yield what the Targumist desires it to give forth.”
This is almost exactly what appears in the quote from Mielziner above. From this we see that the Targum is a Midrashic commentary, and not a literal one. The Targum is not strictly telling us what the verses say, but what Judaism teaches. It is painting for us a picture of the end-times and Jewish eschatology.
This is something that the more knowledgeable missionaries KNOW, even if they are reluctant to admit it in a clear way in their books. This actually came up in an email dialogue with Dr. Michael Brown that involved a number of subjects including the Targum to Isaiah 53. In an email sent to me Sunday, October 20, 2002 he responded to some remarks I made with regards to this issue. I had made the following comment about the Targum on Isaiah 53: “1. It is a Midrashic commentary and not a translation. It is conveying ideas and theology, not exegesis. “ To which he responded: ”I take for granted your point 1 on the Targum to Isaiah” That the Targum to Isaiah 53 is Midrashic and theology, and NOT a literal translation is not even an issue open to debate.[10]
Now that we recognize that this is a Midrashic comment, we need to try and understand what the Targum is trying to teach us. In it we see a picture painted for us. It is of the end-times. (See my article 'Who is Moshiach ben Yosef?' for some texts dealing with this period, especially the passage of Isaiah 11 which gives some background on the Targumic references to the Messiah.) The Christian missionary scholar Dr. Louis Goldberg in his pamphlet ‘A Jewish Christian response’[11] summarizes what appears in the Targum.[12] He states that 'all the verses which relate to exaltation were applied to a (sic) personal Messiah, while the remainder of the passage relating to suffering was applied to the nation'. So the Targum is teaching us two points: The Messiah will be an exalted character, and the Jewish people suffered in exile. Sounds pretty much like what we find in traditional Jewish commentaries.
Let’s look at the Targum and compare it to a translation of the original passage. It will be easy to notice that this is not a translation at all. It is not a simple explanation of the verses. It is a Midrash, in the style we have just explored. The translation from the JPS is bold letters. The translation of the Targum is by Driver and Neubauer[13] as that is the one that is usually quoted from by the missionaries.
52:13 Behold, My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
52:13. Behold my servant Messiah shall prosper; he shall be high, and increase, and be exceeding strong:
52:14 According as many were appalled at thee—so marred was his visage unlike that of a man, and his form unlike that of the sons of men—
52:14. as the house of Israel looked to him during many days, because their countenance was darkened among the peoples, and their complexion beyond the sons of men,
52:15 So shall he startle many nations, kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they perceive.
52:15. so will he scatter many peoples; at him kings shall be silent, and put their hands upon their mouth, because that which was not told them have they seen, and that which they had not heard they have observed.
53:1 ‘Who would have believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed?
53:1. Who hath believed this our glad tidings? and the strength of the mighty arm of the Lord, upon whom as thus hath it been revealed?
53:2 For he shot up right forth as a sapling, and as a root out of a dry ground; he had no form nor comeliness, that we should look upon him, nor beauty that we should delight in him.
53:2. The righteous will grow up before him, yeah, like blooming shoots, and like a tree which sends forth its roots to streams of water will they increase - a holy generation in the land that was in need of him; his countenance no profane countenance, and the terror at him not the terror at an ordinary man; his complexion shall be a holy complexion, and all who see him will look wistfully upon him.
53:3 He was despised, and forsaken of men, a man of pains, and acquainted with disease, and as one from whom men hide their face: he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
53:3. Then he will become despised, and will cut off the glory of all the kingdoms; they will be prostrate and mourning, like a man of pains and like one destined for sicknesses; and as though the presence of the Shekhinah had been withdrawn from us, they will be despised, and esteemed not.
53:4 Surely our diseases he did bear, and our pains he carried; whereas we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
53:4. Then for our sins he will pray, and our iniquities will for his sake be forgiven, although we were accounted stricken, smitten from before the Lord, and afflicted.
53:5 But he was wounded because of our transgressions, he was crushed because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our welfare was upon him, and with his stripes we were healed.
