# Torah with Onkelos
## Parashat Vayera — Fifth Aliyah
### Bereshit 21:5 – 21:21
*The birth and weaning of Yitzchok, the sending away of Hagar and her son, and the lad saved in the desert, read through Targum Onkelos*
---
## Contents
- [Orientation](#orientation)
- [How this booklet is laid out](#layout)
- [Unit 1 — Bereshit 21:5–13: The birth of Yitzchok and the son of the slave-woman](#unit-1)
- [Unit 2 — Bereshit 21:14–21: Hagar and the lad in the desert](#unit-2)
- [Conclusion of the aliyah](#conclusion)
- [Aramaic word list for the aliyah](#glossary)
- [Source note](#source-note)
---
## Orientation
**What happens in this aliyah.** Yitzchok is born to the hundred-year-old Avraham, and Sarah greets the birth with joy. At the feast of his weaning Sarah sees the son of Hagar mocking and demands that the slave-woman and her son be driven out; Avraham is distressed, but God tells him to heed Sarah and promises that the son of the slave-woman too will become a nation. Avraham sends Hagar away with bread and a skin of water. When the water runs out she sets the lad under one of the bushes and weeps; an angel calls to her from heaven, her eyes are opened to a well, and the lad grows up in the desert, becomes an archer, and settles in the desert of Paran, where his mother takes him a wife from Egypt.
**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 laughter.** The Hebrew root of Yitzchok's name runs through 21:6 and 21:9. Onkelos renders Sarah's laughter as joy (חֶדְוָא, *hedva*) and the son of Hagar's laughter as mocking (מְחָיִיךְ, *mehayikh*), so the wordplay disappears but the difference is spelled out.
- **Sarah's question expanded.** In 21:7 the printed text adds 'trustworthy' (מְהֵימָן) and 'fulfilled' (קַיָּם), turning the question toward the One who promised and kept His word; the Yemenite text reads it as a declaration.
- **Elokim becomes Hashem.** Every time *Elokim* appears in this aliyah, the Aramaic has ה׳, in Sarah's words, in God's speech to Avraham, and throughout the Hagar narrative.
- **Recasting language about God.** 'God heard' becomes 'it was heard before Hashem' (וּשְׁמִיעַ קֳדָם ה׳), 'God opened' becomes 'Hashem uncovered', and 'God was with the lad' becomes 'the Memra of Hashem was in the aid of the lad' (מֵימְרָא דַּה׳).
- **Idioms by their sense.** 'Listen to her voice' becomes 'accept from her' (קַבֵּל), and 'seed' becomes 'children' (21:12) and 'your son' (21:13).
- **One word for the lad.** *Ravya* (רַבְיָא) stands for both the Hebrew *yeled* and *na'ar* in the desert scene, so the Hebrew's alternation between the two words is not visible.
- **Lexical shifts in the desert.** The bushes become trees, the rare *kimtahavei kashet* becomes 'the drawing of a bow', and *goy*, 'nation', becomes *am*, 'people'.
---
## 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 21:5–13: The birth of Yitzchok and the son of the slave-woman
Yitzchok is born to the hundred-year-old Avraham, and Sarah responds with joy; at the feast of his weaning Sarah sees Hagar's son mocking and demands that he and his mother be sent away. Avraham is distressed, but God tells him to heed Sarah, promising that Yishmael too will become a nation.
---
### Bereshit 21:5
**Torah**
וְאַבְרָהָ֖ם בֶּן־מְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה בְּהִוָּ֣לֶד ל֔וֹ אֵ֖ת יִצְחָ֥ק בְּנֽוֹ׃
**Translation**
Avraham was one hundred years old when his son Yitzchok was born to him.
**Onkelos**
וְאַבְרָהָם בַּר מְאָה שְׁנִין כַּד אִתְיְלִיד לֵהּ יָת יִצְחָק בְּרֵהּ
**Onkelos in English**
Avraham was one hundred years old when his son Yitzchok was born to him.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"One hundred years old".** A literal rendering. The idiom 'son of a hundred years' is kept (*bar me'ah shenin*), but the Hebrew singular *shanah* becomes the plural *shenin*, a grammatical smoothing that does not show in English.
- **"When ... was born".** The Hebrew uses an infinitive with a preposition (*be-hivvaled*, 'in the being born'); Onkelos turns it into a clause with a finite passive verb, *kad ityelid*, 'when [he] was born'. He keeps the object marker *yat* before Yitzchok's name, matching the Hebrew *et* even with a passive verb.
**Words to note:** שְׁנִין *shenin* — years (שָׁנָה) · כַּד *kad* — when · אִתְיְלִיד *ityelid* — was born (בְּהִוָּלֶד) · בְּרֵהּ *bereh* — his son (בְּנוֹ)
---
### Bereshit 21:6
**Torah**
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר שָׂרָ֔ה צְחֹ֕ק עָ֥שָׂה לִ֖י אֱלֹקִ֑ים כׇּל־הַשֹּׁמֵ֖עַ יִֽצְחַק־לִֽי׃
**Translation**
Sarah said, God has given me laughter. All who hear will laugh with me.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמֶרֶת שָׂרָה חֶדְוָא עֲבַד לִי ה׳ כָּל דִּשְׁמַע יֶחֱדֵּי לִי
**Onkelos in English**
Sarah said, Hashem has given me joy. All who hear will rejoice with me.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Joy" ... "will rejoice".** The Hebrew plays twice on the root of Yitzchok's name: *tzehok*, 'laughter', and *yitzhak li*, 'will laugh with me'. Onkelos renders both from the root חדי: *hedva*, 'joy', and *yehedei*, 'will rejoice'. The wordplay on the name is lost, but the laughter is defined as gladness. Compare 21:9, where the same Hebrew root is rendered quite differently.
- **"Hashem".** The Hebrew has *Elokim*; both the printed and the Yemenite Aramaic have ה׳. This may reflect a sense that Sarah is acknowledging the fulfilment of a personal promise, but the text gives no reason.
- **"Has given me".** *Avad*, 'made', matches the Hebrew *asah* exactly.
