Strange Findings in Yitro

I read Yitro with new eyes tonight and found wonder. There were several passages that I read, and saw some things that I had never seen before. As I read an English translation, I just poured over the Hebrew.

These two are direct from the Everett Fox translation. What do you see?

Indeed all the earth is mine and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. Exodus 19:5-6

You are not to make beside me gods of silver. Gods of gold you are not to make for yourself. Exodus 20:20

Now, I was looking up Exodus 20:3 in Hebrew and I don’t get the translations I see. I don’t claim to be a master of biblical or any other kind of Hebrew, but it still doesn’t make sense to me.

Help me out here people. Just the fact that the word “Elohim” is used here is really freaking me out. It’s the word we use for God all the time. Someone who’s really fluent in Hebrew read that line — discarding everything you know it’s supposed to mean — and translate it.

[tags]yitro, translation, elohim, earth-based judaism, torah[/tags]

3 Comments

  1. Well, I'm gonna try. My Hebrew is fluent, but I'm not sure about the English…
    Exodus 19:5-6
    וְעַתָּה, אִם-שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי, וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם, אֶת-בְּרִיתִי–וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל-הָעַמִּים, כִּי-לִי כָּל-הָאָרֶץ. וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ-לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים, וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ: אֵלֶּה, הַדְּבָרִים, אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּר, אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
    Translation: And now, if you heared my voice (meaning: did what I tell you to do) and kept my alliance – you will be my one-of-unique-quality (Sgula – I'm not sure how to translate that) from all the nations, because all the land is mine. And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation – these are the things you shall speak to the people of Israel.

    Exodus 20:19
    לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן, אִתִּי: אֱלֹהֵי כֶסֶף וֵאלֹהֵי זָהָב, לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ לָכֶם.
    Translation: You shall not do with me, gods of silver and gods of gols, you shall not make for yourselves.

    Exodus 20:2-5
    אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים: לֹא-יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, עַל-פָּנָי. לֹא-תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֶסֶל, וְכָל-תְּמוּנָה, אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל, וַאֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת–וַאֲשֶׁר בַּמַּיִם, מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ. לֹא-תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם, וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם: כִּי אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֵל קַנָּא–פֹּקֵד עֲו‍ֹן אָבֹת עַל-בָּנִים עַל-שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל-רִבֵּעִים, לְשֹׂנְאָי. וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד, לַאֲלָפִים–לְאֹהֲבַי, וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְו‍ֹתָי.

    Translation: I am YHWH your god that took you out of the land of Egypy, out of the house of the slaves. You shall not have another god over me. You shall not make for yourself any statue ann any picture, in the sky above, or in the earth below, or in the water that is below the earth. You shall not bow to them, and shall not worship them, Because I am YHWH your god – a vengeant god, that places the sin of the fathers that are my haters on to their second generation, and the third, and the forth. And does grace to thousands – my lovers, the keepers of my commands.

  2. Carly (Chava Chai - /

    Dotan — thanks for being my on-going Hebrew coach. It's always appreciated.

    I just found this d'var by Rachel Barenblat (aka the Velveteen Rabbi). I found that it soothed some of the demons that Yitro unleashed on me this week.

  3. i love it when 'elohim' is used in the torah for other gods. for me it highlights my belief that our adonai/elohim is just one way, i.e., that there are other religions but if you choose to be a jew then this is the one god that is your guide and inspiration