53:5. But he will build up the Holy Place, which has been polluted for our sins, and delivered to the enemy for our iniquities; and by his instruction peace shall be increased upon us, and by devotion to his words, our sins will be forgiven us.
53:6 All we like sheep did go astray, we turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath made to light on him the iniquity of us all.
53:6. All we like sheep had been scattered, we had each wandered off on his own way; but it was the Lord's good pleasure to forgive the sins of all of us for his sake.
53:7 He was oppressed, though he humbled himself and opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb; yea, he opened not his mouth.
53:7. He prayed, and he was answered, and ere even he had opened his mouth he was accepted; the mighty of the peoples he will deliver up like a sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb dumb before her shearers; there shall be none before him opening his mouth or saying a word
53:8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away, and with his generation who did reason? for he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due.
53:8. Out of chastisements and punishment he will bring our captives near; the wondrous things done to us in his days who shall be able to tell? For he will cause the dominion of the Gentiles to pass away from the land of Israel and transfer to them the sins which my people have committed.
53:9 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich his tomb; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.’
53:9. He will deliver the wicked into Gehinnom, and those that are rich in possessions into the death of utter destruction, in order that those who commit sin may not be established, nor speak deceits with their mouth.
53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to crush him by disease; to see if his soul would offer itself in restitution, that he might see his seed, prolong his days, and that the purpose of the LORD might prosper by his hand:
53:10. But it is the Lord's good pleasure to try and to purify the remnant of his people, so as to cleanse their souls from sin; these shall look on the Kingdom of their Messiah, their sons and their daughters shall be multiplied, they shall prolong their days, and those who perform the Law of the Lord shall prosper in his good pleasure.
53:11 Of the travail of his soul he shall see to the full, even My servant, who by his knowledge did justify the Righteous One to the many, and their iniquities he did bear.
53:11. From the subjection of the nations he will deliver their souls, they shall look upon the punishment of those that hate them, and be satisfied with the spoil of their kings; by his wisdom he will hold the guiltless free from guilt, in order to bring many into subjection to the law; and for their sins he will intercede.
53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the mighty; because he bared his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
53:12. Then will I divide for him the spoil of many peoples, and the possessions of strong cities shall he divide as prey, because he delivered up his soul to death, and made the rebellious subject to the Law: he shall intercede for many sins, and the rebellious for his sake shall be forgiven
We can see clearly from the above that the Targum is not a translation, nor can it be called ‘commentary’ in the usual sense of the word. If we look in the commentaries of the Rambam (Maimonides) where he discusses the Messiah, his time, and his role we see most if not all of what appears in this Targum about the Messiah.
In his commentary to the Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:1 he states:
“The twelfth principle… We believe the Messiah will be greater than any other king or ruler who has ever lived.”
“The Messiah will be a very great king, whose government will be in Zion. He will achieve great fame, and his reputation among the nations will be even greater than that of King Solomon. His great righteousness and the wonders that he will bring about will cause all peoples to make peace with him and all the lands will serve him. Whoever rises up against him will be destroyed by G-d and given over into his hand.”
“The main benefit of the Messianic Age will be that we will no longer be under the subjugation of foreign governments who prevent us from keeping all the commandments.”
In his Mishnah Torah in the Laws of Kings Chapter 11 we have more:
11:1. “The Messiah will be a king who will restore the kingdom of David to its original state. He will rebuild the Temple and gather together all Jews, no matter where they were scattered.”
11:4. We may assume that a person is the Messiah if he fulfills the following conditions: He must be a ruler, from the house of David, immersed in Torah and its commandments like David his ancestor. He must also follow both the written and the Oral Torah, lead all Jews back to the Torah, strengthen the observance of its laws, and fight G-d’s battles. If one fulfills these conditions then we may assume he is the Messiah. If he does this successfully, and then rebuilds the Temple on its original site and gathers all the dispersed Jews, then we may be certain that he is the Messiah. He will then perfect the entire world and bring all men to serve G-d in unity.”
