Description: This book explores how the ancient Aramaic translations of the Hebrew Bible known as Targums are in part designed to guide readers to see the messianism of the biblical text. The interpreters who produced the Targums were careful readers of Scripture and were in many cases prompted by the finer details of the biblical text itself to produce their messianic renderings. The Targums have been an important part of the history of messianic interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, and they continue to have something to say to readers today.
Brief description: Michael B. Shepherd is professor of biblical studies at Cedarville University. He is the author of A Commentary on Jeremiah (2023) and An Introduction to the Making and Meaning of the Bible (2024) among other publications.
Review Quotes: "As someone who constantly engages with the Jewish sources on passages related to the topic of messianism in the Hebrew Bible, Michael Shepherd's comprehensive commentary on the Targums' messianic interpretations is sure to remain in the select stack of resources at arm's length upon my desk. This book is a must for anyone seeking insight into the early Jewish understanding of messianism which is yet to be influenced by the later polemics of the Jewish-Christian debate."
--Seth D. Postell, academic dean, Israel College of the Bible
"Samson Levey's The Messiah: An Aramaic Interpretation (1974) was a classic in its time, but it has been out of date for many years. This problem has been addressed in Michael Shepherd's critically informed and exegetically insightful The Messiah of the Targums. The Targums provide an important bridge between the messianism of early Christianity and the messianism of the Rabbis. I highly recommend this book."
--Craig A. Evans, distinguished professor of Christian origins, Houston Christian University