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 Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? 2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. Isaiah 66:1–2 (NKJV) |
1 This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is a footstool (hupopodion) for my feet (pous); what sort (poios) of house (oikeo) will you build (oikodomeo) for me? And what sort (poios) of place (topos) |
The first thing we notice when comparing the MT to the LXX is that the LXX adds “for my feet” after footstool. Where the MT says, “Where is the house,” the LXX asks, “What sort of house?” This difference is repeated regarding the place of rest or repose. The MT says what God made “exists,” but the LXX says it belongs to God by creation rights. Lastly, the MT uses different adjectives from the LXX to describe the one upon whom God looks. Stephen quoted this passage in his final sermon before being stoned to death by the Jews. I underlined the part quoted from Isaiah. 48 “However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: 49 ‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool (hupopodion). What (poios) house (oikeo) will you build (oikodomeo) for Me? says the LORD, Or what (tis) is the place (topos) of My rest (katapousis)? 50 Has My hand not made all these things?’ Acts 7:48–50 (NKJV) Most of the Greek matches quite well, but Stephen omits “for my feet” as a modifier of footstool, which agrees with the MT. He also uses tis instead of poios regarding the place of God’s repose. The translators of the LXX added the text “will you build as my place” to try to make it flow better, but it was not in the Greek. It seems the Holy Spirit had Stephen make a couple of changes without deviating from the basic text of the LXX. |
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3 “He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations, 4 So will I choose their delusions, And bring their fears on them; Because, when I called, no one answered, When I spoke they did not hear; But they did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight.” Isaiah 66:3–4 (NKJV) |
3 But the lawless person who sacrifices a calf for me is like one who slays a dog, and the one who offers fine flour is like one who offers swine’s blood. The one who gives frankincense as a remembrance is like a blasphemer. And they have chosen their ways, and their soul wanted their abominations; 4 and I will receive their mockeries, and I will repay them their sins, because I called them, and they did not listen to me; I spoke, and they did not hear, and they did evil before me, and they chose things that I did not wish for.” Isaiah 66:3–4 (LES2) |
The LXX identifies the “he” of the MT as a lawless one. The LXX uses the word for calf or young bull instead of bull. It also says that this person will be as one who slays a dog, instead of the MT’s “a man.” The phrase regarding sacrificing a lamb is not in the LXX. The MT says the one offering incense will be as one who blesses an idol, but the LXX gives more detail, naming frankincense as a memorial and says the action will be like blasphemy. The MT says God will choose their delusions and bring fears on them, but the LXX says that he will receive their mockeries and repay them for their sins. The MT says those God called did not answer. The LXX said they did not listen. Small difference add up. |
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5 Hear the word of the LORD, You who tremble at His word: “Your brethren who hated you, Who cast you out for My name’s sake, said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified, That we may see your joy.’ But they shall be ashamed.” Isaiah 66:5 (NKJV) |
5 Hear the words of the Lord, you who tremble at his word; speak, our brothers, to those who hate and abhor you, so that the name of the Lord may be magnified and be seen in their cheer, and those people will be ashamed. Isaiah 66:5 (LES2) |
The MT addresses those who tremble at his word and says that their brethren hated them and cast them out for the sake of the name of the Lord. This clearly pertains to Christians being cast out of synagogues for their faith and allegiance to Christ. The LXX addresses them personally. The LXX indicates that the persecutors will have temporary joy but will end up being ashamed. The wording of the MT does not make sense to me. |
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6 The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the LORD, Who fully repays His enemies! Isaiah 66:6 (NKJV) |
6 A voice of crying from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord returning repayment to his adversaries! Isaiah 66:6 (LES2) |
I believe this verse applies to God’s judgment on the Jews in 70 AD for rejecting and putting to death God’s only begotten Son and the Messiah. |
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7 “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child. 8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children. 9 Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the LORD. “Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God. Isaiah 66:7–9 (NKJV) |
7 Before the one in labor gave birth, before the distress of birth pangs arrived, she escaped and bore a male child. 8 Who has heard such a thing, and who has seen something like this? Has the earth been in labor in a single day, or was a nation (ethnos) brought forth all at once? For Zion was in labor and brought forth her children. 9 “But I gave you this expectation, and you did not remember me,” said the Lord. “Look! Did I not make both the fertile and the barren?” said your God. Isaiah 66:7–9 (LES2) |
This is an interesting passage that has at least two applications, as do many prophecies. Probably it applies to Israel’s birth as a nation when they successfully crossed the Red Sea and escaped from Egypt. Christian Zionists and Dispensationalists point to this verse to justify recognizing as a fulfillment of prophecy Israel’s becoming a nation after WWII thanks to the Balfour Declaration, and other political maneuverings. As I have previously written, I do not believe Dispensational theology is biblical. I prefer to apply this passage to Pentecost when a new nation was birthed, the church, which is the nation prophesied by Jesus and confirmed by Peter. 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation (ethnos) bearing the fruits of it. 44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” Matthew 21:43–44 (NKJV) 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (ethnos), His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 1 Peter 2:9–10 (NKJV) Peter was talking about a new people who had not been God’s people before, meaning the Gentiles, who were joined to believing Jews to form the one new man in Christ, the church, the Israel of God. (Ephesians 2:15) I will not comment on other minor differences between the MT and LXX, except to say that the Jews expected a Messiah but did not recognize him when he arrived. |
