# Torah with Onkelos
## Parashat Lech Lecha — Second Aliyah
### Bereshit 12:14 – 13:4
*Sarai in Pharaoh's house and Avram's return to the altar near Beis-Eil, read through Targum Onkelos*
---
## Contents
- [Orientation](#orientation)
- [How this booklet is laid out](#layout)
- [Unit 1 — Bereshit 12:14–19: Sarai in Pharaoh's house](#unit-1)
- [Unit 2 — Bereshit 12:20–13:4: Back from Egypt to the altar at Beis-Eil](#unit-2)
- [Conclusion of the aliyah](#conclusion)
- [Aramaic word list for the aliyah](#glossary)
- [Source note](#source-note)
---
## Orientation
**What happens in this aliyah.** Avram enters Egypt, and the Egyptians notice Sarai's beauty. Pharaoh's officials praise her to Pharaoh, she is taken to his house, and Avram is treated well for her sake, acquiring flocks, cattle, donkeys, camels and slaves. Hashem strikes Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Sarai, and Pharaoh summons Avram, asks why he called her his sister, and tells him to take his wife and go. Pharaoh assigns men who escort Avram out with his wife and all that is his. Avram, now very wealthy, goes up from Egypt with Lot to the south and travels back, stage by stage, to the place between Beis-Eil and Ai where his tent had been and where he had built an altar, and there he calls in the Name of 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.**
- **"Take" as "lead".** Each time the Hebrew says Sarai is "taken" (12:15, 12:19), Onkelos uses the root דבר, "lead": וְאִדַּבָּרַת, וּדְבָרִית, דְּבַר.
- **One Aramaic word for two Hebrew ones.** רַבְרְבֵי renders "officials" (sarei) in 12:15 and רַבְרְבִין renders "severe" (gedolim) in 12:17; בְּקַדְמֵיתָא renders both ba-tehillah (13:3) and ba-rishonah (13:4).
- **The plagues.** Onkelos does not keep the Hebrew pairing of verb and noun from one root in 12:17; Hashem "brought" (וְאַיְתִי) plagues, and they fall on "the people of" (אֱנַשׁ) Pharaoh's house.
- **Escort, not expulsion.** Pharaoh's men "escort" Avram (וְאַלְוִיאוּ, 12:20), a verb from a root meaning "accompany".
- **Idioms made plain.** Avram is "strong" (תַּקִּיף) rather than "heavy" in wealth (13:2), and the Negev becomes "the south" (לְדָרוֹמָא).
- **Calling as prayer.** "Avram called in the Name of Hashem" becomes "Avram prayed" (וְצַלֵּי) in 13:4.
---
## 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 12:14–19: Sarai in Pharaoh's house
The Egyptians notice Sarai's beauty, and she is taken to Pharaoh's house while Avram is treated well for her sake. Hashem strikes Pharaoh and his household, and Pharaoh confronts Avram.
---
### Bereshit 12:14
**Torah**
וַיְהִ֕י כְּב֥וֹא אַבְרָ֖ם מִצְרָ֑יְמָה וַיִּרְא֤וּ הַמִּצְרִים֙ אֶת־הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה כִּֽי־יָפָ֥ה הִ֖וא מְאֹֽד׃
**Translation**
And it was when Avram was entering Egypt, that the Egyptians beheld the woman, because she was very beautiful.
**Onkelos**
וַהֲוָה כַּד עַל אַבְרָם לְמִצְרָיִם וַחֲזוֹ מִצְרָאֵי יָת אִתְּתָא אֲרֵי שַׁפִּירָא הִיא לַחֲדָא
**Onkelos in English**
And it was, when Avram entered Egypt, that the Egyptians beheld the woman, because she was very beautiful.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"When Avram entered".** The Hebrew uses an infinitive with a prefix, *ki-vo* (כְּבוֹא), "in Avram's entering". Onkelos turns it into a clause with a finite past verb: *kad al* (כַּד עַל), "when [he] entered". The meaning is unchanged.
- **"Beautiful".** Hebrew *yafah* is rendered *shappira* (שַׁפִּירָא), and *me'od*, "very", is rendered *lahada* (לַחֲדָא). Otherwise a literal rendering.