**Words to note:** חֶדְוָא *hedva* — joy (צְחֹק) · עֲבַד *avad* — has given (made) (עָשָׂה) · דִּשְׁמַע *di-shma* — who hears (הַשֹּׁמֵעַ) · יֶחֱדֵּי *yehedei* — will rejoice (יִצְחַק)
---
### Bereshit 21:7
**Torah**
וַתֹּ֗אמֶר מִ֤י מִלֵּל֙ לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם הֵינִ֥יקָה בָנִ֖ים שָׂרָ֑ה כִּֽי־יָלַ֥דְתִּי בֵ֖ן לִזְקֻנָֽיו׃
**Translation**
She said, Who said to Avraham, that Sarah would nurse children? For I have given birth to a son in his old age.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמֶרֶת מָאן מְהֵימָן דַּאֲמַר לְאַבְרָהָם קַיָּם דְּתוֹנִיק בְּנִין שָׂרָה אֲרֵי יְלֵידִית בַּר לְסִיבְתוֹהִי
**Onkelos in English**
She said, Who [is] trustworthy, who said to Avraham [and] fulfilled [it], that Sarah would nurse children? For I have given birth to a son in his old age.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Who [is] trustworthy, who said ... [and] fulfilled [it]".** The Hebrew asks a short rhetorical question: 'Who said to Avraham that Sarah would nurse children?' Onkelos expands it: *man meheiman da-amar le-Avraham kayyam*, 'Who is trustworthy, who said to Avraham, fulfilled'. The question now points to the reliability of the One who made the promise and kept it, which suggests Onkelos read Sarah's words as praise rather than as simple astonishment. *Kayyam*, 'established, fulfilled', has no counterpart in the Hebrew.
- **"Said".** The Hebrew uses the uncommon verb *millel*; Onkelos uses the ordinary *amar*.
- **"That Sarah would nurse".** The Hebrew perfect *heinikah* ('nursed') becomes *de-tonik*, introduced by *de-*, 'that', making it the content of what was promised.
- **"In his old age".** *Le-sivtohi* renders *li-zkunav* literally.
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text lacks *man*, 'who', and reads *ve-kayyeim*, 'and fulfilled' (וְקַיֵּים): 'Trustworthy [is He] who said to Avraham and fulfilled'. That makes the verse a direct declaration rather than a question; the rhetorical question kept in the translation above holds for the printed text only.
**Words to note:** מְהֵימָן *meheiman* — trustworthy · דַּאֲמַר *da-amar* — who said (מִלֵּל) · קַיָּם *kayyam* — fulfilled · דְּתוֹנִיק *de-tonik* — that [she] would nurse (הֵינִיקָה) · לְסִיבְתוֹהִי *le-sivtohi* — in his old age (לִזְקֻנָיו)
---
### Bereshit 21:8
**Torah**
וַיִּגְדַּ֥ל הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַיִּגָּמַ֑ל וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אַבְרָהָם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה גָד֔וֹל בְּי֖וֹם הִגָּמֵ֥ל אֶת־יִצְחָֽק׃
**Translation**
The child grew and was weaned. Avraham made a great feast on the day Yitzchok was weaned.
**Onkelos**
וּרְבָא רַבְיָא וְאִתְחֲסִיל וַעֲבַד אַבְרָהָם מִשְׁתְּיָא רַבָּא בְּיוֹמָא דְּאִתְחֲסִיל יָת יִצְחָק
**Onkelos in English**
The child grew and was weaned. Avraham made a great feast on the day Yitzchok was weaned.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Grew" ... "great".** A literal rendering. The Hebrew links *va-yigdal*, 'grew', and *gadol*, 'great'; the Aramaic *u-reva* and *rabba* keep a similar echo of sound.
- **"Was weaned".** Both Hebrew forms of 'weaned' (*va-yiggamal*, *higgamel*) become the same Aramaic verb *ithasil*. The Hebrew infinitive in 'on the day of being weaned' becomes a relative clause, *be-yoma de-ithasil*, 'on the day that [he] was weaned'.
**Words to note:** רַבְיָא *ravya* — the child (הַיֶּלֶד) · וְאִתְחֲסִיל *ve-ithasil* — and was weaned (וַיִּגָּמַל) · מִשְׁתְּיָא *mishteya* — feast (מִשְׁתֶּה) · רַבָּא *rabba* — great (גָדוֹל)
---
### Bereshit 21:9
**Torah**
וַתֵּ֨רֶא שָׂרָ֜ה אֶֽת־בֶּן־הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית אֲשֶׁר־יָלְדָ֥ה לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם מְצַחֵֽק׃
**Translation**
Sarah saw that the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, that she had born to Avraham, was mocking.
**Onkelos**
וַחֲזַת שָׂרָה יָת בַּר הָגָר מִצְרֵיתָא דִּילִידַת לְאַבְרָהָם מְחָיִיךְ
**Onkelos in English**
Sarah saw that the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, that she had born to Avraham, was mocking.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Mocking".** The Hebrew *metzahek* is from the same root as Sarah's *tzehok* and *yitzhak* in 21:6. Onkelos used חדי ('rejoice') there, but here he uses *mehayikh*, from a root meaning to laugh or jest. One Hebrew root is thus split between two Aramaic roots, perhaps to separate Sarah's joy from Yishmael's laughter, which the context marks as objectionable.
- **"The Egyptian".** A literal rendering: *mitzreita* for *ha-mitzrit*, and *di-lidat* for *asher yaledah*.
