# Torah with Onkelos
## Parashat Chayei Sarah — First Aliyah
### Bereshit 23:1 – 23:16
*Sarah's death and Avraham's purchase of the cave of Machpeilah, read through Targum Onkelos*
---
## Contents
- [Orientation](#orientation)
- [How this booklet is laid out](#layout)
- [Unit 1 — Bereshit 23:1–8: Sarah's death and Avraham's request for a burial place](#unit-1)
- [Unit 2 — Bereshit 23:9–16: Buying the cave of Machpeilah](#unit-2)
- [Conclusion of the aliyah](#conclusion)
- [Aramaic word list for the aliyah](#glossary)
- [Source note](#source-note)
---
## Orientation
**What happens in this aliyah.** Sarah dies at one hundred and twenty-seven in Kiryas Arba, which is Chevron, and Avraham comes to eulogize her and weep for her. He then rises from beside his dead and asks the sons of Cheis, among whom he lives as a foreigner and resident, for a burial holding. They answer that he is a prince of God among them and may bury his dead in the choicest of their graves; Avraham bows and asks them to intercede with Ephron son of Tzochar for the cave of Machpeilah at the end of his field, at its full price. Ephron, sitting among his people at the city gate, offers the field and the cave as a gift; Avraham insists on paying, Ephron names four hundred shekels of silver, and Avraham weighs out the silver in the hearing of the sons of Cheis.
**What Onkelos is.** Targum Onkelos is the classical Aramaic translation of the Torah, read for centuries alongside the Hebrew; the Talmud speaks of reviewing the weekly portion "twice in the Hebrew and once in the Targum". Because it is a translation, it rarely adds explanation in so many words. Its interpretation lies in its choices: which Aramaic word it uses, where it adds or omits a word, how it handles a difficult phrase, and where it departs from a word-for-word rendering.
**How this booklet reads Onkelos.** The notes compare the Aramaic with the Hebrew and nothing else. No later commentators are brought in. Where a note draws a conclusion about what Onkelos meant, it is stated as an inference from the text, not as established fact.
**What to look out for in this aliyah.**
- **'Hear' becomes 'accept'.** Every form of the Hebrew שמע in the aliyah, from the sons of Cheis' 'hear us' to 'Avraham listened', is rendered with the root קבל, 'accept'.
- **The address in 23:6.** 'My master' becomes 'our master', and 'a prince of God' becomes רַב קֳדָם ה׳, 'a great [one] before Hashem'.
- **The people named by their gentilic.** Where the Hebrew speaks of 'the sons of Cheis', Onkelos writes חִתָּאָה, the same word he uses for 'Ephron the Chitite'.
- **'In the ears of' becomes 'before'.** The bodily idiom is replaced by קֳדָם, while 'before the eyes of' in 23:11 is kept word for word.
- **The language of the market.** Small additions make the transaction explicit: the land is 'worth' four hundred, the money is 'the price of' the field, the shekel becomes the *sela'*, and the silver is 'accepted [in] trade in every province'.
- **Two verbs for 'give'.** The future forms of the Hebrew verb keep the cognate verb, while the perfects of 23:11 are rendered with *yehav*; Avraham's 'I have given' in 23:13 becomes 'I will give'.
- **Printed and Yemenite readings.** Textual notes compare the two in 23:2, 23:8, 23:13 and 23:16; in 23:13 the Yemenite text makes Ephron's kindness one already done.
---
## How this booklet is laid out
For each verse:
- **Torah** — the Hebrew verse, with vowels and cantillation, followed by an English **Translation** of the Hebrew (Metsudah Chumash).
- **Onkelos** — the Aramaic of Targum Onkelos, followed by **Onkelos in English**, a close translation of the Aramaic. It uses the same wording as the Torah translation wherever the Aramaic says the same thing, so that the differences from the Hebrew can be seen. Words in square brackets are added for sense.
- **What Onkelos tells us** — editorial notes comparing the Aramaic with the Hebrew: what is translated literally, what is changed or added, and what that suggests about how Onkelos read the verse. Selected Aramaic words are listed with their Hebrew equivalents.
Each unit ends with a short **Unit summary**. The booklet ends with a review of the aliyah and an Aramaic word list.
Divine Names in the Hebrew and Aramaic are printed as ה׳ and אלקים. In English, God's proper Name is rendered *Hashem*, and *Elokim* is rendered *God*.
---
## Unit 1 — Bereshit 23:1–8: Sarah's death and Avraham's request for a burial place
Sarah dies in Kiryas Arba, which is Chevron, and Avraham mourns her; he then rises and asks the sons of Cheis for a burial holding among them, they offer him their finest graves, and he asks them to intercede with Ephron son of Tzochar.
---
### Bereshit 23:1
**Torah**
וַיִּהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה׃
**Translation**
The lifetime of Sarah consisted of one hundred years, twenty years and seven years. [These were] the years of Sarah's life.
**Onkelos**
וַהֲווֹ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה מְאָה וְעֶשְׂרִין וּשְׁבַע שְׁנִין שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי שָׂרָה
**Onkelos in English**
The lifetime of Sarah consisted of one hundred and twenty and seven years, the years of Sarah's life.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"One hundred and twenty and seven years".** The Hebrew repeats the word 'year' after each part of the number: מֵאָה שָׁנָה, וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה, וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים. Onkelos gives the number as one phrase, מְאָה וְעֶשְׂרִין וּשְׁבַע שְׁנִין, with a single שְׁנִין at the end. The repetition of the Hebrew is not reproduced; this may simply be the ordinary Aramaic way of stating a number.
- **"The years of Sarah's life".** The closing phrase שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי שָׂרָה matches the Hebrew word for word. A literal rendering.
**Words to note:** וַהֲווֹ *va-havo* — consisted of (were) (וַיִּהְיוּ) · שְׁנִין *shenin* — years (שָׁנִים)
---
### Bereshit 23:2
**Torah**
וַתָּ֣מׇת שָׂרָ֗ה בְּקִרְיַ֥ת אַרְבַּ֛ע הִ֥וא חֶבְר֖וֹן בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיָּבֹא֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם לִסְפֹּ֥ד לְשָׂרָ֖ה וְלִבְכֹּתָֽהּ׃
**Translation**
Sarah died in Kiryas Arba, which is Chevron, in the land of Canaan. Avraham came to eulogize Sarah and to weep for her.
