Genesis 8-9: The Great Restart

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.

Masoretic Text	Septuagint	Significance
20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. 22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.” Genesis 8:20–22 (NKJV)	20 Noah built an altar to God, and he took from all the clean livestock and from all the clean birds, and he offered a whole burnt offering on the altar. 21 And the Lord God smelled a sweet smell, and the Lord God, pondered it and said: “I will never curse the earth further because of the deeds of humans, because the intention of humankind is focused on what is evil from youth. Therefore, I will proceed to strike all living flesh no further as I have done. 22 All the days of the earth, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and spring, day and night will not cease.” Genesis 8:20–22 (LES2)	The MT says that Noah made whole burnt offerings (plural), but the LXX makes it singular, probably considering all the sacrificed animals part of one offering. The MT says the aroma was soothing, suggesting perhaps that it soothed God’s anger. The LXX simply said it smelled sweet. As he pondered, God decided that he would not curse the earth further because of our sin. That did not release us from the existing curse, however, which will not happen until the Second Coming. Then God made the promise that nullifies what many doomsayers predict.
1 So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. Genesis 9:1–3 (NKJV)	1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Increase and multiply and fill the earth and exercise dominion over it. 2 And the trembling and fear of you will be upon all the wild animals of the earth and on all the birds of the heavens and on all the moving things on the earth and all the fish of the sea. I have put them under your hands. 3 And every moving thing that is living will be yours for food; like grassy vegetables, I give you all things. Genesis 9:1–3 (LES2)	The MT omits God’s command to Noah and his sons to exercise dominion over the earth; although, both specifically mention dominion over the creatures of the earth. At this point God gave us permission to eat animals for our sustenance. Nothing was prohibited, which continued until the law was introduced that forbade eating unclean animals. Later Jesus re-instituted the Noahic permit (Mark 7:19), which the Holy Spirit confirmed to Peter and Paul.
4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. 6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man. 7 And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth And multiply in it.” Genesis 9:4–7 (NKJV)	4 But you shall not eat meat with the blood of life. 5 For indeed, I will seek out your life blood, I will seek it at the hand of all the wild animals, and I will seek the life of the human at the hand of a fellow human. 6 One who sheds the blood of a human shall be shed in place of his blood, because I made humankind in God’s image. 7 But as for you, increase and multiply and fill the earth and multiply upon the earth.” Genesis 9:4–7 (LES2)	Here we have the prohibition against eating blood in both the MT and LXX, because the life of the animal is in the blood. (Deut. 12:23) Here we also have the institution of capital punishment for taking a life. God commands us to justly execute a murderer because people are made in God’s image. Any refusal to fulfill this duty on the grounds of its being immoral is calling God immoral. God restated his very first command in the garden: be fruitful and multiply. Any attempt to circumvent this command is sinful rebellion. The lie that we are overpopulated stands against God’s command. The earth is not yet full.
8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: 9 “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 11 Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Genesis 9:8–11 (NKJV)	8 And God spoke to Noah and his sons with him, saying, 9 “Look, I am establishing my covenant with you and your seed after you, 10 and for every soul living with you, from birds and livestock, and with all the wild animals of the earth, all that are with you of all those who came out from the ark. 11 And I will establish my covenant with you, and all flesh will no longer die from flood water, and no longer will there be a flood of water to destroy all the earth.” Genesis 9:8–11 (LES2)	The MT and LXX essentially agree in this passage, which is God’s promise to never again flood the entire earth.
12 And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:12–17 (NKJV)	12 And the Lord God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I am giving between me and you and every living soul that is with you for lasting generations: 13 I am placing my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 And this will happen: at the time when I collect clouds on the earth, my rainbow will be seen in the cloud, 15 and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living soul in all flesh, and the water no longer will become a flood, so as to wipe out all flesh. 16 And my rainbow will be in the cloud, and I will see it to remember a lasting covenant between me and every living soul among all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I arranged between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:12–17 (LES2)	The MT and LXX essentially agree in this passage. I imagine mankind was fearful that God might flood the earth again. God relieved their fears, at least for those who trusted him to keep his promises.