אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר / el-gibbor is part of a string of titles found in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 9:5 - 6 (6-7 in Christian versions). Christians say the titlesin this passage apply to Jesus (the promised messiah). Read Matthew 11:20 for yourself -- it says nothing about a mighty god, let alone Jesus being a mighty god "Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent." The list maker claism 11 "prophecies" tied to this one passage -- if you have been reading the blogs on the passage you may be a little tired of being told that it is in past (perfect) tense -- and was spoken 700 years before Jesus as having already happened 700+ years before Jesus' supposed birth! Let's examine the two words: אֵל / el means power. גִּבֹּ֔ור / gibbor means brave or heroic. Translators have chosen to translate the word אֵל / el as "G-d." אֵל / el is often translated as "G-d" (and it is used as parts of other words because Hebrew is based on the concept of root words). However in the most basic form אֵל / el means powerful, mighty. The word אֵל / el is used to speak of humans, false gods, angels and, yes, G-d Himself. Thus it is the translator's choice to present אֵל / el in English as "G-d" when they could as rightly present it as "powerful." אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר / el-gibbor could be translated as "powerful hero" as well as "mighty G-d." Translator's choice! Rather than take my "word" for it, compare El gibbor (אֵל גִּבּוֹר)" -- translated as "mighty god" in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 9:5 - 6 (6-7 in Christian versions), with Y'chezkel / Ezekiel 32:21 "אֵלֵ֧י גִבֹּורִ֛ים / eli gibborim / strongest of mighty men." Notice how similar they are? Isaiah has "El gibbor (אֵל גִּבּוֹר)" and Ezekiel has eli gibborim / (אֵלֵ֧י גִבֹּורִ֛ים). The latter is translated as "strongest of mighty men" -- so why is Isaiah not translated as "the strong, mighty man"? Translator's preference! The only real difference is that one is plural (Ezekiel) and the other singular (Isaiah). . . Let's review the passage, even though the list maker is trying to focus on a single phrase. . . The passage reads: וַיִּקְרָ֨א שְׁמ֜וֹ פֶּ֠לֶא יוֹעֵץ֙ אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר אֲבִי־עַ֖ד שַׂר־שָׁלֽוֹם׃ / "Pëlë Yo'étz Él-Gibbor Avi-Ad [descriptions of G-d] has named him: 'Sar-shalom'." פֶּלֶא / pëlë = wonderful one יוֹעֵץ֙ / yo'étz = advisor אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר / el-gibbor = mighty G-d (or powerful hero) אֲבִי־עַ֖ד / avi-ad = father of eternity When examining the string of titles in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 9:5 - 6 (6-7 in Christian versions) one must ask "who is this powerful enttity, this advisor / counselor -- and who is being named a peace prince by this entity? Most Jewish sages translate this passage to indicate that Isaiah is telling the people of his time that G-d (called the wonderful one, advisor, mighty G-d and father of eternity) is naming the King's son a prince of peace. 700+ years before Jesus (a child WAS born). "For a child has been born to us, a son given to us, and the authority is upon his shoulder, and the wondrous adviser, the mighty G-d, the everlasting Father, called his name, "the prince of peace." אִבְּן עֶזְרָא / Ibn Ezra (12th century CE) had a different view. "According to some, these expressions are names of G-d and שַׂר־שָׁלֽוֹם / Sar Shalom (peace prince) the name of the child. I think all these words are names of the child; he is called פֶּלֶא / pëlë / "wonder" because G-d did wonders in his days; יוֹעֵץ֙ / yo'étz / "counseling" because this is clearly said of חִזְקִיָּ֫הוּ / Hizkiyyahu / Hezekiah; אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר / el-gibbor / "Mighty G-d" for חִזְקִיָּ֫הוּ / Hizkiyyahu / Hezekiah was powerful; and אֲבִי־עַ֖ד / avi-ad / Father of perpetuity" because the reign of the house of David was prolonged through his merits." Some missionaries will look at תרגום יונתן / Targum Yonatan (Jonathan), which was a fairly early interpretative (not word for word) translation of Y'shayahu / Isaiah 9:5 - 6. The Targum does not support the idea that this passage is messianic either. Missionaries will say that the Targum is a translation of parts of the bible (in this case נְבִיאִים / Nevi'im / Prophets) into Aramaic. This is incorrect. A Targum / תרגום paraphrases and expands on the biblical text -- it is more interpretative and explanation than translation -- more midrash (homily and allegory) than p'shat (literal meaning). This fact becomes important as we discuss the misuse of this Targum by missionaries. They are taking something not meant to be read as literal (e.g. prophecy) and putting it on its head by insisting that it PROVES prophecy. It would be as if a story about Santa Clause was used by Muslims to prove some Christian theological argument. Stories (including in Judaism) are not plain meaning let alone prophecy. In ‘The Messiah: An Aramaic Interpretation; The Messianic Exegesis of the Targum” Samson H. Levey wrote that the Targum is "a reworking of the text to yield what the Targumist desires it to give forth." Once again we have missionaries presenting allegory as if it were literal. It is also important to know when the Targum was written. This targum (Targum Yonaton / Jonathan) received its final form in the 5th century CE, but earlier forms existed before the 3rd century. The misleading quote missionaries use is: אַמַר נְבִיָא לְבֵית דָוִד אֲרֵי רָבֵי אִיתְיְלִיד לָנָא בַּר אִתְיְהַב לָנָא וְקַבֵּל אוֹרַיְתָא עֲלוֹהִי לְמַטְרָהּ וְאִתְקְרֵי שְמֵיהּ מִן קַדָם מַפְלִיא עֵצָה אֳלָהָא נִבָּרָא קַיָם לְעַלְמַיָא מְשִיחָא דִשְלָמָא יַסְגֵי עֲלָנָא בְּיוֹמוֹהִי / "The Prophet (Isaiah) said to the House of David (700+ years before Jesus) for a child was born to us, a son was given, and he will accept the Torah upon himself to observe it, and his name was called before the wonderful counselor, the mighty G-d who exists forever, "the anointed one in who's days peace will increase upon us (700+ years before Jesus)." From the Targum we can tell that the terms "Pele yo'etz (פֶּלֶא יּוֹעֵץ)," "El gibbor (אֵל גִּבּוֹר)," "Avi-Ad (אֲבִי-עַד)" were never meant to be human attributes but that of G-d's himself. the only thing that was left to the child mentioned was "Sar-Shalom (שַר-שָלוֹם)" rendered correctly as "Peaceful Ruler." The Targum calls this person "the anointed one in who's days peace will increase upon us." Defeating the missionary argument that those titles belong to Jesus.
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