**Words to note:** כַּד *kad* — when · עַל *al* — entered · מִצְרָאֵי *mitzra'ei* — the Egyptians (הַמִּצְרִים) · שַׁפִּירָא *shappira* — beautiful (יָפָה) · לַחֲדָא *lahada* — very (מְאֹד)
---
### Bereshit 12:15
**Torah**
וַיִּרְא֤וּ אֹתָהּ֙ שָׂרֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וַיְהַֽלְל֥וּ אֹתָ֖הּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה וַתֻּקַּ֥ח הָאִשָּׁ֖ה בֵּ֥ית פַּרְעֹֽה׃
**Translation**
Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh. The woman was taken to Pharaoh's house.
**Onkelos**
וַחֲזוֹ יָתַהּ רַבְרְבֵי פַרְעֹה וְשַׁבָּחוּ יָתַהּ לְפַרְעֹה וְאִדַּבָּרַת אִתְּתָא לְבֵית פַּרְעֹה
**Onkelos in English**
Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Pharaoh's officials".** For Hebrew *sarei* (שָׂרֵי), Onkelos writes *ravrevei* (רַבְרְבֵי), literally "the great ones of". The same Aramaic word, in the form *ravrevin*, renders *gedolim*, "severe", in 12:17: one Aramaic word answers to two different Hebrew roots.
- **"Was taken".** The Hebrew *va-tukkah* (וַתֻּקַּח) means "was taken". Onkelos uses a passive of the root דבר, "lead": *ve-iddabbarat* (וְאִדַּבָּרַת). He does the same twice in 12:19, where Pharaoh says "I took her" and "take [her]". Since the one taken is a person, "lead" may have seemed the more fitting verb.
- **"To Pharaoh's house".** The Hebrew *beit Par'oh* has no preposition; Onkelos adds the prefix ל, *le-veit* (לְבֵית), making "to" explicit.
**Words to note:** רַבְרְבֵי *ravrevei* — officials (lit. great ones of) (שָׂרֵי) · וְשַׁבָּחוּ *ve-shabbahu* — and praised (וַיְהַלְלוּ) · וְאִדַּבָּרַת *ve-iddabbarat* — and was taken (lit. was led) (וַתֻּקַּח) · לְבֵית *le-veit* — to the house of (בֵּית)
---
### Bereshit 12:16
**Torah**
וּלְאַבְרָ֥ם הֵיטִ֖יב בַּעֲבוּרָ֑הּ וַֽיְהִי־ל֤וֹ צֹאן־וּבָקָר֙ וַחֲמֹרִ֔ים וַעֲבָדִים֙ וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת וַאֲתֹנֹ֖ת וּגְמַלִּֽים׃
**Translation**
He treated Avram well for her sake. He thus acquired sheep, oxen, donkeys, male and female slaves, female donkeys and camels.
**Onkelos**
וּלְאַבְרָם אוֹטִיב בְּדִילַהּ וַהֲווֹ לֵהּ עָאן וְתוֹרִין וַחֲמָרִין וְעַבְדִין וְאַמְהָן וְאַתְנָן וְגַמְלִין
**Onkelos in English**
He treated Avram well for her sake, and there were to him sheep and oxen, and donkeys, and male slaves and female slaves, and female donkeys and camels.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"There were to him".** The Hebrew has a singular verb, *va-yehi lo* (וַיְהִי לוֹ), "there was to him", before a list of many possessions. Onkelos uses the plural *va-havo leh* (וַהֲווֹ לֵהּ), "there were to him", so that the verb agrees with the list: a grammatical smoothing.
- **"For her sake".** Hebrew *ba-avurah* (בַּעֲבוּרָהּ) is rendered *bedilah* (בְּדִילַהּ).
- **The list.** Each of the seven items is rendered by a single Aramaic noun in the same order. Hebrew *bakar*, "cattle", becomes *torin* (וְתוֹרִין), "oxen"; *shefahot*, "female slaves", becomes *amhan* (וְאַמְהָן).
