I hope you will journey with me in rediscovering the beauty of God’s Word in the Septuagint (LXX). In 285 BC, the LXX was translated from paleo-Hebrew by 70 Jewish translators into Greek, the language of most of the civilized world at that time. Due to its pre-Christ and pre-fall of Jerusalem date, the LXX cannot be accused of being influenced by any underlying animosity toward Christ or Christianity or desire to elevate Judaism’s claim to God’s blessings or the promised land. Most Christians believe the Masoretic Text (MT), upon which our English Old Testament is based, is written in the original Hebrew, but it too is a translation from the ancient and by then dead paleo-Hebrew Phoenician pictograph script into the modern Hebrew block script derived from Aramaic. The Masoretes completed it between 600 t0 1000 AD, by which time the Jews had become hostile to the Christian message, which shows up in various omissions, changes, and obfuscations of verses and passages that clearly point to Christ in the LXX.
Jesus taught us that all scripture points to him (John 5:39). As a rule, the Septuagint more clearly points to Jesus than does the MT.
In the West, Christians have not questioned the MT since Jerome chose it as the basis for his Latin Vulgate Old Testament. The Eastern Orthodox Church, to their credit, never deviated from the Septuagint, preserving it for later generations to rediscover. Because of the power of tradition, it is quite difficult for many of us in the West to think of the LXX as being more trustworthy than the MT, but I have found that a side-by-side comparison indicates otherwise.
In this series of articles, I have undertaken to illustrate the similarities and differences between the MT and LXX by examining various passages. Below is another example. The Septuagint version I am using is the Lexham English Septuagint 2nd Edition. It is available in print or digitally through Logos Bible Software. Occasionally I reference Brenton’s translation, which is a good one, but the English is somewhat dated.
| Masoretic Text | Septuagint | Significance |
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1 The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil. 2 He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness. Isaiah 57:1–2 (NKJV) |
1 Look how the righteous has perished and no one takes it to heart, and righteous men are taken away and no one comprehends. For the righteous has been taken away from the face of injustice; 2 his burial will be in peace; he will be taken up out of the middle. Isaiah 57:1–2 (LES2) |
Verse two in the MT makes no sense. Verse one says righteous men perish; so, they would not be resting on their beds. The LXX gets it right by saying, “his burial will be in peace.” The next part in the Lexham translation of the LXX is confusing. Brenton said it better in his translation: he will be “removed out of the way.” |
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3 “But come here, You sons of the sorceress, You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot! 4 Whom do you ridicule? Against whom do you make a wide mouth And stick out the tongue? Are you not children of transgression, Offspring of falsehood, 5 Inflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree, Slaying the children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks? 6 Among the smooth stones of the stream Is your portion; They, they, are your lot! Even to them you have poured a drink offering, You have offered a grain offering. Should I receive comfort in these? Isaiah 57:3–6 (NKJV) |
3 But as for you, draw near here, evil sons, seed of adulterers and prostitutes; 4 over whom have you exulted? And against whom have you opened your mouth? And against whom have you loosened your tongue? Are you not children of destruction, evil seed 5 who call idols under dense trees, who slay their children in the ravines between the stones? 6 That is your portion; this is your lot, and to those you have poured out drink offerings and to those you have offered sacrifices; therefore, shall I not be angry at these things? Isaiah 57:3–6 (LES2) |
Verses 3-4 reminds me of John 8:37-47 where Jesus says the Jewish leaders are children of the devil. They opened their mouths to curse, ridicule, accuse, and condemn God’s only begotten son, which brought God’s judgment upon the nation in 70 AD. They became “children of destruction,” a term reminiscent of what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1-3 where he says that those without Christ are “sons of disobedience” and “children of wrath.” At the end of verse 6, the MT asks, “should I receive comfort from these things,” but the LXX asks, “shall I not be angry at these things?” The MT seems to minimize God’s judgment for Israel’s sin. |
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7 “On a lofty and high mountain You have set your bed; Even there you went up To offer sacrifice. 8 Also behind the doors and their posts You have set up your remembrance; For you have uncovered yourself to those other than Me, And have gone up to them; You have enlarged your bed And made a covenant with them; You have loved their bed, Where you saw their nudity. 9 You went to the king with ointment, And increased your perfumes; You sent your messengers far off, And even descended to Sheol. 10 You are wearied in the length of your way; Yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.’ You have found the life of your hand; Therefore you were not grieved. Isaiah 57:7–10 (NKJV) |