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10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; 11 That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory.” 12 For thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; On her sides shall you be carried, And be dandled on her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” Isaiah 66:10–13 (NKJV) |
10 Be cheerful, O Jerusalem, and celebrate in her, all you who love her; rejoice with her with delight, all you who mourn over her, 11 so that you might suckle and be satisfied from the breast of her comfort, so that you who suck the breast might delight yourselves because of the entrance of her glory. 12 For this is what the Lord says: “Look! I am inclining the glory of the nations toward them like a river of peace and like an overflowing torrent; their children will be carried on shoulders and comforted upon the knees. 13 As a mother comforts one, so also I will comfort you, and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.” Isaiah 66:10–13 (LES2) |
The LXX speaks of the “entrance of her glory,” meaning the coming of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. This happened when he rode into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey. The city rejoiced, but only for a very short time. (Matthew 21:1-11) I believe the “glory of the nations” is Jesus. He came for the Jews first, privileging them to be the first to accept him as Lord before extending the gospel invitation to the nations. Only a small remnant responded. |
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14 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the LORD shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies. 15 For behold, the LORD will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by His sword The LORD will judge all flesh; And the slain of the LORD shall be many. 17 “Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together,” says the LORD. Isaiah 66:14–17 (NKJV) |
14 You will see and your heart will rejoice, and your bones will grow like vegetation, and the hand of the Lord will be known by those who fear him, and he will threaten those who resist. 15 For look, the Lord will come like a fire, and his chariots will come like a storm, to render his vengeance in wrath and his utter rejection in a flame of fire. 16 For the whole earth will be judged by the fire of the Lord, and all flesh will be judged by his sword; there will be many casualties by the Lord. 17 “Those who cleanse and purify themselves for the gardens and who eat swine’s flesh and abominable things and the mouse in the doorways will be destroyed all at once,” said the Lord. Isaiah 66:14–17 (LES2) |
Those who received Christ were overjoyed, but God visited his fury on those who resisted (Acts 7:51), just as Jesus said he would. 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” Matthew 21:38–41 (NKJV) This took place in 70 AD and later in the aftermath of the Bar Kokhba revolt. There were well over a million Jewish casualties. |
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18 “For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19 I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20 Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the LORD out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. 21 And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the LORD. Isaiah 66:18–21 (NKJV) |
18 “And I know their works and their reasoning. I am coming to gather all the nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory. 19 And I will leave a sign upon them, and I will send those of them who have been saved away to the nations, to Tarshish and Put and Lud and Meshech and into Tubal and to Greece and the distant islands, who have not heard my name or seen my glory; and they will declare my glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the Lord, with horses and chariots, in covered chariots drawn by mules with sunshades, to the holy city Jerusalem,” said the Lord, “as though the sons of Israel would bring their sacrifices to me with psalms into the house of the Lord. 21 And I will take priests and Levites from among them,” said the Lord. Isaiah 66:18–21 (LES2) |
I believe this is a prophecy about the ingathering of the nations through the preaching of the gospel. The elect from the nations will see the glory of the resurrected Lord by faith and later in person at his second coming. On Pentecost people from many nations and tongues gathered in Jerusalem to hear the gospel for the first time. Three thousand were saved! 5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2:5–11 (NKJV) Afterward the apostles and other believers went out to the nations, as it says in verse 19. These evangelists and apostles brought to the Lord an amazing harvest of souls from the nations. Even some priests and Levites become followers of Jesus. (Acts 4:36 and 6:7) |
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22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the LORD, “So shall your descendants and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the LORD. 24 “And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” Isaiah 66:22–24 (NKJV) |
22 “For the way the new heaven and the new earth, which I am making, remain before me,” said the Lord, “so your seed and your name will be established. 23 And this will happen: All flesh will come to bow down before me month after month and Sabbath after Sabbath in Jerusalem,” said the Lord. 24 “And they will go out and see the corpses of the humans who transgressed against me, for their worm does not die, and their fire will not be quenched, and they will become a spectacle for all flesh.” Isaiah 66:22–24 (LES2) |
This must be a prophecy about the New Jerusalem which will descend from heaven after the old heaven and earth are destroyed and recreated. (Revelations 21:1-2) Every knee will bow to our Lord Jesus. (Philippians 2:5-11) Those who refuse to recognize and pledge allegiance to Christ will be destroyed, and, as Jesus said, their fire will not be quenched nor their worm die. (Mark 9:44, 46, and 48) |
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.