**Words to note:** וַחֲזַת *va-hazat* — saw (וַתֵּרֶא) · מִצְרֵיתָא *mitzreita* — the Egyptian (הַמִּצְרִית) · דִּילִידַת *di-lidat* — that she had born (יָלְדָה) · מְחָיִיךְ *mehayikh* — mocking (מְצַחֵק)
---
### Bereshit 21:10
**Torah**
וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם גָּרֵ֛שׁ הָאָמָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את וְאֶת־בְּנָ֑הּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִירַשׁ֙ בֶּן־הָאָמָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את עִם־בְּנִ֖י עִם־יִצְחָֽק׃
**Translation**
She said to Avraham, Drive out this slave-woman and her son, for the son of this slave-woman will not inherit with my son, with Yitzchok.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמֶרֶת לְאַבְרָהָם תָּרֵךְ אַמְתָא הָדָא וְיָת בְּרַהּ אֲרֵי לָא יֵרַת בַּר אַמְתָא הָדָא עִם בְּרִי עִם יִצְחָק
**Onkelos in English**
She said to Avraham, Drive out this slave-woman and her son, for the son of this slave-woman will not inherit with my son, with Yitzchok.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Drive out this slave-woman".** A literal rendering, word for word. *Tarekh*, 'drive out', renders *garesh*; *amta*, 'slave-woman', renders *amah* both times; *yerat*, 'will inherit', is the Aramaic cognate of *yirash*.
**Words to note:** תָּרֵךְ *tarekh* — drive out (גָּרֵשׁ) · אַמְתָא *amta* — slave-woman (הָאָמָה) · הָדָא *hada* — this (הַזֹּאת) · יֵרַת *yerat* — will inherit (יִירַשׁ)
---
### Bereshit 21:11
**Torah**
וַיֵּ֧רַע הַדָּבָ֛ר מְאֹ֖ד בְּעֵינֵ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם עַ֖ל אוֹדֹ֥ת בְּנֽוֹ׃
**Translation**
This thing was very wrong in the eyes of Avraham, on account of his son.
**Onkelos**
וּבְאֵישׁ פִּתְגָּמָא לַחֲדָא בְּעֵינֵי אַבְרָהָם עַל עֵיסַק בְּרֵהּ
**Onkelos in English**
This thing was very wrong in the eyes of Avraham, on account of his son.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Was very wrong".** A literal rendering. *U-ve'eish*, 'was bad', renders *va-yera*; *pitgama*, 'the thing, matter', renders *ha-davar*; *lahada*, 'very', renders *me'od*.
- **"On account of".** The Hebrew *al odot* becomes *al eisak*, 'concerning the matter of', the usual idiomatic equivalent.
**Words to note:** וּבְאֵישׁ *u-ve'eish* — was wrong (וַיֵּרַע) · פִּתְגָּמָא *pitgama* — thing (הַדָּבָר) · לַחֲדָא *lahada* — very (מְאֹד) · עֵיסַק *eisak* — account (matter) (אוֹדֹת)
---
### Bereshit 21:12
**Torah**
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹקִ֜ים אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֗ם אַל־יֵרַ֤ע בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ עַל־הַנַּ֣עַר וְעַל־אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֹּאמַ֥ר אֵלֶ֛יךָ שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלָ֑הּ כִּ֣י בְיִצְחָ֔ק יִקָּרֵ֥א לְךָ֖ זָֽרַע׃
**Translation**
God said to Avraham, Do not consider this wrong in your eyes on account of the boy and your slave-woman. Regarding all that Sarah tells you, listen to her voice, for [only] through Yitzchok will seed be considered yours.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲמַר ה׳ לְאַבְרָהָם לָא יַבְאֵשׁ בְּעֵינָיךְ עַל עוּלֵימָא וְעַל אַמְתָךְ כֹּל דִּי תֵימַר לָךְ שָׂרָה קַבֵּל מִנַּהּ אֲרֵי בְיִצְחָק יִתְקְרוּן לָךְ בְּנִין
**Onkelos in English**
Hashem said to Avraham, Do not consider this wrong in your eyes on account of the boy and on account of your slave-woman. Regarding all that Sarah tells you, accept from her, for through Yitzchok will children be considered yours.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Hashem said".** As in 21:6, the Hebrew has *Elokim* and both Aramaic texts have ה׳.
- **"Accept from her".** The Hebrew idiom 'listen to her voice' (*shema be-kolah*) becomes *kabbel minnah*, 'accept from her'. The sense, to do what she says, is given without the image of hearing a voice.
- **"Children".** The Hebrew 'seed will be called to you' (*yikkarei lekha zara*) becomes *yitkerun lakh benin*, 'children will be called to you'. The collective singular 'seed' is replaced by a plural noun with a plural verb; compare 21:13, where 'your seed' becomes 'your son'.
- **"Do not consider this wrong".** *La yav'esh*, 'let it not be bad', is the same root as *u-ve'eish* in 21:11, matching the Hebrew *yera* and *va-yera*.
**Words to note:** יַבְאֵשׁ *yav'esh* — consider wrong (be bad) (יֵרַע) · עוּלֵימָא *uleima* — the boy (הַנַּעַר) · קַבֵּל *kabbel* — accept (שְׁמַע) · יִתְקְרוּן *yitkerun* — will be considered (called) (יִקָּרֵא) · בְּנִין *benin* — children (זָרַע)
---
### Bereshit 21:13
**Torah**
וְגַ֥ם אֶת־בֶּן־הָאָמָ֖ה לְג֣וֹי אֲשִׂימֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י זַרְעֲךָ֖ הֽוּא׃
**Translation**
[But] also the son of the slave-woman I will make into a nation, for he is [of] your seed.
**Onkelos**
וְאַף יָת בַּר אַמְתָא לְעַם אֲשַׁוִּנֵּהּ אֲרֵי בְנָךְ הוּא
**Onkelos in English**
And also the son of the slave-woman I will make into a nation, for he is your son.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"For he is your son".** The Hebrew says 'for he is your seed' (*zarakha*); Onkelos has *venakh*, 'your son'. Together with 'children' in 21:12, this suggests Onkelos rendered 'seed' here by the concrete relationship it describes.
- **"Into a nation".** *Le-am* renders *le-goy*; *ashavvinneh*, 'I will make him', renders *asimennu* literally.
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text reads בְּרָךְ (*berakh*), the usual Aramaic word for 'your son', in place of the printed form; the meaning 'your son' rather than 'your seed' holds for both texts.
