Cep to a what? The Old Testament in Greek Part 3
Posted
Monday, June 19, 2006
by
Charlie Trimm
This is the third and final installment in my review of Invitation to the Septuagint by Karen Jobes and Moises Silva. I recommend the book if you want to get a good grounding in the LXX and why it is important.
Interpretation of the LXX is the topic of chapter 10. There is a detailed comparison of the LXX and the Hebrew of Genesis 4:1-8, a not as detailed look at Isaiah 52:13-53:12, and a broad look at the LXX and the Alpha – text of Esther (an alternative Greek text).
A human touch is given in chapter 11 with a biographical look at the great LXX scholars of the 19th and early 20th centuries. One interesting twist is how the work of de Lagarde, a German anti-Semite from the late 19th century, provided the basis of the work for Margolis, an American Jew who was one of the greatest Jewish scholars of the twentieth century.
Chapter 12 tells about current research in LXX studies. These include lexicographic question, such as what kind of dictionary to make for the LXX. Should the dictionary define words based on the Hebrew words they translate or how the Greek speaker who did not know Hebrew would understand them? Another important area of research is syntax. Scholars are developing ways to analyze translation technique. One example of this is to study how the infinite absolute (which has no Greek equivalent) is translated.
The thirteenth chapter looks at the current state of reconstructing the ancient text of the LXX. Most scholars do theoretically think that there was originally one translation into Greek from which all other translations were based, although this belief is not universal. Work is also being done to determine the exact text of the Lucianic recension and the kaige recension, although many do not think that the latter was made at one specific time and is not a coherent recension.
Theological development visible in the LXX is the topic of the last chapter. Since every translation is also an interpretation, theoretically it should be feasible to find theological influences in the LXX. There could be Christian influences, since the LXX was used primarily by Christians and most of the manuscripts we have were done by Christian scribes. However, the Jewish scribes also made changes into the LXX to remove the Christian influences. However, there are many problems, such as determining the original text, determining the texts of the various recensions, translation equivalences (is this just a good translation or a theological spin), and contemporary meanings of words. One change is evident in Isaiah 19:25, where instead of a blessing being on Egypt and Assyria, the blessing goes to God’s people in Egypt and Assyria. Several important topics are alleged to be seen, such as messianism, eschatology, and Hellenistic philosophy, but most of the readings are debated.
Several useful appendixes list the major organizations studying the LXX and various essential books and projects related to the LXX. There is also a nice glossary and a list of all the differences in verse and chapter numbers between the English and the LXX.
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