Here is a direct side-by-side comparison of the Masoretic Text with the LXX. I have concluded that the LXX is much to be preferred over the Masoretic Text, a position from which the Eastern Orthodox Church never deviated. Perhaps, if you take the time to read my comparisons and other articles, you will arrive at the same conclusion.
The Septuagint version I am using is the Lexham English Septuagint 2nd Edition, which is available in print or as part of Logos Bible Software. Occasionally I also use the Brenton translation of the LXX for insight into difficult passages.
If you want to know more, click on the following links.
- Why Christians Should Prefer the Septuagint over the Masoretic Text.
- Some Insights Gained through Comparing the Masoretic Text to the Septuagint
- More side by side comparisons of the Masoretic Text (MT) to the Septuagint (LXX).
| Masoretic Text | Septuagint | Significance |
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1 Now it came about after many days, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years, 2 that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and their heads and their judges and their officers, and said to them, “I am old, advanced in years. 3 “And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He who has been fighting for you. 4 “See, I have apportioned to you these nations which remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have cut off, from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun. 5 “The LORD your God, He will thrust them out from before you and drive them from before you; and you will possess their land, just as the LORD your God promised you. 6 “Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, 7 so that you will not associate with these nations, these which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear by them, or serve them, or bow down to them. Joshua 23:1–7 (NASB95) |
1 And it happened that after many days after the Lord brought rest to Israel from all their enemies all around, that Joshua was old, advanced in age. 2 So Joshua convened all the sons of Israel and their council and their rulers and their scribes and their judges, and he said to them, “I have grown old and have become advanced in age. 3 Now you have seen as much as the Lord our God did to all these nations from before us because it was the Lord our God who made war with us. 4 See that whatever I said to you, the nations are being left behind for you, these are among the shares for your tribes from the Jordan all the nations, also some I destroyed, and from the Great Sea. It will be a boundary at the setting of the sun. 5 The Lord our God, he will destroy them from before us until they should be destroyed and he will send against them wild animals until he should destroy them and their kings from your face, and you will receive their land just as the Lord our God told you. 6 Therefore, be very strong to keep and do all that is written in the document [literally – book] of the law of Moses so that you might turn neither to the right nor the left, 7 so that you might not go to these nations left behind, and the names of their gods will not be named among you. Neither shall you in any way bow down to them nor serve them, Joshua 23:1–7 (LES2) |
In verse 2, the MT uses the word “officers” where the LXX says “scribes” or secretaries. In verse 3, the MT says God fought “for you,” but the LXX says, “with us,” which is more participatory. In verse 5, the MT says God will “thrust them out before you,” but the LXX says that he will “destroy them before us until they should be destroyed.” The MT omits “and he will send against them wild animals until he should destroy them from your face.” In verse 7, the MT adds, “or make anyone swear by them.” |
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8 “But you are to cling to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day. 9 “For the LORD has driven out great and strong nations from before you; and as for you, no man has stood before you to this day. 10 “One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised you. Joshua 23:8–10 (NASB95) |
8 but to the Lord our God you will hold fast just as you have done until this day. 9 And the Lord will utterly destroy them from your face, nations great and strong, and no one stood before us until this day. 10 One of you has pursued thousands because the Lord our God made war with us just as he said to us. Joshua 23:8–10 (LES2) |
In verse 9, the MT uses a past (consecutive imperfect) tense; whereas, the LXX uses a future tense. The MT uses the perfect tense, translated as a past tense for “stood.” The LXX uses the aorist indicative indicating completed past action. In verse 10, the MT has one putting to flight a thousand, but the LXX makes it a plural – thousands. The MT says that God “fights for you,” as a participle. The LXX uses the imperfect tense, indicating that God repeatedly made war “with us,” just as he said to us. “Said” is aorist indicative, meaning he said it once but fought with us often. It is my suspicion that the MT was fashioned by the Masoretes in part to justify the Jews’ right to retake the land one day, which could be a reason that “fights” is presented as ongoing here. |
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11 “So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the LORD your God. 12 “For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know with certainty that the LORD your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. Joshua 23:11–13 (NASB95) |
11 “And take very much care to love the Lord our God. 12 For if you should turn back and join these nations that remain with you and make marriages with them and integrate with them and they with you, 13 know that the Lord will not continue to destroy these nations from our face, and they will become to you as a snare and as a stumbling block and as nails in your heels and as arrows in your eyes until you should be destroyed from this good land that the Lord your God gave you. Joshua 23:11–13 (LES2) |
Except for some idiomatic words, such as “thorns” verses “arrows,” this passage basically agrees. In reference to Zionism in the present day, which justifies violence against neighboring peoples in an effort to expand Israel’s borders, this passage indicates that the pre-condition for God’s helping the Israelites was their loving God. That is not the case in modern Israel, which is a very worldly nation, many of whose leaders do not even believe in God. They hypocritically use Old Testament scriptures interpreted through the lens of Dispensationalism to dupe Christians into supporting an antichrist nation. |
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14 “Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed. 15 “It shall come about that just as all the good words which the LORD your God spoke to you have come upon you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the threats, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. 16 “When you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, |
14 But I am departing on the way, just as also everyone in the land, and you will know in your heart and your soul, not one word from all the words that the Lord our God said to everything that belongs to us fell to the ground; not one is lost from them. 15 And it will be the way all the good words that the Lord spoke to us have come to us, so the Lord God will bring upon you all the evil words until he removes you from this good land that the Lord gave you, 16 when you disobey the covenant of the Lord our God that he commanded us, by leaving that you might serve other gods and bow to them.” Joshua 23:14–16 (LES2) |
Verse 14 in the MT seems to be a tidied up version of the LXX. The MT adds to verse 16 the part that I struck through. It is significant that both the MT and LXX use the word “when” and not “if” at the beginning of verse 16. There was no possibility that Israel would not abandon the Lord. The Old Testament nation could not possibly remain faithful to God and ultimately inherit God’s promises because they were “flesh and blood.” 50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 1 Corinthians 15:50 (NASB95) The Law cannot transform people. It merely exposes their sin and points them to Christ. (Galatians 3:24) Jesus came to bring what God always had in mind – a spiritual kingdom for a recreated, or born again, spiritual people, the true Israel of God.
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” John 18:36 (NASB95) The Jews were Christ’s enemies then, and nothing has changed. |
Summary: Even in some of the historical books we see evidence that the Masoretes adjusted (corrupted) the text to suit their ends. The rabbis were not above tinkering with the Torah, as Daniel Gruber points out in his important book, Rabbi Akiba’s Messiah.