**Words to note:** אוֹטִיב *otiv* — treated well (הֵיטִיב) · בְּדִילַהּ *bedilah* — for her sake (בַּעֲבוּרָהּ) · וַהֲווֹ *va-havo* — and there were (וַיְהִי) · וְתוֹרִין *ve-torin* — and oxen (וּבָקָר) · וְאַמְהָן *ve-amhan* — and female slaves (וּשְׁפָחֹת) · וְאַתְנָן *ve-atnan* — and female donkeys (וַאֲתֹנֹת)
---
### Bereshit 12:17
**Torah**
וַיְנַגַּ֨ע ה׳ ׀ אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֛ה נְגָעִ֥ים גְּדֹלִ֖ים וְאֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ עַל־דְּבַ֥ר שָׂרַ֖י אֵ֥שֶׁת אַבְרָֽם׃
**Translation**
Hashem afflicted Pharaoh with severe plagues [*brought severe plagues upon Pharaoh*], and also his household, because of Sarai, Avram's wife.
**Onkelos**
וְאַיְתִי ה׳ עַל פַּרְעֹה מַכְתָּשִׁין רַבְרְבִין וְעַל אֱנַשׁ בֵּיתֵהּ עַל עֵיסַק שָׂרַי אִתַּת אַבְרָם
**Onkelos in English**
Hashem brought severe plagues upon Pharaoh, and upon the people of his household, because of Sarai, Avram's wife.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Hashem brought ... plagues".** The Hebrew pairs a verb and noun of one root: *vaynagga ... nega'im* (וַיְנַגַּע ... נְגָעִים), "He afflicted ... with afflictions". Onkelos breaks the pair: the verb becomes *ve-ayti* (וְאַיְתִי), "brought", with "upon" (*al*), and the noun becomes *makhtashin* (מַכְתָּשִׁין), "plagues". The wordplay of the Hebrew is not kept.
- **"Severe".** *Gedolim* is rendered *ravrevin* (רַבְרְבִין), the same word that rendered "officials" in 12:15.
- **"The people of his household".** Where the Hebrew says "and his house" (*ve-et beito*), Onkelos writes *ve-al enash beiteh* (וְעַל אֱנַשׁ בֵּיתֵהּ), "and upon the people of his house". The added *enash* perhaps specifies that the plagues struck the members of the household and not the building.
- **"Because of".** The Hebrew idiom *al devar* (עַל דְּבַר), literally "on the matter of", is rendered with the parallel Aramaic idiom *al eisak* (עַל עֵיסַק), "on the affair of".
**Words to note:** וְאַיְתִי *ve-ayti* — brought (וַיְנַגַּע) · מַכְתָּשִׁין *makhtashin* — plagues (נְגָעִים) · רַבְרְבִין *ravrevin* — severe (lit. great) (גְּדֹלִים) · אֱנַשׁ *enash* — the people of · עֵיסַק *eisak* — [because] of (lit. affair) (דְּבַר) · אִתַּת *ittat* — wife of (אֵשֶׁת)
---
### Bereshit 12:18
**Torah**
וַיִּקְרָ֤א פַרְעֹה֙ לְאַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַה־זֹּ֖את עָשִׂ֣יתָ לִּ֑י לָ֚מָּה לֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֔י כִּ֥י אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ הִֽוא׃
**Translation**
Pharaoh summoned Avram and said: What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she is your wife?
**Onkelos**
וּקְרָא פַרְעֹה לְאַבְרָם וַאֲמַר מָה דָּא עֲבַדְתְּ לִי לְמָא לָא חַוֵּיתָא לִי אֲרֵי אִתְּתָךְ הִיא
**Onkelos in English**
Pharaoh summoned Avram and said: What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she is your wife?
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **A literal rendering.** Word for word with the Hebrew. Hebrew *higgadta*, "you told", is rendered *havveita* (חַוֵּיתָא), and *asita*, "you have done", is *avadt* (עֲבַדְתְּ).
