# Torah with Onkelos
## Parashat Vayera — First Aliyah
### Bereshit 18:1 – 18:14
*Avraham's hospitality to three visitors and the promise of a son to Sarah, read through Targum Onkelos*
---
## Contents
- [Orientation](#orientation)
- [How this booklet is laid out](#layout)
- [Unit 1 — Bereshit 18:1–7: Avraham welcomes three visitors](#unit-1)
- [Unit 2 — Bereshit 18:8–14: The meal and the promise of a son](#unit-2)
- [Conclusion of the aliyah](#conclusion)
- [Aramaic word list for the aliyah](#glossary)
- [Source note](#source-note)
---
## Orientation
**What happens in this aliyah.** Hashem appears to Avraham as he sits at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He sees three men, runs to greet them, presses them to stay, and with Sarah and the lad hurries to prepare bread and a calf. He serves the meal and attends on his guests under the tree; they ask after Sarah and promise that she will have a son at the same time next year. Sarah, listening at the door of the tent behind him, laughs within herself at the thought, since she and Avraham are old, and Hashem answers her doubt: is anything beyond Him?
**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.**
- **Two kinds of seeing.** Hashem's appearance in 18:1 becomes a revelation, וְאִתְגְּלִי, 'was revealed', while Avraham's seeing of the men in 18:2 is the plain verb וַחֲזָא.
- **Language about God.** In 18:3 the Hebrew 'favor in Your eyes' becomes רַחֲמִין קֳדָמָךְ, 'mercy before You', and in 18:14 'from Hashem' becomes 'from before Hashem'.
- **Who is addressed in 18:3.** The Hebrew word that could be read as 'my lords' is rendered as the Divine Name, so in the Aramaic Avraham plainly speaks to Hashem.
- **Opened-up phrases.** Hebrew construct or juxtaposed nouns are joined with ד: פִּתָּא דְלַחְמָא, 'a piece of bread', and, in the printed text, קִמְחָא דְּסָלְתָּא, 'flour of fine flour'.
- **Small clarifying expansions.** The terse 'at the time, living' becomes כְּעִדָּן דְּאַתּוּן קַיָּמִין, 'at the time when you are living', in both promises (18:10 and 18:14).
- **Avraham the attendant.** In 18:8 'standing over them' becomes מְשַׁמֵּשׁ, 'attending upon' them.
- **Sarah's words.** Her 'worn out' becomes the plain verb for growing old, and her 'pleasure' becomes 'youthfulness' (18:12).
---
## 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 18:1–7: Avraham welcomes three visitors
Hashem appears to Avraham as he sits at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day; he sees three men, runs to greet them, presses them to stay, and with Sarah and the lad hurries to prepare bread and a calf.
---
### Bereshit 18:1
**Torah**
וַיֵּרָ֤א אֵלָיו֙ ה׳ בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י מַמְרֵ֑א וְה֛וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב פֶּֽתַח־הָאֹ֖הֶל כְּחֹ֥ם הַיּֽוֹם׃
**Translation**
Hashem appeared to him in the groves of Mamrei and he was sitting at the door of the tent in the heat of the day.
**Onkelos**
וְאִתְגְּלִי לֵהּ ה׳ בְּמֵישְׁרֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא יָתֵב בִּתְרַע מַשְׁכְּנָא כְּמֵיחַם יוֹמָא
**Onkelos in English**
Hashem was revealed to him in the plains of Mamrei and he was sitting at the door of the tent in the heat of the day.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Was revealed".** The Hebrew וַיֵּרָא is a passive-reflexive form of the verb 'see', 'was seen, appeared'. Onkelos uses a different root, וְאִתְגְּלִי (*ve-itgeli*, from גלי), 'was revealed'. In the next verse the same Hebrew root, used of Avraham seeing the men (וַיַּרְא), is rendered by the ordinary verb of seeing, וַחֲזָא. The switch to 'revealed' for Hashem's appearance suggests a wish to avoid saying that God was 'seen'.
- **"The plains of Mamrei".** For the Hebrew בְּאֵלֹנֵי ('the groves' or 'oaks' of Mamrei) Onkelos has בְּמֵישְׁרֵי (*be-meishrei*), 'in the plains of'. The trees disappear from the place-name, though a tree is still mentioned in 18:4.
- **"The door of the tent".** בִּתְרַע (*bi-tra'*) is the Aramaic for 'door, gate', and מַשְׁכְּנָא (*mashkena*) is Onkelos's regular word for the Hebrew הָאֹהֶל; it recurs in 18:2 and 18:6.
- **"In the heat of the day".** The Hebrew כְּחֹם has a noun, 'heat'; Onkelos has כְּמֵיחַם (*ke-meiham*), a verbal noun, 'the growing hot' of the day. The sense is unchanged.
**Words to note:** וְאִתְגְּלִי *ve-itgeli* — was revealed (וַיֵּרָא) · בְּמֵישְׁרֵי *be-meishrei* — in the plains of (בְּאֵלֹנֵי) · בִּתְרַע *bi-tra'* — at the door of (פֶּתַח) · מַשְׁכְּנָא *mashkena* — the tent (הָאֹהֶל) · כְּמֵיחַם *ke-meiham* — in the heat of (כְּחֹם)
---
### Bereshit 18:2
**Torah**
וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים עָלָ֑יו וַיַּ֗רְא וַיָּ֤רׇץ לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָֽרְצָה׃
**Translation**
He lifted his eyes and saw, and behold three men were standing over him. He saw [them], and ran from the door of the tent to greet them, and he bowed down to the earth.
