# Torah with Onkelos
## Parashat Chayei Sarah — Third Aliyah
### Bereshit 24:10 – 24:26
*Avraham's servant at the well, his prayer for a sign, and Rivkah's answer, read through Targum Onkelos*
---
## Contents
- [Orientation](#orientation)
- [How this booklet is laid out](#layout)
- [Unit 1 — Bereshit 24:10–18: The servant's prayer and Rivkah at the well](#unit-1)
- [Unit 2 — Bereshit 24:19–26: The camels watered, the gifts, and Rivkah's family](#unit-2)
- [Conclusion of the aliyah](#conclusion)
- [Aramaic word list for the aliyah](#glossary)
- [Source note](#source-note)
---
## Orientation
**What happens in this aliyah.** Avraham's servant sets out with ten of his master's camels and his master's goods for Aram Naharayim and the city of Nachor. He makes the camels halt outside the city by the well at evening, when the women come out to draw water, and prays to Hashem, God of his master Avraham, for a sign: the girl who, asked for a drink, offers water to him and to his camels as well. Before he has finished speaking Rivkah comes out with her pitcher, gives him to drink, and draws for all his camels while he watches in silence. When the camels have drunk he gives her a gold nose ring and two bracelets, asks whose daughter she is and whether there is room in her father's house, and, hearing that she is the daughter of Besu'eil son of Milkah and Nachor, bows and prostrates himself to Hashem.
**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.**
- **One verb for drawing and filling.** Every form of the Hebrew שאב, 'draw', is rendered from the root מלי, 'fill', the same root that renders Rivkah filling her pitcher (24:16).
- **The prayer and the sign joined.** The servant's 'cause to happen' (24:12) and 'whom You have determined' (24:14) are both rendered from זמן, 'prepare': *zammin* and *zamminta*.
- **Words supplied.** Onkelos names what the Hebrew leaves implicit: the unit of the bracelets' weight (selas), a 'suitable' place to lodge, and a 'place of watering' for the trough.
- **Places and names made plain.** Aram Naharayim, 'Aram of the two rivers', becomes 'Aram that is on the Perat' (24:10).
- **Finishing and having enough.** Where the Hebrew uses one root for the servant, Rivkah and the camels finishing, Onkelos keeps 'finish' for the people and says the camels 'had enough' (24:19, 24:22).
- **Printed text and Yemenite text.** Notes at 24:10, 24:11, 24:13, 24:16, 24:17 and 24:23 record where the Yemenite text differs, most notably in 'the best' of Avraham's goods (24:10) and Rivkah's beauty (24:16), and in the alternative readings printed in parentheses in 24:16 and 24:17.
- **Language about God.** The servant's address to Hashem is rendered directly; at the end he bows 'before' Hashem rather than 'to' Hashem (24:26).
---
## 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 24:10–18: The servant's prayer and Rivkah at the well
Avraham's servant travels with ten camels to the city of Nachor, halts at the well at evening, and asks Hashem for a sign: the girl who offers water to him and to his camels. Before he has finished speaking Rivkah comes out, fills her pitcher, and gives him to drink.
---
### Bereshit 24:10
**Torah**
וַיִּקַּ֣ח הָ֠עֶ֠בֶד עֲשָׂרָ֨ה גְמַלִּ֜ים מִגְּמַלֵּ֤י אֲדֹנָיו֙ וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ וְכׇל־ט֥וּב אֲדֹנָ֖יו בְּיָד֑וֹ וַיָּ֗קׇם וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ אֶל־אֲרַ֥ם נַֽהֲרַ֖יִם אֶל־עִ֥יר נָחֽוֹר׃
**Translation**
The servant took ten camels from his master's camels and departed, and all the property of his master was in his hand. He rose and went to Aram Naharayim; to the city of Nachor.
**Onkelos**
וּדְבַר עַבְדָא עַשְׂרָא גַּמְלִין מִגַּמְלֵי רִבּוֹנֵהּ וַאֲזַל וְכָל שְׁפַר רִבּוֹנֵהּ בִּידֵהּ וְקָם וַאֲזַל לַאֲרָם דִּי עַל פְּרַת לְקַרְתָּא דְנָחוֹר
**Onkelos in English**
The servant took ten camels from his master's camels and departed, and all the best of his master was in his hand. He rose and went to Aram that is on the Perat; to the city of Nachor.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"The servant took".** The Hebrew וַיִּקַּח is rendered וּדְבַר, from דבר, a verb of leading or conducting. With camels as the object this may suggest that the animals were led rather than simply taken.
- **"All the best of his master".** The Hebrew טוּב, 'goodness', here meaning his master's goods, becomes שְׁפַר, a noun from שפר, 'to be fine, fair'. The rendering points to the finest of the property rather than to property in general.
- **"Aram that is on the Perat".** The Hebrew name אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם, 'Aram of the two rivers', is replaced by a description: לַאֲרָם דִּי עַל פְּרַת, 'Aram that is on the Perat' (the Euphrates). Onkelos thus identifies the region by a single named river rather than translating the name.
- **"The city of Nachor".** עִיר is rendered לְקַרְתָּא, the Aramaic word for 'city', with the genitive particle *de-* before the name. The same word renders עִיר in 24:11 and 24:13.
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text reads טוּב, the same word as the Hebrew, in place of שְׁפַר. The point about 'the best' holds for the printed text only.
**Words to note:** וּדְבַר *u-dvar* — took (lit. led) (וַיִּקַּח) · שְׁפַר *shefar* — the best (טוּב) · לַאֲרָם *la-aram* — to Aram (אֲרַם) · פְּרַת *perat* — the Perat (Euphrates) (נַהֲרַיִם) · לְקַרְתָּא *le-karta* — to the city (עִיר)
---
### Bereshit 24:11
**Torah**
וַיַּבְרֵ֧ךְ הַגְּמַלִּ֛ים מִח֥וּץ לָעִ֖יר אֶל־בְּאֵ֣ר הַמָּ֑יִם לְעֵ֣ת עֶ֔רֶב לְעֵ֖ת צֵ֥את הַשֹּׁאֲבֹֽת׃
**Translation**
He made the camels kneel outside the city, beside a well of water, in the evening, at the time the women go out to draw water.