**Onkelos**
וּמִיתַת שָׂרָה בְּקִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הִיא חֶבְרוֹן בְּאַרְעָא דִּכְנָעַן וַאֲתָא אַבְרָהָם לְמִסְפְּדָה לְשָׂרָה וּלְמִבְכַּהּ
**Onkelos in English**
Sarah died in Kiryas Arba, which is Chevron, in the land of Canaan. Avraham came to eulogize Sarah and to weep for her.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"In the land of Canaan".** The Hebrew construct בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן is opened up with ד: בְּאַרְעָא דִּכְנָעַן, literally 'in the land of Canaan' with 'of' written as a separate particle. The usual Aramaic construction; the sense is unchanged.
- **"To eulogize Sarah and to weep for her".** Both infinitives are kept: לְמִסְפְּדָה for לִסְפֹּד and וּלְמִבְכַּהּ for וְלִבְכֹּתָהּ, the second with the object suffix 'her' as in the Hebrew. Otherwise a literal rendering.
- **Textual note.** For לְמִסְפְּדָה לְשָׂרָה the Yemenite text reads לְמִסְפְּדַהּ דְּשָׂרָה: the verb carries the suffix 'her', and Sarah follows with ד, literally 'to eulogize her, Sarah'. The meaning is the same, but the construction differs from the printed text, which has the plain preposition ל before Sarah as the Hebrew does.
**Words to note:** וּמִיתַת *u-mitat* — died (וַתָּמׇת) · דִּכְנָעַן *di-khna'an* — of Canaan (כְּנָעַן) · וַאֲתָא *va-'ata* — came (וַיָּבֹא) · לְמִסְפְּדָה *le-mispeda* — to eulogize (לִסְפֹּד) · וּלְמִבְכַּהּ *u-le-mivkah* — and to weep for her (וְלִבְכֹּתָהּ)
---
### Bereshit 23:3
**Torah**
וַיָּ֙קׇם֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֣י מֵת֑וֹ וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֶל־בְּנֵי־חֵ֖ת לֵאמֹֽר׃
**Translation**
Avraham rose from the presence of his dead, and spoke to the sons of Cheis saying,
**Onkelos**
וְקָם אַבְרָהָם מֵעַל אַפֵּי מִיתֵהּ וּמַלֵּל עִם בְּנֵי חִתָּאָה לְמֵימָר
**Onkelos in English**
Avraham rose from the presence of his dead, and spoke with the sons of the Chitite saying,
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"From the presence of his dead".** מֵעַל אַפֵּי renders מֵעַל פְּנֵי exactly, 'from upon the face of'; מִיתֵהּ is 'his dead'. A literal rendering.
- **"Spoke with".** The Hebrew וַיְדַבֵּר is rendered with the usual Aramaic verb וּמַלֵּל. The preposition changes: the Hebrew אֶל, 'to', becomes עִם, 'with'.
- **"The sons of the Chitite".** Where the Hebrew names the people after their ancestor, בְּנֵי חֵת, 'the sons of Cheis', Onkelos uses the gentilic חִתָּאָה, 'the Chitite', naming the people rather than the person. The same form recurs for חֵת in 23:5 and 23:7.
**Words to note:** אַפֵּי *appei* — face (presence) (פְּנֵי) · מִיתֵהּ *miteh* — his dead (מֵתוֹ) · וּמַלֵּל *u-mallel* — and spoke (וַיְדַבֵּר) · עִם *im* — with (אֶל) · חִתָּאָה *hitta'ah* — the Chitite (חֵת)
---
### Bereshit 23:4
**Torah**
גֵּר־וְתוֹשָׁ֥ב אָנֹכִ֖י עִמָּכֶ֑ם תְּנ֨וּ לִ֤י אֲחֻזַּת־קֶ֙בֶר֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה מֵתִ֖י מִלְּפָנָֽי׃
**Translation**
I am a foreigner and a resident among you. Grant me the possession of a grave site with you, so that I may bury my dead from my presence.
**Onkelos**
דַּיָּר וְתוֹתַב אֲנָא עִמְּכוֹן הָבוּ לִי אַחֲסָנַת קְבוּרָא עִמְּכוֹן וְאִקְבַּר מִיתִי מִן קֳדָמָי
**Onkelos in English**
I am a sojourner and a resident among you. Grant me the possession of a burial [place] with you, so that I may bury my dead from my presence.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"A sojourner and a resident".** גֵּר is rendered דַּיָּר, 'one who dwells', a sojourner; וְתוֹשָׁב is rendered by its Aramaic cognate וְתוֹתַב. The pair of near-synonyms is kept.
- **"Grant me".** The Hebrew תְּנוּ, 'give', becomes הָבוּ, the usual Aramaic imperative 'give'.
- **"The possession of a burial [place]".** אַחֲסָנַת, 'possession', renders אֲחֻזַּת. For the Hebrew קֶבֶר, 'grave', Onkelos uses the noun קְבוּרָא, 'burial', whereas in 23:6 the Hebrew grave words (קְבָרֵינוּ, קִבְרוֹ) are rendered with the noun for 'grave' (קִבְרָנָא, קִבְרֵהּ). Both Aramaic nouns come from the root קבר; the choice of 'burial' here perhaps frames the request as one for a place of burial rather than a particular grave.
- **"From my presence".** מִן קֳדָמָי, 'from before me', is the regular equivalent of מִלְּפָנָי. A literal rendering.
**Words to note:** דַּיָּר *dayyar* — sojourner (גֵּר) · וְתוֹתַב *ve-totav* — and a resident (וְתוֹשָׁב) · הָבוּ *havu* — grant (תְּנוּ) · אַחֲסָנַת *ahasanat* — the possession of (אֲחֻזַּת) · קְבוּרָא *kevura* — burial [place] (קֶבֶר) · קֳדָמָי *kodamai* — before me (my presence) (מִלְּפָנָי)
---
### Bereshit 23:5
**Torah**
וַיַּעֲנ֧וּ בְנֵי־חֵ֛ת אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֥ר לֽוֹ׃
**Translation**
The sons of Cheis replied to Avraham saying to him,
**Onkelos**
וַאֲתִיבוּ בְנֵי חִתָּאָה יָת אַבְרָהָם לְמֵימָר לֵהּ
**Onkelos in English**
The sons of the Chitite replied to Avraham saying to him,
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Replied".** וַיַּעֲנוּ is rendered וַאֲתִיבוּ, literally 'returned [word]', the usual Aramaic for answering. Otherwise a literal rendering, with חִתָּאָה for Cheis as in 23:3.
