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One of the most mooted points which have vexed scholars is the question as to the relation of the Peshito to the Sept. and Chaldee version.
I. Relation to the Septuagint. — A good deal has been written concerning this question, pro and con. To the former side belong Gesenius, Credner, Havernick, and Bleek; to the latter, Hirzel and Herbst. Without adducing the arguments used on both sides, it must be admitted that an influence of the Sept. upon the Peshito cannot be denied, and to this supposition we are led by a comparison of the one with the other. To make our assertion good, we will present the following passages from different books, and the reader can draw his own inferences. We commence with the book of Gen_2:2. Sept. ôῆ ἕêôῃ Syr. ùúéúéà . From the ant. Talmundic Notices on the Septuagint, s.v. SEPTUAGINT in this Cyclopaedia, it will be seen that the Sept. changed here purposely “seventh” into “sixth.” If the Peshito version were made only from the original Hebrew, there was no reason why the äùáéòé of the Hebrew should h be translated as if it read äùùé , like the reading of the Samuel, Samuel vers., and Syr., which all followed the Sept;.
2:4. àøåֹ åùîéí — Sept. ôὸí ïὐñáíὸí êáὶ ôὴí ; Syr. ùîéà åàøòַà .
23. îàéù -Sept. ἐê ôïῦ ἀíäñὸò áὐôῖò ; Syr. ãîï âáøä .
24. åäéå -Sept. êáὶ ἔóïíôáé ïἱ äýï ; Syr. úøéäåï åðäååï .
3:2. îôøé òåֹ -Sept. ἀðὸ ðáíôὸò îýëïõ ; Syr. also has ëì .
7. òìä — Sept. öýëëá ; Syr. èøôà .
9. åéàîø -Sept. êáὶ åéðåí Á᾿äÜì ; Syr. also supplies àã .
11. åéàîø -Sept. êáὶ åéðåí áὐôῷ ὁ èåüò ; Syr. ìä îøéà åàîø .
16. àìàּäàùä — Sept. êáὶ ôῇ ãõíáéêß ; Syr. åìàðúúà .
4:8. àçéå -Sept. äéÝëèùìåí åἰò ôὸ ðÝäéïí ; Syr. ìä÷ìúà ðøãàּ .
10. åéàîø -Sept. êáὶ åéðå êýñéïò ; Syr. îøéà åàîø ìä .
öò÷éí — Sept. âïᾶ '/; Syr. âìà .
15. ìëï –Sept. ïὐ÷ ïὔôùò ; Syr. ìàäëðà .
17. ëùí -Sept. ἐðé ôῷ ὀíüìáôé ; Syr. òìùí .
25. àúàּàùúå -Sept. Åὔáí ôὴí ãõíáῖêá áὐôïῦ ; Syr. ìçåà àðúúä .
åúìã -Sept. êáὶ óõëëáâïῦóá ἔôåêåí ; Syr. åáèðú åéìãú .
5:23. åéäé -Sept. êáὶ ἐãåíïíôï ; Syr. åäåå (id. ver. 31).
29. îîòùðå -Sept. ἀðὸ ôῶí ἐñãῶí ἡìῶí ; Syr. òáãéï îï .
îï -Sept. êáὶ ἀðü ; Syr. åîï . 6:20. îëì -Sept. and Syr. åîëì .
7:2. ùðéí — Sept. äὐï äýï ; Syr. úøéï úøéï .
3. âí — Sept. and Syr. åâí .
8. åëì -Sept. and Syr. åîëì .
20. ääøéí -Sept. ôὰ ὄñç ὑøçëÜ ; Syr. èåøà øîà .
8:7. åéöà éöåà åùåá -Sept. êáὶ ἐîåëèὼí ïὐê ἀíÝóôñåøå ; Syr. åðô÷ îô÷ åìà äô . ִ
17. ëì -Sept. and Syr. åëì (id. ver. 19).
22. å÷ø -Sept. and Syr. ÷ø .
å÷éåֹ -Sept. alnd Syr. ÷éåֹ .
9:2. áëì -Sept. êáὶ ἐðé ðÜíôá ; Syr. åòìëì .
5. îéã àéù -Sept. ἐê ÷åéñüò ; Syr. åîï àéãà .
7. ùøöå — Sept. êáὶ ðëçñώóáôå ; Syr. åàåìãå .
10. ááäîä -Sept. êáὶ ἀðὸ êôçíῶí; Syr. åòí áòéøà .
11:27. àú ðçåø -Sept. êáὶ ôὸí Íá÷ώñ ; Syr. åìðçåø .