There is nothing especially surprising here for anyone familiar with the beliefs of Historical Judaism. What is interesting is that so much of the Jewish beliefs are explicitly mentioned in the Targum to Isaiah 53. (I would also note that some of the Biblical quotes from my article on Moshiach ben Yosef indicate many of the things that the Rambam says.)
I want to examine text of the Targum and explain what he is saying and point out where the Targum’s words agree with the Rambam about the messianic period. This will be in stark contrast to Christian theology about the Messiah, which is conspicuously absent from the Targum. I will be discussing each sentence of the Targum. I have made a few modifications of the translation based on the translation of Levey, and the wording of the original where the text used above gives a nuance that is not there in the original.
52:13 Behold, My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
52:13. Behold my servant Messiah shall prosper; he shall be high, and increase, and be exceeding strong:
Here the servant is the Messiah. The Targum is almost the exact same wording as the Hebrew, except that he mentions the Messiah. We see that the Messiah will be of an exalted character, something that the Rambam emphasizes in his commentary to the Mishnah. “The Messiah will be a very great king, whose government will be in Zion. He will achieve great fame, and his reputation among the nations will be even greater than that of King Solomon.”
52:14 According as many were appalled at thee—so marred was his visage unlike that of a man, and his form unlike that of the sons of men—
52:14. as the house of Israel looked to him during many days, because their countenance was darkened among the peoples, and their complexion (darkened) beyond the sons of men,
Here the servant is Israel. We see how Israel suffered abuse in their exile while waiting for the Messiah to come.
52:15 So shall he startle many nations, kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they perceive.
52:15. so will he scatter many peoples; at him kings shall be silent, and put their hands upon their mouth, because that which was not told them have they seen, and that which they had not heard they have observed.
The servant is the Messiah again. We see how the Messiah will be victorious in war against all enemies. This reflects what the Rambam wrote in his commentary to the Mishnah: “Whoever rises up against him will be destroyed by G-d and given over into his hand.”
53:1 ‘Who would have believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed?
53:1. Who hath believed this our glad tidings? and the strength of the mighty arm of HaShem, upon whom hath it been revealed?
This seems to be similar to what the Rambam stated: “His great righteousness and the wonders that he will bring about will cause all peoples to make peace with him and all the lands will serve him.”
53:2 For he shot up right forth as a sapling, and as a root out of a dry ground; he had no form nor comeliness, that we should look upon him, nor beauty that we should delight in him.
53:2. The righteous will grow up before him, yeah, like blooming shoots, and like a tree which sends forth its roots to streams of water; will they increase - a holy generations (lit. holy children) in the land that was in need of him; his countenance no profane countenance, and the terror at him not the terror of a simple person; his complexion shall be a holy complexion, and all who see him will look (stare) upon him.
The servant in this verse is the righteous of Israel. It appears that this verse is the source for Rashi saying that the servant is the righteous of Israel, and not just all of Israel. We see that not just the Messiah, as mentioned in 52:13, but all the righteous of Israel will be exalted in that time.
53:3 He was despised, and forsaken of men, a man of pains, and acquainted with disease, and as one from whom men hide their face: he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
53:3. Then he will despise, and will cut off the glory of all the kingdoms; they will be weakened and mourning, like a man of pains and like one prepared for sicknesses; and as though the presence of the Shekhinah had been withdrawn, they will be despised, and esteemed not.
It seems that the servant here is the NATIONS, an interesting twist in his interpretation. This seems to be a continuation of 52:15 where we see that the nations who have caused the suffering to Israel will be subjugated.
53:4 Surely our diseases he did bear, and our pains he carried; whereas we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
53:4. Then for our sins he will pray, and our iniquities will for his sake be silenced, and we were accounted stricken, smitten from before HaShem, and afflicted.
The servant’s role here is applied to BOTH the Messiah and Israel. In Mishnah Torah Kings 11:4 the Rambam says: “lead all Jews back to the Torah, strengthen the observance of its laws”This is what the Messiah is doing here. The Targum also discusses the suffering in exile of Israel, and what the nations said about them.
53:5 But he was wounded because of our transgressions, he was crushed because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our welfare was upon him, and with his stripes we were healed.
