A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob

The Targum, which originated in the Aramaic language and is strongly linked to the work of Ezra, holds significance for shedding light on biblical concepts. When the Masoretic Text can be vague, uncertain, or unclear, the Targum often offers clearer meaning, broader insight, and deeper understanding.

Yes, sometimes the Targum clarifies metaphors and interprets idioms or difficult passages instead of translating them literally, which often makes no sense. Such an endeavor should be highly commended rather than criticized.

For example, the Targum interprets natural imagery—like cedars, cypresses, oaks, forests, and fire—as metaphors for political political and social structures, especially kings, rulers, governors, and wealthy elites. Such imagery can be sweeping: forests laid waste, lions roaring as their habitat is destroyed, and power structures crumbling. Fire symbolizes divine punishment, sweeping through defenses and dismantling the very foundations of their power.

Translating such natural imagery literally could convey limited information or even distort it, but Ezra was determined to share their true meaning. He was a righteous man, for God had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to follow it, and to teach the statutes and judgments in Israel Ezra 7:10.

(1) And the Lord said unto Moses, “See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Exodus 7:1

— a god ’ĕ·lō·hîm to Pharaoh; “a god” that is, he was to act in this business as God’s representative, God’s envoy, to act and speak in His name and to perform things beyond the ordinary course of nature;

— any messenger (mal·’āḵ) is also an angel; and God gives authority for an messenger to carry God’s name, “for My name is in him;”

“Behold, I send a messenger (mal·’āḵ) before thee to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared;

Have regard for him, and obey his voice. Provoke him not, for he will not pardon your transgressions, for My name is in him. Exodus 23:20-21

— the Targum of Jonathan reveals another dimension, saying,

“And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Why are you afraid? Behold, I have already placed you as a terror to Pharaoh, as if you were his god; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.’” Exodus 7:1 Jonathan

(2) Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers. Now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. Exodus 7:11

— the names of these magicians of Egypt, Janis and Jamberes, were already incorporated in the Targum of Jonathan

But Pharoh called the hachems and magicians; and they also, Janis and Jamberes, magicians of Mizraim, did the same by their burnings of divination. Exodus 7:11 Jonathan

— also being mentioned in Exodus 1:15 Jonathan, introduced as the chief of the magicians; but also picked up by Paul; that’s right, Paul also used the Targum for understanding deeper issues

“Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth — men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.” II Timothy 3:8

(3) And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.” Exodus 13:17

— when they see war; for the Philistines were viewed as one of the most warlike people of the time; as the Targum of Jonathan reveals an earlier misadventure by the tribe of Ephraim, saying

“And it was when Pharaoh released the people, that the Lord did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although it was near; for the Lord said, ‘Lest the people be dismayed when they see their brothers who died in battle—two hundred thousand armed men of the tribe of Ephraim, grasping shields, spears, and weapons of war.

“They went down to Gath to plunder the livestock of the Philistines; and because they transgressed against the decree of the Memra (Word) of the Lord and left Egypt thirty years before the [appointed] end, they were delivered into the hands of the Philistines, who killed them.

“These were the ‘dry bones’ that the Word of the Lord brought to life through the hand of Ezekiel the prophet in the Valley of Dura. If [the Israelites] see this, they will be afraid and return to Egypt.’” Exodus 13:17 Jonathan

— the details of this eposode was recorded by the Book of Jasher, Chapter 75, where after 180 years in Egypt, the tribe of Ephraim, thirty thousand valiant men on foot, who trusted in their own strength, who have come forth from Egypt to take the cattle of the Philistines before their appointed time; “but the Lord delivered the children of Ephraim into the hands of the Philistines,” leaving only ten men to report back what a disaster it had been;

— “And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.” I Chronicles 7:22

(4a) “I am the Lord thy God, who have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Exodus 20:2

— which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt: where they had been afflicted many years, and reduced to great distress, but were brought forth with an high hand;

— out of the house of bondage: where they had been servants and slaves, but now were made free, and were become a body politic, a kingdom of themselves, under their Lord, King, Lawgiver.

