Difference between revisions of "Septuagint"

<p> Designated Septuagint. The Greek version of Old Testament, made for the Greek speaking (Hellenistic) Jews at Alexandria. The oldest manuscripts in capitals ("uncials") are the Cottonian ("fragments") in British Museum; [[Vatican]] ''(Representing Especially The Oldest Text)'' at Rome; Alexandrian in British Museum, of which [[Baber]] in 1816 published a facsimile; Sinaitic at Petersburgh. Alexandrian is of the fifth century, the others are of the fourth. The ancient text current before Origen was called "the common one"; he compared this with the versions of Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmachus, and marked the Septuagint with an obelos mark where he found superfluous words, and supplied deficiencies of Septuagint from those three, prefixing an asterisk.* Its wide circulation among Hellenistic Jews before Christ providentially prepared the way for the gospel. Its completion was commemorated by a yearly feast at Alexandria ''(Philo, Vit. Mos. 2)'' . Its general use is proved by the manner of its quotation in New Testament. The Jews in Justin Martyr's Apology questioned its accuracy. </p> <p> A letter of Aristeas to his brother Philocrates ''(Hody, Bibl. Text. Orig., 1705)'' describes the origin of Septuagint; King Ptolemy ''(Philadelphus)'' , by the advice of his librarian Demetrius Phalereus, obtained from the high priest at Jerusalem 72 interpreters, six from each tribe; by conference and comparison in 72 days they completed the work. Aristobulus ''(Second Century B.C., In [[Clemens]] Alex. Strom.)'' says that, before Demetrius, others had made a translation of the Pentateuch and Joshua ''(The History Of The Going [[Forth]] From Egypt, Etc.)'' . Aristeas' letter is probably a forgery of an Alexandrian Jew; nevertheless the story gave its title to the Septuagint ''(70, The Round Number For 72)'' . The composition at Alexandria begun under the earlier Ptolemies, 280 B.C.; the Pentateuch alone at first; these are the main facts well established. The Alexandrian Macedonic Greek forms in the Septuagint disprove the coming of 72 interpreters from Jerusalem, and show that the translators were Alexandrian Jews. </p> <p> The Pentateuch is the best part of the version, being the first translated; the other books betray increasing degeneracy of the Hebrew manuscripts, with decay of Hebrew learning. The Septuagint translators did not have Hebrew manuscripts pointed as ours; nor were their words divided as ours. Different persons translated different books, and no general revision harmonized the whole. [[Names]] are differently rendered in different books. The poetical parts (except Psalms and Proverbs) are inferior to the historical. In the greater prophets important passages are misunderstood, as &nbsp;Isaiah 9:1; &nbsp;Isaiah 9:6; &nbsp;Jeremiah 23:6; Ezekiel and the lesser prophets are better. Theodotion's version of Daniel was substituted for Septuagint, which was not used. </p> <p> The delicate details of the Hebrew are sacrificed in Septuagint, the same word in the same chapter being often rendered by differing words, and differing words by the same word, the names of God (Υahweh , Κurios , and 'Εlohim , Τheos ) being confounded; and proper names at times being translated, and Hebrew words mistaken for words like in form but altogether different in sense (''Sh'' being mistaken for ''S'' , [[Shin]] ( ש ) (pronounced "sheen") for [[Sin]] ( ש ) (pronounced "seen") ''[The Same Letter (With A Different "Point") [[Pronounced]] Different]'' , ''R'' for ''D'' , [[Resh]] ( ר ) for [[Daleth]] ( ד )). Some of the changes are designed; &nbsp;Genesis 2:2, "sixth" for "seventh." Strong Hebrew expressions are softened, "God's power" for "hand," "word" for "mouth"; so no stress can be laid on the Septuagint words to prove a point. (See [[Old]] TESTAMENT.) </p> <p> '''Use of Septuagint.''' Being made from manuscripts older far than our Masoretic text ''(From 280 To 180 B.C.)'' , it helps towards arriving at the true text in doubtful passages; so &nbsp;Psalms 22:16, where Septuagint "they pierced" gives the true reading instead of "as a lion," [[Aquila]] a Jew ''(A.D. 133)'' so