**Words to note:** וַאֲתִיבוּ *va-'ativu* — replied (וַיַּעֲנוּ) · לְמֵימָר *le-meimar* — saying (לֵאמֹר)
---
### Bereshit 23:6
**Torah**
שְׁמָעֵ֣נוּ ׀ אֲדֹנִ֗י נְשִׂ֨יא אֱלֹקִ֤ים אַתָּה֙ בְּתוֹכֵ֔נוּ בְּמִבְחַ֣ר קְבָרֵ֔ינוּ קְבֹ֖ר אֶת־מֵתֶ֑ךָ אִ֣ישׁ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ אֶת־קִבְר֛וֹ לֹֽא־יִכְלֶ֥ה מִמְּךָ֖ מִקְּבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ׃
**Translation**
Hear us my master, you are a prince of God in our midst. Bury your dead in the choicest of our grave sites. No man among us will deny his grave site from you to bury your dead.
**Onkelos**
קַבֵּל מִנָּנָא רִבּוֹנָנָא רַב קֳדָם ה׳ אַתְּ בֵּינָנָא בִּשְׁפַר קִבְרָנָא קְבַר יָת מִיתָךְ אֱנַשׁ מִנָּנָא יָת קִבְרֵהּ לָא יִמְנַע מִנָּךְ מִלְמִקְבַּר מִיתָךְ
**Onkelos in English**
Accept from us, our master, you are a great [one] before Hashem in our midst. Bury your dead in the finest of our grave sites. No man among us will withhold his grave site from you, to bury your dead.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Accept from us".** The Hebrew שְׁמָעֵנוּ, 'hear us', becomes קַבֵּל מִנָּנָא, 'accept from us'. The plea is to receive what they say, not only to hear it. Avraham's שְׁמָעוּנִי in 23:8 is rendered the same way.
- **"Our master".** The Hebrew אֲדֹנִי is 'my master', though the speakers are many; Onkelos writes רִבּוֹנָנָא, 'our master', perhaps bringing the address into line with the plural speakers and with the 'us' of the rest of the verse.
- **"A great [one] before Hashem".** For נְשִׂיא אֱלֹקִים, 'a prince of God', Onkelos writes רַב קֳדָם ה׳. Two things change:
- the construct 'prince of' becomes רַב, 'great', followed by קֳדָם, 'before', so that the man is no longer joined directly to God's name, a pattern that may reflect reverence in speaking of God;
- *Elokim* is rendered with the Name, ה׳, which suggests that Onkelos read the word here as the divine name, not as a superlative ('a mighty prince').
- **"The finest of our grave sites".** בְּמִבְחַר, 'the choice of', is rendered בִּשְׁפַר, from the root שפר, 'be fair, good', a word of quality rather than of choosing.
- **"Will withhold".** The Hebrew יִכְלֶה is spelled like a form of כלה, 'finish', though the sense here is 'hold back'. Onkelos's יִמְנַע, 'withhold', gives the sense without ambiguity.
- **"No man among us".** אֱנַשׁ מִנָּנָא renders אִישׁ מִמֶּנּוּ word for word.
**Words to note:** קַבֵּל *kabbel* — accept (שְׁמָעֵנוּ) · רִבּוֹנָנָא *ribbonana* — our master (אֲדֹנִי) · רַב *rav* — great [one] (נְשִׂיא) · קֳדָם *kodam* — before · בִּשְׁפַר *bi-shfar* — in the finest of (בְּמִבְחַר) · יִמְנַע *yimna'* — will withhold (יִכְלֶה)
---
### Bereshit 23:7
**Torah**
וַיָּ֧קׇם אַבְרָהָ֛ם וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ לְעַם־הָאָ֖רֶץ לִבְנֵי־חֵֽת׃
**Translation**
Avraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Cheis.
**Onkelos**
וְקָם אַבְרָהָם וּסְגִיד לְעַמָּא דְאַרְעָא לִבְנֵי חִתָּאָה
**Onkelos in English**
Avraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of the Chitite.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"The people of the land".** The construct לְעַם הָאָרֶץ is opened up with ד: לְעַמָּא דְאַרְעָא. וּסְגִיד is the usual Aramaic for bowing down. A literal rendering, with חִתָּאָה for Cheis as in 23:3.
**Words to note:** וּסְגִיד *u-segid* — and bowed (וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ) · לְעַמָּא *le-'amma* — to the people (לְעַם) · דְאַרְעָא *de-ar'a* — of the land (הָאָרֶץ)
---
### Bereshit 23:8
**Torah**
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתָּ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־יֵ֣שׁ אֶֽת־נַפְשְׁכֶ֗ם לִקְבֹּ֤ר אֶת־מֵתִי֙ מִלְּפָנַ֔י שְׁמָע֕וּנִי וּפִגְעוּ־לִ֖י בְּעֶפְר֥וֹן בֶּן־צֹֽחַר׃
**Translation**
Avraham spoke to them, saying, If it is really your will that I bury my dead from my presence, listen to me and intercede for me with Ephron, son of Tzochar.
**Onkelos**
וּמַלֵּל עִמְּהוֹן לְמֵימָר אִם אִית רַעֲוָא בְנַפְשְׁכוֹן לְמִקְבַּר יָת מִיתִי מִן קֳדָמַי קַבִּילוּ מִנִּי וּבְעוּ לִי מִן עֶפְרוֹן בַּר צוֹחַר
**Onkelos in English**
He spoke to them, saying, If there is will in your soul that I bury my dead from my presence, accept from me and request for me from Ephron, son of Tzochar.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"If there is will in your soul".** The Hebrew אִם יֵשׁ אֶת נַפְשְׁכֶם is literally 'if it is with your soul'. Onkelos adds a noun, רַעֲוָא, 'will, desire', and writes אִם אִית רַעֲוָא בְנַפְשְׁכוֹן, 'if there is will in your soul', making explicit a sense of נפש, 'desire', that the Hebrew perhaps only implies.
- **"Accept from me".** שְׁמָעוּנִי, 'listen to me', becomes קַבִּילוּ מִנִּי, 'accept from me', as the sons of Cheis' 'hear us' became 'accept from us' in 23:6.
- **"Request for me from Ephron".** The Hebrew וּפִגְעוּ לִי בְּעֶפְרוֹן, 'entreat for me with Ephron', uses a verb whose basic sense is 'meet, encounter'. Onkelos uses וּבְעוּ, 'request', and changes the preposition to מִן, 'from': the sons of Cheis are asked to make a request of Ephron on Avraham's behalf.