**Words to note:** וְאַף *ve-af* — and also (וְגַם) · לְעַם *le-am* — into a nation (לְגוֹי) · אֲשַׁוִּנֵּהּ *ashavvinneh* — I will make him (אֲשִׂימֶנּוּ) · בְנָךְ *venakh* — your son (זַרְעֲךָ)
---
### Unit 1 summary
Onkelos follows the narrative closely, but at the points where the Hebrew plays on the root of Yitzchok's name he chooses between meanings. Sarah's 'laughter' and the hearers' laughing in 21:6 become 'joy' and 'rejoicing' (from חדי), while Yishmael's 'mocking' in 21:9 comes from a different root (mehayikh, 'mocking'); the wordplay on Yitzchok's name is not kept in the Aramaic, but the distinction between joyful and scornful laughter is made explicit. Sarah's terse question in 21:7 is expanded, in the printed text, into a question about the faithfulness of the One who promised and fulfilled. In both speeches where the Hebrew has Elokim (21:6, 21:12) the Aramaic has ה׳. Idioms are rendered by their sense: 'listen to her voice' becomes 'accept from her', and 'seed' becomes 'children' in 21:12 and 'your son' in 21:13. Elsewhere the rendering is literal, with routine shifts such as infinitive clauses turned into finite ones ('when ... was born', 'on the day that ... was weaned').
---
## Unit 2 — Bereshit 21:14–21: Hagar and the lad in the desert
Avraham sends Hagar away with bread and a skin of water; when the water runs out she sets the lad down and weeps. An angel calls to her, her eyes are opened to a well, and the lad grows up in the desert of Paran.
---
### Bereshit 21:14
**Torah**
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם אַבְרָהָ֣ם ׀ בַּבֹּ֡קֶר וַיִּֽקַּֽח־לֶ֩חֶם֩ וְחֵ֨מַת מַ֜יִם וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־הָ֠גָ֠ר שָׂ֧ם עַל־שִׁכְמָ֛הּ וְאֶת־הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֶ֑הָ וַתֵּ֣לֶךְ וַתֵּ֔תַע בְּמִדְבַּ֖ר בְּאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע׃
**Translation**
Avraham got up early in the morning. He took bread and a skin [pouch] of water, and gave it to Hagar. He placed it on her shoulder with the lad, and sent her away. She went and lost her way in the desert of Beer Sheva.
**Onkelos**
וְאַקְדֵּים אַבְרָהָם בְּצַפְרָא וּנְסִיב לַחֲמָא וְרָקְבָּא דְמַיָּא וִיהַב לְהָּגָר שַׁוֵי עַל כַּתְפַּהּ וְיָת רַבְיָא וְשַׁלְחַהּ וַאֲזָלַת וְתָעַת בְּמַדְבְּרָא (נ''א בְּמַדְבֵּר) בְּאֵר שָׁבַע
**Onkelos in English**
Avraham got up early in the morning. He took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar. He placed it on her shoulder with the lad, and sent her away. She went and lost her way in the desert (another reading: in the desert of) Beer Sheva.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Got up early in the morning".** A literal rendering: *ve-akdeim* (וְאַקְדֵּים), 'rose early', renders *va-yashkem*, and *be-tzafra* (בְּצַפְרָא) is the ordinary Aramaic for 'in the morning'.
- **"A skin of water".** The Hebrew *hemat* (וְחֵמַת) is rendered *rakba* (וְרָקְבָּא), a skin bottle. The same Aramaic word stands for *hemat* each time it recurs in this passage (21:15, 21:19).
- **"He placed it on her shoulder".** *Shavei* (שַׁוֵי) renders *sam*, and *katpah* (כַּתְפַּהּ), 'her shoulder', renders *shikhmah*. The verb from שוי returns in 21:18 for the Hebrew 'I will make him'.
- **"The lad".** The Hebrew here says *ha-yeled*, 'the child'. Onkelos uses *ravya* (רַבְיָא), the same word he uses later in the passage for *ha-na'ar* (21:17-21:20), so the Hebrew's alternation between *yeled* and *na'ar* is not visible in the Aramaic.
- **"Lost her way".** *Ve-ta'at* (וְתָעַת) corresponds to the Hebrew *va-teta*, with the same letters תע; a literal rendering.
- **"In the desert (another reading: in the desert of) Beer Sheva".** The printed text has the definite form *be-madbera*, 'in the desert', with Beer Sheva standing beside it, and notes in parentheses the alternative *be-madbar*, the construct form 'in the desert of', which matches the Hebrew *be-midbar*.
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text reads *u-te'at* (וּטְעָת), spelled with ט rather than ת; the meaning, 'lost her way', is the same, but the observation that the Aramaic shares the letters תע with the Hebrew holds for the printed text only.
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text has only the construct *be-madbar* (בְּמַדְבַּר), 'in the desert of', which is the printed text's parenthetical reading.
**Words to note:** וְאַקְדֵּים *ve-akdeim* — got up early (וַיַּשְׁכֵּם) · וְרָקְבָּא *ve-rakba* — and a skin (וְחֵמַת) · כַּתְפַּהּ *katpah* — her shoulder (שִׁכְמָהּ) · רַבְיָא *ravya* — the lad (הַיֶּלֶד) · וְתָעַת *ve-ta'at* — and lost her way (וַתֵּתַע)
---
### Bereshit 21:15
**Torah**
וַיִּכְל֥וּ הַמַּ֖יִם מִן־הַחֵ֑מֶת וַתַּשְׁלֵ֣ךְ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד תַּ֖חַת אַחַ֥ד הַשִּׂיחִֽם׃
**Translation**
The water in the skin was used up, and she threw the lad under one of the bushes.
**Onkelos**
וּשְׁלִימוּ מַיָּא מִן רָקְבָּא וּרְמַת יָת רַבְיָא תְּחוֹת חַד מִן אִילָנַיָּא
**Onkelos in English**
The water in the skin was used up, and she threw the lad under one of the trees.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Was used up".** *U-shelimu* (וּשְׁלִימוּ), 'came to an end', renders *va-yikhlu*; the plural verb with 'water' is kept as in the Hebrew.