— the Targum of Jonathan reveals it isn’t just sound; it’s sparks, lightning and fire, saying

“And then it cried out and said: ‘My people, children of Israel, I am the Lord your God, who redeemed and brought you out redeemed from the land of the Egyptians, from the house of the bondage of slaves.’”

“The First Word (Commandment), when it went forth from the mouth of the Holy One—blessed be His name—was like sparks, and like lightnings, and like flames of fire. A lamp of light was at His right hand, and a lamp of fire at His left.

“It flew and soared through the air of the heavens, and returned and was seen over the camps of Israel. Then it returned and became engraved upon the Tablets of the Covenant that were placed in the hands of Moses, turning itself upon them from side to side.

(4b) “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. — there shall not be to thee another god, or other gods, to wit, idols, which others have, esteem, and worship as gods;

— again, the Targum of Jonathan reveals there are sparks, lightning and fire, saying

“And then it cried out and said: ‘My people, House of Israel, you shall have no other god besides Me.’”

“The Second Word (Commandment), when it went forth from the mouth of the Holy One—blessed be His name—was like sparks, and like lightnings, and like flames of fire. A lamp of light was at His right hand, and a lamp of fire at His left.

“It flew and soared through the air of the heavens, returned and was seen over the camps of Israel, and returned and became engraved upon the Tablets of the Covenant, turning itself upon them from side to side.

(5) And the Lord said unto Moses, “Come up to Me onto the mount, and be there; and I will give thee tablets of stone, and a law and commandments which I have written, that thou mayest teach them.” Exodus 24:12

— come up to me into the mount, and be there; for as yet Moses was not got up to the top of the mount, only up some part of it with the elders, though at some distance from the people: but now he is bid to come up higher;

— the Targum of Jonathan reveals the 613 laws were already identified during Moses time

“And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Ascend before Me to the mountain and be there; and I will give to you the tablets of stone, in which are hinted (alluded to) the rest of the words of the Torah, and the six hundred and thirteen commandments which I have written for their instruction.’”

(6) And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually. Exodus 28:30

— the twelve stones into the breastplate were put in by the workmen, Exodus 39:10-21; the breastplate of Urim and Thummim dressed upon Aaron by Moses, Leviticus 8:1-8;

— this Urim and Thummim; signifing lights and  integrity or perfections: by which the will of God would be made known in doubtful cases; and asking counsel of God in any emergency;

— the Targum Onkelos says the Urim and Thummim inside the Breastplate of Judgment

“And you shall place in the Breastplate of Judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be upon the heart of Aaron when he goes in before the Lord; and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.”

— the Targum of Jonathan reveals further hidden things of the Urim and Thummim, saying

“And you shall put in the Breastplate of Judgment the Urim, which illuminate their words and reveal the hidden things of the House of Israel; and the Thummim, which perfect their deeds for the High Priest who seeks instruction from before the Lord through them.

“For upon them is engraved and expressed the Great and Holy Name, by which three hundred and ten worlds were created. It is also engraved and expressed upon the Foundation Stone, with which the Master of the World sealed the mouth of the Great Deep from the beginning.

“And anyone who call upon that Holy Name in a time of distress is saved, and hidden things are revealed to them. And they shall be upon Aaron’s heart when he enters before the Lord; and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.”

— some observations from the Targum of Jonathan above

— Urim from Or (Light), they “illuminate” hidden truths, legal, moral and prophetic, of the House of Israel; a divine light exposes what is concealed;

— Thummim from Tam (Complete/Perfect); they give final, complete answers from the Lord to the High Priest’s questions;

— the “310 worlds” that are reserved as a reward for the righteous;

— by wearing the Urim and Thummim, Aaron carries the same “code” that keeps the universe stable; or a seal against chaos and maintains the cosmic order; and it highlights the High Priest’s role as a mediator carrying Israel’s judgment before God;

— the Holy Name of God isn’t just for the High Priest; it is a source of help and rescue for anyone who cried out in “a time of distress.” That is, it emphasizes the power of the Divine Name, “Whoever remembers that Holy Name in a time of distress is delivered.” His explicit Divine Name, is ‎יהוה‎ YHVH Yehovah.

