So, you have survived Greek. You have even mastered the 300 uses of “kai”. Now, you think to yourself, “Self, why should I learn Hebrew? After all, there is a perfectly good Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint (LXX).” On the surface this looks like good thinking, or at least a clear demonstration of survival skills! However, the LXX comes with its own set of difficulties and agendas. Personally, I like to use the LXX as a way to give more insight into the Hebrew Masoretic Text, or, more often, as a way to tap into the thinking of those Second Temple Jews in Alexandria, Egypt. The LXX comes from @270 BCE and it comes with baggage. It was originally translated in order to help the Jews in this Greek city gain more respect and standing in their culture. Of course, they were not above slightly “tweaking” the text now and again just to help make their case stronger. Need a modern day example? Read the newspaper! Another difficulty comes from the transferring of an eastern based language into a western based language. Not only is Hebrew structured differently than Greek, the Hebrews even think differently. Ask the Greek professors here at the Seminary about us Hebrew guys and our thought processes! Even the other Greek translators recognized this problem as they have provided us with revisions and recensions of this LXX text. Each one in its own way is an attempt to provide a better rendering of the Hebrew.

I realize that the Early Church Fathers used the LXX and that many of the quotes of the Old Testament in the New Testament are from the LXX, but my question to you is, “Why eat hamburger when steak is right in front of you?”

Prof. Jeffrey Pulse, Associate Professor of Exegetical Theology, CTS