- **"She threw".** *U-remat* (וּרְמַת) renders *va-tashlekh*; a literal rendering.
- **"Under one of the trees".** The Hebrew has *ha-sihim*, 'the bushes'. Onkelos writes *ilanaya* (אִילָנַיָּא), 'trees', a more general word. He also spells out the partitive with *min*: *had min ilanaya*, 'one of the trees', where the Hebrew uses a construct, *ahad ha-sihim*.
**Words to note:** וּשְׁלִימוּ *u-shelimu* — was used up (וַיִּכְלוּ) · וּרְמַת *u-remat* — and she threw (וַתַּשְׁלֵךְ) · אִילָנַיָּא *ilanaya* — the trees (הַשִּׂיחִם)
---
### Bereshit 21:16
**Torah**
וַתֵּ֩לֶךְ֩ וַתֵּ֨שֶׁב לָ֜הּ מִנֶּ֗גֶד הַרְחֵק֙ כִּמְטַחֲוֵ֣י קֶ֔שֶׁת כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֔ה אַל־אֶרְאֶ֖ה בְּמ֣וֹת הַיָּ֑לֶד וַתֵּ֣שֶׁב מִנֶּ֔גֶד וַתִּשָּׂ֥א אֶת־קֹלָ֖הּ וַתֵּֽבְךְּ׃
**Translation**
She went and sat facing him, about [the distance] of bow-shots away. She said, Let me not see the lad die. She sat facing him and wept in a loud voice.
**Onkelos**
וַאֲזָלַת וִיתִיבַת לַהּ מִקֳּבֵל אַרְחֵיקַת (נ''י אַרְחִיק) כְּמֵיגַד קַשְׁתָּא אֲרֵי אֲמֶרֶת לָא אֶחֱזֵי בְּמוֹתָא דְרַבְיָא וִיתִיבַת מִקֳּבֵל וַאֲרֵימַת יָת קָלַהּ וּבְכָת
**Onkelos in English**
She went and sat facing him; she moved far away (another reading: at a distance), about the drawing of a bow. She said, Let me not see the lad die. She sat facing him and wept in a loud voice.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Facing him".** *Mi-kovel* (מִקֳּבֵל), 'opposite', renders *mi-neged* both times it occurs in the verse.
- **"She moved far away".** The Hebrew *harhek* is an infinitive used adverbially, 'at a distance'. The printed Onkelos turns it into a finite verb, *arheikat* (אַרְחֵיקַת), 'she went far off', adding a separate action to the sequence. The parenthetical reading *arhik* is closer in form to the Hebrew.
- **"About the drawing of a bow".** The Hebrew *kimtahavei kashet* uses a rare plural, usually understood as 'bow-shooters'. Onkelos replaces it with a verbal noun, *ke-meigad kashta* (כְּמֵיגַד קַשְׁתָּא), 'as the drawing of a bow', perhaps measuring the distance by the reach of a bowshot rather than by the archers.
- **"Let me not see the lad die".** *La ehezei be-mota de-ravya* (literally 'I will not see the death of the lad') follows the Hebrew *be-mot ha-yeled* closely, with the Aramaic genitive *de-*.
- **"Wept in a loud voice".** The Hebrew idiom 'lifted up her voice' (*va-tissa et kolah*) becomes *va-areimat yat kalah* (וַאֲרֵימַת יָת קָלַהּ), 'raised her voice'.
- **Textual note.** The Yemenite text lacks the parenthetical *arhik* and reads *ke-meigad be-kashta* (כְּמֵיגַד בְּקַשְׁתָּא), 'as drawing with a bow'; the meaning is the same.
- **Textual note.** For *be-mota* the Yemenite text has *be-moteih* (בְּמוֹתֵיהּ), 'his death, of the lad', an anticipatory pronoun; the meaning is unchanged.
**Words to note:** מִקֳּבֵל *mi-kovel* — facing (מִנֶּגֶד) · אַרְחֵיקַת *arheikat* — she moved far away (הַרְחֵק) · כְּמֵיגַד *ke-meigad* — about the drawing of (כִּמְטַחֲוֵי) · בְּמוֹתָא *be-mota* — the death of (בְּמוֹת) · וַאֲרֵימַת *va-areimat* — and she raised (וַתִּשָּׂא)
---
### Bereshit 21:17
**Torah**
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אֱלֹקִים֮ אֶת־ק֣וֹל הַנַּ֒עַר֒ וַיִּקְרָא֩ מַלְאַ֨ךְ אֱלֹקִ֤ים ׀ אֶל־הָגָר֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לָ֖הּ מַה־לָּ֣ךְ הָגָ֑ר אַל־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֧ע אֱלֹקִ֛ים אֶל־ק֥וֹל הַנַּ֖עַר בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הוּא־שָֽׁם׃
**Translation**
God heard the voice of the lad. An angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, What is the matter, Hagar? Do not fear. God has heard the voice of the lad in the place where he is.
**Onkelos**
וּשְׁמִיעַ קֳדָם ה׳ יָת קָלֵהּ דְּרַבְיָא וּקְרָא מַלְאֲכָא דַּה׳ לְהָגָר מִן שְׁמַיָּא וַאֲמַר לַהּ מָה לָיךְ הָגָר לָא תִדְחֲלִי אֲרֵי שְׁמִיעַ קֳדָם ה׳ יָת קָלֵהּ דְּרַבְיָא בַּאֲתַר דְּהוּא תַמָּן
**Onkelos in English**
It was heard before Hashem, the voice of the lad. An angel of Hashem called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, What is the matter, Hagar? Do not fear. It has been heard before Hashem, the voice of the lad in the place where he is.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"It was heard before Hashem".** Twice in this verse the Hebrew says 'God heard' (*va-yishma Elokim*, *shama Elokim*). Onkelos both times turns the active verb into a passive with 'before': *u-shemi'a kodam* Hashem (וּשְׁמִיעַ קֳדָם ה׳). This may indicate a reluctance to make God the direct subject of a verb of sense perception. The accusative marker *yat* (יָת) remains before 'the voice', as if the active construction were still in mind.