12:3. åî÷ìì - ִ Sept. êáὶ ôïὺò êáôáñùìÝíïõò óå ; Syr. åîìéèðé . ִ
7. åéàîø — Sept. êáὶ åéðåí áὐôῷ ; Syr. åàîø ìä .
13. ðà — Sept. and Syr. omit (id. 13:8).
13:7. éùá — Sept. êáô ó êïõí ; Syr. éúáéï .
14:1. àøéå - ִ Sept. and Syr. åàøéå . ִ
åúøòì -Sept. ÈáñãÜë ; Syr. úøòéì .
2. ùðàá — Sept. and Syr. åùðàá .
5. áäí , in Ham-Sept. ἃìá áὐôïῖò ; Syr. ãáäéï .
6. áäøøí -Sept. ἐí ôïῖò ὄñåóé ; Syr. ãáèåøé .
7. ùãä , the country-Sept. ôïὺò ἄñ÷ïíôáò ; Syr. øéùðà .
10. ñãí òîøä -Sept. Óïäüìùí êáὶ âáóéëåὺò Ãïìüῤῥáò ; Syr. ãñãåí åîìëà ãòîåøà .
14:20. áéã — ִ Sept. ὑðï÷åéñßïõò óïõ ; Syr. áàéãé . ִ
15:5. åéàîø -Sept. êáὶ åéðåí áὐôῷ ; Syr. åàîø ìä .
6. åäàîï -Sept. êáὶ ἐðßóôåõóåí ῎Áâñáì ; Syr. àáø åäéîéï .
16:2. ðà — Sept. and Syr. omit.
6. áéã — ִ Sept. ἐí ôáῖò ÷åñóß óïõ ; Syr. áàéãéëé .
15. éìãä — Sept. ἔôåêåí áὐôῳ ; Syr. ãàúéìã ìä .
17:16. îìëé -Sept. êáὶ âáóéëåῖò ; Syr. åîìëà .
19. àìäéí -Sept. ὁ èåὸò ðñὸò Á᾿âñáÜì ; Syr. ìàáøäí .
ìæøòå -Sept. êáὶ ôῷ óðÝñìáôé áὐôïῦ ; Syr. åìæøòä .
18:5. àçø — Sept. êáὶ ìåôὰ ôïῦôï ; Syr. åáúø ëï .
17. îàáøäí -Sept. ἀðὸ Á᾿âñáὰì ôïῦ ðáéäüò ìïí ; Syr. òáãé àáøä îï .
20. ëé øáä — Sept. ðåðëçèýíôáé ðñüò ìå ; Syr. òìú÷ãîé .
29. ìà àòùä -Sept. ïὐ ìὴ ἀðïëÝóù ; ‘.Syr. àçáìàï ìà .
19:3. àôä -Sept. ἔðåøåí áὐôïῖò ; Syr. àôà ìäåï .
7. åéàîø -Sept. åéðå äὲ ðñὸò áὐôïýò ; Syr. ìäåï åàîø .
12. îï äî÷åí -Sept. ἐê ôïῦ ôüðïõ ôïýôïõ ; Syr. àúֹøà äðà îï .
20:15. àáéîì — ִ Sept. Á᾿âéìÝëå÷ ôῷ Á᾿âñáÜì ; Syr. ìàáøä .
21:8. éöç÷ -Sept. É᾿óáÜê ὁ õἱὸò áὐôïῦ ; Syr. ìñç÷åòä áøàּ . 10. òí (2.)-Sept. and Syr. omit.
13. ìâåé — Sept. åἰò ἔèíïò ìÝãá ; Syr. ìòîà øáà .
14. ùí -Sept. êáὶ ἐðÝèçêåí ; Syr. åñí .
33. åéèò -Sept. êáὶ ἐöýôåõóåí Á᾿âñáÜì ; Syr. àáøä åðöá .
22:13. àçø — Sept. åéò ; Syr. çã .
16. àú éçéã - ִ Sept. ôïῦ ἀãáðçôïῦ äὲ ἐìÝ ; Syr. ìéçéãé ִîðé .
23:14. ìå -Sept. and Syr. omit.
19. òì ôðé -Sept. ὅ ἔóôéí ἀðÝíáíôé ; Syr. ãëãí .
24:21. îçøéù -Sept. êáὶ ðáñåóéώðá ; Syr. åîúá÷à .
25. âí î÷åí -Sept. êáὶ ôüðïò ; Syr. åà àúøä .
31. åéàîø — Sept. êáé åéðåí áὐôῷ ; Syr. åàîø ìä .