— Cases in use

Or where there is no answer I Samuel 14, 37; “Lord, God of Israel, why haven’t you answered me today?” And the answer, if it could be considered an answer, is a forced one? I Samuel 14:40-42, Septuagint

If he were standing before the ark, he probably received instructions from off the mercy-seat, as Moses did, Exodus 25:22.

If he were at a distance from the ark, as David was when he inquired of the Lord through Abiathar (1 Samuel 23:1-12), then the answer was given either by a voice from heaven, or by an impulse upon the mind of the high-priest, or the inquirer.

(7) And the Lord said unto Moses, “Depart and go up hence, thou and the people whom thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘Unto thy seed will I give it.’ Exodus 33:1

— the land which I swore unto Abraham, Isaac and to Jacob; saying, unto thy seed will I give it: meaning the land between the two great rivers, which as he had promised with an oath to their fathers to give it to them, he would faithfully observe it, though they were unworthy of such a favour;

— the Targum of Jonathan reveals a specific psychological motivation for the command to leave, saying,

“And the Lord spoke with Moses: ‘Go, depart from here—lest My burning anger intensify against the people and I destroy them. Therefore, travel you and the people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying: To your children I will give it.’”

— God shifts the “ownership” of the nation; He doesn’t call them “My people,” but rather “the people whom you brought up.” That is, even in anger, God remains faithful to the Covenant of the Patriarchs; because of His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

(8) And He said, “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all thy people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom thou art shall see the work of the Lord, for it is a fearsome thing that I will do with thee. Exodus 34:10

— following the Golden Calf, there was fear that God would “replace” Israel with another nation;

— but the Targum of Jonathan reveals God’s unwillingness to change his chosen people

“And He said: ‘Behold, I decree a covenant that I will not exchange this people for another people. However, from you shall go forth multitudes of righteous ones.

“In the presence of all your people, I will perform wonders for them at the time they go into captivity by the rivers of Babylon; I will bring them up from there and settle them within the River Sambatyon.

“Such wonders as these have not been created among all the inhabitants of the earth or among any of the nations. And all the people among whom you dwell shall see on that day the work of the Lord, for awesome is that which I am doing with you.’”

— the Targum, however, affirms the eternal nature of the bond, even in the face of sin as it looks far into the future, specifically addressing the exile and the fate of the “lost” parts of the nation, promising they shall bring “forth multitudes of righteous ones.”

(9) And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. Exodus 34:29

— Moses did not know his face shone, while he talked with him; this radiance was why Moses eventually has to wear a veil when speaking to the people, “for they were afraid to come near to him” Exodus 34:30–35;

— the Targum of Jonathan reveals that Moses had achieved the highest possible level of intimacy with the Divine that a human could survive, saying

“And it was, at the time of Moses’ descent from Mount Sinai, with the two Tablets of Testimony in the hand of Moses as he descended from the mountain, that Moses did not know that the splendor of the features of his face shone; which became his from the splendor of the Glory of the Shekhinah of the Lord, at the time of His speaking with him.”

— the Targum of Jonathan reveals Moses didn’t know that his face shone with the splendour which had come upon him from the brightness of the glory of the Lord’s Shekinah in the time of His speaking with him.

(10) And Moses said unto Aaron, “Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself and for the people; and offer the offering of the people and make an atonement for them, as the Lord commanded.” Leviticus 9:7

— and Moses said unto Aaron; though he was now the duly-installed high priest, yet he did not approach the altar till he was solemnly called upon by Moses to do it;

— the Targum of Jonathan says

“And it happened, that when Aaron saw the altar, its horns appeared to him like the horns of a calf. He became afraid to approach it.

“Therefore, Moses said to him: ‘Strengthen your resolve (literally: “Enforce your mind/knowledge”) and draw near to the altar; do not be afraid. Perform your sin offering and your burnt offering, and atone for yourself and for the people; and perform the offering of the people and atone for them, just as the Lord has commanded.’”

— the Targum explains that Aaron was suffering from a guilty conscience: he saw the Golden Calf he had helped create at Sinai. To him, the altar looked like the very idol that had nearly led to the nation’s destruction;

— perhaps it was a Paralysis of Shame: Aaron felt unworthy; he felt that by approaching the altar, he was reminding God of his greatest failure. His fear wasn’t of the fire or the ritual, but of his own past.