**Words to note:** עֲבַדְתְּ *avadt* — you have done (עָשִׂיתָ) · חַוֵּיתָא *havveita* — you told (הִגַּדְתָּ) · אִתְּתָךְ *ittetakh* — your wife (אִשְׁתְּךָ)
---
### Bereshit 12:19
**Torah**
לָמָ֤ה אָמַ֙רְתָּ֙ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֔וא וָאֶקַּ֥ח אֹתָ֛הּ לִ֖י לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וְעַתָּ֕ה הִנֵּ֥ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ קַ֥ח וָלֵֽךְ׃
**Translation**
Why did you say, She is my sister, so that I should take her to myself for a wife? Now here is your wife, take [her] and go.
**Onkelos**
לְמָא אֲמַרְתְּ אֲחָתִי הִיא וּדְבָרִית יָתַהּ לִי לְאִתּוּ וּכְעַן הָא אִתְּתָךְ דְּבַר וְאִיזֵל
**Onkelos in English**
Why did you say, She is my sister, and I took her to myself for a wife? Now here is your wife, take [her] and go.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"And I took her".** The Hebrew *va-ekkah* (וָאֶקַּח) is a past form; Onkelos matches it with the perfect *u-devarit* (וּדְבָרִית), "and I took". As in 12:15, the root is דבר, "lead", not a cognate of the Hebrew verb.
- **"Take [her]".** The imperative *kah* (קַח) is rendered *devar* (דְּבַר), again from דבר. In this passage all three Hebrew uses of "take" for Sarai (12:15 and twice here) are rendered with this one root.
- **"For a wife".** Hebrew *le-ishah* is rendered *le-ittu* (לְאִתּוּ), a noun meaning "wife" or "marriage". The other words are rendered literally.
- **Textual note.** For אֲחָתִי, "my sister", the Yemenite text reads אֲחָת. This may be a shortened spelling of the same word; the translation here follows the printed text.
**Words to note:** אֲחָתִי *ahati* — my sister (אֲחֹתִי) · וּדְבָרִית *u-devarit* — and I took (וָאֶקַּח) · לְאִתּוּ *le-ittu* — for a wife (לְאִשָּׁה) · וּכְעַן *u-khe'an* — now (וְעַתָּה) · דְּבַר *devar* — take (קַח) · וְאִיזֵל *ve-izel* — and go (וָלֵךְ)
---
### Unit 1 summary
Onkelos follows the Hebrew closely here, but several small choices stand out. The Hebrew infinitive "when Avram was entering" becomes a finite clause, "when Avram entered". The Hebrew verb "take", used three times of Sarai, is rendered each time with the Aramaic root דבר, "lead", perhaps because the object is a person. One Aramaic word, *ravrev* ("great"), serves both for Pharaoh's officials (Hebrew *sarei*) and for the "severe" plagues (Hebrew *gedolim*). The cognate pair "afflicted ... with plagues" (*vaynagga ... nega'im*) is not reproduced: Onkelos says Hashem "brought" plagues, and he specifies that they fell on "the people of" Pharaoh's house. The singular "there was to him" before Avram's list of possessions becomes a plural to agree with the list.
---
## Unit 2 — Bereshit 12:20–13:4: Back from Egypt to the altar at Beis-Eil
Pharaoh has Avram escorted out with all that is his. Avram, now very wealthy, goes up from Egypt with Lot to the south and travels back to the place between Beis-Eil and Ai where he had built an altar, and there calls in the Name of Hashem.
---
### Bereshit 12:20
**Torah**
וַיְצַ֥ו עָלָ֛יו פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ וְאֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־לֽוֹ׃
**Translation**
Pharaoh assigned men to him and they escorted him and his wife and all that was his.
**Onkelos**
וּפַקִּיד עֲלוֹהִי פַּרְעֹה גּוּבְרִין וְאַלְוִיאוּ יָתֵהּ וְיָת אִתְּתֵהּ וְיָת כָּל דִילֵהּ
**Onkelos in English**
Pharaoh assigned men to him and they escorted him and his wife and all that was his.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"They escorted him".** The Hebrew *vayshallehu* (וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ) can mean either "they sent him away" or "they escorted him". Onkelos chooses *ve-alviu* (וְאַלְוִיאוּ), from a root meaning "accompany", which carries no sense of expulsion. This may indicate that he read Avram's departure as an honourable escort rather than a dismissal.
