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was the Septuagint the "bible" of The Apostles?

franklinmonroe

Active Member
Quote from Study Light site (writer: Hulitt Gloer) --
Since the New Testament was written in Greek for predominantly Greek readers, it is not surprising that a large majority of Old Testament quotes in the New Testament are drawn from the Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint (LXX).

Of Paul's 93 quotes, 51 are in absolute or virtual agreement with the LXX, while only 4 agree with the Hebrew text. This means that 38 diverge from all known Greek or Hebrew Old Testament texts. Of Matthew's 43 quotes, 11 agree with the LXX, while the other 32 differ from all known sources.

How then are these quotes to be explained? The New Testament writers may have used a version of the Old Testament which is unknown to us, or they may have been quoting from memory. It is also possible that the New Testament writers were more concerned with meaning and interpretation. It has also been suggested that the Old Testament quotations may have been drawn from “testimony books,” collections of selected, combined, and interpreted Old Testament texts gathered by the early Christian community for proclamation and apologetics. The frequent use of certain Old Testament texts, such as Psalms 110:1, Isaiah 43:1, and so forth, in the preaching and writing of the early church and the discovery of such collections at Qumran seem to support such a possibility.

There is a fairly thorough study of The Septuagint In The NT posted here -- http://mysite.verizon.net/rgjones3/Septuagint/spexecsum.htm
 
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Deacon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
An excellent resource that examines the OT passages mentioned in the NT is Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament edited by D.A. Carson and G.K. Beale.

In Sunday morning class this month we have been going over 1 Corinthians 15.

I thought I'd post a bit of what we covered today.

Here are the headings [bolded] and some of the text concerning the source of Paul's text for verse 15.

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
1 Corinthians 15:55 Reader's Digest Bible (1982) :tongue3:

15:55

A. NT Context: Death Vanquished. ….
B. Hos. 13:14 in Its OT Context. ….
C. Hos. 13:14 in Early Judaism. ….
D. Textual Matters. The MT, LXX, and Paul’s citation exhibit various differences: (1) Hebrew: “Where, O Death, are your plagues? Where, O Sheol, is your destruction?” (2) LXX: “Where, O Death, is your judgment? Where, O Hades, is your sting?” (3) Paul: “Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” …
E. The Use of Hos. 13:14 in 1 Cor. 15:55.
F. Theological Use.
Beale, G. K., & Carson, D. A. (2007). Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament (748). Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, UK: Baker Academic; Apollos.


In the same resource David W. Pao and Eckard J. Schnabel write regarding Luke 22:44:
Verse 44 is prime evidence for the early existence of the tripartite “canon” of Law, Prophets, and Writings, paralleled in 4Q397 14–21; 4Q398 14–17 I, 3–4. Jesus’ reference to the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms establishes not only a general continuity with the Jewish Scriptures, but also, and more importantly, a continuity between the past reality of divine salvation in Israel’s history and the present reality of the events that had just transpired in the Holy City (see Tomson 2002: 169). [p. 401]

Rob
 

Deacon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
...to you we have [written] that you must understand the book of Moses [and] the book[s of the pr]ophets and Davi[d …] 4Q397 Frags. 21:10

[and the books of the prophets and David and the annals of each] generation [and in] the book is written […] and the former times … 4Q398 14–17 I, 3–4.

Garcı́a Martı́nez, F., & Tigchelaar, E. J. C. (1997-1998). Vol. 2: The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition (translations) (801, 803). Leiden; New York: Brill.
 
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Yeshua1

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Quote from Study Light site (writer: Hulitt Gloer) --
Since the New Testament was written in Greek for predominantly Greek readers, it is not surprising that a large majority of Old Testament quotes in the New Testament are drawn from the Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint (LXX).

Of Paul's 93 quotes, 51 are in absolute or virtual agreement with the LXX, while only 4 agree with the Hebrew text. This means that 38 diverge from all known Greek or Hebrew Old Testament texts. Of Matthew's 43 quotes, 11 agree with the LXX, while the other 32 differ from all known sources.

How then are these quotes to be explained? The New Testament writers may have used a version of the Old Testament which is unknown to us, or they may have been quoting from memory. It is also possible that the New Testament writers were more concerned with meaning and interpretation. It has also been suggested that the Old Testament quotations may have been drawn from “testimony books,” collections of selected, combined, and interpreted Old Testament texts gathered by the early Christian community for proclamation and apologetics. The frequent use of certain Old Testament texts, such as Psalms 110:1, Isaiah 43:1, and so forth, in the preaching and writing of the early church and the discovery of such collections at Qumran seem to support such a possibility.

There is a fairly thorough study of The Septuagint In The NT posted here -- http://mysite.verizon.net/rgjones3/Septuagint/spexecsum.htm

Could it also be the truth that it would appear that the Holy Spirit could have chosen them use and quote from the LXX in order to get not the literal quote but more of the spirit of the quote, as He allowed them to use OT more "freely" as they could see jesus in OT passages that appeared to have both immediate/future fulfillment!

Thinking such as prophet saying "out of Egypt called My Son' which meant isreal to the time, but also referred to Christ!
 

franklinmonroe

Active Member
Thanks, Deacon.
[and the books of the prophets and David and the annals of each] generation [and in] the book is written […] and the former times … 4Q398 14–17 I, 3–4.
The brackets usually indicate that no readable text is actually present; how certain is Martı́nez & Tigchelaar's long insertion of "and the books of the prophets and David and the annals of each"?
 
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