- **Hashem for *Elokim*.** All three occurrences of *Elokim* in the Hebrew, including 'an angel of *Elokim*', are rendered with the Name, Hashem, in the Aramaic.
- **"The voice of the lad".** *Kaleh de-ravya* (קָלֵהּ דְּרַבְיָא), literally 'his voice, of the lad', is the regular Aramaic genitive with an anticipatory pronoun. *Ravya* here renders *ha-na'ar*, the word that rendered *ha-yeled* in 21:14-21:16.
- **"Do not fear".** *La tidhali* (תִדְחֲלִי), from דחל, renders *al tir'i*.
- **"In the place where he is".** The Hebrew *ba-asher hu sham* becomes *ba-atar de-hu tamman* (בַּאֲתַר דְּהוּא תַמָּן), 'in the place that he is there'; Onkelos supplies the noun *atar*, 'place', for the Hebrew relative *asher*.
- **Textual note.** In the second half of the verse the Yemenite text has no *yat* before *kaleih* (קָלֵיהּ); the remark about the accusative marker after the passive holds there only for the first half of the verse.
**Words to note:** וּשְׁמִיעַ *u-shemi'a* — it was heard (וַיִּשְׁמַע) · קֳדָם *kodam* — before · תִדְחֲלִי *tidhali* — fear (תִּירְאִי) · בַּאֲתַר *ba-atar* — in the place (בַּאֲשֶׁר)
---
### Bereshit 21:18
**Torah**
ק֚וּמִי שְׂאִ֣י אֶת־הַנַּ֔עַר וְהַחֲזִ֥יקִי אֶת־יָדֵ֖ךְ בּ֑וֹ כִּֽי־לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל אֲשִׂימֶֽנּוּ׃
**Translation**
Get up and lift up the lad. Keep your hand strong on him, for I will make him a great nation.
**Onkelos**
קוּמִי טוּלִי יָת רַבְיָא וְאַתְקִיפִי יָת יְדֵךְ בֵּהּ אֲרֵי לְעַם סַגִּי אֲשַׁוִּנֵּהּ
**Onkelos in English**
Get up and lift up the lad. Keep your hand strong on him, for I will make him a great people.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Lift up".** *Tuli* (טוּלִי) renders *se'i*, and *ve-atkifi* (וְאַתְקִיפִי), 'make strong', renders *ve-haheziki*; a literal rendering of the commands.
- **"A great people".** The Hebrew *goy gadol*, 'a great nation', becomes *am saggi* (לְעַם סַגִּי): *goy* is rendered with *am*, 'people', and *gadol* with *saggi*.
- **"I will make him".** *Ashavvinneh* (אֲשַׁוִּנֵּהּ), from שוי, renders *asimennu*; the same Aramaic verb rendered *sam*, 'placed', in 21:14, as the Hebrew uses שׂם in both places.
**Words to note:** טוּלִי *tuli* — lift up (שְׂאִי) · וְאַתְקִיפִי *ve-atkifi* — keep strong (וְהַחֲזִיקִי) · לְעַם *le-am* — a people (לְגוֹי) · סַגִּי *saggi* — great (גָּדוֹל) · אֲשַׁוִּנֵּהּ *ashavvinneh* — I will make him (אֲשִׂימֶנּוּ)
---
### Bereshit 21:19
**Torah**
וַיִּפְקַ֤ח אֱלֹקִים֙ אֶת־עֵינֶ֔יהָ וַתֵּ֖רֶא בְּאֵ֣ר מָ֑יִם וַתֵּ֜לֶךְ וַתְּמַלֵּ֤א אֶת־הַחֵ֙מֶת֙ מַ֔יִם וַתַּ֖שְׁקְ אֶת־הַנָּֽעַר׃
**Translation**
God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad to drink.
**Onkelos**
וּגְלָא ה׳ יָת עֵינָהַהּ וַחֲזַת בֵּירָא דְמַיָּא וַאֲזָלַת וּמְלַת יָת רָקְבָּא מַיָּא וְאַשְׁקִיאַת יָת רַבְיָא
**Onkelos in English**
Hashem uncovered her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad to drink.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"Hashem uncovered her eyes".** The Hebrew *va-yifkah Elokim*, 'God opened', becomes *u-gela* Hashem (וּגְלָא ה׳), 'uncovered, revealed', with *Elokim* again rendered by the Name. The choice suggests that the well was there all along and that her eyes were opened to it, though the Hebrew verb can carry the same sense.
- **"A well of water".** *Beira de-maya* (בֵּירָא דְמַיָּא) renders *be'er mayim* with the Aramaic genitive; a literal rendering.
- **"Gave the lad to drink".** *Ve-ashkiat* (וְאַשְׁקִיאַת) is the causative 'gave to drink', matching *va-tashk*. *Rakba* again renders *ha-hemet*.
**Words to note:** וּגְלָא *u-gela* — uncovered (וַיִּפְקַח) · בֵּירָא *beira* — a well (בְּאֵר) · וְאַשְׁקִיאַת *ve-ashkiat* — and gave to drink (וַתַּשְׁקְ)
---
### Bereshit 21:20
**Torah**
וַיְהִ֧י אֱלֹקִ֛ים אֶת־הַנַּ֖עַר וַיִּגְדָּ֑ל וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וַיְהִ֖י רֹבֶ֥ה קַשָּֽׁת׃
**Translation**
God was with the lad and he grew up. He settled in the wilderness, [where] he became an expert archer.
**Onkelos**
וַהֲוָה מֵימְרָא דַּה׳ בְּסַעְדֵהּ דְּרַבְיָא וּרְבָא וִיתֵב בְּמַדְבְּרָא וַהֲוָה רָבֵי קַשְׁתָּא
**Onkelos in English**
The Memra of Hashem was in the aid of the lad, and he grew up. He settled in the wilderness, and he became an expert archer.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"The Memra of Hashem was in the aid of the lad".** The Hebrew says simply 'God was with the lad'. Onkelos interposes the *Memra* (מֵימְרָא) of Hashem and turns 'with' into *be-sa'deh* (בְּסַעְדֵהּ), 'in his aid', literally 'in his aid, of the lad'. God's presence becomes active help, and the 'with' is perhaps avoided as too physical a way of placing God beside a person.