53:5. But he will build up the Holy Place, which has been polluted for our sins, and delivered (to the enemy) for our iniquities; and by his instruction peace shall be increased upon us, and by devotion to his words, our sins will be forsaken[14].
The servant here is the Messiah. We see described the ‘job’ of the Messiah. It is almost exactly what the Rambam has stated: Book of Kings 11:4. We may assume that a person is the Messiah if he fulfills the following conditions: He must be a ruler, from the house of David, immersed in Torah and its commandments like David his ancestor. He must also follow both the written and the Oral Torah, lead all Jews back to the Torah, strengthen the observance of its laws, and fight G-d’s battles. If one fulfills these conditions then we may assume he is the Messiah. If he does this successfully, and then rebuilds the Temple on its original site and gathers all the dispersed Jews, then we may be certain that he is the Messiah. He will then perfect the entire world and bring all men to serve G-d in unity.”
53:6 All we like sheep did go astray, we turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath made to light on him the iniquity of us all.
53:6. All we like sheep had been scattered, we were exiled, each wandered off on his own way; but it was HaShem’s will to forsake the sins of all of us for his sake.
Here we see Israel’s position in exile and Israel’s sins being forgiven. (In the next few verses we see what the Messiah does to cause this: prayer and teaching Torah to the people.)
53:7 He was oppressed, though he humbled himself and opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb; yea, he opened not his mouth.
53:7. He prayed, and he was answered, and ere even he had opened his mouth he was accepted; the mighty of the peoples he will deliver up like a sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb dumb before her shearers; there shall be none before him opening his mouth or saying a word
The servant here is again the nations. As to the role of the Messiah in this verse the Rambam says: “Whoever rises up against him will be destroyed by G-d and given over into his hand.”
53:8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away, and with his generation who did reason? for he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due.
53:8. Out of suffering and punishment he will bring our exiles; the wondrous things done to us in his days who shall be able to tell? For he will cause the dominion of the Gentiles to pass away from the land of Israel and transfer to them the sins which my people have committed.
The servant here is Israel. The suffering of Israel in the exile will be ended. As to the Messiah what it says here follows what the Rambam says in the book of Kings 11:1. “The Messiah will be a king who will restore the kingdom of David to its original state. He will rebuild the Temple and gather together all Jews, no matter where they were scattered.” Also in his commentary on the Mishnah: “The main benefit of the Messianic Age will be that we will no longer be under the subjugation of foreign governments who prevent us from keeping all the commandments.”
53:9 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich his tomb; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.’
53:9. He will deliver the wicked into Gehinnom, and those that are rich in possessions, that were forced from us, into the death of utter destruction, in order that those who commit sin may not prevail, nor speak deceits with their mouth.
The servant here is the nations. This is a continuation of the previous verse of the victory over the gentiles.
53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to crush him by disease; to see if his soul would offer itself in restitution, that he might see his seed, prolong his days, and that the purpose of the LORD might prosper by his hand:
53:10. But it is HaShem's will to purify and to cause suffering to the remnant of his people, so as to cleanse their souls from sin; these shall look on the Kingdom of their Messiah, their sons and their daughters shall be multiplied, they shall prolong their days, and those who perform the Law of HaShem shall prosper by His Will.
The servant here is Israel. We see that the suffering in exile was for the good of Israel and they shall merit to have many children, and those who keep the Torah (the righteous) will prosper.
53:11 Of the travail of his soul he shall see to the full, even My servant, who by his knowledge did justify the Righteous One to the many, and their iniquities he did bear.
53:11. From the subjection of the nations he will deliver their souls, they shall look upon the punishment of those that hate them, and be satisfied with the spoil of their kings; by his wisdom he will hold cause merit to the meritorious, in order to bring many into service to the law; and for their sins he will intercede.
The servant here is both Israel and the Messiah. He repeats here the successful end to the enemies of Israel, and that Israel will divide the spoils from these enemies.
53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the mighty; because he bared his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
53:12. Then will I divide for him the spoil of many peoples, and the possessions of strong cities shall he divide as spoils, because he was willing to suffer martyrdom, and made the rebellious subject to the Law: he shall intercede for the sins of many, and the sins of the rebellious for his sake shall be forsaken
The servant here is the Messiah. A repetition of what was said above in 53:5 and 53:11.