- **"Son of Tzochar".** בַּר is the Aramaic for בֶּן.
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text reads רַעֲוָא נַפְשְׁכוֹן without ב, 'the will of your soul', where the printed text has בְנַפְשְׁכוֹן, 'in your soul'. The added noun רַעֲוָא is in both; the meaning is the same.
**Words to note:** עִמְּהוֹן *immehon* — to them (with them) (אִתָּם) · רַעֲוָא *ra'ava* — will · קַבִּילוּ *kabbilu* — accept (שְׁמָעוּנִי) · וּבְעוּ *u-ve'u* — and request (וּפִגְעוּ) · בַּר *bar* — son of (בֶּן)
---
### Unit 1 summary
Onkelos follows the scene closely and makes few additions; most changes are in idiom and vocabulary. The Hebrew 'hear' becomes 'accept from' in both requests (קַבֵּל מִנָּנָא, קַבִּילוּ מִנִּי), the people are named by the gentilic חִתָּאָה rather than by their ancestor Cheis, and the construct phrases 'land of Canaan' and 'people of the land' are opened up with ד. The most marked change is the Chitites' address in 23:6: 'my master' becomes 'our master', and 'a prince of God' becomes 'a great [one] before Hashem', a rephrasing that may reflect reluctance to join a human title directly to God's name. Elsewhere Onkelos clarifies: the Hebrew 'if it is with your soul' gains the word 'will' (רַעֲוָא), the ambiguous יִכְלֶה becomes the plain 'withhold', and 'entreat me with Ephron' becomes 'request for me from Ephron'.
---
## Unit 2 — Bereshit 23:9–16: Buying the cave of Machpeilah
Avraham asks the sons of Cheis to have Ephron sell him the cave at the end of his field. Ephron offers it as a gift; Avraham insists on paying, and weighs out four hundred shekels of silver.
---
### Bereshit 23:9
**Torah**
וְיִתֶּן־לִ֗י אֶת־מְעָרַ֤ת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה֙ אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בִּקְצֵ֣ה שָׂדֵ֑הוּ בְּכֶ֨סֶף מָלֵ֜א יִתְּנֶ֥נָּה לִּ֛י בְּתוֹכְכֶ֖ם לַאֲחֻזַּת־קָֽבֶר׃
**Translation**
Let him give me the Machpeilah [double] cave, which belongs to him, which is at the end of his field. Let him give [sell] it to me for its full value, as a grave site among you.
**Onkelos**
וְיִתֶּן לִי יָת מְעָרַת כָּפֶלְתָּא דִּי לֵהּ דִּי בִּסְטַר חַקְלֵהּ בְּכַסְפָּא שְׁלִים יִתְּנִינַהּ לִי בֵּינֵיכוֹן לְאַחֲסָנַת קְבוּרָא
**Onkelos in English**
Let him give me the cave of Kafelta, which belongs to him, which is at the side of his field. Let him give it to me for its full value, as a possession of a burial [place] among you.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"The cave of Kafelta".** The Hebrew name *ha-Makhpelah* (הַמַּכְפֵּלָה) and Onkelos's *kafelta* (כָּפֶלְתָּא) are built on the same root, כפל, "to double". Onkelos does not transliterate the Hebrew form: he drops its *mem*-prefix and article and gives an Aramaic noun with the determinate ending *-ta*. The name thus keeps its meaning ("the doubled one") transparent to an Aramaic reader; whether he heard it as a proper name or as a description the Aramaic leaves open.
- **"At the side of his field".** The Hebrew places the cave *bi-ktzeh sadehu*, "at the end of his field". Onkelos writes *bi-setar hakleh* (בִּסְטַר חַקְלֵהּ), "at the side of his field", using a word for side or edge rather than one for end. The location is the same margin of the field, expressed in ordinary Aramaic idiom.
- **"For its full value".** *Be-khesef male*, "for full silver", becomes *be-khaspa shelim* (בְּכַסְפָּא שְׁלִים): *kesef* is matched by its Aramaic cognate, while "full" (*male*) becomes *shelim*, "complete". A literal rendering.
- **"As a possession of a burial [place]".** The Hebrew *la-ahuzzat kever*, "as a holding of a grave", becomes *le-ahasanat kevura* (לְאַחֲסָנַת קְבוּרָא): *ahasanah* (possession, inheritance) for *ahuzzah* (holding), and *kevura*, "burial", for *kever*, "grave". This is the same phrase Onkelos uses for Avraham's request in 23:4, and the same choice of "burial" rather than "grave".
- **"Let him give".** Both future forms of the Hebrew verb "give" in this verse, *ve-yitten* and *yittenennah*, keep the same verb in the Aramaic (*ve-yitten*, *yitteninah*). Contrast 23:11, where the past-tense forms of the same Hebrew verb are rendered with a different Aramaic verb.
**Words to note:** כָּפֶלְתָּא *kafelta* — Kafelta (the doubled one) (הַמַּכְפֵּלָה) · בִּסְטַר *bi-setar* — at the side of (בִּקְצֵה) · שְׁלִים *shelim* — full (lit. complete) (מָלֵא) · בֵּינֵיכוֹן *beineikhon* — among you (בְּתוֹכְכֶם) · לְאַחֲסָנַת *le-ahasanat* — as a possession of (לַאֲחֻזַּת) · קְבוּרָא *kevura* — burial [place] (קָבֶר)
---
### Bereshit 23:10
**Torah**
וְעֶפְר֥וֹן יֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּת֣וֹךְ בְּנֵי־חֵ֑ת וַיַּ֩עַן֩ עֶפְר֨וֹן הַחִתִּ֤י אֶת־אַבְרָהָם֙ בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי־חֵ֔ת לְכֹ֛ל בָּאֵ֥י שַֽׁעַר־עִיר֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃
**Translation**
Ephron lived in the midst of the sons of Cheis, Ephron the Chitite replied to Avraham in the ears [audience] of the sons of Cheis, for all who came to the city gate, saying,
**Onkelos**
וְעֶפְרוֹן יָתֵב בְּגוֹ בְּנֵי חִתָּאָה וְאָתֵיב עֶפְרוֹן חִתָּאָה יָת אַבְרָהָם קֳדָם בְּנֵי חִתָּאָה לְכֹל עָלֵי תְּרַע קַרְתֵּהּ לְמֵימָר
**Onkelos in English**
Ephron lived in the midst of the sons of the Chitite. Ephron the Chitite replied to Avraham before the sons of the Chitite, for all who entered the gate of his city, saying,
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"The sons of the Chitite".** The Hebrew distinguishes the ancestor's name *Het* ("the sons of Cheis", twice in this verse) from the gentilic *ha-Hitti*, "the Chitite". Onkelos uses one word, *hitta'ah* (חִתָּאָה), for both: "the sons of the Chitite" and "Ephron the Chitite". In the Aramaic the people are named by their ethnic name throughout, not by their ancestor.