**Onkelos**
וּזְקַף עֵינוֹהִי וַחֲזָא וְהָא תְּלָתָא גֻּבְרִין (נ''י גַּבְרִין) קָיְמִין עִלָּווֹהִי וַחֲזָא וּרְהַט לְקַדָּמוּתְהוֹן מִתְּרַע מַשְׁכְּנָא וּסְגִיד עַל אַרְעָא
**Onkelos in English**
He lifted his eyes and saw, and behold three men were standing over him. He saw [them], and ran to greet them from the door of the tent, and he bowed down on the earth.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"He lifted his eyes".** For the Hebrew וַיִּשָּׂא Onkelos uses וּזְקַף (*u-zekaf*), 'raised, lifted up', the Aramaic idiom for lifting the eyes.
- **"Standing over him".** קָיְמִין (*kayemin*) renders נִצָּבִים, and עִלָּווֹהִי (*illavohi*) keeps the Hebrew 'over him'. A literal rendering.
- **"Ran to greet them".** וּרְהַט (*u-rehat*) renders the Hebrew 'ran', and לְקַדָּמוּתְהוֹן (*le-kadamut'hon*), literally 'to meet them', renders לִקְרָאתָם. Onkelos places 'to greet them' before 'from the door of the tent', the reverse of the Hebrew order.
- **"On the earth".** The Hebrew אָרְצָה has the directional ending, 'earthward'; Onkelos writes עַל אַרְעָא, 'on the earth'. The verb וּסְגִיד (*u-segid*) is the usual Aramaic for bowing down.
**Words to note:** וּזְקַף *u-zekaf* — he lifted (וַיִּשָּׂא) · קָיְמִין *kayemin* — standing (נִצָּבִים) · וּרְהַט *u-rehat* — and ran (וַיָּרׇץ) · לְקַדָּמוּתְהוֹן *le-kadamut'hon* — to greet them (לִקְרָאתָם) · וּסְגִיד *u-segid* — and he bowed down (וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ)
---
### Bereshit 18:3
**Torah**
וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֗י אִם־נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ אַל־נָ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר מֵעַ֥ל עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
**Translation**
He said, My Master, if I have found favor in Your eyes, please do not bypass your servant.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמָר ה׳ אִם כְּעַן אַשְׁכָּחִית רַחֲמִין קֳדָמָךְ (נ''י בְּעֵינָיךְ) לָא כְעַן תְּעִבַּר מֵעַל עַבְדָּךְ
**Onkelos in English**
He said, Hashem, if now I have found mercy before You, do not now pass from beside your servant.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Hashem".** The Hebrew אֲדֹנָי could in principle be read as 'my lords', addressed to the three men, or as the Divine Name. Onkelos renders it ה׳, so in the Aramaic Avraham is plainly speaking to Hashem, who appeared to him in 18:1.
- **"Mercy before You".** The Hebrew 'favor (חֵן) in Your eyes (בְּעֵינֶיךָ)' becomes רַחֲמִין קֳדָמָךְ, 'mercy before You'. *Rahamin* is a fuller word than 'favor', and 'before You' replaces 'in Your eyes', perhaps to avoid speaking of God's eyes.
- **"Now".** The Hebrew particle נָא occurs twice in the verse, and Onkelos renders both with *ke'an*, 'now' (כְּעַן and כְעַן).
- **"Do not now pass".** תְּעִבַּר is from the same root as the Hebrew תַעֲבֹר (עבר), and מֵעַל is kept unchanged.
- **Textual note.** The printed text adds in parentheses an alternative reading, 'in Your eyes', which would follow the Hebrew wording. The Yemenite text has only קֳדָמָךְ, 'before You'; the point about 'before You' replacing 'in Your eyes' holds for the main printed reading and the Yemenite text, but not for the printed alternative.
**Words to note:** אַשְׁכָּחִית *ashkahit* — I have found (מָצָאתִי) · רַחֲמִין *rahamin* — mercy (חֵן) · קֳדָמָךְ *kodamakh* — before You (בְּעֵינֶיךָ) · כְּעַן *ke'an* — now (נָא) · תְּעִבַּר *te'ibbar* — pass (תַעֲבֹר)
---
### Bereshit 18:4
**Torah**
יֻקַּֽח־נָ֣א מְעַט־מַ֔יִם וְרַחֲצ֖וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֑ם וְהִֽשָּׁעֲנ֖וּ תַּ֥חַת הָעֵֽץ׃
**Translation**
Let a bit of water be brought and wash your feet. Rest yourselves under the tree.
**Onkelos**
יִסְּבוּן כְּעַן זְעֵיר מַיָּא וְאַסְחוּ רַגְלֵיכוֹן וְאִסְתְּמִיכוּ תְּחוֹת אִילָנָא
**Onkelos in English**
Let them take now a bit of water, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Let them take".** The Hebrew יֻקַּח is passive, 'let be taken (brought)'. Onkelos turns it into an active plural, יִסְּבוּן (*yissevun*), 'let them take', without naming who 'they' are.
- **"Now".** As in 18:3, the Hebrew נָא is rendered כְּעַן, 'now'.
- **"Rest yourselves".** The Hebrew וְהִשָּׁעֲנוּ, 'lean, recline', is rendered וְאִסְתְּמִיכוּ (*ve-istemikhu*), 'support oneself, lean'. The tree is אִילָנָא (*ilana*), the ordinary Aramaic word for a tree.