**Onkelos**
וְאַשְׁרֵי גַּמְלַיָּא מִבָּרָא לְקַרְתָּא לִבְאֵרָא דְמַיָּא לְעִדַּן רַמְשָׁא לְעִדַּן דְּנַפְקַן מַלְיָתָא
**Onkelos in English**
He made the camels rest outside the city, beside a well of water, at the time of evening, at the time that the [women] drawing [water] go out.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"He made the camels rest".** The Hebrew וַיַּבְרֵךְ means 'he made kneel'. Onkelos has וְאַשְׁרֵי, from שרי, 'to rest, encamp': he describes the camels being settled for a halt rather than the posture of kneeling.
- **"At the time of evening".** לְעֵת עֶרֶב is rendered word for word, לְעִדַּן רַמְשָׁא, with *iddan*, 'time', for עֵת; the same word renders the second לְעֵת.
- **"At the time that the [women] drawing [water] go out".** The Hebrew infinitive צֵאת becomes a relative clause with a participle, דְּנַפְקַן, 'that go out'. The women who draw, הַשֹּׁאֲבֹת, are מַלְיָתָא, from the root מלי, 'to fill'. Onkelos uses the same root for the drawing of water in 24:13 and for filling the pitcher in 24:16, where the Hebrew has two different verbs, שאב and מלא.
- **Textual note.** Where the printed text has לִבְאֵרָא, 'to the well', the Yemenite text reads עִם בֵּירָא, 'by the well'. The sense is the same.
**Words to note:** וְאַשְׁרֵי *ve-ashrei* — he made rest (וַיַּבְרֵךְ) · מִבָּרָא *mi-bara* — outside (מִחוּץ) · לִבְאֵרָא *li-vera* — beside a well (בְּאֵר) · לְעִדַּן *le-iddan* — at the time (לְעֵת) · רַמְשָׁא *ramsha* — evening (עֶרֶב) · מַלְיָתָא *malyata* — the [women] drawing [water] (הַשֹּׁאֲבֹת)
---
### Bereshit 24:12
**Torah**
וַיֹּאמַ֓ר ׀ ה׳ אֱלֹקֵי֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם הַקְרֵה־נָ֥א לְפָנַ֖י הַיּ֑וֹם וַעֲשֵׂה־חֶ֕סֶד עִ֖ם אֲדֹנִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם׃
**Translation**
He said, Hashem, God of my master, Avraham, be present before me today, and act kindly with my master, Avraham.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמַר ה׳ אֱלָהֵהּ דְּרִבּוֹנִי אַבְרָהָם זַמִּין כְּעַן קֳדָמַי יוֹמָא דֵּין וְעִבַד טִיבוּ עִם רִבּוֹנִי אַבְרָהָם
**Onkelos in English**
He said, Hashem, God of my master, Avraham, prepare [it] now before me this day, and act kindly with my master, Avraham.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"God of my master".** The Hebrew construct is expressed in the Aramaic with the particle *de-*: דְּרִבּוֹנִי, 'of my master'. The servant's address to Hashem is otherwise rendered directly.
- **"Prepare [it] now before me".** The Hebrew הַקְרֵה, 'cause to happen', becomes זַמִּין, from זמן, 'to prepare, appoint'. The servant asks not for a chance event but for something arranged in advance, perhaps reflecting a reading of the request as a prayer for providence. The same root renders a different Hebrew verb, הֹכַחְתָּ, in 24:14. נָא is כְּעַן, 'now', and לְפָנַי is קֳדָמַי, 'before me'.
- **"This day".** הַיּוֹם, 'today', is the ordinary Aramaic idiom יוֹמָא דֵּין, 'this day'.
- **"Act kindly".** וַעֲשֵׂה חֶסֶד becomes וְעִבַד טִיבוּ, with *tivu*, a noun from טוב, for חֶסֶד. The same pair recurs at the end of 24:14.
**Words to note:** דְּרִבּוֹנִי *de-ribboni* — of my master (אֲדֹנִי) · זַמִּין *zammin* — prepare (הַקְרֵה) · כְּעַן *ke'an* — now (נָא) · קֳדָמַי *kodamai* — before me (לְפָנַי) · טִיבוּ *tivu* — kindness (חֶסֶד)
---
### Bereshit 24:13
**Torah**
הִנֵּ֛ה אָנֹכִ֥י נִצָּ֖ב עַל־עֵ֣ין הַמָּ֑יִם וּבְנוֹת֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעִ֔יר יֹצְאֹ֖ת לִשְׁאֹ֥ב מָֽיִם׃
**Translation**
Behold, here I stand by this well of water, and the daughters of the townsmen are coming out to draw water.
**Onkelos**
הָא אֲנָא קָאֵם עַל עֵינָא דְמַיָּא וּבְנַת אֱנָשֵׁי קַרְתָּא נַפְקַן לְמִמְלֵי מַיָּא
**Onkelos in English**
Behold, I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the townsmen are coming out to draw water.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- A literal rendering. נִצָּב, 'standing', is קָאֵם, the participle of קום, and עֵין הַמָּיִם is עֵינָא דְמַיָּא, 'the well of water'.
- **"To draw water".** לִשְׁאֹב is rendered לְמִמְלֵי, literally 'to fill', from the root מלי, as with the women who draw in 24:11.
- **Textual note.** For the participle נַפְקַן, 'are coming out', the Yemenite text reads יִפְּקָן, an imperfect, 'will come out'.
**Words to note:** קָאֵם *ka'em* — stand (נִצָּב) · עֵינָא *eina* — the well (עֵין) · נַפְקַן *nafkan* — are coming out (יֹצְאֹת) · לְמִמְלֵי *le-mimlei* — to draw (lit. to fill) (לִשְׁאֹב)
---
### Bereshit 24:14
**Torah**
וְהָיָ֣ה הַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֹמַ֤ר אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ הַטִּי־נָ֤א כַדֵּךְ֙ וְאֶשְׁתֶּ֔ה וְאָמְרָ֣ה שְׁתֵ֔ה וְגַם־גְּמַלֶּ֖יךָ אַשְׁקֶ֑ה אֹתָ֤הּ הֹכַ֙חְתָּ֙ לְעַבְדְּךָ֣ לְיִצְחָ֔ק וּבָ֣הּ אֵדַ֔ע כִּי־עָשִׂ֥יתָ חֶ֖סֶד עִם־אֲדֹנִֽי׃
**Translation**
Let it be that the girl to whom I say, Please, tip over your pitcher that I may drink and she will say Drink, and I will also give your camels to drink, will be the one whom You have determined for your servant, Yitzchok. With her I will know that You have dealt kindly with my master.