- **"He grew up" and "an expert archer".** The Hebrew uses two different words, *va-yigdal*, 'he grew', and *roveh*, 'archer'. Onkelos writes *u-reva* (וּרְבָא), 'he grew', and *ravei kashta* (רָבֵי קַשְׁתָּא), 'a master of the bow'. Together with *ravya*, 'the lad', the verse thus has three Aramaic words built on the letters רב, and *ravei* echoes the sound of the Hebrew *roveh*; whether this was intended can only be guessed.
- **"He settled".** *Vi-teiv* (וִיתֵב) renders *va-yeshev*; a literal rendering.
**Words to note:** מֵימְרָא *meimra* — the Memra · בְּסַעְדֵהּ *be-sa'deh* — in the aid of · וּרְבָא *u-reva* — and he grew up (וַיִּגְדָּל) · רָבֵי *ravei* — an expert (master of) (רֹבֶה) · קַשְׁתָּא *kashta* — the bow (archer) (קַשָּׁת)
---
### Bereshit 21:21
**Torah**
וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב בְּמִדְבַּ֣ר פָּארָ֑ן וַתִּֽקַּֽח־ל֥וֹ אִמּ֛וֹ אִשָּׁ֖ה מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ {פ}
**Translation**
He lived in the desert of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
**Onkelos**
וִיתֵב בְּמַדְבְּרָא דְפָארָן וּנְסִיבַת לֵהּ אִמֵּהּ אִתְּתָא מֵאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם
**Onkelos in English**
He lived in the desert of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
**What Onkelos tells us**
- **"His mother took a wife for him".** A literal rendering. *U-nesivat* (וּנְסִיבַת) renders *va-tikkah*, with the same verb that rendered 'he took' in 21:14; 'the desert of Paran' and 'the land of Egypt' are expressed with the Aramaic genitive *de-*.
**Words to note:** וּנְסִיבַת *u-nesivat* — took (וַתִּקַּח) · אִתְּתָא *itteta* — a wife (אִשָּׁה)
---
### Unit 2 summary
Onkelos follows the narrative closely, but its language about God is systematically recast: *Elokim* becomes Hashem in every instance, 'God heard' becomes 'it was heard before Hashem', 'God opened her eyes' becomes 'Hashem uncovered her eyes', and 'God was with the lad' becomes 'the Memra of Hashem was in the aid of the lad'. Elsewhere the changes are lexical: one Aramaic word, *ravya* (רַבְיָא), stands for both the Hebrew *yeled* and *na'ar*; the bushes become trees; the rare *kimtahavei kashet* becomes 'the drawing of a bow'; *goy* becomes *am*. The Hebrew infinitive *harhek* is turned into a finite verb in the printed text, and in 21:20 three words built on the letters רב (*ravya*, *u-reva*, *ravei*) cluster in a single verse.
---
## Conclusion of the aliyah
### The movement of the aliyah
The aliyah moves from joy to expulsion and from danger to rescue. It opens with the birth of the long-promised son and Sarah's delight, turns at the weaning feast to conflict between the two sons and their mothers, and passes through Avraham's distress to God's double assurance: Yitzchok will carry Avraham's line, and the son of the slave-woman will also become a nation. The second half follows Hagar and the lad into the desert, where the water runs out and the lad is near death, until the voice of the lad is heard, a well is revealed, and the lad grows to manhood in the wilderness. Onkelos follows this course closely, rendering much of it literally, while marking the turning points with choices of word and with a reworked way of speaking about God.
### What Onkelos tells us in this aliyah
1. **"Joy" (21:6).** Sarah's *tzehok* becomes חֶדְוָא, *hedva*, and 'will laugh with me' becomes 'will rejoice with me'; the laughter is defined as gladness.
2. **"Mocking" (21:9).** The same Hebrew root is rendered *mehayikh* (מְחָיִיךְ), perhaps to separate Sarah's joy from the laughter that the context marks as objectionable.
3. **"Who [is] trustworthy, who said ... [and] fulfilled [it]" (21:7).** The printed text expands Sarah's question so that it points to the reliability of the One who made the promise; the Yemenite text, lacking *man*, makes it a direct declaration.
4. **"Accept from her" (21:12).** *Kabbel minnah* (קַבֵּל) gives the sense of 'listen to her voice', to do what she says, without the image of hearing a voice.
5. **"Children" (21:12) and "your son" (21:13).** The collective 'seed' becomes בְּנִין, 'children', and then בְנָךְ, 'your son', which suggests 'seed' is rendered by the concrete relationship it describes.
6. **Hashem for Elokim (21:6, 21:12).** In both speeches of the first unit where the Hebrew has *Elokim*, the Aramaic has ה׳; the notes observe that the text gives no reason.
7. **"Under one of the trees" (21:15).** The Hebrew 'bushes' become אִילָנַיָּא, 'trees', a more general word.
8. **"She moved far away" (21:16).** The printed text turns the adverbial infinitive *harhek* into a finite verb, adding a separate action; the parenthetical reading is closer to the Hebrew.
9. **"About the drawing of a bow" (21:16).** The rare *kimtahavei kashet* is replaced by a verbal noun, כְּמֵיגַד, perhaps measuring the distance by the reach of a bowshot.
10. **"It was heard before Hashem" (21:17).** Twice the active 'God heard' becomes the passive וּשְׁמִיעַ קֳדָם ה׳, which may indicate a reluctance to make God the subject of a verb of sense perception.
11. **"Hashem uncovered her eyes" (21:19).** וּגְלָא, 'uncovered', suggests that the well was there all along, though the Hebrew verb can carry the same sense.
12. **"The Memra of Hashem was in the aid of the lad" (21:20).** 'With' becomes active help through the Memra (מֵימְרָא דַּה׳), perhaps avoiding too physical a way of placing God beside a person.
