Between Translation and Interpretation: Contextualizing the Titles of Targum Psalms

How did the Aramaic translator of Psalms approach the various titles of the Psalter? Between Translation and Interpretation will explore the working techniques used by our translator. To what extent does he translate word-by-word? Does he translate from a non-MT vorlage? Is his treatment of titles consistent? From where does our translator draw his material? What can we learn about the exegetical interests of our translator from his rendition of titles? How does the translator envision the relationship between title of a Psalm and its body? An exploration of the Psalm titles in translation demonstrates and unpacks the many tools available to the translator. In addition to offering a typology of techniques, this paper will highlight the David-centric agenda of our translator.