- **"Before the sons of the Chitite".** The Hebrew idiom *be-oznei*, "in the ears of", becomes *kodam* (קֳדָם), "before". The same replacement occurs in 23:13 and 23:16, and *kodam* also renders the ordinary *lifnei* in 23:12, so in this passage one Aramaic word covers two Hebrew expressions. Onkelos may have felt the bodily idiom to be less natural in Aramaic; note, however, that he keeps "before the eyes of" in 23:11.
- **"All who entered".** The Hebrew *ba'ei sha'ar iro*, "those who come to the gate of his city", uses the general verb "come". Onkelos uses *alei* (עָלֵי), "who entered", from the Aramaic verb for entering, choosing the specific sense of going in through the gate.
- **"Replied".** *Va-ya'an*, "answered", becomes *ve-ateiv* (וְאָתֵיב), the usual Aramaic verb for replying (literally "returned [word]"). The word recurs in 23:14.
**Words to note:** יָתֵב *yatev* — lived (יֹשֵׁב) · בְּגוֹ *be-go* — in the midst of (בְּתוֹךְ) · חִתָּאָה *hitta'ah* — the Chitite (חֵת) · וְאָתֵיב *ve-ateiv* — replied (וַיַּעַן) · קֳדָם *kodam* — before (בְּאׇזְנֵי) · עָלֵי *alei* — who entered (בָּאֵי)
---
### Bereshit 23:11
**Torah**
לֹֽא־אֲדֹנִ֣י שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי הַשָּׂדֶה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־בּ֖וֹ לְךָ֣ נְתַתִּ֑יהָ לְעֵינֵ֧י בְנֵי־עַמִּ֛י נְתַתִּ֥יהָ לָּ֖ךְ קְבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ׃
**Translation**
No, my master, hear me: I have given you the field, and the cave that is in it, I have [also] given to you. Before the eyes of the sons of my people I have given it to you. Bury your dead.
**Onkelos**
לָא רִבּוֹנִי קַבֵּיל מִנִּי חַקְלָא יְהָבִית לָךְ וּמְעַרְתָּא דִּי בֵהּ לָךְ יְהָבִיתַהּ לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי עַמִּי יְהָבִיתַהּ לָךְ קְבַר מִיתָךְ
**Onkelos in English**
No, my master, accept from me: I have given you the field, and the cave that is in it, I have given it to you. Before the eyes of the sons of my people I have given it to you. Bury your dead.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Accept from me".** The Hebrew *shema'eni*, "hear me", becomes *kabbeil minni* (קַבֵּיל מִנִּי), "accept from me". In this passage every form of the Hebrew שמע (23:6, 23:8, here, 23:13, 23:15 and 23:16) is rendered with the root קבל. This suggests Onkelos took "hear me" in the sense of agreeing to a proposal rather than merely listening.
- **"I have given".** The Hebrew uses one verb, "give", three times in this verse (*natatti*, *netattiha* twice). Onkelos renders all three with a different Aramaic verb, *yehav*: *yehavit* (יְהָבִית) and *yehavitah* (יְהָבִיתַהּ). In 23:9 the future forms of the same Hebrew verb keep the cognate verb (*yitten*), so the Aramaic splits one Hebrew verb between two according to tense.
- **"Before the eyes of".** Here Onkelos keeps the Hebrew idiom word for word: *le-einei vnei ammi* (לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי עַמִּי), "before the eyes of the sons of my people". Contrast "in the ears of", which he replaces with *kodam* in 23:10, 23:13 and 23:16.
- **"Bury your dead".** *Kevar mitakh*: a literal rendering.
**Words to note:** רִבּוֹנִי *ribboni* — my master (אֲדֹנִי) · קַבֵּיל *kabbeil* — accept (שְׁמָעֵנִי) · מִנִּי *minni* — from me · חַקְלָא *hakla* — the field (הַשָּׂדֶה) · יְהָבִית *yehavit* — I have given (נָתַתִּי) · יְהָבִיתַהּ *yehavitah* — I have given it (נְתַתִּיהָ)
---
### Bereshit 23:12
**Torah**
וַיִּשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י עַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃
**Translation**
Avraham bowed to the people of the land.
**Onkelos**
וּסְגִיד אַבְרָהָם קֳדָם עַמָּא דְאַרְעָא
**Onkelos in English**
Avraham bowed to the people of the land.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Avraham bowed".** A literal rendering. *Va-yishtahu*, "bowed down", is rendered *u-segid* (וּסְגִיד); *lifnei*, "before", is *kodam*; and the construct *am ha-aretz* becomes the analytic phrase *amma de-ar'a* (עַמָּא דְאַרְעָא), "the people of the land".
**Words to note:** וּסְגִיד *u-segid* — bowed (וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ) · עַמָּא *amma* — the people (עַם) · דְאַרְעָא *de-ar'a* — of the land (הָאָרֶץ)
---
### Bereshit 23:13
**Torah**
וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל־עֶפְר֜וֹן בְּאׇזְנֵ֤י עַם־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֛ךְ אִם־אַתָּ֥ה ל֖וּ שְׁמָעֵ֑נִי נָתַ֜תִּי כֶּ֤סֶף הַשָּׂדֶה֙ קַ֣ח מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־מֵתִ֖י שָֽׁמָּה׃
**Translation**
He spoke to Ephron in the ears [audience] of the people of the land saying, If you will only listen to me. I have given the money for the field. Take it from me and I will bury my dead there.
**Onkelos**
וּמַלֵּיל עִם עֶפְרוֹן קֳדָם עַמָּא דְאַרְעָא לְמֵימָר בְּרַם אִם אַתְּ עָבֵד לִי טִיבוּ קַבֵּל מִנִּי אֶתֵּן כַּסְפָּא דְמֵי חַקְלָא סַב מִנִּי וְאֶקְבַּר יָת מִיתִי תַּמָּן
**Onkelos in English**
He spoke with Ephron before the people of the land, saying, But if you do me a kindness, accept from me: I will give the money, the price of the field. Take it from me and I will bury my dead there.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"He spoke with Ephron".** The Hebrew *va-yedabber el Efron*, "spoke to Ephron", becomes *u-malleil im Efron* (וּמַלֵּיל עִם), "spoke with". "In the ears of the people of the land" becomes "before" (*kodam*), as in 23:10.
