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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6 For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners. 7 Their land is also full of silver and gold, And there is no end to their treasures; Their land is also full of horses, And there is no end to their chariots. 8 Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made. 9 People bow down, And each man humbles himself; Therefore do not forgive them. Isaiah 2:6–9 (NKJV) |
6 For he has released his people, the house of Israel, because, as it was from the beginning, their region has been filled with omens like the region of the foreigners, and many foreign children were born to them. 7 For their territory was filled with silver and gold, and there was no counting their treasures; and the land was filled with horses, and there was no counting their chariots. 8 And the land was filled with abominations, the works of their hands, and they worshiped the things their fingers made. 9 And a person bowed, and a man was made low, and I will certainly not forgive them. Isaiah 2:6–9 (LES2) |
Brenton translates the Greek word aniemi, as “forsaken,” which agrees with the MT. The Lexham LXX translates the Greek word literally as “released.” It is a word used to describe releasing a goat, which brings to mind the scapegoat which was released into the wilderness bearing the sins of the nation. (Leviticus 16:10) In the verse in Leviticus uses the related Greek word aphiemi. I think Brenton and the MT got it right. The MT and LXX more or less agree in the next part of verse 6 through verse 7. In verse 8, the MT says the land was full of idols. The LXX uses the word abominations, with it being understood through context that these abominations were idols. In the last part of verse 9, the MT objectifies the judgment, saying, “do not forgive them.” The LXX has God personally saying, “I will certainly not forgive them.” God will judge Israel’s inveterate idolatry and her satanic practices, which continue to this day. |
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10 Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty. 11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up— And it shall be brought low— Isaiah 2:10–12 (NKJV) |
10 And now, enter into the rocks and hide in the earth from the face of the fear of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, when he rises to shatter the earth. 11 For the eyes of the Lord are high, but humanity is low, and the height of humans will be brought low, and the Lord alone will be raised in that day. 12 For Lord Sabaoth’s day is against every insolent person and arrogant person and upon every high and lofty person, and they will be brought low, Isaiah 2:10–12 (LES2) |
The MT uses “rock” in the singular; whereas the LXX makes the word plural. The MT says to hide in the dust, but the LXX says hide in the earth itself. The inspiration of this fear, according to the MT, is the terror of the Lord and glory of his majesty. The LXX says that it is from the “face” of the fear of the Lord, which references his awe inspiring presence. The LXX adds that this will take place when God rises to shatter the earth, referencing the second coming of Christ, which is also called the “day of the Lord.” 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:14–17 (NKJV) Verse 12 identifies this day belonging to the Lord of hosts or Sabaoth, which clearly refers to Christ’s coming with the armies of heaven. (Revelation 19:11-16) All those who refuse to humble themselves by confessing that Jesus is Lord will be brought low in judgment. (Romans 14:11) |
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13 Upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, And upon all the oaks of Bashan; 14 Upon all the high mountains, And upon all the hills that are lifted up; 15 Upon every high tower, And upon every fortified wall; 16 Upon all the ships of Tarshish, And upon all the beautiful sloops. 17 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The LORD alone will be exalted in that day, 18 But the idols He shall utterly abolish. 19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily. Isaiah 2:13–19 (NKJV) |
13 and it is against every cedar of Lebanon of those that are high and lofty, and against every oak tree of Bashan, 14 and against every mountain and against every high hill, 15 and against every high tower and against every high city wall, 16 and against every sea ship and against every sight of ships of beauty. 17 And every person will be brought low, and humanity’s pride will fall; and the Lord alone will be raised in that day. 18 And they will conceal artificial gods, 19 bringing them into the caverns and into the clefts of the cliffs and into the holes of the earth from the face of the fear of the Lord and from the repute of his strength, when he stands to shatter the earth. Isaiah 2:13–19 (LES2) |
The MT and LXX essentially agree in verses 13-18, but diverge in verse 19. After prophesying that humanity’s pride will fall, Isaiah says in the LXX that those being judged, who are fleeing God’s wrath, will conceal their false gods in caverns and other hiding places in the earth, signifying a continued lack of repentance for their idolatry. In addition, the LXX uses a much stronger word than “shake.” It says God will shatter the earth, breaking it into pieces. |
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20 In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver And his idols of gold, Which they made, each for himself to worship, To the moles and bats, 21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the crags of the rugged rocks, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily. 22 Sever yourselves from such a man, Whose breath is in his nostrils; For of what account is he? Isaiah 2:20–22 (NKJV) |
20 For in that day humanity will cast out its silver and golden idols, which they made to worship vain things and bats, 21 to enter into the holes of the solid rock and into the clefts of the rocks, away from the face of the fear of the Lord and away from the glory of his might, whenever he arises to shatter the earth. Isaiah 2:20–21 (LES2) |
The MT says that that idolators will cast away their idols under the influence of the terror of God and his judgments, throwing them to moles and bats. The LXX says that the idols were designed to worship vain things and bats. Both repeat that unrepentant people will try to hide from God in the day of judgment, when he comes to shake / shatter the earth. The MT adds verse 22, which seems completely out of place. |
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.