- **"Men".** *Anashim* is rendered *guvrin* (גּוּבְרִין), and *kol asher lo*, "all that was his", is rendered with the possessive particle: *kol dileh* (כָּל דִילֵהּ).
**Words to note:** וּפַקִּיד *u-fakkid* — assigned (וַיְצַו) · גּוּבְרִין *guvrin* — men (אֲנָשִׁים) · וְאַלְוִיאוּ *ve-alviu* — and they escorted (וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ) · דִילֵהּ *dileh* — his
---
### Bereshit 13:1
**Torah**
וַיַּ֩עַל֩ אַבְרָ֨ם מִמִּצְרַ֜יִם ה֠וּא וְאִשְׁתּ֧וֹ וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֛וֹ וְל֥וֹט עִמּ֖וֹ הַנֶּֽגְבָּה׃
**Translation**
Avram went up from Egypt; he, his wife, and all that he had, together with Lot into the south.
**Onkelos**
וּסְלֵיק אַבְרָם מִמִּצְרַיִם הוּא וְאִתְּתֵהּ וְכָל דִּילֵהּ וְלוֹט עִמֵּהּ לְדָרוֹמָא
**Onkelos in English**
Avram went up from Egypt; he, his wife, and all that he had, together with Lot into the south.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Into the south".** The Hebrew *ha-negbah* (הַנֶּגְבָּה) names the Negev, the southern region. Onkelos renders it with the common noun *daroma* (לְדָרוֹמָא), "the south", as he does again with *mi-negev* in 13:3. Otherwise a literal rendering, with *u-slek* (וּסְלֵיק) for "went up".
**Words to note:** וּסְלֵיק *u-slek* — went up (וַיַּעַל) · דִּילֵהּ *dileh* — that he had · עִמֵּהּ *immeh* — with him (עִמּוֹ) · לְדָרוֹמָא *le-daroma* — into the south (הַנֶּגְבָּה)
---
### Bereshit 13:2
**Torah**
וְאַבְרָ֖ם כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד בַּמִּקְנֶ֕ה בַּכֶּ֖סֶף וּבַזָּהָֽב׃
**Translation**
Avram was very wealthy in livestock, silver and gold.
**Onkelos**
וְאַבְרָם תַּקִּיף לַחֲדָא בִּבְעִירָא בְּכַסְפָּא וּבְדַהֲבָא
**Onkelos in English**
Avram was very strong in livestock, silver and gold.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Very strong".** The Hebrew *kaved* (כָּבֵד), literally "heavy", is an idiom for great wealth. Onkelos does not keep the image of weight; he writes *takkif* (תַּקִּיף), "strong" or "mighty". Perhaps "heavy" seemed too odd in Aramaic for a person; "strong in livestock, silver and gold" keeps the sense of substance and power.
- **The rest.** *Lahada*, *bivira*, *be-khaspa* and *u-vedahava* render "very", "livestock", "silver" and "gold" literally.
**Words to note:** תַּקִּיף *takkif* — strong (כָּבֵד) · לַחֲדָא *lahada* — very (מְאֹד) · בִּבְעִירָא *bivira* — in livestock (בַּמִּקְנֶה)
---
### Bereshit 13:3
**Torah**
וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ לְמַסָּעָ֔יו מִנֶּ֖גֶב וְעַד־בֵּֽית־אֵ֑ל עַד־הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁר־הָ֨יָה שָׁ֤ם אׇֽהֳלֹה֙ בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה בֵּ֥ין בֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל וּבֵ֥ין הָעָֽי׃
**Translation**
He continued on his travels from the south to Beis-Eil, until the place where he originally had [*set up*] his tent, between Beis-Eil and Ai.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲזַל לְמַטְלָנוֹהִי מִדָּרוֹמָא וְעַד בֵּית אֵל עַד אַתְרָא דִּי פְּרַס תַּמָּן מַשְׁכְּנֵהּ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא בֵּין בֵּית אֵל וּבֵין עָי
**Onkelos in English**
He continued on his travels from the south to Beis-Eil, until the place where he had spread his tent there originally, between Beis-Eil and Ai.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"From the south".** *Mi-negev* becomes *mi-daroma* (מִדָּרוֹמָא), as in 13:1.