— the Question is, why was the four corners embedded with four horns of a calf?

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(1) But there remained two of the men in the camp: the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them; and they were of those who were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle; and they prophesied in the camp. Numbers 11:26

— but there remained two, Eldad and Medad, were Levites, Moses’ maternal half-brothers, of the seventy who were summoned, that came not out of the camp of Israel to the tabernacle when the rest did;

— what were prophesied were not specified, but the Targum reveals more, saying

And the Spirit of prophecy resting upon them,

Eldad prophe­sied, and said: Behold, Mosheh shall be gathered from the world; and Jehoshua bar Nun [Joshua], the minister of the camps, will be established after him, and will lead the people of the house of Israel into the land of Kenaan, and make it their inheritance.

Medad prophesied, and said: Behold, quails come up from the sea, and cover all the camp of Israel; but they will be to the people (a cause of) an offence.

And both of them prophesied together, and said: Behold, a king will arise from the land of Magog, at the end of the days, and will assemble kings crowned with crowns, and captains wearing armour, and him will all nations obey.

And they will set battle in array in the land of Israel against the children of the captivity; but already is it provided that in the hour of distresses all of them shall perish by the burning blast of the flame that cometh forth from beneath the Throne of Glory; and their carcases shall fall upon the mountains of the land of Israel, and the wild beasts of the field and the fowls of the sky shall come and consume their dead bodies.

And afterward will all the dead of Israel live (again), and be feasted from the ox which hath been set apart for them from the beginning, and they shall receive the reward of their works. And they were of the elders who stood in the registers among them; but they had not gone forth to the tabernacle, but had hidden to escape from the dignity; yet they prophesied in the camp. Numbers 11:26 Jonathan

— from this Targum translation, it could be established that Gog is a King, or title of a King, like Caesar, Czar or Agag (as in Numbers 24:7 in the Septuagint), a dynastic name for the kings of the Amalekites;

— and afterward will all the dead of Israel live (again); this establishes that the death of “Gog and Magog” is not before, but after, and then again, it may not be at once but “each in his own order” 1 Corinthians 15:23, indicating there are many orders, first at Christ’s coming, then throughout the Millennium.

(2) And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. Numbers 11:31

— God backed up Eldad and Medad prophecy by sending quails there, flying low, and when wearied with a long flight they flew only about breast-high;

— on the other hand, the more obvious interpretation of the words is that the quails were spread over the ground, and covered it in some places to the height of two cubits

— the Targum Jonathan reveals more details, saying

And the wind of a tempest went forth, and came violently from before the Lord, so as to have swept the world away, but for the righteousness of Mosheh and Aharon: and it blew over the Great Sea, and made the quails fly from the Great Sea, and settle wherever there was place in the camp, as a day’s journey northward and southward, and at the height as of two cubits; they flew upon the face of the ground, and went upon their bellies, so that (the people) were not wearied while they collected them. Numbers 11:31 Jonathan

(3) And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married, for he had married an Ethiopian woman. Numbers 12:1

— and Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses; Miriam appears to have been the leader as her name occurs before that of Aaron in this insurrection against Moses;

— because of the Ethiopian woman, whom he had married, for he had married an Ethiopian woman; perhaps a daughter of a king of Ethiopia before he fled from Pharaoh, as the Targum of Jonathan indicates; Moses was forty when he fled so he could have married a princess, a queen in fact, of Ethiopia by then;

— the Targum Jonathan reveals more details, saying

“And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses words that were not fitting, concerning the matter of the Cushite woman whom the Cushites had given as a wife to Moses when he fled from before Pharaoh; and he had distanced himself [from her], because they had given the queen of Cush to him as a wife, and he had distanced himself from her.” Numbers 12:1 Jonathan

The Backstory: Moses as King of Cush

In the standard Masoretic Text, Numbers 12:1 simply states that Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the “Cushite woman he had married.” It leaves the identity of this woman and the circumstances of the marriage entirely ambiguous.