**Onkelos**
וּתְהֵי עוּלֶמְתָּא דְּאֵימַר לַהּ אַרְכִינִי כְעַן קוּלְתִיךְ וְאֶשְׁתִּי וְתֵימַר אֵשְׁתְּ וְאַף גַּמְלָךְ אַשְׁקֵי יָתַהּ זַמִּנְתָּא לְעבְדָּךְ לְיִצְחָק וּבַהּ אִידַע אֲרֵי עֲבַדְתָּ טִיבוּ עִם רִבּוֹנִי
**Onkelos in English**
Let the girl to whom I say, Tip over now your pitcher that I may drink, and she will say Drink, and I will also give your camels to drink, be [the one]: her You have prepared for your servant, Yitzchok. With her I will know that You have dealt kindly with my master.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Let the girl... be".** The Hebrew opens with the impersonal וְהָיָה, 'and it shall be'. The printed Onkelos has a feminine verb, וּתְהֵי, which may make the girl, עוּלֶמְתָּא, its subject.
- **"Tip over now your pitcher".** הַטִּי is אַרְכִינִי, 'incline, tip', and כַדֵּךְ is קוּלְתִיךְ. The same Aramaic noun renders כַּד in each of its five occurrences in these verses (24:14-18).
- **"Her You have prepared".** The Hebrew הֹכַחְתָּ, 'You have determined', becomes זַמִּנְתָּא, from זמן, the root that rendered הַקְרֵה in 24:12. In the Aramaic the request 'prepare [it] before me' and the sign 'her You have prepared' share one verb, where the Hebrew uses two.
- **"You have dealt kindly".** כִּי עָשִׂיתָ חֶסֶד is אֲרֵי עֲבַדְתָּ טִיבוּ, with *arei* for כִּי and *tivu* for חֶסֶד, as in 24:12.
**Words to note:** וּתְהֵי *u-tehei* — let [her] be (וְהָיָה) · עוּלֶמְתָּא *ulemta* — the girl (הַנַּעֲרָ) · אַרְכִינִי *arkhini* — tip over (הַטִּי) · קוּלְתִיךְ *kultikh* — your pitcher (כַדֵּךְ) · זַמִּנְתָּא *zamminta* — You have prepared (הֹכַחְתָּ) · אִידַע *ida* — I will know (אֵדַע)
---
### Bereshit 24:15
**Torah**
וַֽיְהִי־ה֗וּא טֶ֘רֶם֮ כִּלָּ֣ה לְדַבֵּר֒ וְהִנֵּ֧ה רִבְקָ֣ה יֹצֵ֗את אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֻלְּדָה֙ לִבְתוּאֵ֣ל בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֔ה אֵ֥שֶׁת נָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם וְכַדָּ֖הּ עַל־שִׁכְמָֽהּ׃
**Translation**
He had not yet finished speaking, and behold Rivkah came out. She had been born to Besu'eil, the son of Milkah, the wife of Nachor, Avraham's brother. Her pitcher was on her shoulder.
**Onkelos**
וַהֲוָה הוּא עַד לָא שֵׁיצֵי לְמַלָּלָא וְהָא רִבְקָה נְפָקַת דְּאִתְיְלִידַת לִבְתוּאֵל בַּר מִלְכָּה אִתַּת נָחוֹר אֲחוּהִי דְאַבְרָהָם וְקוּלְתַהּ עַל כַּתְפַּהּ
**Onkelos in English**
He had not yet finished speaking, and behold Rivkah came out. She had been born to Besu'eil, the son of Milkah, the wife of Nachor, Avraham's brother. Her pitcher was on her shoulder.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- A literal rendering. טֶרֶם, 'not yet', is עַד לָא, literally 'until not'; כִּלָּה, 'finished', is שֵׁיצֵי; and the passive יֻלְּדָה becomes the reflexive-passive דְּאִתְיְלִידַת, 'who had been born'.
- **"Her pitcher was on her shoulder".** כַדָּהּ is again וְקוּלְתַהּ, and שִׁכְמָהּ is כַּתְפַּהּ, 'her shoulder'.
**Words to note:** שֵׁיצֵי *sheitzei* — finished (כִּלָּה) · לְמַלָּלָא *le-malala* — speaking (לְדַבֵּר) · נְפָקַת *nefakat* — came out (יֹצֵאת) · דְּאִתְיְלִידַת *de-ityelidat* — she had been born (יֻלְּדָה) · כַּתְפַּהּ *katpah* — her shoulder (שִׁכְמָהּ)
---
### Bereshit 24:16
**Torah**
וְהַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ טֹבַ֤ת מַרְאֶה֙ מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלָ֕ה וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יְדָעָ֑הּ וַתֵּ֣רֶד הָעַ֔יְנָה וַתְּמַלֵּ֥א כַדָּ֖הּ וַתָּֽעַל׃
**Translation**
The girl was very good looking—a virgin—no man had known her. She went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up.
**Onkelos**
וְעוּלֶמְתָּא שַׁפִּירַת חֵיזוּ (נ''י שַׁפִּירָא לְמֶחֱזֵי) לַחֲדָא בְּתֻלְתָּא וּגְבַר לָא יַדְעָהּ וּנְחָתַת לְעֵינָא וּמְלַת קוּלְתַהּ וּסְלֵקָת
**Onkelos in English**
The girl was very beautiful of appearance (another version: beautiful to look at)—a virgin—no man had known her. She went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Beautiful of appearance".** The Hebrew טֹבַת מַרְאֶה, 'good of appearance', becomes שַׁפִּירַת חֵיזוּ. Onkelos uses 'beautiful' for 'good'; in the printed text the same root שפר rendered טוּב as 'the best' of Avraham's goods in 24:10. The alternative reading recorded in parentheses, 'beautiful to look at', has an adjective with an infinitive in place of the construct phrase. מְאֹד is לַחֲדָא, 'very'.
- **"A virgin—no man had known her".** בְּתוּלָה is בְּתֻלְתָּא, and אִישׁ is וּגְבַר, 'man'. The phrase is otherwise literal.
- **"Filled her pitcher".** וַתְּמַלֵּא is וּמְלַת, from מלי. Since the same root rendered the drawing of water in 24:11 and 24:13, the Aramaic uses one verb for what the Hebrew distinguishes as drawing and filling.