- **"If you do me a kindness, accept from me".** The Hebrew is terse: *akh im attah lu shema'eni*, roughly "but if you, would that you would hear me". Onkelos expands it: *beram im at aved li tivu kabbel minni* (בְּרַם אִם אַתְּ עָבֵד לִי טִיבוּ קַבֵּל מִנִּי), "but if you do me a kindness, accept from me". The particle *lu* appears to have been read as a polite plea and spelled out as a request for a favour; "hear me" becomes "accept from me", as in 23:11.
- **"I will give".** The Hebrew says *natatti*, "I have given", in the perfect. Onkelos writes *etten* (אֶתֵּן), "I will give", a future. Since the payment itself is made only in 23:16, the Aramaic may present Avraham's words as an offer still to be carried out. The verb is also the cognate *yitten* form Onkelos uses for the future in 23:9, not *yehav*, which he uses for the perfects of 23:11.
- **"The money, the price of the field".** *Kesef ha-sadeh*, "the money of the field", becomes *kaspa demei hakla* (כַּסְפָּא דְמֵי חַקְלָא), with the added word *demei*, "the price of". The addition makes explicit that the money is the field's value.
- **"Take it from me".** *Kah mimmenni* becomes *sav minni* (סַב מִנִּי); the rest of the verse is literal.
- **Textual note.** Where the printed text has the participle *at aved* (אַתְּ עָבֵד), "you do", the Yemenite text has the perfect *avadt* (עֲבַדְתְּ), "if you have done me a kindness". The plea is then grounded in a favour already shown; the remark on "if you do me a kindness" holds for the printed text only.
**Words to note:** וּמַלֵּיל *u-malleil* — he spoke (וַיְדַבֵּר) · בְּרַם *beram* — but (אַךְ) · טִיבוּ *tivu* — a kindness · אֶתֵּן *etten* — I will give (נָתַתִּי) · דְמֵי *demei* — the price of · סַב *sav* — take (קַח)
---
### Bereshit 23:14
**Torah**
וַיַּ֧עַן עֶפְר֛וֹן אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֥ר לֽוֹ׃
**Translation**
Ephron replied to Avraham, saying to him,
**Onkelos**
וְאָתֵיב עֶפְרוֹן יָת אַבְרָהָם לְמֵימָר לֵהּ
**Onkelos in English**
Ephron replied to Avraham, saying to him,
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Ephron replied".** A literal rendering, with *ve-ateiv* (וְאָתֵיב) for *va-ya'an*, as in 23:10.
**Words to note:** וְאָתֵיב *ve-ateiv* — replied (וַיַּעַן) · לְמֵימָר *le-meimar* — saying (לֵאמֹר)
---
### Bereshit 23:15
**Torah**
אֲדֹנִ֣י שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי אֶ֩רֶץ֩ אַרְבַּ֨ע מֵאֹ֧ת שֶֽׁקֶל־כֶּ֛סֶף בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵֽינְךָ֖ מַה־הִ֑וא וְאֶת־מֵתְךָ֖ קְבֹֽר׃
**Translation**
My master, hear me. A land [worth] four hundred silver *shekel*—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.
**Onkelos**
רִבּוֹנִי קַבֵּל מִנִּי אַרְעָא שַׁוְיָא אַרְבַּע מְאָה סִלְעִין דִּכְסַף בֵּינָא וּבֵינָךְ מַה הִיא וְיָת מִיתָךְ קְבַר
**Onkelos in English**
My master, accept from me. A land worth four hundred sela'im of silver—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Accept from me".** *Shema'eni*, "hear me", again becomes *kabbel minni*, as in 23:11 and 23:13.
- **An added word: *shavya*.** The Hebrew says only "a land, four hundred shekels of silver", leaving the relation between land and sum to be inferred. Onkelos adds *shavya* (שַׁוְיָא), "worth": "a land worth four hundred...". The added word states outright that the sum is the land's value.
- **"Sela'im of silver".** The Hebrew unit *shekel* becomes *sil'in* (סִלְעִין), *sela'im*, the name of a coin in Aramaic usage; *kesef* is rendered *di-khsaf* (דִּכְסַף), "of silver". The substitution may reflect an equation of the biblical shekel with the *sela'* familiar to Onkelos's readers. The same pair recurs in 23:16.
- **"Between me and you".** *Beina u-veinakh, ma hi*: a literal rendering, keeping the Hebrew order.
**Words to note:** אַרְעָא *ar'a* — a land (אֶרֶץ) · שַׁוְיָא *shavya* — worth · סִלְעִין *sil'in* — sela'im (שֶׁקֶל) · דִּכְסַף *di-khsaf* — of silver (כֶּסֶף)
---
### Bereshit 23:16
**Torah**
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אַבְרָהָם֮ אֶל־עֶפְרוֹן֒ וַיִּשְׁקֹ֤ל אַבְרָהָם֙ לְעֶפְרֹ֔ן אֶת־הַכֶּ֕סֶף אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי־חֵ֑ת אַרְבַּ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ שֶׁ֣קֶל כֶּ֔סֶף עֹבֵ֖ר לַסֹּחֵֽר׃
**Translation**
Avraham listened to Ephron, and Avraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he spoke of in the hearing of the sons of Cheis, four hundred silver shekel, negotiable currency.
**Onkelos**
וְקַבֵּל אַבְרָהָם מִן עֶפְרוֹן וּתְקַל אַבְרָהָם לְעֶפְרוֹן יָת כַּסְפָּא דְּמַלֵּיל קֳדָם בְּנֵי חִתָּאָה אַרְבַּע מְאָה סִלְעִין דִּכְסַף מִתְקַבֵּל סְחוֹרָא (נ''י דְּמִתְקַבֵּל סְחוֹרָתָא) בְּכָל מְדִינְתָּא
**Onkelos in English**
Avraham accepted from Ephron, and Avraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he spoke of before the sons of the Chitite, four hundred sela'im of silver, accepted [in] trade (another version: which is accepted [in] trade) in every province.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Avraham accepted from Ephron".** The Hebrew *va-yishma Avraham el Efron*, "Avraham listened to Ephron", becomes *ve-kabbel Avraham min Efron* (וְקַבֵּל אַבְרָהָם מִן עֶפְרוֹן). The Hebrew repetition of שמע across the negotiation ("hear us" in 23:6, "listen to me" in 23:8, "hear me" in 23:11, 23:13 and 23:15; "listened" here) is kept in the Aramaic, but on the root קבל throughout: Ephron's repeated "accept from me" is answered by "Avraham accepted from Ephron".
