Joshua's Sword Guided by the Word of the Lord

Midrash Aggadah Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on Exodus 17:13 View source

Curated by The Jewish Mythology Team · Published January 15, 2025

Victory in the Amalek battle came through Joshua, but the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan insists the sword was not his alone. "And Joshua shattered Amalek, and cut off the heads of the strong men of his people, by the mouth of the Word of the Lord, with the slaughter of the sword" (Exodus 17:13).

The Aramaic phrase Memra — the Word of the Lord — is the Targum's signature theological move. Wherever the Hebrew describes God acting in the world, the Aramaic translator substitutes Memra, the divine Word, to preserve God's transcendence while still affirming His intimate involvement.

So Joshua's sword strikes, but it strikes "by the mouth of the Word of the Lord." The blade follows the command. Each blow is targeted. The Targum is teaching that even in a battle clearly fought by human warriors, the outcome is authored above. The strong men of Amalek fall not because Israel's generals were more talented, but because the Memra had marked them.

This is the Targum's quiet corrective to any reading that would turn Joshua into a solo hero. He is a faithful instrument. And the takeaway for anyone facing a battle that feels larger than their strength: do what you can with the blade in your hand, and let the Word of the Lord direct its edge.

Themes

Miracles Divine justice Prophecy

Biblical References

Exodus 17:13

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