**Words to note:** יִסְּבוּן *yissevun* — let them take (יֻקַּח) · זְעֵיר *ze'eir* — a bit of (מְעַט) · וְאַסְחוּ *ve-as-hu* — and wash (וְרַחֲצוּ) · וְאִסְתְּמִיכוּ *ve-istemikhu* — and rest yourselves (וְהִשָּׁעֲנוּ) · תְּחוֹת *tehot* — under (תַּחַת) · אִילָנָא *ilana* — the tree (הָעֵץ)
---
### Bereshit 18:5
**Torah**
וְאֶקְחָ֨ה פַת־לֶ֜חֶם וְסַעֲד֤וּ לִבְּכֶם֙ אַחַ֣ר תַּעֲבֹ֔רוּ כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן עֲבַרְתֶּ֖ם עַֽל־עַבְדְּכֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֵּ֥ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ׃
**Translation**
I will get bread and you will sustain your heart. Afterwards you will continue on your way, since you have passed by your servant. They said, Fine, do as you have said.
**Onkelos**
וְאֶסַּב פִּתָּא דְלַחְמָא וּסְעִידוּ לִבְּכוֹן בָּתַר כֵּן תְּעִבְּרוּן אֲרֵי עַל כֵּן עֲבַרְתּוּן עַל עַבְדְּכוֹן וַאֲמָרוּ כֵּן תַּעְבֵּיד כְּמָא דִּי מַלֵּלְתָּא
**Onkelos in English**
I will get a piece of bread and sustain your heart. After that you will continue on your way, since you have passed by your servant. They said, Fine, do as you have said.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"A piece of bread".** The Hebrew construct פַת לֶחֶם becomes פִּתָּא דְלַחְמָא (*pitta de-lahma*), with the relative particle ד joining the two nouns.
- **"Sustain your heart".** וּסְעִידוּ (*u-se'idu*) is from the same root as the Hebrew וְסַעֲדוּ (סעד), and like it is an imperative.
- **"After that".** For the Hebrew אַחַר, 'afterwards', Onkelos has בָּתַר כֵּן (*batar ken*), 'after that'.
- **"Since you have passed".** The Hebrew כִּי is rendered by אֲרֵי (*arei*), and both verbs of passing (תְּעִבְּרוּן, עֲבַרְתּוּן) keep the root עבר of the Hebrew.
- **"As you have said".** For the Hebrew כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ Onkelos has כְּמָא דִּי מַלֵּלְתָּא (*kema di mallelta*), with מלל, 'speak', the usual Aramaic for the Hebrew דבר. The verb 'do' is תַּעְבֵּיד, from עבד.
**Words to note:** וְאֶסַּב *ve-essav* — I will get (וְאֶקְחָה) · פִּתָּא *pitta* — a piece of (פַת) · וּסְעִידוּ *u-se'idu* — and sustain (וְסַעֲדוּ) · בָּתַר *batar* — after (אַחַר) · אֲרֵי *arei* — since (כִּי) · מַלֵּלְתָּא *mallelta* — you have said (דִּבַּרְתָּ)
---
### Bereshit 18:6
**Torah**
וַיְמַהֵ֧ר אַבְרָהָ֛ם הָאֹ֖הֱלָה אֶל־שָׂרָ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מַהֲרִ֞י שְׁלֹ֤שׁ סְאִים֙ קֶ֣מַח סֹ֔לֶת ל֖וּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂ֥י עֻגֽוֹת׃
**Translation**
Avraham hurried to Sarah's tent and said, Hurry! [take] three measures of the finest flour; knead it and make cake-rolls.
**Onkelos**
וְאוֹחִי אַבְרָהָם לְמַשְׁכְּנָא לְוַת שָׂרָה וַאֲמַר אוֹחָא תְּלָת סְאִין קִמְחָא דְּסָלְתָּא לוּשִׁי וְעִבִידִי גְּרִיצָן
**Onkelos in English**
Avraham hurried to the tent, to Sarah, and said, Hurry! [take] three measures of flour of fine flour; knead and make cake-rolls.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"To the tent, to Sarah".** The Hebrew הָאֹהֱלָה uses the directional ending, 'tentward'; Onkelos writes לְמַשְׁכְּנָא, 'to the tent', and renders אֶל with לְוַת (*levat*), 'to'. Both phrases are kept separate as in the Hebrew.
- **"Hurried... Hurry!".** The Hebrew uses the root מהר for both Avraham's hurrying (וַיְמַהֵר) and his instruction to Sarah (מַהֲרִי). Onkelos keeps the repetition with one Aramaic root: וְאוֹחִי and אוֹחָא. The same וְאוֹחִי returns in 18:7 for the third Hebrew וַיְמַהֵר.
- **"Flour of fine flour".** The Hebrew sets two nouns side by side, קֶמַח סֹלֶת, 'meal, fine flour'. Onkelos joins them with ד: קִמְחָא דְּסָלְתָּא (*kimha de-salta*), 'flour of fine flour', making the second noun define the first.
- **"Cake-rolls".** The Hebrew עֻגוֹת is rendered גְּרִיצָן (*geritzan*), the Aramaic word for round cakes or loaves.
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text reads קִמְחָא סוּלְתָּא, without the ד, so that the two nouns stand side by side as in the Hebrew. The point that Onkelos joins them with ד holds for the printed text only.