- **"She went down... and came up".** וַתֵּרֶד and וַתָּעַל are וּנְחָתַת and וּסְלֵקָת. The Hebrew directional ending of הָעַיְנָה becomes the preposition *le-*: לְעֵינָא, 'to the well'.
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text has only the reading given in the printed text as an alternative, שַׁפִּירָא לְמִחְזֵי, 'beautiful to look at', and lacks the construct phrase שַׁפִּירַת חֵיזוּ.
**Words to note:** שַׁפִּירַת *shappirat* — beautiful of (טֹבַת) · חֵיזוּ *heizu* — appearance (מַרְאֶה) · בְּתֻלְתָּא *betulta* — a virgin (בְּתוּלָה) · וּנְחָתַת *u-nehatat* — she went down (וַתֵּרֶד) · וּמְלַת *u-melat* — filled (וַתְּמַלֵּא) · וּסְלֵקָת *u-selekat* — and came up (וַתָּעַל)
---
### Bereshit 24:17
**Torah**
וַיָּ֥רׇץ הָעֶ֖בֶד לִקְרָאתָ֑הּ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הַגְמִיאִ֥ינִי נָ֛א מְעַט־מַ֖יִם מִכַּדֵּֽךְ׃
**Translation**
The servant ran toward her and said, Please let me sip a little water from your pitcher.
**Onkelos**
וּרְהַט עַבְדָּא לִקְדָמוּתַהּ וַאֲמַר אַשְׁקִינִי (נ''י אַטְעֵמְנִי) כְעַן זְעֵיר מַיָּא מִקּוּלְתִיךְ
**Onkelos in English**
The servant ran toward her and said, Give me to drink (another version: let me taste) now a little water from your pitcher.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Toward her".** לִקְרָאתָהּ is לִקְדָמוּתַהּ, 'toward her, to meet her', and the verb of running is וּרְהַט.
- **"Give me to drink".** The Hebrew הַגְמִיאִינִי means 'let me sip' or 'let me swallow'. The printed Onkelos has אַשְׁקִינִי, from שקי, the ordinary verb for giving drink, the root of 'I will give your camels to drink' in 24:14 and of 'let him drink' in 24:18; it does not keep the sense of a small sip. The alternative recorded in parentheses, 'let me taste', may be closer to that sense.
- **"A little water".** מְעַט is זְעֵיר, 'a little', and נָא is again כְעַן, 'now'.
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text reads אַשְׁקַנִי, 'give me to drink', without the parenthetical alternative 'let me taste'.
**Words to note:** וּרְהַט *u-rehat* — ran (וַיָּרׇץ) · לִקְדָמוּתַהּ *li-kdamutah* — toward her (לִקְרָאתָהּ) · אַשְׁקִינִי *ashkini* — give me to drink (הַגְמִיאִינִי) · זְעֵיר *ze'eir* — a little (מְעַט) · מִקּוּלְתִיךְ *mi-kultikh* — from your pitcher (מִכַּדֵּךְ)
---
### Bereshit 24:18
**Torah**
וַתֹּ֖אמֶר שְׁתֵ֣ה אֲדֹנִ֑י וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתֹּ֧רֶד כַּדָּ֛הּ עַל־יָדָ֖הּ וַתַּשְׁקֵֽהוּ׃
**Translation**
She said, Drink, my master, and she quickly lowered her pitcher to her hand, and let him drink.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמֶרֶת אֵשְׁתְּ רִבּוֹנִי וְאוֹחִיאַת וַאֲחֵיתַת קוּלְתַהּ עַל יְדַהּ וְאַשְׁקְתֵהּ
**Onkelos in English**
She said, Drink, my master, and she quickly lowered her pitcher to her hand, and let him drink.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- A literal rendering. אֲדֹנִי is רִבּוֹנִי, the same word used for the servant's master Avraham in 24:12 and 24:14; וַתְּמַהֵר, 'she hurried', is וְאוֹחִיאַת.
- **"Lowered her pitcher".** וַתֹּרֶד is וַאֲחֵיתַת, a causative of the root נחת used for 'she went down' in 24:16, just as the Hebrew uses one root for both verbs.
- **"And let him drink".** וַתַּשְׁקֵהוּ is וְאַשְׁקְתֵהּ, from שקי, the same root as the Hebrew שקה.
**Words to note:** אֵשְׁתְּ *eisht* — drink (שְׁתֵה) · רִבּוֹנִי *ribboni* — my master (אֲדֹנִי) · וְאוֹחִיאַת *ve-ohi'at* — she quickly [did] (וַתְּמַהֵר) · וַאֲחֵיתַת *va-aheitat* — lowered (וַתֹּרֶד) · וְאַשְׁקְתֵהּ *ve-ashketeh* — and let him drink (וַתַּשְׁקֵהוּ)
---
### Unit 1 summary
Onkelos follows the narrative closely, and most of his changes are matters of vocabulary. Some Aramaic roots gather several Hebrew ones: זמן renders both the servant's request that Hashem 'cause to happen' (הַקְרֵה) and his phrase 'whom You have determined' (הֹכַחְתָּ), so that in the Aramaic the request and the sign are linked by one verb, 'prepare'; מלי, 'fill', serves both for drawing water (שאב) and for filling the pitcher (מלא); and in the printed text שפר renders טוב both as Avraham's 'goods' and as Rivkah's good looks. A few words take a more specific turn: Aram Naharayim becomes 'Aram that is on the Perat', and the rare 'let me sip' becomes 'give me to drink' (another version: 'let me taste'). The prayer's address to Hashem and its request for kindness are rendered directly, with the regular Aramaic equivalents for 'please', 'before me' and 'kindness'.
---
## Unit 2 — Bereshit 24:19–26: The camels watered, the gifts, and Rivkah's family
Rivkah finishes giving the servant water and draws for all his camels while he watches in silence. He gives her gold jewellery, asks whose daughter she is and whether her father's house has room for them, and bows before Hashem when she answers.
---
### Bereshit 24:19
**Torah**
וַתְּכַ֖ל לְהַשְׁקֹת֑וֹ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר גַּ֤ם לִגְמַלֶּ֙יךָ֙ אֶשְׁאָ֔ב עַ֥ד אִם־כִּלּ֖וּ לִשְׁתֹּֽת׃
**Translation**
When she had finished giving him to drink, she said, I will also draw water for your camels, until they will have finished drinking.
