Martin McNamara, «Melchizedek: Gen 14,17-20 in the Targums, in Rabbinic and Early Christian Literature», Vol. 81 (2000) 1-31

The essay is introduced by some words on the nature of the Aramaic translations of Gen 14 used in the study (the Tgs. Onq., Pal. Tgs. as in Tgs. Neof. I, Frg. Tgs., Ps.-J.). Tg. Neof. identifies the Valley of Shaveh (Gen 14,17) as the Valley of the Gardens (pardesaya). The value of Tg. Neof.’s evidence here is doubtful. Most Targums retain Melchizedek as a personal name (not so Tg. Ps.-J.). Salem of v. 18 is identified as Jerusalem. Melchizedek is identified as Shem, son of Noah, mainly because of the life-span assigned to Shem in Gen 11. The question of Melchizedek’s priesthood in early rabbinic tradition and in the Targums (Tg. Gen 14; Tg Ps. 110) is considered, as is also the use of Jewish targumic-type tradition on Melchizedek in such early Fathers as Jerome, Ephrem, and Theodore of Mopsuestia.

Targum Neofiti

rm)w hyty Kyrbw (19)
Mrb) )wh Kyrb
 )(r)w yym#$ hnq hyrmymbd h)ly( )hl) Mdq
Kmdq Kbbd yl(b rbt yd )yl( )hl) )wh Kwrbw (20)
hlk Nm hr+( Nm dx hl bhyw

Targum Neofiti marg

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan

[r]m)w hykrbw (19)
h)ly( )ql) [space for one letter in text] Nm Mrb) Kyrb
)(r)w )ym#$ )nq )yqydc Nygbd
 )txm lbqmd )syrtk K)ns db(d h)ly( )ql) Kyrbw (20)
byt)d hm lkm )r#$( Nm dx hyl bhyw

1. The Blessings (Tgs. Gen 14,19-20a)

        For the first part of verse 19 (NRSV: "Blessed be Abram by God [l)l] Most High"), Tg. Onq. follows the HT faithfully (l)l), which we may (with R. Grossfeld) render "before God Most High". We have the same variant reading in Tg. Neof. marg, )yyly( )hl)l, "to God Most High", which we may possibly render "before God Most High". Tg. Neof. renders in its usual fashion "before, Mdq (God Most High)". Tg. Ps.-J. has Nm, lit. "from", followed by a space, "God Most High", where we can presume that the original reading was Mdq Nm, "from before", or simply "before".

        The second part of v. 19, HT Cr)w Mym#$ hnq is differently understood in the various Targums, especially with regards to the understanding of hnq. Tg. Onq. understands as "possess" and renders "[God Most High] whose possessions are heaven and earth". The Pal. Tgs. understand hnq as "create", but differ in their paraphrases. Tg. Neof. renders (both here and in v. 22) as: "[God Most High] who by his Memra created the heavens and the earth". This is quite in keeping with Tg. Neof.’s frequent references to the Memra of the Lord, and to the creation of the world through God’s Memra⁵⁹. Tg. Ps.-J., both here and in v. 22,