**Words to note:** וְאוֹחִי *ve-ohi* — hurried (וַיְמַהֵר) · לְוַת *levat* — to (אֶל) · אוֹחָא *oha* — hurry (מַהֲרִי) · סְאִין *se'in* — measures (סְאִים) · דְּסָלְתָּא *de-salta* — of fine flour (סֹלֶת) · גְּרִיצָן *geritzan* — cake-rolls (עֻגוֹת)
---
### Bereshit 18:7
**Torah**
וְאֶל־הַבָּקָ֖ר רָ֣ץ אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיִּקַּ֨ח בֶּן־בָּקָ֜ר רַ֤ךְ וָטוֹב֙ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וַיְמַהֵ֖ר לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת אֹתֽוֹ׃
**Translation**
Avraham ran to the cattle, and took a tender, choice calf. He gave it to the lad. and hurried to prepare it.
**Onkelos**
וּלְוַת תּוֹרֵי רְהַט אַבְרָהָם וּדְבַר בַּר תּוֹרֵי רַכִּיךְ וְטַב וִיהַב לְעוּלֵמָא וְאוֹחִי לְמֶעְבַּד יָתֵהּ
**Onkelos in English**
Avraham ran to the cattle, and took a tender, choice calf. He gave [it] to the lad, and hurried to prepare it.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"To the cattle".** The Hebrew collective הַבָּקָר becomes the plural תּוֹרֵי (*torei*), 'oxen', and בֶּן בָּקָר becomes בַּר תּוֹרֵי, 'son of oxen', that is, a calf. 'Ran' is רְהַט, the verb used for Avraham's running in 18:2.
- **"And took".** For the Hebrew וַיִּקַּח the printed text has וּדְבַר (*u-devar*), from דבר, 'lead, take', whereas earlier in this passage taking water and bread used another verb (יִסְּבוּן in 18:4, וְאֶסַּב in 18:5). The choice of 'lead' here may reflect that the thing taken is a living animal.
- **"To prepare it".** The Hebrew לַעֲשׂוֹת, 'to make, prepare', is rendered לְמֶעְבַּד (*le-me'bad*), from עבד, the verb Onkelos also used for 'make' in 18:6 and 'do' in 18:5.
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text reads וּנְסֵיב, the same verb as in 18:4 and 18:5, so the contrast between 'lead' and 'take' holds for the printed text only. The Yemenite text also reads וּלְבֵית, 'to the cattle-stall' (literally 'to the house of the oxen'), for the printed וּלְוַת, 'to'.
**Words to note:** תּוֹרֵי *torei* — the cattle (הַבָּקָר) · רְהַט *rehat* — ran (רָץ) · וּדְבַר *u-devar* — and took (וַיִּקַּח) · רַכִּיךְ *rakkikh* — tender (רַךְ) · לְעוּלֵמָא *le-ulema* — to the lad (הַנַּעַר) · לְמֶעְבַּד *le-me'bad* — to prepare (לַעֲשׂוֹת)
---
### Unit 1 summary
Onkelos follows the hospitality scene closely, but treats its two kinds of seeing differently: Hashem's appearance becomes a revelation (וְאִתְגְּלִי), while Avraham's seeing of the men is plain וַחֲזָא. Avraham's address in 18:3 is rendered as speech to Hashem, with the Hebrew 'favor in Your eyes' turned into 'mercy before You', a phrasing that may reflect reluctance to give God eyes. Elsewhere the changes are small and grammatical: a passive 'let be taken' becomes 'let them take', construct phrases are opened up with ד (a piece of bread, flour of fine flour), the Hebrew 'groves' become 'plains', and the urgency of the scene is carried by a single Aramaic verb, וְאוֹחִי, for each Hebrew 'hurried'. One Aramaic verb, רְהַט, renders both 'ran's, and the tent is consistently מַשְׁכְּנָא.
---
## Unit 2 — Bereshit 18:8–14: The meal and the promise of a son
Avraham serves his three guests, who ask after Sarah and promise that she will have a son; Sarah, listening at the tent, laughs at the thought, and Hashem answers her doubt.
---
### Bereshit 18:8
**Torah**
וַיִּקַּ֨ח חֶמְאָ֜ה וְחָלָ֗ב וּבֶן־הַבָּקָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם וְהֽוּא־עֹמֵ֧ד עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם תַּ֥חַת הָעֵ֖ץ וַיֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃
**Translation**
He took butter, milk, and the calf he had prepared, and set it before them. He stood over them under the tree, and they ate.
**Onkelos**
וּנְסִיב שְׁמַן וַחֲלָב וּבַר תּוֹרֵי דִּי עֲבַד וִיהַב קֳדָמֵיהוֹן וְהוּא מְשַׁמֵּשׁ עִלָּוֵיהוֹן תְּחוֹת אִילָנָא וַאֲכָלוּ
**Onkelos in English**
He took butter, milk, and the calf he had prepared, and set it before them. He was attending upon them under the tree, and they ate.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"He was attending upon them".** The Hebrew says Avraham was "standing over them" (*omed aleihem*). Onkelos replaces the verb of position with *meshammesh* (מְשַׁמֵּשׁ), "attending, serving", keeping the participle and the preposition *illaveihon*, "upon them". This suggests he read the Hebrew standing as the stance of a host waiting on his guests, and perhaps wished to avoid the impression that Avraham stood above them.