translated "they disfigured"; (&nbsp;Psalms 16:10) "Thy [[Holy]] One" singular, instead of our Masoretic "Thy holy ones." The Septuagint is an impartial witness, being ages before the controversy between Jews and Christians. In &nbsp;Genesis 4:8 Septuagint has "and [[Cain]] said to [[Abel]] his brother, Let us go into the plain" or "field" ''(So Samaritan Pentateuch)'' ; but Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and the [[Targum]] of Onkelos agree with our Hebrew. </p> <p> Of 350 quotations of the Old [[Testament]] in the New Testament only 50 differ materially from Septuagint Its language molded the conceptions of the New Testament writers and preachers. The Hebrew ideas and modes of thought are transfused into its Greek, which is wholly distinct from classic Greek in this. Expressions unknown to the latter are intelligible from Septuagint, as "believe in God," "faith toward God," "flesh," "spirit," "justify," "fleshly mindedness." "The Passover" includes the after feast and sacrifices (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 16:2), illustrating the question on what day Christ kept it (&nbsp;John 18:28). </p>

The task of reconstructing the Oldest text is still unaccomplished. Materials have accumulated, and much preliminary "spade-work" has been done, by Lagarde in particular (see his "axioms" in Swete, <i> Introduction </i> , 484, ff) and more recently by Nestle and Rahlfs; but the principles which the editor must follow are not yet finally determined. The extent to which "mixture" has affected the documents is the stumbling-block. [[Clearly]] no single [[Moabite]] Stone presents the oldest text. That of codex B, as in the New Testament, is on the whole the purest. In the 4 books of "Reigns" (1 Samuel through 2 Kings), e.g., it has escaped the grosser interpolations found in most manuscripts, and Rahlfs ( <i> Sept.-Studien </i> , I, 1904) regards its text as pre-Origenic. It is, however, of unequal value and by no means an infallible guide; in Judges, e.g., its text is undoubtedly late, no earlier than the 4th century AD, according to one authority (Moore," Jgs," <i> ICC </i> ). In relation to two of the 4th-century recensions its text is neutral, neither predominantly Lucianic nor Hexaplaric; but it has been regarded by some authorities as Hesychian. Possibly the recension made in the country which produced the Septuagint adhered more closely than others to the primitive text; some "Hesychian" features in the B text may prove to be original. Still even its purest portions contain marks of editorial revision and patent corruptions. Codex Alexandrinus presents a quite different type of text, approximating to that of the Massoretic Text. In the books of "Reigns" it is practically a Hexaplaric text without the critical signs, the additional matter being mainly derived from Aquila. Yet that it contains an ancient element is shown by the large support given to its readings by the New Testament and early Christian writers. [[Individual]] manuscripts must give place to groups. In order to reconstruct the texts current before Origen's time, it is necessary to isolate the groups containing the three 4th-century recensions, and to eliminate from the recensions thus recovered all Hexaplaric matter and such changes as appear to have been introduced by the authors of those recensions. Other groups brought to light by the larger [[Cambridge]] text have also to be taken into account. The attempt to Renetrate into the earlier stages of the history is the hardest task. The Old Latin version is here the surest guide; it has preserved readings which have disappeared from all Greek manuscripts, and affords a criterion as to the relative antiquity of the Greek variants. The evidence of early Christian and Jewish citations is also valuable. Ultimately, after elimination of all readings proved t <div> <p> '''Copyright Statement''' These files are public domain and were generously provided by the folks at WordSearch Software. </p> <p> '''Bibliography Information''' Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Septuagint'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/s/septuagint.html. 1915. </p> </div>