- **"Weighed out".** *Va-yishkol* becomes *u-tekal* (וּתְקַל), the Aramaic cognate of the same root (Hebrew ש corresponding to Aramaic ת).
- **"Before the sons of the Chitite".** *Be-oznei bnei Het*, "in the hearing of the sons of Cheis", becomes *kodam bnei hitta'ah*, as in 23:10.
- **"Sela'im of silver".** *Shekel kesef* again becomes *sil'in di-khsaf*, as in 23:15.
- **"Accepted [in] trade in every province".** The Hebrew *over la-soher*, literally "passing to the merchant", describes silver that traders take. Onkelos writes *mitkabbel sehora ... be-khol medinta* (מִתְקַבֵּל סְחוֹרָא ... בְּכָל מְדִינְתָּא): "accepted [in] trade in every province". *Sehora* (trade) is from the same root as the Hebrew *soher* (merchant), but the verb is now קבל, "accepted", and the phrase "in every province" is added, perhaps to stress that the money was of full, universally recognized value. With this verb the root קבל both opens the verse (Avraham *accepted*) and closes it (the silver is *accepted*), a link the Hebrew, with שמע and עבר, does not have.
- **Textual note.** The printed text gives in parentheses an alternative reading, *de-mitkabbel sehorata* (דְּמִתְקַבֵּל סְחוֹרָתָא), "which is accepted [in] trade", which differs only in adding the relative particle. The Yemenite text has no parenthesis and reads *mitkabbal sehora be-khol medina* (מִתְקַבַּל סְחוֹרָה בְּכָל מְדִינָה), with the same meaning.
**Words to note:** וְקַבֵּל *ve-kabbel* — accepted (וַיִּשְׁמַע) · וּתְקַל *u-tekal* — weighed out (וַיִּשְׁקֹל) · דְּמַלֵּיל *de-malleil* — that he spoke of (דִּבֶּר) · מִתְקַבֵּל *mitkabbel* — accepted (עֹבֵר) · סְחוֹרָא *sehora* — trade (לַסֹּחֵר) · מְדִינְתָּא *medinta* — province
---
### Unit 2 summary
Onkelos follows the negotiation closely but gives it a vocabulary of acceptance: every Hebrew "hear me" and Avraham's "listened" become forms of קבל, "accept", and the silver itself is "accepted in trade in every province". He replaces the idiom "in the ears of" with "before" while keeping "before the eyes of", names the people "the sons of the Chitite" with the same word as "Ephron the Chitite", and renders the Hebrew shekel as *sela'im*. Small additions make the commercial sense explicit: the land is "worth" four hundred *sela'im*, the money is "the price of" the field, and Avraham's "I have given" becomes "I will give". He also divides the Hebrew verb "give" by tense, keeping the cognate verb for future forms and using *yehav* for the perfects.
---
## Conclusion of the aliyah
### The movement of the aliyah
The aliyah moves from mourning to negotiation to payment. It opens with the count of Sarah's years and Avraham's lament, then turns to Avraham rising from his dead to speak to the sons of Cheis. The exchanges that follow are formal and courteous: a request, a generous offer, a bow, a second request naming Ephron and the cave, Ephron's offer of a gift, Avraham's insistence on paying, Ephron's naming of the price, and finally the silver weighed out. Onkelos follows this sequence closely and adds little, but his vocabulary shapes it: the repeated 'hear me' of the Hebrew becomes a repeated 'accept from me', and the closing verse ties Avraham's acceptance to silver that is itself 'accepted' in trade.
### What Onkelos tells us in this aliyah
1. **"One hundred and twenty and seven years" (23:1).** The Hebrew repeats 'year' after each part of the number; Onkelos gives one phrase with a single שְׁנִין, which may simply be the ordinary Aramaic way of stating a number.
2. **"A sojourner and a resident" (23:4).** The pair of near-synonyms is kept, with דַּיָּר for the Hebrew 'foreigner'.
3. **"The possession of a burial [place]" (23:4).** For the Hebrew 'grave' Onkelos uses קְבוּרָא, 'burial', perhaps framing the request as one for a place of burial rather than a particular grave.
4. **"Accept from us" (23:6).** קַבֵּל מִנָּנָא renders 'hear us': the plea is to receive what they say, not only to hear it.
5. **"A great [one] before Hashem" (23:6).** The construct 'prince of God' is broken up, so that the man is no longer joined directly to God's name, and the divine name is rendered with ה׳, suggesting that Onkelos read the word as the divine name and not as a superlative.
6. **"Will withhold" (23:6).** The ambiguous Hebrew יִכְלֶה becomes the plain יִמְנַע.
7. **"If there is will in your soul" (23:8).** Onkelos adds רַעֲוָא, 'will', making explicit a sense of נפש, 'desire', that the Hebrew perhaps only implies.
8. **"The cave of Kafelta" (23:9).** כָּפֶלְתָּא is built on the same root as the Hebrew name, keeping its meaning, 'the doubled one', transparent to an Aramaic reader.
9. **"If you do me a kindness" (23:13).** The terse Hebrew plea is expanded into a request for a favour, אִם אַתְּ עָבֵד לִי טִיבוּ, in the printed text.
10. **"I will give the money, the price of the field" (23:13).** The perfect 'I have given' becomes אֶתֵּן, a future, perhaps presenting Avraham's words as an offer still to be carried out, and דְמֵי makes explicit that the money is the field's value.
11. **"A land worth four hundred sela'im" (23:15).** The added שַׁוְיָא states outright that the sum is the land's value, and the shekel becomes סִלְעִין.
12. **"Accepted [in] trade in every province" (23:16).** 'Passing to the merchant' becomes silver מִתְקַבֵּל, 'accepted', with 'in every province' added, perhaps to stress that the money was of full, recognized value.
### Recurring features
- **The root קבל for שמע.** All six forms of the Hebrew 'hear' or 'listen' (23:6, 23:8, 23:11, 23:13, 23:15, 23:16) are rendered with 'accept': קַבֵּל, קַבִּילוּ, וְקַבֵּל and their like.
- **חִתָּאָה for Cheis.** All six occurrences of 'Cheis' and the one 'Chitite' in the aliyah become the one gentilic form, naming the people rather than their ancestor.