- **"The calf".** Hebrew *ben ha-bakar*, literally "son of the herd", is matched by the same idiom in Aramaic, *bar torei*, "son of oxen". Otherwise the verse is a literal rendering: *sheman* (שְׁמַן) for *hem'ah*, "butter", and *ilana*, "the tree", for *ha-etz*.
**Words to note:** וּנְסִיב *u-nesiv* — and he took (וַיִּקַּח) · שְׁמַן *sheman* — butter (חֶמְאָה) · קֳדָמֵיהוֹן *kodameihon* — before them (לִפְנֵיהֶם) · מְשַׁמֵּשׁ *meshammesh* — attending upon (serving) (עֹמֵד) · אִילָנָא *ilana* — the tree (הָעֵץ)
---
### Bereshit 18:9
**Torah**
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵׄלָ֔יׄוׄ אַיֵּ֖ה שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּ֥ה בָאֹֽהֶל׃
**Translation**
They said to him, Where is Sarah, your wife? He said Here, in the tent.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמָרוּ לֵהּ אָן שָׂרָה אִתְּתָךְ וַאֲמַר הָא בְמַשְׁכְּנָא
**Onkelos in English**
They said to him, Where is Sarah, your wife? He said Here, in the tent.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **A literal rendering.** Each Hebrew word has its Aramaic counterpart: *an* for *ayyeh*, "where"; *ha* for *hinneh*, "here"; and *mashkena*, "the tent", for *ha-ohel*. The dots written over letters of אֵלָיו in the Hebrew text are a feature of the Hebrew writing only; the Aramaic simply has *leh*, "to him".
**Words to note:** אָן *an* — where (אַיֵּה) · אִתְּתָךְ *ittetakh* — your wife (אִשְׁתֶּךָ) · הָא *ha* — here (הִנֵּה) · בְמַשְׁכְּנָא *ve-mashkena* — in the tent (בָאֹהֶל)
---
### Bereshit 18:10
**Torah**
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וֹב אָשׁ֤וּב אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ כָּעֵ֣ת חַיָּ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־בֵ֖ן לְשָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וְשָׂרָ֥ה שֹׁמַ֛עַת פֶּ֥תַח הָאֹ֖הֶל וְה֥וּא אַחֲרָֽיו׃
**Translation**
He said I will return to you next year, and Sarah, your wife will have a son. Sarah was listening at the door of the tent, that was behind him.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמַר מִתַּב אִתּוּב לְוָתָךְ כְּעִדָּן דְּאַתּוּן קַיָּמִין וְהָא בַר לְשָׂרָה אִתְּתָךְ וְשָׂרָה שְמַעַת בִּתְרַע מַשְׁכְנָא וְהוּא אֲחוֹרוֹהִי
**Onkelos in English**
He said, I will return to you at the time when you are living, and Sarah, your wife will have a son. Sarah was listening at the door of the tent, that was behind him.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"I will return".** The Hebrew doubles the verb, infinitive and finite form (*shov ashuv*). Onkelos keeps the construction exactly: *mittav ittuv* (מִתַּב אִתּוּב).
- **"At the time when you are living".** The terse Hebrew *ka-et hayyah*, literally "at the time, living", is expanded into a clause: *ke-iddan de-attun kayyamin*, "at the time when you are living". The adjective *hayyah* becomes a statement about persons, and the pronoun *attun* is plural, which may indicate that Onkelos understood the promise to include both Avraham and Sarah: they will both still be alive at that time.
- **"At the door of the tent".** The Hebrew *petah ha-ohel* has no preposition; Onkelos supplies one, *bi-tra'* (בִּתְרַע), "at the door".
**Words to note:** מִתַּב *mittav* — returning (infinitive, for emphasis) (שׁוֹב) · אִתּוּב *ittuv* — I will return (אָשׁוּב) · לְוָתָךְ *levatakh* — to you (אֵלֶיךָ) · כְּעִדָּן *ke-iddan* — at the time (כָּעֵת) · קַיָּמִין *kayyamin* — living (plural) (חַיָּה) · בִּתְרַע *bi-tra'* — at the door (פֶּתַח)
---
### Bereshit 18:11
**Torah**
וְאַבְרָהָ֤ם וְשָׂרָה֙ זְקֵנִ֔ים בָּאִ֖ים בַּיָּמִ֑ים חָדַל֙ לִהְי֣וֹת לְשָׂרָ֔ה אֹ֖רַח כַּנָּשִֽׁים׃
**Translation**
Avraham and Sarah were old, well on in years. Sarah no longer had the way of women.
**Onkelos**
וְאַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה סִיבוּ עַלּוּ בְיוֹמִין פְּסַק מִלְּמֶהֱוֵי לְשָׂרָה אוֹרַח כִּנְשַׁיָּא
**Onkelos in English**
Avraham and Sarah had grown old, had come well on in years. Sarah no longer had the way of women.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Had grown old, had come".** The Hebrew describes Avraham and Sarah with an adjective, *zekenim*, "old", and a participle, *ba'im*, "coming" into days. Onkelos turns both into perfect verbs: *sivu*, "they had grown old", and *allu*, "they had entered" into days. The state becomes a completed process.
- **"No longer had".** Hebrew *hadal lihyot*, "it ceased to be", is rendered literally by *pesak mi-lmehevei* (פְּסַק מִלְּמֶהֱוֵי), "it ceased from being". *Orah ki-nshayya*, "the way of women", keeps the Hebrew euphemism unchanged.
