Save "Exodus 4:24 - On the “epiphany”"

וַיְהִ֥י בַדֶּ֖רֶךְ בַּמָּל֑וֹן וַיִּפְגְּשֵׁ֣הוּ יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיְבַקֵּ֖שׁ הֲמִיתֽוֹ׃

At a night encampment on the way, GOD* encountered him and sought to kill him.

*GOD This label may refer to an angel, as acting on God’s behalf. So Rashbam, Ibn Ezra; cf. Septuagint, Targum.

(The above rendering and footnote come from the RJPS translation, an adaptation of the NJPS translation.)


Given the semantics of the verb, the participant reference here (the name “GOD”) is probably not meant to be taken literally. Rather, the narrator seems to be employing a linguistic device that I call agency metonymy. On this device, see my comment at Gen 17:22.

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