**Onkelos**
וְשֵׁיצִיאַת לְאַשְׁקָיוּתֵהּ וַאֲמֶרֶת אַף לְגַמְלָךְ אַמְלֵי עַד דִּי סַפְקוּן לְמִשְׁתֵּי
**Onkelos in English**
When she had finished giving him to drink, she said, I will also draw [water] for your camels, until they will have had enough to drink.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"When she had finished" ... "had enough".** The Hebrew uses the root כלה twice: for Rivkah finishing (וַתְּכַל) and for the camels finishing (כִּלּוּ). Onkelos uses two different verbs: וְשֵׁיצִיאַת, from שיצי, 'complete, finish', for Rivkah, and סַפְקוּן, 'they have had enough', from ספק, for the camels. The Hebrew repetition is therefore not kept; the Aramaic perhaps prefers to say that the camels were satisfied rather than that they 'finished'. The same choice recurs in 24:22 (סַפִּיקוּ).
- **"I will also draw [water]".** Hebrew אֶשְׁאָב is rendered אַמְלֵי, from the root מלי, 'fill'. Onkelos uses this root for every form of שאב in the aliyah (24:11, 24:13, here and twice in 24:20). The Aramaic has no word for 'water', any more than the Hebrew does.
- **"Giving him to drink".** A literal rendering: לְהַשְׁקֹתוֹ becomes לְאַשְׁקָיוּתֵהּ, the causative of the cognate Aramaic root, and גַּם, 'also', becomes אַף.
**Words to note:** וְשֵׁיצִיאַת *ve-sheitzi'at* — and she finished (וַתְּכַל) · לְאַשְׁקָיוּתֵהּ *le-ashkayuteh* — giving him to drink (לְהַשְׁקֹתוֹ) · אַמְלֵי *amlei* — I will draw (literally 'fill') (אֶשְׁאָב) · סַפְקוּן *safkun* — they have had enough (כִּלּוּ)
---
### Bereshit 24:20
**Torah**
וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתְּעַ֤ר כַּדָּהּ֙ אֶל־הַשֹּׁ֔קֶת וַתָּ֥רׇץ ע֛וֹד אֶֽל־הַבְּאֵ֖ר לִשְׁאֹ֑ב וַתִּשְׁאַ֖ב לְכׇל־גְּמַלָּֽיו׃
**Translation**
She quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough and she ran to the well again to draw water. and she drew water for all his camels.
**Onkelos**
וְאוֹחִיאַת וּנְפָצַת קוּלְתַהּ לְבֵית שַׁקְיָא וּרְהָטַת עוֹד לְבֵירָא לְמִמְלֵי וּמְלַת לְכָל גַּמְלוֹהִי
**Onkelos in English**
She quickly emptied her pitcher into the place of watering, and she ran to the well again to draw [water], and she drew [water] for all his camels.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Into the place of watering".** For הַשֹּׁקֶת, 'the trough', Onkelos writes לְבֵית שַׁקְיָא, literally 'the house of watering': a noun from שקי, the root of 'giving drink' in 24:19, preceded by לְבֵית, 'place'. The Hebrew noun is itself related to the root of watering (שקה), so the link between the trough and the act of watering holds in both languages; the Aramaic simply describes the trough by its use.
- **"She quickly emptied".** As in the Hebrew, two verbs: וְאוֹחִיאַת, 'and she hurried', and וּנְפָצַת, 'and she emptied'. The Hebrew וַתְּעַר, 'and she poured out', becomes a verb of a different root, with the sense of shaking out or emptying.
- **"To draw [water] ... she drew [water]".** לִשְׁאֹב and וַתִּשְׁאַב become לְמִמְלֵי and וּמְלַת, both from מלי, 'fill', as in 24:19. The rest is literal: עוֹד, 'again', is kept as עוֹד, and כַּדָּהּ becomes קוּלְתַהּ, 'her pitcher'.
**Words to note:** וּנְפָצַת *u-nefatzat* — and she emptied (וַתְּעַר) · קוּלְתַהּ *kultah* — her pitcher (כַּדָּהּ) · שַׁקְיָא *shakya* — watering (with 'place': the trough) (הַשֹּׁקֶת) · וּרְהָטַת *u-rehatat* — and she ran (וַתָּרׇץ) · לְמִמְלֵי *le-mimlei* — to draw (literally 'to fill') (לִשְׁאֹב) · וּמְלַת *u-melat* — and she drew (literally 'and she filled') (וַתִּשְׁאַב)
---
### Bereshit 24:21
**Torah**
וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מִשְׁתָּאֵ֖ה לָ֑הּ מַחֲרִ֕ישׁ לָדַ֗עַת הַֽהִצְלִ֧יחַ ה׳ דַּרְכּ֖וֹ אִם־לֹֽא׃
**Translation**
The man, wondering at her, remained silent, waiting to determine whether Hashem had made his mission successful, or not.
**Onkelos**
וְגַבְרָא שָׁהֵי בַהּ מִסְתַּכֵּל שָׁתִיק לְמֵידַע הַאַצְלַח ה׳ אָרְחֵהּ אִם לָא
**Onkelos in English**
The man, lingering by her, gazing, remained silent, to determine whether Hashem had made his mission successful, or not.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Lingering by her, gazing".** The Hebrew has a single participle, מִשְׁתָּאֵה לָהּ, 'wondering at / gazing at her'. Onkelos gives two: שָׁהֵי בַהּ, 'lingering by her' (root שהי, 'delay, wait'), and מִסְתַּכֵּל, 'gazing, observing'. This looks like a double rendering: מִסְתַּכֵּל conveys the looking, while שָׁהֵי perhaps reflects the sound of the Hebrew verb, read in the sense of waiting. The note of astonishment that the Hebrew verb can carry is not expressed; the Aramaic presents the man as waiting and watching.
- **"Remained silent".** מַחֲרִישׁ becomes שָׁתִיק, the ordinary Aramaic word for 'silent'.
- **"Whether Hashem had made his mission successful".** A literal rendering: הַהִצְלִיחַ becomes הַאַצְלַח, the causative of the same root צלח, with Hashem kept as the subject, and דַּרְכּוֹ, 'his way', becomes אָרְחֵהּ.