**Words to note:** סִיבוּ *sivu* — had grown old (זְקֵנִים) · עַלּוּ *allu* — had come (entered) (בָּאִים) · פְּסַק *pesak* — ceased (no longer) (חָדַל) · אוֹרַח *orah* — way (אֹרַח) · כִּנְשַׁיָּא *kinshayya* — of women (כַּנָּשִׁים)
---
### Bereshit 18:12
**Torah**
וַתִּצְחַ֥ק שָׂרָ֖ה בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אַחֲרֵ֤י בְלֹתִי֙ הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֣י עֶדְנָ֔ה וַֽאדֹנִ֖י זָקֵֽן׃
**Translation**
Sarah laughed to herself saying, Now that I am worn out, shall I have the pleasure [of a son], my master being [also] an old man.
**Onkelos**
וְחַיְכַת שָׂרָה בִּמְעָהַהּ לְמֵימָר בָּתַר דְּסֵיבִית הֲוַת לִי עוּלֵימוּ וְרִבּוֹנִי סִיב
**Onkelos in English**
Sarah laughed to herself saying, Now that I have grown old, has there been youthfulness for me, my master being an old man?
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"To herself".** Hebrew *be-kirbah*, "within her", becomes *bim'ahah* (בִּמְעָהַהּ), literally "in her innards"; both are idioms for an inward, unspoken reaction.
- **"Now that I have grown old".** The Hebrew *beloti*, "I am worn out", uses a verb of wearing away, as of an old garment. Onkelos replaces the image with the plain *de-sevit*, "I have grown old", from the same root סיב that he uses for the Hebrew זקן in this passage (*sivu* in 18:11, *siv* later in this verse, *sevit* in 18:13). Two Hebrew roots thus become one Aramaic root.
- **"Youthfulness".** The Hebrew *ednah*, "pleasure, delight", is rendered *ulemu* (עוּלֵימוּ), "youthfulness". This suggests Onkelos took Sarah's words to refer to a return of youthful vigour, the capacity to bear a child, rather than to pleasure as such.
- **"Has there been".** The printed Aramaic *havat*, like the Hebrew *hayetah*, is a perfect verb; the sentence is read here, as in the Translation, as Sarah's incredulous question.
- **Textual note.** For the printed *havat* (הֲוַת), "there has been", the Yemenite text reads *tehei* (תְּהֵי), "will there be", an imperfect. In that reading Sarah's question looks clearly to the future: "will there be youthfulness for me?". The point that the Aramaic keeps the Hebrew perfect holds for the printed text only.
**Words to note:** וְחַיְכַת *ve-haykhat* — and she laughed (וַתִּצְחַק) · בִּמְעָהַהּ *bim'ahah* — to herself (lit. in her innards) (בְּקִרְבָּהּ) · דְּסֵיבִית *de-sevit* — I have grown old (בְלֹתִי) · הֲוַת *havat* — there has been (הָיְתָה) · עוּלֵימוּ *ulemu* — youthfulness (עֶדְנָה) · וְרִבּוֹנִי *ve-ribboni* — my master (וַאדֹנִי)
---
### Bereshit 18:13
**Torah**
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ה׳ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם לָ֣מָּה זֶּה֩ צָחֲקָ֨ה שָׂרָ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר הַאַ֥ף אֻמְנָ֛ם אֵלֵ֖ד וַאֲנִ֥י זָקַֽנְתִּי׃
**Translation**
Hashem said to Avraham, Why did Sarah laugh saying, Can I really give birth when I am old?
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמַר ה׳ לְאַבְרָהָם לְמָּא דְנָן חַיְכַת שָׂרָה לְמֵימַר הַבְרַם בְּקוּשְׁטָא אוֹלִיד וַאֲנָא סֵיבִית
**Onkelos in English**
Hashem said to Avraham, Why did Sarah laugh saying, Can I indeed truly give birth when I am old?
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Can I indeed truly".** The Hebrew asks with two particles, *ha-af umnam*, "is it even really". Onkelos matches them with two words: *ha-varam* (הַבְרַם), the interrogative *ha-* with *beram*, "indeed", and *be-kushta* (בְּקוּשְׁטָא), "in truth".
- **"When I am old".** The Hebrew *zakanti* is rendered *sevit*, the same verb Onkelos used in 18:12 for Sarah's *beloti*. In the Aramaic Sarah's words in 18:12 and Hashem's report of them here share the same verb, which in the Hebrew they do not.
- **"Laugh".** As in 18:12, the Hebrew root צחק is rendered by the Aramaic *haykhat* (חַיְכַת), and *lemma denan* matches *lammah zeh*, "why".
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text has the single word *ha-be-kushta* (הַבְּקוּשְׁטָא), "truly?", without *beram*. The two-word rendering of the two Hebrew particles holds for the printed text only.
**Words to note:** לְמָּא *lemma* — why (לָמָּה) · דְנָן *denan* — this (זֶּה) · הַבְרַם *ha-varam* — indeed? (interrogative) (הַאַף) · בְּקוּשְׁטָא *be-kushta* — truly (lit. in truth) (אֻמְנָם) · אוֹלִיד *olid* — give birth (אֵלֵד) · סֵיבִית *sevit* — I am old (זָקַנְתִּי)
---
### Bereshit 18:14
**Torah**
הֲיִפָּלֵ֥א מֵה׳ דָּבָ֑ר לַמּוֹעֵ֞ד אָשׁ֥וּב אֵלֶ֛יךָ כָּעֵ֥ת חַיָּ֖ה וּלְשָׂרָ֥ה בֵֽן׃
**Translation**
Is anything too far removed from Hashem? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time of life, and Sarah will have a son.
