targum even for Ataros and Divon

A few years ago we discussed the gemara (Brachos 8) that a person has to finish shenayim mikra v’echad targum with the tzibur, even the pasuk of Ataros v’Divon (32:3) mentioned in our parsha.  Why does the gemara single out this pasuk?  Rashi explains that these are just place names; the targum adds no interpretation.  The gemara therefore streeses that these pesukim must be read as well; one must read the mikra three times since there is no targum.

Tosfos asks: if Rashi is right, the gemara could have chosen any pasuk that simply lists names.  Why these in particular?  Tosfos therefore suggests that the pasuk of Ataros v’Divon was chosed because there is a Targum Yerushalmi on the pasuk.  Even though this targum is not the “standard” targum of Onkelus, it is still better than just reading the mikra three times.

I saw this year that Rabeinu Bachyei offers a different answer.  Rashi 32:38 writes with respect to the cities of Nevo and Ba’al Me’on that these names were associated with idolatry.  When the cities were conquered by Reuvain, they changed the names to something else. Rabeinu Bachyei extends this idea to the names of all nine cities mentioned, including Ataros and Divon.  One might have thought that since reading the targum here involves reciting names of avodah zarah it should be omitted; therefore, the gemara stresses that even here there is a chiyuv to read shenayim mikra v’echad targum.