7 Upon a high and exalted mountain, there is your bed, and there you have offered sacrifices. 8 Behind the posts of your door you have placed your memorials; you imagined that if you departed from me, you would have some advantage. You have loved those who sleep with you, 9 and you have multiplied your prostitution with them, and you have made them that are far from you many, and you have sent elders beyond your borders and were brought low to Hades. 10 On your long journeys you toiled, and you did not say, “I will cease,” since you were strengthened because you did these things; because of this you did not entreat me. Isaiah 57:7–10 (LES2) |
To me the MT misses something important with regard to Israel’s sin. By allying themselves with idols, they imagined that they “would have some advantage.” This is the rationale behind those who turn to the occult and the demonic to gain evil power and control. The LXX simplifies the contorted wording of the MT at the end of verse 8: “You love those who sleep with you.” Verse 9 goes further off track in the MT. The LXX stays with the theme by saying, “you have multiplied your prostitution with them.” The next part of verses 9 and 10 is difficult in the MT and LXX. The general idea is that Israel pursued gain in sinful ways and succeeded with the result that they were never motivated to repent. |
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11 “And of whom have you been afraid, or feared, That you have lied And not remembered Me, Nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old That you do not fear Me? 12 I will declare your righteousness And your works, For they will not profit you. 13 When you cry out, Let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry them all away, A breath will take them. But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, And shall inherit My holy mountain.” Isaiah 57:11–13 (NKJV) |
11 Whom did you dread and fear, and you cheated me and did not remember or call me to mind or your heart? Although I saw you, I disregarded you, and you did not fear me. 12 And I will bring news of your righteousness and your evil deeds, things that will not benefit you. 13 When you shout aloud, let them rescue you in your affliction, for a wind will take all these people, and a storm will carry them off. But those who cleave to me will acquire the land and will inherit my holy mountain. Isaiah 57:11–13 (LES2) |
There is very little difference between these two passages. |
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14 And one shall say, “Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.” Isaiah 57:14 (NKJV) |
14 And they will say, “Clear the paths from his face and take away the obstacles from the path of my people.” Isaiah 57:14 (LES2) |
This is reminiscent of Isaiah 40:3, about which I have already written. The verses from Isaiah 40 are quoted in the New Testament in three places and apply to the ministry of John the Baptist, who announced Jesus as the Messiah. The MT says, “Heap it up” as way to prepare the way, which seems odd. I much prefer the LXX’s “clear the paths.” |
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15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 16 For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would fail before Me, And the souls which I have made. 17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. 18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners. Isaiah 57:15–18 (NKJV) |
15 This is what the Most High among the heights says, who inhabits eternity, holy among the holy places is his name, Most High in the holy places, who gives rest and endurance to the fainthearted and life to those with a crushed heart: 16 “I will not punish you for eternity or always be angry with you, for a spirit will go forth from me, and I have made every breath. 17 I distressed him briefly because of sin, and I struck him, and I turned my face away from him, and he was distressed and went gloomily in his ways. 18 I have seen his ways, and I have healed him, and I comforted him, and I gave him genuine comfort, Isaiah 57:15–18 (LES2) |
After identifying God as the Most High, whom the Bible says is seated on his throne atop the firmament, the LXX says, “he gives rest and endurance to the fainthearted and life to those with a crushed heart.” This is quite close to the MT but not quite the same. Verses 16 through 18 are different, probably because the original paleo-Hebrew text was difficult to translate. |
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19 “I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the LORD, “And I will heal him.” 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.” Isaiah 57:19–21 (NKJV) |
19 peace upon peace to those far off and to those who are near.” And the Lord said, “I will heal them.” 20 But the unjust will be thrown into confusion and will be unable to rest. 21 “There is no rejoicing,” says God, “among the ungodly.” Isaiah 57:19–21 (LES2) |
Verse 19 brings to mind Ephesians 2:17-18, where Paul wrote: 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:17–18 (NKJV) I imagine this place in Isaiah is where the apostle got the phrase. The “far off” are the Gentiles, and the “near” are the Jews, whom Christ has brought together in the New Covenant. In verse 21, the MT says there is no peace for the wicked, but the LXX says “no rejoicing.” Both are true. |
Conclusion
If you want to know more about why Christians should prefer the Septuagint to the MT, click on this link. In another article, I share some of the things I have so far learned by making this comparison. As for me, I now prefer the LXX. It was Paul’s and the other apostles’ standard for Old Covenant truth, was used by synagogues in Jesus’s day, and is most often quoted in the New Testament. That makes it good enough for me.
