The Hebrew Bible opens with "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Targum Onkelos, the authoritative Aramaic translation read alongside the Torah in ancient synagogues, renders this passage with remarkable fidelity—but with subtle shifts that reveal a distinct theological program.
Where the Hebrew says God's ruach (spirit/wind) "hovered" over the waters, Onkelos translates it as a "breath from before Elohim" that "blew" across the surface. That single word—"from before"—introduces a buffer between God and the physical world. God does not hover. Something from God acts upon creation. This is Onkelos's signature move: protecting divine transcendence at every turn.
The creation account proceeds through six days with few surprises. Onkelos calls the firmament a "canopy" (raki'a), renders "great sea creatures" as "great whales," and stays close to the Hebrew throughout. But when the text reaches humanity, Onkelos makes a critical choice. "Let us make man in our image"—a verse that troubled ancient rabbis because of its plural—Onkelos preserves without alteration.
The real theological statement comes in what Onkelos does not change. He does not soften the plural. He does not add "angels" as an explanation. He lets the mystery stand, trusting that the monotheistic framework of the entire Torah provides sufficient context. For Onkelos, fidelity to the text is itself a form of interpretation.