Digital Logos Edition
While any translation of the Scriptures may in Hebrew be called a targum, the word is used especially for a translation of a book of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic. Before the Christian era, Aramaic had in good part replaced Hebrew in Palestine as the vernacular of the Jews. It continued as their vernacular for centuries later and remained in part as the language of the schools after Aramaic itself had been replaced as the vernacular.
This Targum offers to the reader Jeremiah’s words among the Jewish people. Perhaps more than any other prophet, he communicates the majesty and excellence of the God of Israel, presenting the mysterious history, compounded of glory and tragedy, of his Chosen People. Here we have one of the most moving interpretations of one of the great figures of the ancient world.
The longest biblical book in the original Hebrew, Jeremiah became longer still in its translation into Aramaic because the translator(s), in trying to convey the precise meaning, often offered more than one translation of a word or phrase. The sheer length may account for the fact that, until now, it has never been translated into English.
In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Scripture citations link directly to English translations, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.
The Aramaic Bible series, under McNamara’s able leadership, has brought the difficult world of Targum to a larger audience of biblical scholars.
—Gary A. Rendsburg, Blanche and Irving Laurie Chair in Jewish History, Cornell University