The best expression of the claim of the missionaries is in a recent work by Dr. Brown. Here is what Dr. Brown says:
“Interestingly, the national interpretation is not found once in the Talmuds, the Targums, or the midrashim (in other words, not once in all the classical, foundational, authoritative Jewish writings). [15]
We have seen that this is just not true. In the Targum numerous references are made to a ‘national interpretation’ of the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. Verses like 52:14, 53:4,8 and 10 all discuss the suffering of Israel in exile where the verse in the original discusses the suffering of the ‘servant’. There are even places where the suffering of the servant is applied to the punishments that will befall the nations in the end of days.
But there is a problem. As we have said, this is a Midrashic commentary. It is theology and not exegesis. We see that the theology of the Targum and that of Historical Judaism are in agreement. The question is can we discern who the Targum believes is the subject of Isaiah 53? I think that we can. I think that we have a few pieces of information that tells us that in the time of the Targum they understood the simple meaning of Isaiah 53 is that the suffering servant is referring to Israel, or the Righteous of Israel.
The first fact is based on a simple question: Why is Moshiach ben Yosef not mentioned in this passage of the Targum? In a few others places[16] the Targum mentions Moshiach ben Yosef. Had the Targum wanted to indicate that Isaiah 53 related to the idea of a suffering Messiah figure, then it would have been natural for him to include mention of Moshiach ben Yosef. By excluding mention of Moshiach ben Yosef in Isaiah 53 the Targum shows that he excludes the idea of a single person for the subject of the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, especially the Messiah.
Secondly, all sources, Christian and Jewish; acknowledge that the subject of Isaiah 53 is a servant who suffers. As we saw from Dr. Goldberg, and from our examination of the Targum itself, the person suffering is ISRAEL. The inclusion of discussion about what the Messiah would be like and what he would do does not change anything with regards to that fact. This is, after all, a Midrash that is trying to teach something theological about the end-times period. It tells us many things, all of which Judaism accepts and acknowledges to the present day. And one point it makes quite clearly is that Israel has suffered in the exile.
These two points give us strong proof and confidence that, just like the theology the Targum teaches with regards to Isaiah 53 is what Historical Judaism believes, so the identification of the servant as Israel or the righteous of Israel, which Historical Judaism believes, is the same as the Targum. The Targum DOES NOT teach that the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is the Messiah. There is nothing in the Targum that even remotely is connected with the Christian theology about a Messiah who dies for the sins of the world. No person reading the Targum objectively, from beginning to end, would make such a contention.
© Moshe Shulman 2003 http://www.judaismsanswer.com
For more information, questions answered, or help with missionaries you can reach Moshe Shulman at outreach@judaismsanswer.com.
[1] http://www.thebookwurm.com/isaiah53.htm: ISAIAH FIFTY-THREE Of Whom Does The Prophet Speak?
[2] “Answers to Jewish Objections to Jesus”, Volume 3.
[3] Page 49
[4] Page 51
[5] “Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus”, Volume 2.
[6] Page 307 in note 390.
[7] Vol. II page 225.
[8] Page 118.
[9] Page 66.
[10] It is interesting that an admission that the Targum is Midrashic and castigating it for distorting would appear to be a contradiction. I am unable to explain away that contradiction. It seems to bring into question the ability of these people to deal with objective scholarship.
[11] This is a response to the counter missionary book by Gerald Sigel.
[12] Page 4.
[13] Page 5-6 in “The Suffering Servant of Isaiah, According to the Jewish Interpreters” by Samuel R. Driver and Adolf Neubauer Originally published in 1877 and off copyright, (reprinted 1999 Wipf and Stock Publishers)
[14] In a few places they translate this word as forgiven instead of the more correct: forsaken. In the Targum to Psalm 22:1 a form of this word is used to mean forsaken there.
[15] Volume 3 of ‘Answers to Jewish Objections to Jesus’ page 41.
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