**Words to note:** שָׁהֵי *shahei* — lingering (מִשְׁתָּאֵה) · מִסְתַּכֵּל *mistakkel* — gazing (מִשְׁתָּאֵה) · שָׁתִיק *shatik* — silent (מַחֲרִישׁ) · הַאַצְלַח *ha-atzlah* — whether [He] had made successful (הַהִצְלִיחַ)
---
### Bereshit 24:22
**Torah**
וַיְהִ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר כִּלּ֤וּ הַגְּמַלִּים֙ לִשְׁתּ֔וֹת וַיִּקַּ֤ח הָאִישׁ֙ נֶ֣זֶם זָהָ֔ב בֶּ֖קַע מִשְׁקָל֑וֹ וּשְׁנֵ֤י צְמִידִים֙ עַל־יָדֶ֔יהָ עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מִשְׁקָלָֽם׃
**Translation**
When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold nose ring, weighing half a *shekel*, and two bracelets for her arms, weighing ten gold *shekel.*
**Onkelos**
וַהֲוָה כַּד סַפִּיקוּ גַּמְלַיָּא לְמִשְׁתֵּי וּנְסֵיב גַּבְרָא קָדָשָׁא דְדַהֲבָא תִּקְלָא מַתְקְלֵהּ וּתְרֵין שֵׁירִין עַל יְדָהָא מַתְקַל עֲשַׂר סִלְעִין דְּדַהֲבָא מַתְקַלְהוֹן
**Onkelos in English**
When the camels had had enough to drink, the man took a gold nose ring, weighing a tikla, and two bracelets for her arms, the weight of ten selas of gold [was] their weight.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Had had enough to drink".** As in 24:19, כִּלּוּ is rendered סַפִּיקוּ, from ספק, 'have enough'.
- **"Weighing a tikla".** The Hebrew names the weight of the nose ring בֶּקַע, a word from the root בקע, 'split', since it was a half-shekel. Onkelos uses תִּקְלָא, a unit named from the root תקל, 'weigh'. As a result four words of the verse come from תקל (תִּקְלָא, מַתְקְלֵהּ, מַתְקַל, מַתְקַלְהוֹן), against two from the cognate Hebrew root שקל (מִשְׁקָלוֹ, מִשְׁקָלָם).
- **"The weight of ten selas of gold".** The Hebrew says only עֲשָׂרָה זָהָב מִשְׁקָלָם, 'ten gold, their weight', leaving the unit unnamed. Onkelos supplies it, סִלְעִין, 'selas', and adds מַתְקַל, 'the weight of', before the number, so that 'weight' is stated twice. Naming the sela, the Aramaic term for the shekel weight, may be meant to leave no doubt about the sum.
- **"A gold nose ring ... two bracelets".** נֶזֶם is rendered קָדָשָׁא, and for צְמִידִים Onkelos has שֵׁירִין; the gold is joined to the ring with the possessive particle (דְדַהֲבָא, 'of gold').
**Words to note:** סַפִּיקוּ *sappiku* — had had enough (כִּלּוּ) · קָדָשָׁא *kadasha* — nose ring (נֶזֶם) · תִּקְלָא *tikla* — tikla (a weight of half a shekel) (בֶּקַע) · מַתְקְלֵהּ *matkeleh* — its weight (מִשְׁקָלוֹ) · שֵׁירִין *sheirin* — bracelets (צְמִידִים) · סִלְעִין *silin* — selas
---
### Bereshit 24:23
**Torah**
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ בַּת־מִ֣י אַ֔תְּ הַגִּ֥ידִי נָ֖א לִ֑י הֲיֵ֧שׁ בֵּית־אָבִ֛יךְ מָק֥וֹם לָ֖נוּ לָלִֽין׃
**Translation**
He said to her, Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there place in your father's house for us to spend the night.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמַר בַּת מָן אַתְּ חַוִּי כְעַן לִי הַאִית בֵּית אָבוּךְ אָתַר כָּשַׁר לָנָא לִמְבָת
**Onkelos in English**
He said, Whose daughter are you? Tell me now. Is there a suitable place in your father's house for us to spend the night?
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"A suitable place".** For מָקוֹם, 'place', Onkelos writes אָתַר כָּשַׁר, adding כָּשַׁר, 'fit, suitable'. The same addition recurs in Rivkah's answer in 24:25. It perhaps indicates that the question concerns a place fit for guests to lodge, not merely room.
- **"Tell me now".** הַגִּידִי נָא becomes חַוִּי כְעַן; the particle נָא is rendered כְעַן, 'now'.
- **"To spend the night".** לָלִין becomes לִמְבָת, from the root בות. In 24:25 the Hebrew spells the infinitive differently (לָלוּן), but Onkelos has the same לִמְבָת in both places.
- **"Whose daughter are you?"** Otherwise literal: מִי becomes מָן, 'who', and הֲיֵשׁ becomes הַאִית, 'is there'.
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text reads אֲבוּיִךְ for the printed אָבוּךְ, 'your father'. The Yemenite form perhaps marks more distinctly the feminine 'your' of the Hebrew אָבִיךְ.
**Words to note:** חַוִּי *havvi* — tell (הַגִּידִי) · כְעַן *khe'an* — now (נָא) · אָתַר *atar* — place (מָקוֹם) · כָּשַׁר *kashar* — suitable · לִמְבָת *limvat* — to spend the night (לָלִין)
---
### Bereshit 24:24
**Torah**
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו בַּת־בְּתוּאֵ֖ל אָנֹ֑כִי בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלְדָ֖ה לְנָחֽוֹר׃
**Translation**
She said to him, I am the daughter of Besueil, the son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nachor.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמֶרֶת לֵהּ בַּת בְּתוּאֵל אֲנָא בַּר מִלְכָּה דִּילֵידַת לְנָחוֹר
**Onkelos in English**
She said to him, I am the daughter of Besueil, the son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nachor.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Whom she bore to Nachor".** A literal rendering. אֲשֶׁר becomes the relative particle prefixed to the verb in דִּילֵידַת, אָנֹכִי becomes אֲנָא, and בֶּן, 'son', becomes בַּר.
