Targum Jonathan on the Prophets 1 Samuel · chapter 8

Tap any Aramaic word to trace it to its Jastrow dictionary entry.

1. 1

   וַהֲוָה כַּד סִיב שְׁמוּאֵל וּמַנִי יַת בְּנוֹהִי דַיָנִין עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל:

   When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

2. 2

   וַהֲוָה שׁוּם בְּרֵיהּ בּוּכְרֵיהּ יוֹאֵל וְשׁוּם תִּנְיָנֵיהּ אֲבִיהָ דַיָנִין בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע:

   The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

3. 3

   וְלָא הֲלִיכוּ בְנוֹהִי בְּאוֹרְחָתֵיהּ וְאִתְפְּנִיאוּ בָּתַר מָמוֹן דִשְׁקָר וְקַבִילוּ שׁוֹחֲדָא וְצַלוּ דִינָא:

   But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.

4. 4

   וְאִתְכְּנִישׁוּ כָּל סָבֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַאֲתוֹ לְוַת שְׁמוּאֵל לְרָמָתָא:

   So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

5. 5

   וַאֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ הָא אַתְּ סִבְתָּא וּבְנָךְ לָא הֲלִיכוּ בְּאָרְחָתָךְ כְּעַן מַנֵי לָנָא מַלְכָּא לְמִדַיְנָנָא כְּכָל עַמְמַיָא:

   “Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.”

6. 6

   וּבְאֵישׁ פִּתְגָמָא בְּעֵינֵי שְׁמוּאֵל כַּד אַמַרוּ מַנֵי לָנָא מַלְכָּא לְמִדַיְנָנָא וְצַלֵי שְׁמוּאֵל קֳדָם יְיָ:

   But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.

7. 7

   וַאֲמַר יְיָ לִשְׁמוּאֵל קַבֵּיל לְמֵימָר עַמָא לְכֹל דְיֵמְרוּן לָךְ אֲרֵי לָא יָתָךְ רְחִיקוּ אֲרֵי בְּפוּלְחָנִי קָצוּ מִלְמֶהֱוֵי מַלְכָּא עֲלֵיהוֹן:

   And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.

8. 8

   כְּכָל עוֹבָדַיָא דִי עֲבַדוּ מִיוֹמָא דְאַסְקֵית יַתְהוֹן מִמִצְרַיִם וְעַד יוֹמָא הָדֵין וּשְׁבָקוּ פּוּלְחָנִי וּפְלָחוּ לְטַעֲוַת עַמְמַיָא כֵּן אִינוּן עָבְדִין אַף לָךְ:

   Just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

9. 9

   וּכְעַן קַבֵּיל לְמֵימְרֵיהוֹן בְּרַם אֲרֵי אַסְהָדָא תַסְהִיד בְּהוֹן וּתְחַוֵי לְהוֹן נִימוּסָא דְמַלְכָּא דְיִמְלַךְ עֲלֵיהוֹן:

   Now listen to their voice; but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them.”

10. 10

    וַאֲמַר שְׁמוּאֵל יַת כָּל פִּתְגָמַיָא דַייָ לְעַמָא דְשַׁאֲלִין מִנֵיהּ מַלְכָּא:

    So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king.

11. 11

    וַאֲמַר דֵין יְהֵי נִימוּסָא דְמַלְכָּא דִי מְלַךְ עֲלֵיכוֹן יַת בְּנֵיכוֹן יַדְבֵּר וִימַנֵי לֵיהּ בִּרְתִיכוֹהִי וּבְפָרָשׁוֹהִי וְרָדְפִין קֳדָם רְתִיכוֹהִי:

    He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots.

12. 12

    וּלְמַנָאָה לֵיהּ רַבָּנֵי אַלְפִין וְרַבָּנֵי חַמְשִׁין וְאִכָּרַיָא לְמִיגַר נִירֵיהּ וּלְמֶחְצַד חַצְדֵיהּ וְאוּמְנַיָא לְמֶעְבַּד מָאנֵי קְרָבֵיהּ וּמָאנֵי רְתִיכוֹהִי:

    He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

13. 13

    וְיַת בְּנָתֵיכוֹן יְדַבֵּר לְשַׁמָשָׁן וּלְטָבְּחָן וּלְאָפָן:

    And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.

14. 14

    וְיַת חַקְלֵיכוֹן וְיַת כַּרְמֵיכוֹן וְזֵיתֵיכוֹן טָבַיָא יִסַב וְיִתֵּן לְעַבְדוֹהִי:

    He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants.

15. 15

    וְזַרְעֵיכוֹן וְכַרְמֵיכוֹן יִסַב חַד מִן עַסְרָא וִיהַב לְרַבְרְבוֹהִי וּלְעַבְדוֹהִי:

    He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants.

16. 16

    וְיַת עַבְדֵיכוֹן וְיַת אַמְהַתְכוֹן וְיַת עוּלֵימְכוֹן שַׁפִּירַיָא וְיַת חֲמָרֵיכוֹן יְדַבֵּר לְמֶהֱוֵי עָבְדִין עֲבִידְתָּא:

    And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle and donkeys and put them to his own use.

17. 17

    עַנְכוֹן יִסַב חָד מִן עַסְרָא וְאַתּוּן תְּהוֹן לֵיהּ לְעַבְדִין:

    He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.

18. 18

    וּתְצַוְחוּן בְּיוֹמָא הַהוּא מִן קֳדָם מַלְכְּכוֹן דְאִתְרְעִיתוּן לְכוֹן וְלָא יְקַבֵּיל יְיָ צְלוֹתְכוֹן בְּיוֹמָא הַהוּא:

    When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.”

19. 19

    וְסָרִיבוּ עַמָא לְקַבָּלָא לְמֵימַר שְׁמוּאֵל וַאֲמַרוּ לָא אֱלָהֵן מַלְכָּא יְהֵי עֲלָנָא:

    Nevertheless , the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us.

20. 20

    וּנְהֵי אַף אֲנַחְנָא כְּכָל עַמְמַיָא וְיִתְפְּרַע לָנָא מַלְכָּנָא וְיִפּוֹק בְּרֵישָׁנָא וְיַגִיחַ יַת קְרָבָנָא:

    Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.”

21. 21

    וּשְׁמַע שְׁמוּאֵל יַת כָּל פִּתְגָמֵי עַמָא וְסַדְרִנוּן קֳדָם יְיָ:

    Samuel listened to all the words of the people and repeated them in the hearing of the LORD.

22. 22

    וַאֲמַר יְיָ לִשְׁמוּאֵל קַבֵּיל לְמֵימְרֵיהוֹן וְתַמְלִיךְ לְהוֹן מַלְכָּא וַאֲמַר שְׁמוּאֵל לֶאֱנָשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֱזִילוּ גְבַר לְקַרְתֵּיהּ:

    “Listen to their voice,” the LORD said to Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Everyone must go back to his city.”