**Onkelos**
הַיִתְכַּסֵּי מִן קֳדָם ה׳ פִּתְגָּמָא לִזְמַן אִתּוּב לְוָתָךְ כְּעִדָּן דְּאַתּוּן קַיָּמִין וּלְשָׂרָה בָר
**Onkelos in English**
Is anything hidden from before Hashem? At the appointed time I will return to you, at the time when you are living, and Sarah will have a son.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Is anything hidden".** The Hebrew *ha-yippale*, "is it too wondrous, too far removed", is rendered *ha-yitkassei* (הַיִתְכַּסֵּי), "is it hidden, concealed". The question about what is beyond reach becomes a question about what is concealed; this suggests Onkelos read the root פלא here in the sense of something hidden from view.
- **"From before Hashem".** Hebrew *me-Hashem*, "from Hashem", becomes *min kodam* Hashem, "from before Hashem", a phrasing that sets a respectful distance in language about God.
- **"At the time when you are living".** The phrase *ke-iddan de-attun kayyamin* repeats word for word the rendering of the identical Hebrew *ka-et hayyah* in 18:10, so the two promises stay parallel in the Aramaic as in the Hebrew. *Li-zman*, "at the appointed time", renders *la-mo'ed*, and *pitgama*, "thing, matter", renders *davar*.
**Words to note:** הַיִתְכַּסֵּי *ha-yitkassei* — is ... hidden (הֲיִפָּלֵא) · קֳדָם *kodam* — before · פִּתְגָּמָא *pitgama* — anything (lit. the thing) (דָּבָר) · לִזְמַן *li-zman* — at the appointed time (לַמּוֹעֵד) · וּלְשָׂרָה *u-l-Sarah* — and Sarah (lit. and to Sarah) (וּלְשָׂרָה)
---
### Unit 2 summary
Onkelos follows the Hebrew closely here, keeping the doubled verb of the promise and the idiom of "son of the herd", while making a handful of telling changes. Avraham's "standing over" his guests becomes "attending upon" them; the terse "at the time, living" becomes "at the time when you are living", rendered identically in both promises. In Sarah's laughter, the image of being "worn out" gives way to the plain verb for growing old, one root for two Hebrew roots, and her "pleasure" becomes "youthfulness". In Hashem's reply, "too wondrous" becomes "hidden", and the Name is approached "from before Hashem".
---
## Conclusion of the aliyah
### The movement of the aliyah
The aliyah moves from the tent door to the meal and then back to the tent, where Sarah listens. In the first half Onkelos follows the bustle of hospitality closely, keeping its repetitions of running and hurrying with single Aramaic verbs, and makes only small grammatical adjustments. His more telling changes cluster around the points where the Hebrew speaks of God, and around the promise and Sarah's response to it, where several images are replaced by plainer words and two Hebrew roots for old age are drawn into one Aramaic root.
### What Onkelos tells us in this aliyah
1. **"Was revealed" (18:1).** וְאִתְגְּלִי for Hashem's appearance, against וַחֲזָא for Avraham's seeing of the men in the next verse, suggests a wish to avoid saying that God was 'seen'.
2. **"The plains of Mamrei" (18:1).** בְּמֵישְׁרֵי replaces the groves or oaks of the Hebrew place-name.
3. **"Hashem" (18:3).** The Hebrew address is rendered as the Divine Name, so Avraham is speaking to Hashem who appeared to him in 18:1.
4. **"Mercy before You" (18:3).** רַחֲמִין קֳדָמָךְ replaces 'favor in Your eyes', perhaps to avoid speaking of God's eyes; the Yemenite text agrees, though the printed text gives 'in Your eyes' as an alternative reading.
5. **"Let them take" (18:4).** The Hebrew passive 'let be taken' becomes an active plural, without naming who 'they' are.
6. **"And took" (18:7).** The printed וּדְבַר, 'lead', for the calf, where water and bread were 'taken' with another verb, may reflect that the thing taken is a living animal; the Yemenite text uses the ordinary verb of taking.
7. **"Attending upon them" (18:8).** מְשַׁמֵּשׁ suggests Avraham's standing was read as the stance of a host waiting on his guests.
8. **"I will return" (18:10).** The doubled Hebrew verb is kept exactly: מִתַּב אִתּוּב.
9. **"At the time when you are living" (18:10).** The plural pronoun in כְּעִדָּן דְּאַתּוּן קַיָּמִין may indicate that the promise includes both Avraham and Sarah.
10. **"Youthfulness" (18:12).** עוּלֵימוּ for 'pleasure' suggests Sarah's words were taken to refer to a return of youthful vigour, the capacity to bear a child.
11. **"When I am old" (18:13).** Sarah's words in 18:12 and Hashem's report of them here share the same Aramaic verb, which in the Hebrew they do not.
12. **"Is anything hidden" (18:14).** הַיִתְכַּסֵּי turns a question about what is beyond reach into a question about what is concealed, and מִן קֳדָם ה׳ sets a respectful distance in language about God.
### Recurring features
- **One Aramaic verb for a repeated Hebrew verb.** וְאוֹחִי and אוֹחָא carry all three Hebrew uses of 'hurry' in 18:6-7, and רְהַט renders Avraham's running in both 18:2 and 18:7.