### Recurring features
- **Elokim rendered as Hashem.** All seven occurrences of *Elokim* in this aliyah, including 'an angel of *Elokim*', are rendered with ה׳ in the Aramaic.
- **Indirect language for God's actions.** Hearing becomes 'heard before Hashem', opening becomes uncovering, and presence becomes the aid of the Memra.
- **Infinitives made finite.** 'When ... was born' (21:5), 'on the day that ... was weaned' (21:8) and, in the printed text, 'she moved far away' (21:16) turn Hebrew infinitives into finite verbs or clauses.
- **Idioms rendered by sense.** 'Listen to her voice', 'seed' and 'lifted up her voice' are given in plainer or concrete terms.
- **Consistent vocabulary.** וְרָקְבָּא, *rakba*, renders *hemat* each time it occurs; *ravya* covers both *yeled* and *na'ar* in the desert scene; לְעַם, *le-am*, renders *le-goy* in both 21:13 and 21:18; the verb from שוי renders שׂם in 21:14 and 21:18.
- **Literal rendering elsewhere.** Much of the narrative, such as Sarah's demand in 21:10 and the closing verse, is rendered word for word, with the Aramaic genitive *de-* in place of the Hebrew construct.
- **Echoes of sound.** Words built on the letters רב cluster in 21:8 and 21:20 (*ravya*, *u-reva*, *rabba*, *ravei*); whether this was intended can only be guessed.
### Aliyah takeaway
In this aliyah Onkelos is for the most part a close, literal translator, but at a few points his choices interpret the story. He separates the joy around Yitzchok's birth from the mocking of Hagar's son, reads Sarah's words as an acknowledgement of a promise kept, and consistently reshapes the way the text speaks of God: the Name in place of *Elokim*, hearing 'before' Hashem, and the Memra's aid in place of God being 'with' the lad. The care for God's providence over the son of the slave-woman is not lessened by these changes; it is expressed in terms Onkelos considers fitting.
---
## Aramaic word list for the aliyah
| Aramaic | Transliteration | Meaning | Hebrew in the verse |
|---|---|---|---|
| שְׁנִין | *shenin* | years | שָׁנָה |
| כַּד | *kad* | when | — |
| אִתְיְלִיד | *ityelid* | was born | בְּהִוָּלֶד |
| חֶדְוָא | *hedva* | joy | צְחֹק |
| יֶחֱדֵּי | *yehedei* | will rejoice | יִצְחַק |
| מְהֵימָן | *meheiman* | trustworthy | — |
| דַּאֲמַר | *da-amar* | who said | מִלֵּל |
| קַיָּם | *kayyam* | fulfilled | — |
| דְּתוֹנִיק | *de-tonik* | that [she] would nurse | הֵינִיקָה |
| רַבָּא | *rabba* | great | גָדוֹל |
| מִצְרֵיתָא | *mitzreita* | the Egyptian | הַמִּצְרִית |
| דִּילִידַת | *di-lidat* | that she had born | יָלְדָה |
| מְחָיִיךְ | *mehayikh* | mocking | מְצַחֵק |
| אַמְתָא | *amta* | slave-woman | הָאָמָה |
| יֵרַת | *yerat* | will inherit | יִירַשׁ |
| פִּתְגָּמָא | *pitgama* | thing | הַדָּבָר |
| לַחֲדָא | *lahada* | very | מְאֹד |
| עֵיסַק | *eisak* | account (matter) | אוֹדֹת |
| יַבְאֵשׁ | *yav'esh* | consider wrong (be bad) | יֵרַע |
| קַבֵּל | *kabbel* | accept | שְׁמַע |
| יִתְקְרוּן | *yitkerun* | will be considered (called) | יִקָּרֵא |
| בְּנִין | *benin* | children | זָרַע |
| אֲשַׁוִּנֵּהּ | *ashavvinneh* | I will make him | אֲשִׂימֶנּוּ |
| בְנָךְ | *venakh* | your son | זַרְעֲךָ |
| וְאַקְדֵּים | *ve-akdeim* | got up early | וַיַּשְׁכֵּם |
| וְרָקְבָּא | *ve-rakba* | and a skin | וְחֵמַת |
| כַּתְפַּהּ | *katpah* | her shoulder | שִׁכְמָהּ |
| וְתָעַת | *ve-ta'at* | and lost her way | וַתֵּתַע |
| וּשְׁלִימוּ | *u-shelimu* | was used up | וַיִּכְלוּ |
| וּרְמַת | *u-remat* | and she threw | וַתַּשְׁלֵךְ |
| אִילָנַיָּא | *ilanaya* | the trees | הַשִּׂיחִם |
| מִקֳּבֵל | *mi-kovel* | facing | מִנֶּגֶד |
| אַרְחֵיקַת | *arheikat* | she moved far away | הַרְחֵק |
| כְּמֵיגַד | *ke-meigad* | about the drawing of | כִּמְטַחֲוֵי |
| בְּמוֹתָא | *be-mota* | the death of | בְּמוֹת |
| וַאֲרֵימַת | *va-areimat* | and she raised | וַתִּשָּׂא |
| וּשְׁמִיעַ | *u-shemi'a* | it was heard | וַיִּשְׁמַע |
| קֳדָם | *kodam* | before | — |
| תִדְחֲלִי | *tidhali* | fear | תִּירְאִי |
| בַּאֲתַר | *ba-atar* | in the place | בַּאֲשֶׁר |
| טוּלִי | *tuli* | lift up | שְׂאִי |
| וְאַתְקִיפִי | *ve-atkifi* | keep strong | וְהַחֲזִיקִי |
| סַגִּי | *saggi* | great | גָּדוֹל |
| וּגְלָא | *u-gela* | uncovered | וַיִּפְקַח |
| וְאַשְׁקִיאַת | *ve-ashkiat* | and gave to drink | וַתַּשְׁקְ |
---
## Source note
**Aliyah boundary.** Bereshit 21:5 – 21:21, following the aliyah divisions in Sefaria's index of Bereshit (the next aliyah begins at Bereshit 21:22).
**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.