- **"Where he had spread his tent".** The Hebrew says "where his tent had been there" (*asher hayah sham oholoh*), with the tent as subject. Onkelos makes Avram the subject of an active verb: *di peras tamman mashkeneh* (דִּי פְּרַס תַּמָּן מַשְׁכְּנֵהּ), "where he spread his tent there". The verb פרס, "spread", describes the pitching of a tent.
- **"Originally".** Hebrew *ba-tehillah* (בַּתְּחִלָּה) is rendered *be-kadmeita* (בְּקַדְמֵיתָא). In 13:4 the same Aramaic word renders a different Hebrew word, *ba-rishonah*.
- **"The place".** *Ha-makom* is rendered *atra* (אַתְרָא); *ha-Ai* appears without the article, as *Ai* (עָי).
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text reads דְּפַרְסֵיהּ תַּמָּן לְמַשְׁכְּנֵיהּ, "where he spread it there, his tent", with the object anticipated by a suffix and marked again with ל. The sense is the same; Avram is the subject of the verb in both texts.
**Words to note:** לְמַטְלָנוֹהִי *le-matlanohi* — on his travels (לְמַסָּעָיו) · אַתְרָא *atra* — the place (הַמָּקוֹם) · פְּרַס *peras* — spread · מַשְׁכְּנֵהּ *mashkeneh* — his tent (אׇהֳלֹה) · בְּקַדְמֵיתָא *be-kadmeita* — originally (בַּתְּחִלָּה)
---
### Bereshit 13:4
**Torah**
אֶל־מְקוֹם֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ אֲשֶׁר־עָ֥שָׂה שָׁ֖ם בָּרִאשֹׁנָ֑ה וַיִּקְרָ֥א שָׁ֛ם אַבְרָ֖ם בְּשֵׁ֥ם ה׳׃
**Translation**
To the site of the altar which he made there at first; and there Avram called [*prayed*] in the Name of Hashem.
**Onkelos**
לַאֲתַר מַדְבְּחָא דִּי עֲבַד תַּמָּן בְּקַדְמֵיתָא וְצַלֵּי תַמָּן אַבְרָם בִּשְׁמָא דַּה׳
**Onkelos in English**
To the site of the altar which he made there at first; and there Avram prayed in the Name of Hashem.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Avram prayed".** The Hebrew *va-yikra ... be-shem* (וַיִּקְרָא ... בְּשֵׁם), "he called in the Name", is rendered *ve-tzallei* (וְצַלֵּי), "and he prayed". Onkelos thus interprets the "calling" as prayer rather than, for example, proclamation. The phrase "in the Name of Hashem" is kept: *bi-shma* (בִּשְׁמָא).
- **"At first".** *Ba-rishonah* (בָּרִאשֹׁנָה) is rendered *be-kadmeita* (בְּקַדְמֵיתָא), the same word that rendered *ba-tehillah* in 13:3: two Hebrew words, one Aramaic word.
- **"The site of the altar".** *Mekom ha-mizbe'ah* is rendered *atar madbeha* (לַאֲתַר מַדְבְּחָא), with *atar* for *makom* as in 13:3.
**Words to note:** לַאֲתַר *la-atar* — to the site of (מְקוֹם) · מַדְבְּחָא *madbeha* — the altar (הַמִּזְבֵּחַ) · בְּקַדְמֵיתָא *be-kadmeita* — at first (בָּרִאשֹׁנָה) · וְצַלֵּי *ve-tzallei* — and prayed (וַיִּקְרָא) · בִּשְׁמָא *bi-shma* — in the Name (בְּשֵׁם)
---
### Unit 2 summary
In this unit Onkelos is mostly literal, keeping his word choices consistent: *daroma*, "the south", renders the Negev both times; *atar*, "place", renders *makom* both times; and one adverb, *be-kadmeita*, covers two different Hebrew words for "at first". The interpretive moves are in the verbs and idioms. Pharaoh's men "escort" Avram (*alviu*), a verb with no hint of "sending away"; Avram is "strong" rather than "heavy" in wealth; the tent that "had been" there becomes a tent Avram "spread"; and "called in the Name of Hashem" becomes "prayed in the Name of Hashem".