- **A fixed word for the tent.** The Hebrew 'tent' is מַשְׁכְּנָא wherever it occurs in the aliyah.
- **'Before' in place of direct contact with God.** 'Before You' (18:3) and 'from before Hashem' (18:14) replace the Hebrew 'in Your eyes' and 'from Hashem'.
- **Plainer words for images.** Groves become plains, 'worn out' becomes 'grown old', 'too wondrous' becomes 'hidden'.
- **Grammatical opening-up.** Construct phrases are joined with ד, a passive becomes active, a bare adjective becomes a clause, and directional endings become prepositions ('on the earth', 'to the tent').
- **Printed and Yemenite texts differ.** In several verses the Yemenite text reads differently (18:3, 18:6, 18:7, 18:12, 18:13), and some of the points made hold for the printed text only.
- **Literal where nothing calls for change.** Much of the scene, including the idiom 'son of the herd' and the question 'Where is Sarah?', is rendered word for word.
### Aliyah takeaway
In this aliyah Onkelos is mostly a close, word-for-word translator, and his departures stand out all the more for it. They fall chiefly where the Hebrew speaks of God being seen, of God's eyes, or of something being beyond Him, and where Sarah's vivid words about her age and her hope are given in plainer terms. Read alongside the Hebrew, the Aramaic shows a translator keeping the shape of the story while quietly adjusting its language about God and clarifying what the promise of a son means.
---
## Aramaic word list for the aliyah
| Aramaic | Transliteration | Meaning | Hebrew in the verse |
|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִתְגְּלִי | *ve-itgeli* | was revealed | וַיֵּרָא |
| בְּמֵישְׁרֵי | *be-meishrei* | in the plains of | בְּאֵלֹנֵי |
| בִּתְרַע | *bi-tra'* | at the door of | פֶּתַח |
| מַשְׁכְּנָא | *mashkena* | the tent | הָאֹהֶל |
| כְּמֵיחַם | *ke-meiham* | in the heat of | כְּחֹם |
| וּזְקַף | *u-zekaf* | he lifted | וַיִּשָּׂא |
| קָיְמִין | *kayemin* | standing | נִצָּבִים |
| וּרְהַט | *u-rehat* | and ran | וַיָּרׇץ |
| לְקַדָּמוּתְהוֹן | *le-kadamut'hon* | to greet them | לִקְרָאתָם |
| וּסְגִיד | *u-segid* | and he bowed down | וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ |
| כְּעַן | *ke'an* | now | נָא |
| תְּעִבַּר | *te'ibbar* | pass | תַעֲבֹר |
| יִסְּבוּן | *yissevun* | let them take | יֻקַּח |
| וְאִסְתְּמִיכוּ | *ve-istemikhu* | and rest yourselves | וְהִשָּׁעֲנוּ |
| אִילָנָא | *ilana* | the tree | הָעֵץ |
| פִּתָּא | *pitta* | a piece of | פַת |
| וּסְעִידוּ | *u-se'idu* | and sustain | וְסַעֲדוּ |
| בָּתַר | *batar* | after | אַחַר |
| אֲרֵי | *arei* | since | כִּי |
| מַלֵּלְתָּא | *mallelta* | you have said | דִּבַּרְתָּ |
| וְאוֹחִי | *ve-ohi* | hurried | וַיְמַהֵר |
| לְוַת | *levat* | to | אֶל |
| אוֹחָא | *oha* | hurry | מַהֲרִי |
| דְּסָלְתָּא | *de-salta* | of fine flour | סֹלֶת |
| גְּרִיצָן | *geritzan* | cake-rolls | עֻגוֹת |
| תּוֹרֵי | *torei* | the cattle | הַבָּקָר |
| רְהַט | *rehat* | ran | רָץ |
| וּדְבַר | *u-devar* | and took | וַיִּקַּח |
| לְמֶעְבַּד | *le-me'bad* | to prepare | לַעֲשׂוֹת |
| שְׁמַן | *sheman* | butter | חֶמְאָה |
| מְשַׁמֵּשׁ | *meshammesh* | attending upon (serving) | עֹמֵד |
| אָן | *an* | where | אַיֵּה |
| הָא | *ha* | here | הִנֵּה |
| מִתַּב | *mittav* | returning (infinitive, for emphasis) | שׁוֹב |
| אִתּוּב | *ittuv* | I will return | אָשׁוּב |
| כְּעִדָּן | *ke-iddan* | at the time | כָּעֵת |
| סִיבוּ | *sivu* | had grown old | זְקֵנִים |
| עַלּוּ | *allu* | had come (entered) | בָּאִים |
| פְּסַק | *pesak* | ceased (no longer) | חָדַל |
| בִּמְעָהַהּ | *bim'ahah* | to herself (lit. in her innards) | בְּקִרְבָּהּ |
| דְּסֵיבִית | *de-sevit* | I have grown old | בְלֹתִי |
| הֲוַת | *havat* | there has been | הָיְתָה |
| עוּלֵימוּ | *ulemu* | youthfulness | עֶדְנָה |
| לְמָּא | *lemma* | why | לָמָּה |
| דְנָן | *denan* | this | זֶּה |
---
## Source note
**Aliyah boundary.** Bereshit 18:1 – 18:14, following the aliyah divisions in Sefaria's index of Bereshit (the next aliyah begins at Bereshit 18:15).
**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.