Johann Cook, «Are the Additions in LXX Job 2,9a-e to be deemed as the Old Greek text?», Vol. 91 (2010) 275-284
The LXX version of Job is described as an abbreviated, shortened text. However, it does contain two prominent additions in Job 2,9a-e and 42,17b-e. As far as the first is concerned this article argues that it is not the result of a later hand, nor of a differing Hebrew parent text. Based on a contextual analysis combined with an analysis of lexical items found in the additions, it reaches the conclusion that the translator of the Old Greek in fact is the work of the original translator.
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THE ADDITIONS LXX JOB 2,9A-E
IN
I. LXX Job 2 — Job’s Wife
The second chapter of Job has a different profile from MT. In this
case thé characteristic of the chapter is that 5 extra strophes have been
added in the Greek, the crucial question remaining whether the additions
come from the hand of the translator or from some later hand.
1. The translator’s approach
The unique approach of the translator is observed on two levels:
a) The micro level
This chapter contains 4 hapax legomena. The verb ekt¥new in verse 5
ßı
renders –ty.
ei
Three more examples come from the set of additions, namely the verb
dianyktereyw in 9c and planhtiv 13 and latriv in 9d. A number of
¥ ˜ ¥
lexemes is used pertinently in the Greek.
The translator seemingly renders freely. The adjective akakov does
¶
not appear in Job chapter 1 and is used sparingly in the LXX. Of these
three times occur in Job [2,3 (μT) ; 8,20 (μT) and 36,5(-)]; once in Ps 24
: :
(25),21; Wis 4,12 and Je 11,19, respectively. It appears 9 times in
Proverbs which makes for interesting reading, 1,4 (yI P) and 22 (yI P) ; 2,21
t, t,
(μymymT) ; 8,5 (yI P) ; 13,6 (μT) ; 14,15 (yI P) ; 15,10 (*) and 23 (*) and 21,11
I Iˆ t, o t,
(ytP). The Hebrew lexeme yI P is rendered in various ways in Proverbs 1.
I, t,
In verse 22 akakov is used, but in verse 32 nhpiov is the equivalent. In
¶ ¥
the other passages in Proverbs the distribution of yI P is as follows: 7,7
t,
(afronwn) ; 8,5 (akakov) ; 9,4 (afrwn) and 16 (afrwn) ; 14,15 (akakov)
ߥ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶
and 18 (afrwn) ; 19,25 (afrwn) ; 21,11 (akakov) ; 22,3 (afrwn) and
¶ ¶ ¶ ¶
27,12 (afrwn). Three lexemes are thus used as equivalents for yI P, with
¶ t,
the cluster of lexemes concerning afrwn the most frequently used,
¶
namely 7 times. Four examples are of akakov, with nhpiov as the
¶ ¥
apparent exegetical rendering. As stated above the situation is different in
Job. The adjective afrwn occurs only in Job 2,10; 5,2 and 3; 30,8 and
¶
34,36.
There is a pertinent difference between akakov and afrwn in Greek
¶ ¶
literature. The first denotes the innocent in many contexts. In the LXX,
for instance, Job is called an akakov anhr. This is even the case in
¶ ߥ
Plato’s Timeaus 91d where the innocent are described as akakoi andrev.
¶ ¶
Philo (Spec. Leg., III, 119) uses this term in connection with innocent
children. He also applies a related term, akak¥a in order to depict the
ß ı
This word occurs only in some mss.
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