**Words to note:** אֲנָא *ana* — I (אָנֹכִי) · בַּר *bar* — the son of (בֶּן) · דִּילֵידַת *dileidat* — whom she bore (יָלְדָה)
---
### Bereshit 24:25
**Torah**
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו גַּם־תֶּ֥בֶן גַּם־מִסְפּ֖וֹא רַ֣ב עִמָּ֑נוּ גַּם־מָק֖וֹם לָלֽוּן׃
**Translation**
She said to him, We have plenty of straw and fodder, and also a place to spend the night.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמֶרֶת לֵהּ אַף תִּבְנָא אַף כִּסָּתָא סַגִּי עִמָּנָא אַף אָתַר כָּשַׁר לִמְבָת
**Onkelos in English**
She said to him, We have plenty of straw and fodder, and also a suitable place to spend the night.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Plenty of straw and fodder, and also".** The Hebrew threefold גַּם ('also ... also ... also') is kept by a threefold אַף. תֶּבֶן becomes תִּבְנָא, מִסְפּוֹא becomes כִּסָּתָא, 'fodder', and רַב, 'plenty', becomes סַגִּי.
- **"A suitable place to spend the night".** As in 24:23, מָקוֹם becomes אָתַר כָּשַׁר, 'a suitable place', and the infinitive (לָלוּן) is לִמְבָת. Rivkah's answer thus repeats the Aramaic phrase of the servant's question, while the Hebrew varies the spelling of the infinitive (לָלִין, לָלוּן).
**Words to note:** תִּבְנָא *tivna* — straw (תֶּבֶן) · כִּסָּתָא *kissata* — fodder (מִסְפּוֹא) · סַגִּי *saggi* — plenty (רַב) · עִמָּנָא *immana* — with us (עִמָּנוּ) · כָּשַׁר *kashar* — suitable
---
### Bereshit 24:26
**Torah**
וַיִּקֹּ֣ד הָאִ֔ישׁ וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ לַֽה׳׃
**Translation**
The man bowed [his head] and prostrated himself to Hashem.
**Onkelos**
וּכְרַע גַּבְרָא וּסְגִיד קֳדָם ה׳
**Onkelos in English**
The man bowed and prostrated himself before Hashem.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Before Hashem".** For לַה׳, 'to Hashem', Onkelos writes קֳדָם ה׳, 'before Hashem'. The servant's prostration is described as made in Hashem's presence rather than directed to Him; this may reflect a reverential rephrasing of language about God.
- **"Bowed and prostrated himself".** וַיִּקֹּד becomes וּכְרַע, from כרע, a general verb of bending or kneeling, and וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ becomes וּסְגִיד.
**Words to note:** וּכְרַע *u-khera* — and bowed (וַיִּקֹּד) · וּסְגִיד *u-segid* — and prostrated himself (וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ) · קֳדָם *kodam* — before
---
### Unit 2 summary
Onkelos follows the narrative closely here, but with a steady vocabulary of his own. Every form of the Hebrew שאב, 'draw', is rendered by מלי, 'fill'; the camels' 'finishing' becomes 'having enough' (ספק), while Rivkah's own finishing is rendered by a different verb; and both mentions of a place to stay become אָתַר כָּשַׁר, 'a suitable place', for spending the night (לִמְבָת, for two different Hebrew spellings). He supplies what the Hebrew leaves implicit, naming the unit of the bracelets' weight (selas) and letting the root תקל, 'weigh', run through the whole verse; he calls the trough a 'place of watering'; and he gives two words for the servant's single gazing verb, presenting him as lingering and observing. Language about God is adjusted once: the servant bows 'before' Hashem rather than 'to' Hashem.
---
## Conclusion of the aliyah
### The movement of the aliyah
The aliyah moves from journey to prayer to answer. The servant arrives and halts at the well, frames a sign in words, and the sign is fulfilled before he has finished speaking; the second half shows Rivkah carrying it out in full, the servant watching to learn whether Hashem has prospered his way, the gifts, the question of family, and his bow before Hashem. Onkelos follows this narrative closely, and most of what he changes is vocabulary. But his vocabulary has a shape of its own: one root for the request and the sign, one root for all the drawing and filling of water, one word for the pitcher throughout, and a distinction between people who finish and camels who have had enough.
### What Onkelos tells us in this aliyah
1. **"Took" (24:10).** *u-dvar* is a verb of leading or conducting; with camels as the object this may suggest that the animals were led rather than simply taken.
2. **"Aram that is on the Perat" (24:10).** Instead of translating the name 'Aram of the two rivers', Onkelos identifies the region by a single named river.
3. **"Prepare [it]" and "her You have prepared" (24:12, 24:14).** *zammin*, from זמן, renders the request that Hashem 'cause to happen'; the same root renders 'whom You have determined'. The servant asks not for a chance event but for something arranged in advance, and in the Aramaic the request and the sign share one verb.
4. **"Beautiful of appearance" (24:16).** *shappirat* uses 'beautiful' for 'good'; in the printed text the same root שפר rendered Avraham's goods as 'the best' in 24:10. The Yemenite text differs in both verses.
5. **"Filled her pitcher" (24:16).** The verb that renders filling is the one that renders drawing water in 24:11 and 24:13, so the Aramaic uses one verb where the Hebrew distinguishes two.
6. **"Give me to drink" (24:17).** For the rare 'let me sip', the printed Onkelos has *ashkini*, the ordinary verb for giving drink, which does not keep the sense of a small sip; the alternative 'let me taste' may be closer to that sense.
7. **"They had enough" (24:19).** Rivkah finishes, but the camels 'have had enough' (ספק); the Aramaic perhaps prefers to say that the camels were satisfied. The same choice recurs in 24:22.
8. **"The place of watering" (24:20).** The trough is described by its use, 'the house of watering', with a noun from the root of giving drink.
9. **"Lingering by her, gazing" (24:21).** The single Hebrew participle receives two Aramaic words, *shahei* and *mistakkel*; this looks like a double rendering, and the Aramaic presents the man as waiting and watching rather than astonished.
10. **"Ten selas of gold" (24:22).** Onkelos names the unit the Hebrew leaves unstated and the half-shekel as a *tikla*, so that four words of the verse come from תקל, 'weigh'.
11. **"A suitable place" (24:23, 24:25).** Both the servant's question and Rivkah's answer speak of a place that is כָּשַׁר, 'suitable', perhaps indicating a place fit for guests to lodge; both use the same infinitive for spending the night, where the Hebrew spells it two ways.
12. **"Before Hashem" (24:26).** The servant prostrates himself 'before' Hashem rather than 'to' Hashem, which may reflect a reverential rephrasing of language about God.
