In preparing a reader's edition of the Targum to Psalms, I came across an alternative targum (marked תרגום אחר) in the margin of Codex Solger (the Nuremberg codex) to Psalm 38:4 (38:3 in English versions). The RSV translation of the Hebrew reads "There is no soundness in my flesh because of thy indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin."
The main targum text of Codex Solger reads (in translation): "There is no healing in my body because of your anger, no health in my limbs because of my sin." Not a great departure from the Hebrew. But the marginal alternative targum reads as follows:
לית אסותא לבישרי מן קדם תקוף רוגזך על דלא קיימית פיקודך ולית שלם לאיתתי
דאיתקרית עצם כדכ<תיב> עצם מעצמי מן קדם חובי ארי אלהא מסער חובי גבר על
איתתיה כדכתיב למה יקח משכבך תחתיך
Translation: "There is no health to my flesh because of the strength of your anger, because I did not observe your commandments and there is no peace to my wife (who is called Bone as it is written, bone of my bones [Genesis 2:23]) because of my sin, for God visits the sins of a man on his wife, as it is written, lest he take your bed under you [Prov 22:27]."
As noted, I haven't seen a reference to this text, and David Stec makes no mention of it in his translation (The Targum of Psalms [Aramaic Bible 16], 2004). Since Codex Solger was a principal source of the Rabbinic Bibles of 1517 and 1525, one might expect to find it there, there's no trace of it. I also haven't seen this particular midrash anywhere (but there's a lot to search, so); it's not in Midrash Tehillim to the verse. None of the other alternative renderings in this Targum quote other Scripture, either, so this one is unique in that respect. (I also don't quite get the application of Prov. 22:27, which, by the way is slightly misquoted, the Masoretic text having מתחתיך not תחתיך).
Anyone out there have any comments? Anyone seen a similar take on the verse elsewhere?
