LXX (Hebrews 11:21)(SteveCR/F.Till)
Matthew Bell mbkbell@aapi.co.uk
Mon, 27 Apr 1998 11:44:34 +0100 (00893691874, 19980427104650078.AAA970@mbell.aapi.co.uk)
> STEVE CR (27/4)
> Now I really am confused. The LXX Pentateuch existed BC? It was a Greek
> translation of the OT Pentateuch?
MATT BELL
The Rylands Papyrus #458, Aristobulos comments, Letter of Aristeas,
comments of Josephus, all bear witness to a Greek translation of the Law.
STEVE CR
> Well, I'm indebted to another evangelical for the following which once
> again calls on our trusty, non-LXX friend, the writer of Hebrews.
>
> From "The New Testament Use of the Old Testament" by Moises Silva (from
> 'Scripture and Truth' p. 150)
>
> "In Hebrews 11:21 we read that Jacob, when he was at the point of death,
> blessed Joseph's sons "and worshipped upon the top of his staff." These
> words are an exact quotation from the LXX of Genesis 47:31 (kai
> prosekynesen epi to akron tes rhabdou autou). The difficulty arises when
we
> check our English versions of Genesis, which say nothing about a staff;
> rather, they speak of Israel (Jacob) as bowing down on the head of his
> *bed*... "
MATT BELL
In Genesis 47:31 it says,
'And he (Israel) said, Swear unto me. And he (Joseph) sware unto him. And
Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.'
In Hebrews 11:21 we read,
'By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and
worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.'
Since Jacob did not bless the sons of Joseph until chapter 48 are you
saying that the writer of the Hebrews didn't record things chronologically?
Or are they two different events, which would explain why, 'when we check
our English versions of Genesis, which say nothing about a staff; rather,
they speak of Israel (Jacob) as bowing down on the head of his *bed*... "
By the way I am aware that bed and staff are the same Hebrew letter
differentiated only by the vowel points.
STEVE CR
> For Matt's benefit I have checked my Greek NT which claims to be "the
Greek
> text underlying the English Authorised Version of 1611" and it is the
Greek
> above. I have no way of checking the Greek of the LXX, but book
'Scripture
> and Truth' is a fairly scholarly book.
> Now apart from establishing a BC Pentateuchal LXX (which we all agree
on),
> doesn't this show that the writer of Hebrews used the LXX (only
> Pentateuchal of course)?
MATT BELL
Well, it could show that the writer of the Hebrews used a Greek translation
of the Pentateuch, or it could show that the 'that the scribe penning the
LXX must therefore be writing after the completion of the Book of Hebrews,
not before. He is using a copy of that Epistle as an aid in his Greek O.T.
translation and has once again missed the cross reference. In so doing, he
alters the accurate ending of Genesis 47:31 from the Hebrew O.T. which he
is using and inserts the Hebrews 11:21 New Testament reading at the end of
the verse to bring them into agreement. He well may have believed that he
had corrected a "corrupt" reading, but instead, he adulterated and tainted
the true rendering as faithfully preserved in the Hebrew Masoretic Text.'
(The Septuagint: A Critical Analysis - Floyd Jones Ministries, Inc.)
Whichever one is correct the Hebrews 11:21 verse does not establish
anything more than what is already accepted, a BC Greek Pentateuch.
Thanks
Matt Bell
This is generally thought to be a reference to Gen. 47:31, where the Hebrew
text and the Septuagint differ. The Hebrew text states that Jacob "bowed
himself upon the bed's head." The LXX declares that Jacob "bowed himself
on the top of his staff." This difference is attributable to the fact that
in Hebrew, the words "bed" and "staff" are the same letters. Only the
vowel points are different, thus "bed" could easily be mistaken for "staff"
and vice versa.
It is usually said that Heb. 11:21 follows the Septuagint reading of Gen.
47:31; however, the scribe responsible for the corruption in the LXX failed
to perceive that the context of Hebrews 11:21 was not that of Genesis
chapter 47! The context of Hebrews 11:21 is: "when he (Jacob) was a dying,
blessed both the sons of Joseph" – and that story appears in the 48th
chapter of Genesis!
There Jacob sat on the edge of his bed (Gen. 48:2; compare vs. 5 and 12) as
he blessed and adopted Ephraim and Manasseh, having taken the boys between
his knees for the Hebrew ritual of adoption. The Holy Spirit now adds the
minute detail, through the hand of the New Testament writer of the Epistle
to the Hebrews, that Jacob did so while leaning on the top of his staff.
It is almost superfluous to add, but we again do so lest the obvious be
overlooked, that the scribe penning the LXX must therefore be writing after
the completion of the Book of Hebrews, not before. He is using a copy of
that Epistle as an aid in his Greek O.T. translation and has once again
missed the cross reference. In so doing, he alters the accurate ending of
Genesis 47:31 from the Hebrew O.T. which he is using and inserts the
Hebrews 11:21 New Testament reading at the end of the verse to bring them
into agreement. He well may have believed that he had corrected a
"corrupt" reading, but instead, he adulterated and tainted the true
rendering as faithfully preserved in the Hebrew Masoretic Text.
>
> I have the question mark because.. it seems so to me. But I'm sure
there's
> another good explanation...
>
> Got it! Yes, the Pentateuchal LXX existed BC, but.. the writer of Hebrews
> didn't quote from it. He quoted the MT, changing the text subtly to make
> his inspired point, but in no way violating the original meaning of the
> text, and then when Origen came to produce his rest-of-the-OT-LXX he
simply
> amended his translation in line with this extract from Hebrews.
>
> How'd I do, Matt? How'd I do?
>
> In a later Email I will show how the two versions are entirely compatible
> and the textual change does not alter the meaning one whit!