---
## Conclusion of the aliyah
### The movement of the aliyah
The aliyah moves from danger to return. In Egypt the narrative turns on Sarai: she is seen, praised, taken to Pharaoh's house, and the cause of both Avram's wealth and Pharaoh's plagues, until Pharaoh confronts Avram and sends him off with his wife. The second half retraces Avram's path in reverse, from Egypt up to the south and on to Beis-Eil, ending at the altar he had built at first, where he calls in the Name of Hashem. Onkelos follows this movement closely and mostly literally; his interpretive choices cluster around the verbs, in how Sarai is taken, how the plagues come, how Avram leaves Egypt and what he does at the altar.
### What Onkelos tells us in this aliyah
1. **"When Avram entered" (12:14).** The Hebrew infinitive "in Avram's entering" becomes a finite past clause, *kad al*, with the meaning unchanged.
2. **"Was taken" (12:15).** וְאִדַּבָּרַת is a passive of the root דבר, "lead"; since the one taken is a person, "lead" may have seemed the more fitting verb.
3. **"Pharaoh's officials" (12:15).** רַבְרְבֵי, literally "the great ones of", renders sarei.
4. **"There were to him" (12:16).** The singular "there was to him" becomes plural, וַהֲווֹ, to agree with the list of possessions: a grammatical smoothing.
5. **"Hashem brought ... plagues" (12:17).** The verb-and-noun pair of one root is broken into "brought" and *makhtashin*, "plagues"; the wordplay of the Hebrew is not kept.
6. **"The people of his household" (12:17).** The added אֱנַשׁ perhaps specifies that the plagues struck the members of the household and not the building.
7. **"Take [her]" (12:19).** The imperative is rendered דְּבַר; all three Hebrew uses of "take" for Sarai in this passage are rendered with the one root דבר.
8. **"They escorted him" (12:20).** וְאַלְוִיאוּ carries no sense of expulsion, which may indicate that Onkelos read the departure as an honourable escort rather than a dismissal.
9. **"Very strong" (13:2).** תַּקִּיף replaces the Hebrew image of weight, keeping the sense of substance and power.
10. **"Where he had spread his tent" (13:3).** Instead of "where his tent had been", Avram becomes the subject of an active verb, פְּרַס, "spread".
11. **"Avram prayed" (13:4).** "He called in the Name" becomes וְצַלֵּי, interpreting the calling as prayer; "in the Name of Hashem" is kept.
### Recurring features
- **Close, literal rendering.** Most verses are rendered word for word, with words in the same order; 12:18 is entirely literal, and the seven items of the list in 12:16 each have a single Aramaic noun in the same order.
- **One Aramaic word for several Hebrew words.** *Ravrev* answers to both sarei and gedolim, *be-kadmeita* to both ba-tehillah and ba-rishonah, and the root דבר to every "take" said of Sarai.
- **Consistent vocabulary.** *Daroma* renders the Negev both times (13:1, 13:3), and *atar* renders makom both times (13:3, 13:4).
- **Verbs carry the interpretation.** The notable choices are in verbs: "lead" for "take", "brought" for "afflicted", "escorted", "spread" and "prayed".
- **Grammar made explicit.** Onkelos turns an infinitive into a finite clause (12:14), makes a verb agree with its plural list (12:16), and adds the preposition "to" before Pharaoh's house (12:15).
### Aliyah takeaway
In this aliyah Onkelos is, for the most part, a faithful word-for-word translator, keeping the order and content of the Hebrew and using consistent words for recurring terms. Where he departs from the Hebrew, the changes are small and mostly in the verbs and idioms: Sarai is "led", the plagues are "brought" on the people of Pharaoh's house, Avram is "escorted" out of Egypt, he is "strong" in wealth, he "spreads" his tent, and at the altar he "prays". Read together, these choices clarify who acts and how, while leaving the story itself unchanged.