- **קֳדָם, 'before'.** It replaces 'in the ears of' in all three places (23:10, 23:13, 23:16), and also renders the ordinary 'before' in 23:12.
- **Construct phrases opened up with ד.** 'The land of Canaan' and 'the people of the land' become בְּאַרְעָא דִּכְנָעַן and עַמָּא דְאַרְעָא.
- **Spelling out the commercial sense.** 'Worth', 'the price of' and 'in every province' are added, and the shekel is given as the *sela'*.
- **Literal rendering elsewhere.** Many phrases, such as 'the years of Sarah's life', 'from the presence of his dead' and 'bury your dead', are rendered word for word, with the usual Aramaic verbs for speaking, replying and bowing.
### Aliyah takeaway
In this aliyah Onkelos makes few additions to the story itself; what he changes is its vocabulary. The repeated Hebrew 'hear me' becomes 'accept from me', so that the negotiation is framed as a series of proposals offered and received, ending when 'Avraham accepted from Ephron' and paid in silver 'accepted' in trade. Around this thread, small clarifying words make the purchase explicit as a purchase, with a stated worth and price, and the one marked rephrasing, 'a great [one] before Hashem', keeps the man's honour without joining his title directly to God's name.
---
## Aramaic word list for the aliyah
| Aramaic | Transliteration | Meaning | Hebrew in the verse |
|---|---|---|---|
| שְׁנִין | *shenin* | years | שָׁנִים |
| לְמִסְפְּדָה | *le-mispeda* | to eulogize | לִסְפֹּד |
| וּלְמִבְכַּהּ | *u-le-mivkah* | and to weep for her | וְלִבְכֹּתָהּ |
| מִיתֵהּ | *miteh* | his dead | מֵתוֹ |
| וּמַלֵּל | *u-mallel* | and spoke | וַיְדַבֵּר |
| עִם | *im* | with | אֶל |
| חִתָּאָה | *hitta'ah* | the Chitite | חֵת |
| דַּיָּר | *dayyar* | sojourner | גֵּר |
| וְתוֹתַב | *ve-totav* | and a resident | וְתוֹשָׁב |
| הָבוּ | *havu* | grant | תְּנוּ |
| אַחֲסָנַת | *ahasanat* | the possession of | אֲחֻזַּת |
| קְבוּרָא | *kevura* | burial [place] | קֶבֶר |
| וַאֲתִיבוּ | *va-'ativu* | replied | וַיַּעֲנוּ |
| רִבּוֹנָנָא | *ribbonana* | our master | אֲדֹנִי |
| רַב | *rav* | great [one] | נְשִׂיא |
| קֳדָם | *kodam* | before | — |
| בִּשְׁפַר | *bi-shfar* | in the finest of | בְּמִבְחַר |
| יִמְנַע | *yimna'* | will withhold | יִכְלֶה |
| וּסְגִיד | *u-segid* | and bowed | וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ |
| רַעֲוָא | *ra'ava* | will | — |
| וּבְעוּ | *u-ve'u* | and request | וּפִגְעוּ |
| בַּר | *bar* | son of | בֶּן |
| כָּפֶלְתָּא | *kafelta* | Kafelta (the doubled one) | הַמַּכְפֵּלָה |
| בִּסְטַר | *bi-setar* | at the side of | בִּקְצֵה |
| שְׁלִים | *shelim* | full (lit. complete) | מָלֵא |
| לְאַחֲסָנַת | *le-ahasanat* | as a possession of | לַאֲחֻזַּת |
| וְאָתֵיב | *ve-ateiv* | replied | וַיַּעַן |
| עָלֵי | *alei* | who entered | בָּאֵי |
| קַבֵּיל | *kabbeil* | accept | שְׁמָעֵנִי |
| מִנִּי | *minni* | from me | — |
| יְהָבִית | *yehavit* | I have given | נָתַתִּי |
| יְהָבִיתַהּ | *yehavitah* | I have given it | נְתַתִּיהָ |
| עַמָּא | *amma* | the people | עַם |
| וּמַלֵּיל | *u-malleil* | he spoke | וַיְדַבֵּר |
| בְּרַם | *beram* | but | אַךְ |
| טִיבוּ | *tivu* | a kindness | — |
| אֶתֵּן | *etten* | I will give | נָתַתִּי |
| דְמֵי | *demei* | the price of | — |
| סַב | *sav* | take | קַח |
| שַׁוְיָא | *shavya* | worth | — |
| סִלְעִין | *sil'in* | sela'im | שֶׁקֶל |
| דִּכְסַף | *di-khsaf* | of silver | כֶּסֶף |
| וְקַבֵּל | *ve-kabbel* | accepted | וַיִּשְׁמַע |
| וּתְקַל | *u-tekal* | weighed out | וַיִּשְׁקֹל |
| מִתְקַבֵּל | *mitkabbel* | accepted | עֹבֵר |
---
## Source note
**Aliyah boundary.** Bereshit 23:1 – 23:16, following the aliyah divisions in Sefaria's index of Bereshit (the next aliyah begins at Bereshit 23:17).
**Torah text.** *Miqra according to the Masorah* (CC-BY-SA), the Masoretic text based on the Aleppo Codex, from Wikisource via [Sefaria](https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis?lang=he).
**Targum Onkelos.** The Aramaic is the commonly printed text, from the Torat Emet edition (Public Domain), via [Sefaria](https://www.sefaria.org/Onkelos_Genesis?lang=he).
**Comparison text.** "Targum Onkelos, vocalized according to the Yemenite Taj" (CC-BY-SA), from Wikisource via Sefaria. Its readings were compared with the printed text word by word; only differences that change a word or the meaning are noted.
**Translation of the Torah.** *Metsudah Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009* (CC-BY), via Sefaria, with the Divine Names rendered Hashem and God.
**Translation of Onkelos, notes and summaries.** New, prepared for this booklet. The Onkelos translation follows the wording of the Torah translation wherever the Aramaic agrees with the Hebrew, so that the differences stand out.
**Divine Names.** In the Hebrew and Aramaic, the Tetragrammaton and the Aramaic abbreviation of the Name are printed as ה׳, and *Elokim* as אלקים.
**Notes.** The notes compare the Aramaic with the Hebrew only. No later commentaries on Onkelos have been used. Where a note suggests why Onkelos translated as he did, this is presented as an inference from the text.
**Licence.** The Hebrew and Aramaic texts are shared under their own licences as stated above; CC-BY-SA material remains under CC-BY-SA.