The Targum of Jonathan fills this gap by drawing on an ancient Jewish historical records (also found in the non-canonical Book of Jasher and referenced by the historian Josephus). According to this tradition:

1. After Moses killed the Egyptian taskmaster, he fled Egypt (Exodus 2:15).
2. Instead of going straight to Midian, he spent several decades in the land of Cush (ancient Ethiopia/Nubia).
3. Moses became a great military commander and was eventually crowned King of Cush. As part of his royal ascension, he was given the widowed Queen of Cush (named Adonith in some texts) as his wife.
4. However, because of his devotion to the God of his fathers, Moses refused to cohabit with her. He “distanced himself from her” (רָחִיק מִינָהּ), keeping the marriage purely political and unconsummated.
5. Eventually, he left Cush, arrived in Midian, and married Zipporah.

Therefore, this Targum clarifies that Miriam and Aaron weren’t gossiping about Zipporah; they were discussing this past, unconsummated royal marriage from Moses’ time in Cush, using it to debate his ongoing marital choices and his status as a prophet.

(4) And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man who gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day. — a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day; this incident is evidently narrated as an instance of presumptuous sin.

³³ And those who found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron and unto all the congregation. —to Moses and Aaron, and to the seventy elders, who might be at this time met together, to hear, try, and judge causes.

³⁴ And they put him under guard, because it was not declared what should be done to him. — because it was not declared what should be done to him: that is, what kind of death he should die.

³⁵ And the Lord said unto Moses, “The man shall be surely put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”

— the man shall surely be put to death; for as no fire was to be made throughout their habitations on a Sabbath day, gathering sticks for such a purpose was a work that was a violation of the sabbath, punishable with death, Exodus 35:2.

³⁶ And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died, as the Lord commanded Moses. — and stoned him with stones, and he died: stoned him to death: as the Lord commanded Moses; Numbers 15:32-36

— and a clearer picture from the Targum – Numbers 15:32-36; And the congregation led him forth outside the camp, and stoned him with stones that he died, as the Lord had commanded Mosheh.

And while the sons of Israel were dwelling in the wilderness, the decree of the Sabbath was known to them, but the punishment (for the profanation) of the Sabbath was not known. And there arose a man of the house of Joseph, and said with himself: I will go and pull up wood on the Sabbath day;

And witnesses saw it, and told Mosheh; and Mosheh sought instruction from the presence of the Lord, that he might teach me judgment, and make known the discipline of all the house of Israel.

And the witnesses of the man who pulled up and collected wood came, and, after they had monished him, and he had wounded the witnesses who had found him pulling up wood, brought him to Mosheh and Aharon, and all the congregation . . . .

Therefore they put him in confinement, because they had not yet heard the explanation of the judgment they should execute upon him.

And the Lord said to Mosheh: The man shall be surely put to death; the whole congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp; Numbers 15:32-36 Jonathan

(5) And when King Arad the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies, then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners. Numbers 21:1

— as the famine in Canaan worsened, Jacob’s children were forced to seek survival in Egypt. During this time, a similar fate could have affected many of Esau’s descendants possibly moving to the Iberian Peninsula, with the name “Iber,” the river called the Ibēr or Ibēros which flows through northeastern Spain, perhaps marking their Hebraic roots. This would leave behind only the Amalekites then living in Negeb, the South;

— by the way of the spies, that is, from Rekem (the ancient Aramaic name for Kadesh-Barnea) backward to Moseroth—a distance spanning six encampments;

— these Canaanites were the Amalekites; for the Targum of Jonathan says “And Amalek, who had dwelt in the south, and … came and waged war against Israel, and captured some of them with a great captivity.”

“And Amalek, who was dwelling in the land of the south, heard; and he came and disguised himself, and he reigned in Arad, because Aaron had died and his soul had rested, and the Pillar of Cloud that was leading the people, the House of Israel, by his merit was removed.

“And [Amalek heard] that Israel was coming by the way of the spies (or: the path of the track-layers), the place where they had rebelled against the Lord of the world. For when the track-layers returned, the children of Israel were dwelling in Rekem, and they turned backward from Rekem unto Moseroth—six encampments—for forty years. They journeyed from Moseroth and returned to Rekem by the way of the track-layers, and they came to Mount Hor (Tauros Omanos), and Aaron died there. Therefore, [Amalek] came and waged war against Israel, and captured some of them with a great captivity.”