---
## Aramaic word list for the aliyah
| Aramaic | Transliteration | Meaning | Hebrew in the verse |
|---|---|---|---|
| כַּד | *kad* | when | — |
| עַל | *al* | entered | — |
| מִצְרָאֵי | *mitzra'ei* | the Egyptians | הַמִּצְרִים |
| שַׁפִּירָא | *shappira* | beautiful | יָפָה |
| לַחֲדָא | *lahada* | very | מְאֹד |
| רַבְרְבֵי | *ravrevei* | officials (lit. great ones of) | שָׂרֵי |
| וְשַׁבָּחוּ | *ve-shabbahu* | and praised | וַיְהַלְלוּ |
| וְאִדַּבָּרַת | *ve-iddabbarat* | and was taken (lit. was led) | וַתֻּקַּח |
| לְבֵית | *le-veit* | to the house of | בֵּית |
| אוֹטִיב | *otiv* | treated well | הֵיטִיב |
| בְּדִילַהּ | *bedilah* | for her sake | בַּעֲבוּרָהּ |
| וַהֲווֹ | *va-havo* | and there were | וַיְהִי |
| וְתוֹרִין | *ve-torin* | and oxen | וּבָקָר |
| וְאַמְהָן | *ve-amhan* | and female slaves | וּשְׁפָחֹת |
| וְאַתְנָן | *ve-atnan* | and female donkeys | וַאֲתֹנֹת |
| וְאַיְתִי | *ve-ayti* | brought | וַיְנַגַּע |
| מַכְתָּשִׁין | *makhtashin* | plagues | נְגָעִים |
| רַבְרְבִין | *ravrevin* | severe (lit. great) | גְּדֹלִים |
| אֱנַשׁ | *enash* | the people of | — |
| עֵיסַק | *eisak* | [because] of (lit. affair) | דְּבַר |
| אִתַּת | *ittat* | wife of | אֵשֶׁת |
| עֲבַדְתְּ | *avadt* | you have done | עָשִׂיתָ |
| חַוֵּיתָא | *havveita* | you told | הִגַּדְתָּ |
| אִתְּתָךְ | *ittetakh* | your wife | אִשְׁתְּךָ |
| אֲחָתִי | *ahati* | my sister | אֲחֹתִי |
| וּדְבָרִית | *u-devarit* | and I took | וָאֶקַּח |
| לְאִתּוּ | *le-ittu* | for a wife | לְאִשָּׁה |
| וּכְעַן | *u-khe'an* | now | וְעַתָּה |
| דְּבַר | *devar* | take | קַח |
| וְאִיזֵל | *ve-izel* | and go | וָלֵךְ |
| וּפַקִּיד | *u-fakkid* | assigned | וַיְצַו |
| גּוּבְרִין | *guvrin* | men | אֲנָשִׁים |
| וְאַלְוִיאוּ | *ve-alviu* | and they escorted | וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ |
| דִילֵהּ | *dileh* | his | — |
| וּסְלֵיק | *u-slek* | went up | וַיַּעַל |
| לְדָרוֹמָא | *le-daroma* | into the south | הַנֶּגְבָּה |
| תַּקִּיף | *takkif* | strong | כָּבֵד |
| בִּבְעִירָא | *bivira* | in livestock | בַּמִּקְנֶה |
| אַתְרָא | *atra* | the place | הַמָּקוֹם |
| פְּרַס | *peras* | spread | — |
| מַשְׁכְּנֵהּ | *mashkeneh* | his tent | אׇהֳלֹה |
| בְּקַדְמֵיתָא | *be-kadmeita* | originally | בַּתְּחִלָּה |
| מַדְבְּחָא | *madbeha* | the altar | הַמִּזְבֵּחַ |
| וְצַלֵּי | *ve-tzallei* | and prayed | וַיִּקְרָא |
| בִּשְׁמָא | *bi-shma* | in the Name | בְּשֵׁם |
---
## Source note
**Aliyah boundary.** Bereshit 12:14 – 13:4, following the aliyah divisions in Sefaria's index of Bereshit (the next aliyah begins at Bereshit 13:5).
**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.