### Recurring features
- **מלי for שאב.** Every form of 'draw' in the aliyah, from the women who draw in 24:11 to Rivkah drawing for all the camels in 24:20, is rendered from the root 'fill'.
- **One word for the pitcher.** The Hebrew כַּד is rendered by the same Aramaic noun, *kulta*, in every one of its occurrences (24:14, 24:15, 24:16, 24:17, 24:18, 24:20).
- **One Aramaic root for several Hebrew ones.** זמן gathers 'cause to happen' and 'determined', מלי gathers 'draw' and 'fill', and in the printed text שפר gathers Avraham's 'goods' and Rivkah's good looks.
- **Roots kept where the Hebrew keeps them.** Giving drink is from שקי throughout, the cognate of the Hebrew שקה, and 'she went down' and 'she lowered' share the root נחת as the Hebrew pair share one root.
- **Regular equivalents.** The particle 'please' is rendered *ke'an*, 'now', in each of its four occurrences (24:12, 24:14, 24:17, 24:23), and kindness (חֶסֶד) is *tivu* in both verses of the prayer; several verses are marked in the notes as literal renderings.
- **What is implicit made explicit.** Onkelos supplies the selas of the bracelets' weight, the 'suitable' place to lodge, the trough as a 'place of watering', and the river that locates Aram.
- **Recorded variants.** The printed text carries alternative readings in parentheses (24:16, 24:17), and the textual notes mark where the Yemenite text reads differently, marked where they occur.
### Aliyah takeaway
In this aliyah Onkelos rarely departs from the story; his contribution is the pattern of his word choices. By rendering the servant's request and its fulfilment with one verb, 'prepare', he binds the prayer at the well to the girl who answers it, so that the sign reads as something arranged in advance rather than a chance event. By rendering all the drawing and filling with one verb he makes Rivkah's labour at the well a single continuous act, and by supplying the weight in selas, the 'suitable' place and the 'place of watering' he leaves less for the reader to infer. Only once, at the end, does language about God change: the servant bows before Hashem.
---
## Aramaic word list for the aliyah
| Aramaic | Transliteration | Meaning | Hebrew in the verse |
|---|---|---|---|
| וּדְבַר | *u-dvar* | took (lit. led) | וַיִּקַּח |
| שְׁפַר | *shefar* | the best | טוּב |
| לְקַרְתָּא | *le-karta* | to the city | עִיר |
| וְאַשְׁרֵי | *ve-ashrei* | he made rest | וַיַּבְרֵךְ |
| מַלְיָתָא | *malyata* | the [women] drawing [water] | הַשֹּׁאֲבֹת |
| דְּרִבּוֹנִי | *de-ribboni* | of my master | אֲדֹנִי |
| זַמִּין | *zammin* | prepare | הַקְרֵה |
| כְּעַן | *ke'an* | now | נָא |
| קֳדָמַי | *kodamai* | before me | לְפָנַי |
| טִיבוּ | *tivu* | kindness | חֶסֶד |
| קָאֵם | *ka'em* | stand | נִצָּב |
| לְמִמְלֵי | *le-mimlei* | to draw (lit. to fill) | לִשְׁאֹב |
| וּתְהֵי | *u-tehei* | let [her] be | וְהָיָה |
| עוּלֶמְתָּא | *ulemta* | the girl | הַנַּעֲרָ |
| אַרְכִינִי | *arkhini* | tip over | הַטִּי |
| קוּלְתִיךְ | *kultikh* | your pitcher | כַדֵּךְ |
| זַמִּנְתָּא | *zamminta* | You have prepared | הֹכַחְתָּ |
| שֵׁיצֵי | *sheitzei* | finished | כִּלָּה |
| דְּאִתְיְלִידַת | *de-ityelidat* | she had been born | יֻלְּדָה |
| כַּתְפַּהּ | *katpah* | her shoulder | שִׁכְמָהּ |
| בְּתֻלְתָּא | *betulta* | a virgin | בְּתוּלָה |
| וּנְחָתַת | *u-nehatat* | she went down | וַתֵּרֶד |
| וּמְלַת | *u-melat* | filled | וַתְּמַלֵּא |
| וּסְלֵקָת | *u-selekat* | and came up | וַתָּעַל |
| וּרְהַט | *u-rehat* | ran | וַיָּרׇץ |
| לִקְדָמוּתַהּ | *li-kdamutah* | toward her | לִקְרָאתָהּ |
| אַשְׁקִינִי | *ashkini* | give me to drink | הַגְמִיאִינִי |
| זְעֵיר | *ze'eir* | a little | מְעַט |
| רִבּוֹנִי | *ribboni* | my master | אֲדֹנִי |
| וְאוֹחִיאַת | *ve-ohi'at* | she quickly [did] | וַתְּמַהֵר |
| וַאֲחֵיתַת | *va-aheitat* | lowered | וַתֹּרֶד |
| וְאַשְׁקְתֵהּ | *ve-ashketeh* | and let him drink | וַתַּשְׁקֵהוּ |
| וְשֵׁיצִיאַת | *ve-sheitzi'at* | and she finished | וַתְּכַל |
| לְאַשְׁקָיוּתֵהּ | *le-ashkayuteh* | giving him to drink | לְהַשְׁקֹתוֹ |
| אַמְלֵי | *amlei* | I will draw (literally 'fill') | אֶשְׁאָב |
| סַפְקוּן | *safkun* | they have had enough | כִּלּוּ |
| וּנְפָצַת | *u-nefatzat* | and she emptied | וַתְּעַר |
| קוּלְתַהּ | *kultah* | her pitcher | כַּדָּהּ |
| שָׁהֵי | *shahei* | lingering | מִשְׁתָּאֵה |
| מִסְתַּכֵּל | *mistakkel* | gazing | מִשְׁתָּאֵה |
| שָׁתִיק | *shatik* | silent | מַחֲרִישׁ |
| הַאַצְלַח | *ha-atzlah* | whether [He] had made successful | הַהִצְלִיחַ |
| סַפִּיקוּ | *sappiku* | had had enough | כִּלּוּ |
| קָדָשָׁא | *kadasha* | nose ring | נֶזֶם |
| תִּקְלָא | *tikla* | tikla (a weight of half a shekel) | בֶּקַע |
---
## Source note
**Aliyah boundary.** Bereshit 24:10 – 24:26, following the aliyah divisions in Sefaria's index of Bereshit (the next aliyah begins at Bereshit 24:27).
**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.