face

Targumim (or: Targums) are translations of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic. They were translated and used when Jewish congregations increasingly could not understand the biblical Hebrew anymore. Targum Onqelos (also: Onkelos) is the name of the Aramaic translation of the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) probably composed in Israel/Palestine in the 1st or 2nd century CE and later edited in Babylon in the 4th or 5th century, making it reflect Jewish Babylonian Aramaic. It is the most famous Aramaic translation and was widely used throughout the Jewish communities.

In many, but not all, cases the translation of Targum Onqelos avoids anthropomorphisms (attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions) as they relate in the original Hebrew text to God.

The Hebrew of Leviticus 17:10, 20:3, 20:5, and 26:17 that is typically translated in English as “face” is translated in Targum Onqelos as “anger” or “wrath” (Source: Schochet 1966, p. 15)

See also face.

Translation commentary on Leviticus 26:17

This is the counterpart of verses 7 and 8 above.

Set my face against you: see 17.10; 20.3, 6.

You shall be smitten before your enemies: the verb “to smite” or “to strike” is often used in Scripture to mean “kill” or “defeat in battle.” In some languages the passive construction may be better rendered “your enemies will defeat you.”

Rule over you: the Septuagint has instead “pursue you,” but this is followed only by New English Bible. Translators are advised to communicate the idea “dominate,” “subjugate,” “rule over,” or “be your rulers.”

You shall flee when none pursues you: Good News Translation makes the meaning explicit by adding “you will be so terrified….” This contrasts with verses 7 and 8, where the enemy is made to flee by a much smaller number of Israelite soldiers.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .