The Messiah of Targum Jonathan on Isaiah

These are the places where the ancient Aramaic-language translation and creative amplification (Targum Jonathan) of the Hebrew-language book of Isaiah makes explicit mention of the promised and long-awaited Messiah.

It's interesting to see the ancient understanding of Isaiah's prophecies dating from c.150 BCE – c.350 CE, and to note the places where Jonathan Ben Uzziel inserts in “the Messiah” in places where the original Hebrew text made no explicit mention of the Messiah using that word. This also reveals to us various Messianic titles present in the Hebrew text, that aren't always obvious at first.

Related texts:

בְּעִדָנָא הַהוּא יְהֵי מְשִׁיחָא דַייָ לְחֶדְוָה וְלִיקָר וְעָבְדֵי אוֹרַיְתָא לִרְבוּ וּלְתוּשְׁבְּחָא לְשֵׁיזְבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל:

At that time shall the Messiah of the Lord be for joy and for glory to those that are escaped, and those that keep the law shall be for greatness and for praise.

אֲמַר נְבִיָא לְבֵית דָוִד אֲרֵי רָבֵי אִיתְיְלִיד לָנָא בַּר אִתְיְהַב לָנָא וְקַבֵל אוֹרַיְתָא עֲלוֹהִי לְמַטְרָהּ וְאִתְקְרֵי שְׁמֵיהּ מִן קֳדָם מַפְלִיא עֵצָה אֱלָהָא גִבָּרָא קַיָם לְעַלְמַיָא מְשִׁיחָא דִשְׁלָמָא יַסְגֵי עֲלָנָא בְּיוֹמוֹהִי:

The prophet said to the house of David, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and he has taken the law upon himself to keep it. His name is called from before Him who is wonderful in counsel, the mighty God who liveth to eternity — the Messiah whose peace shall be great upon us in his days.

וִיהֵי בְּעִדָנָא הַהִיא תֶּעְדֵי מַרְוָתֵיהּ מִנָךְ וְנִירֵיהּ מֵעַל צַוְרָךְ וְיִתְּבְרוּן עַמְמַיָא מִן קֳדָם מְשִׁיחָא:

And it shall come to pass at that time, that his dominion shall depart from you, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the nations shall be broken from before the Messiah.

וְיִפּוֹק מַלְכָּא מִבְּנוֹהִי דְיִשַׁי וּמְשִׁיחָא מִבְּנֵי בְנוֹהִי יִתְרַבֵּי:

And a king shall come forth from the sons of Jesse, and from his children's children the Messiah shall be anointed.

בְּיוֹמוֹהִי דִמְשִׁיחָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל יִסְגֵי שְׁלָמָא בְּאַרְעָא וְיָדוּר דֵיבָא עִם אִמְרָא וְנִמְרָא עִם גַדְיָא יִשְׁרֵי וְעֶגְלָא וְאַרְיָא וּפַטִים כַּחֲדָא וְיָנִיק זְעֵיר יְהֵי מְדַבֵּר לְהוֹן:

In the days of the Messiah of Israel peace shall be multiplied in the earth. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall dwell with the kid; and the calf, and the lion, and the fatling together; and a little sucking child shall be leading them.

לָא תֵיחְדוּן פְּלִשְׁתָּאֵי כּוּלְכוֹן אֲרֵי אִתְּבַּר שׁוּלְטַן דַהֲוָה מַפְלַח בְּכוֹן אֲרֵי מִבְּנֵי בְנוֹהִי דְיִשָׁי יִפּוֹק מְשִׁיחָא וִיהוֹן עוֹבָדוֹהִי בְּכוֹן כְּחֵיוֵי מַפְרִיחַ:

Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of ye, because the government that hath made you servile is broken; because from the children of Jesse shall come forth the Messiah, and his works among you shall be as a flying serpent.

יְהוֹן מַסְקֵי מִסִין לִמְשִׁיחָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְיִתְקוֹף עַל דַהֲווֹ בְּמַדְבְּרָא טוּר כְּנִשְׁתָּא דְצִיוֹן:

They shall bring tributes to the Messiah of Israel, who shall prevail over those who are in the wilderness, unto the mountain of the congregation of Zion.

בְּכֵן מְשִׁיחָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל יְתַקֵן בְּטוּב כּוּרְסוֹהִי וִיתֵיב עֲלוֹהִי בִקְשׁוֹט בְּקַרְתָּא דְדָוִד דָאִין וְתָבַע דִין וַעֲבַד קְשׁוֹט:

Then the throne of the Messiah of Israel shall be established in goodness, and he shall sit upon it in truth in the city of David, judging and seeking justice, and executing truth.

בְּעִדָנָא הַהִיא יְהֵי מְשִׁיחָא דַייָ צְבָאוֹת לִכְלִילָא דְחֶדְוָא וּלְכֶתֶר דְתוּשְׁבָּחָא לִשְׁאָרָא דְעַמֵהּ:

At that time, the Messiah of the Lord of hosts shall be for a crown of rejoicing, and for a crown of praise to the remnant of His people:

הָא עַבְדִי מְשִׁיחָא אֶקְרְבִינֵהּ בְּחִירִי דְאִתְרְעֵי בֵּיהּ מֵימְרִי אֶתֵּן רוּחָא דְקוּדְשִׁי עֲלוֹהִי דִינִין לְעַמְמִין יְגַלֵי:

Behold, my servant, the Messiah, whom I bring, my chosen in whom one delights: as for my Word, I will put my Holy Spirit upon him; he shall reveal my judgment unto the nations.

אַתּוּן סַהֲדִין קֳדָמַי אֲמַר יְיָ וְעַבְדִי מְשִׁיחָא דְאִתְרְעֵתִי בֵיהּ בְּדִיל דְתִידְעוּן וּתְהֵימְנוּן קֳדָמָי וְתִסְתַּכְּלוּן אֲרֵי אֲנָא הוּא דְמִלְקַדְמִין אַף עַלְמֵי עַלְמַיָא דִילִי אִינוּן וּבַר מִנִי לֵית אֱלָהּ:

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant, the Messiah, in whom is my delight, in order that ye may know, and that ye may believe in me, and understand that I am He who was from the beginning; yea, ages after ages are mine, and beside me there is no god.

הָא יַצְלַח עַבְדִי מְשִׁיחָא יְרוּם וְיִסְגֵי וְיִתְקוֹף לַחֲדָא:

Behold, my servant the messiah shall prosper, he shall be exalted and extolled, and he shall be very strong.

וּמִן קֳדָם יְיָ הֲוָת רַעֲוָא לְמִצְרַף וּלְדַכָּאָה יַת שְׁאָרָא דְעַמֵהּ בְּדִיל לְנַקָאָה מֵחוֹבִין נַפְשֵׁיהוֹן יֶחֱזוּן בְּמַלְכוּת מְשִׁיחֵיהוֹן יִסְגוּן בְּנִין וּבְנָן יוֹרְכוּן יוֹמִין וְעָבְדֵי אוֹרַיְתָא דַייָ בִּרְעוּתֵהּ יִצְלְחוּן:

And it was the pleasure of the Lord to refine and to purify the remnant of His people, in order to cleanse their souls from sin, that they might see the kingdom of their messiah, that their sons and daughters might multiply, and prolong their days, and those that keep the law of the Lord shall prosper through His pleasure.