— all the forty years the children were travelling in the Wilderness, the Amalekites were getting ready to re-match the Israelites after their earlier defeat under Joshua, Exodus 17:8-16. Could this be a prophecy disguised as historic for the last days?

— why did the Amalekites suddenly feel confident enough to attack a nation of millions? The Targum explains that Israel’s supernatural defense mechanism—the Pillar of Cloud—was physically removed because it had only been granted in the merit of Aaron;

— the moment Aaron died, the cloud vanished, exposing the camp of Israel to its enemies for the first time in decades. Seeing Israel unprotected, Amalek disguised himself as a Canaanite king to launch a surprise strike, “and captured some of them with a great captivity.”

(6) He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. Numbers 24:7

— the children of Jacob, and they shall inherit the richest blessings; and their kings shall be higher than Agag, the dynastic monarchy of the Amalekite kings;

— the ‘Agag’ in this verse is translated as “Gog” in the Septuagint; thus “Agag” is a dynastic name of the kings of Amalek, a grandson of Esau; just as Pharaoh was used as a dynastic name for the ancient Egyptians, Caesar of Rome; or of more modern times, the Czar of Russia;

There shall come a man out of his seed, and he shall rule over many nations; and the kingdom of Gog shall be exalted, and his kingdom shall be increased. Numbers 24:7 (Septuagint) “Agag” in the Masoretic; throughout history there is no concept of any “kingdom of Gog” but a “kingdom of Agag” could be conceptualized as the kingdom of the Amalekites.

— an important point to be noted: it arose from the Targum, the prophecy of Eldad and Medad (Number 11:27 Jonathan), which says, “a king will arise from the land of Magog, at the end of the days,” refering to endtime “Gog and Magog.” Thus this solidifies that Gog is a dynastic title of a king, a king of the Amalekite vigour in their hatred for Israel;

— the Targum of Jonathan says Israel to rule over many nations,

The first one who shall reign over them (Israel) will wage war against the House of Amalek, and he shall be exalted over Agag their king; but because he will have compassion upon him, his kingdom shall be taken away from him.”

“Their king shall arise from among them, and their redeemer shall be from them and within them; and their seed—the children of Jacob—shall rule over many nations.

(7) And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.” Numbers 24:14 

— what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days; not what the Moabites should do to the Israelites then, but what they shall do to the Israelites in future times; not in the times of David, by whom they were subdued, II Samuel 8:2 but in much later times;

— now this might be said to Balak to make him feel easy, that it would not be until the latter days, many hundreds of years hence, ere the people of Israel would fight with Moab, and subdue it; and therefore he needed not be concern, since he would meet with any trouble from them in his time, nor his people for years to come;

— this prophecy “in the latter days” wasn’t provided with much details in the Masoretic Text, but reveals far more in the Targum, especially in regards to an eventual fall of the house of Jacob, prophecies to unfold in the latter days, for our times!

— the Targum of Jonathan reveal their strategy to bring down the house of Jacob with great details, saying,

“And now, behold, I return to go to my people. Come, I will give thee counsel: Go, furnish tavern houses, and employ seductive women to sell food and drinks cheaply, and to bring this people together to eat and drink, and commit whoredom with them, that they may deny their God; then in a brief time will they be delivered into thy hand, and many of them will fall. Nevertheless, after this they will still have dominion over thy people at the end of days.”

(8) And the Lord said unto Moses, “Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.” Numbers 25:4

— take all the heads of the people would be genocide for thee whole population; the “heads” should be as “chiefs” of the people or were chief in this transgression; before the Lord; for vindicating the honor of the true God;

— the Targum of Jonathan has this version:

And the Lord said to Mosheh, Take all the chiefs of the people, and appoint them for judges, and let them give judgment to put to death the people who have gone astray after Peor, and hang them before the Word of the Lord upon the wood over against the morning sun, and at the departure of the sun take them down and bury them and turn away the strong anger of the Lord from Israel.

~ by Joel on August 11, 2026.

Posted in Scriptures Studies, Targum