33. åéàîø ãáø -Sept. êáὶ åéðåí , ËÜëçóïí ; Syr. åàîøéï ìä àîø .
38. ìáðé -Sept. ôῷ õἱῷ ìïõ ἐêåῖèåí ; Syr. úîï ìáøé îï .
40. éùìç -Sept. áὐôὸò ἐîáðïóôåëåῖ ; Syr, äå ðçøã .
54. ùìçðé -Sept. ἐêðÝìøáôÝ ìå ἵíá ἀðÝëèù ; Syr. ùãøåðé àæì .
55. åéàîø àçéä — Sept. åéðáí äὲ ïἱ ἀäåëöïὶ áὐôῆò ;
Syr. åàîøå ìä àçéï . àçø -Sept. êáὶ ìåôὰ ôáῦôá ; Syr. åäéãéï .
60. øá÷ä -Sept. ῾ÑåâÝêêáí ôçí ἀäåëöὴí áὐôῶí ; Syr. ìøá÷à çúäåå .
25:5. ìéöּç÷ -Sept. É᾿óáὰê ôῷ õἱῷ áὐôïῦ ; Syr. áøä ìéñç÷ .
8. åùáò - Sept. êáß ðëήñçò ἡìåñῶí ; Syr. éåîúä åùáò .
Without enlarging our collation, it must be seen at once that the agreement between the Sept. and the Syriac version cannot be merely accidental, and the most skeptic must admit that the Sept. has been made use of by the Syriac translators. Is this inference correct, we may go a step farther and say what holds good for the one must also be good for the other; or, in other words, the Syriac translator made use of the Sept. for the other books too. And, indeed, Gesenius has produced a number of examples from the book of Isaiah to show that the Sept. was followed even in free and arbitrary interpretations (comp. his Commentar iber den Jesaia, 1, 82 sq.); and, in like manner, Credner, who has minutely examined the minor prophets in his De Prophetarumn Minorum Versioanis Syriacae quam Peschito vocant Indole, thinks that the Sept. was employed there. A similar result will be achieved in comparing the book:of Jeremiah. Thus,
2:25. ðåàù -Sept. ἀíäñéïῦìáé; Syr. àúçéì : both derive it from àéù , instead of from éàù (comp. also 18:12).
34. ëéòìëì àֵìֶä -Sept. ἐðὶ ðÜóῃ äñõú v; Syr. ëì àéìï úçéú : both probably reading àֵìָä .
3:2. ëִòֲøָáַé -Sept. êïñώíç ; Syr. ðòáà , reading ëָòֹøֵá .
8. îùáç — Sept. êáôïéêßá ; Syr. òîåøúà , deriving from éùá .
8:21. äùáøúé -Sept. and Syr. omit.
15:6. ðìàéúé äðçí -Sept. êáὶ ïὐêÝôé ἀíήóù áὐôïýò ; Syr. åúåá ìà àùáå÷ ìäåï : both reading äִðַּçֵ for äַðָּçֵí
17:16. éåí àָðåּùׁ -Sept. ἡìÝñáí ἀíèñώðïí ; Syr. ãáøðùà éåîà : both reading àֶðåֹùׁ .
18:14. îöåø ùָׂãִé -Sept. ἀðὸ ðÝôñáò ìáóôïß ; Syr. èåø úãéà îï : both reading ùָׁãִé .
48:2. âí îãîï úãîé -Sept. êáὶ ðáῦóéí ðáýóéí ðáýóåôáé ; Syr. àôï îùú÷ àï äùú÷éï : both regarded îãîï not as a proper noun, but as an Aramaic infinitive of ãָîִí .
1:21. åàì éåùáé ô÷åã çִøá . In the Masoretictext tlie Athnach under ô÷åã indicates that it belongs to éåùáé . The Sept. connects ô÷åã with çøá , also reading çֶøֶá ἐêäßêçóïí ìÜ÷áéñá ; in like manner the Syr. connects and translates àúúòéøé çøáà . It would be useless to adduce more examples for our supposition, since we do not write a dissertation, but for a cyclopaedia which, so far as the point in question is concerned, has treated that subject in such a full way as neither the introductions to the Old Test. nor cyclopaedias and dictionaries of the Bible have done before, if they ever touched this point fully.
There is yet another matter which we should not pass over, and to which, as it, seems little, attention has been paid. We mean the titles of the Syriac psalms, which are found neither in the Hebrew nor in the editions of the Sept. The titles are partly historical, partly dogmatical; the former speak of David or the Jewish people, the latter of Christ and his Church. Now the question arises, if the Syriac translators really perused the Sept., as our supposition is, how is it that the titles found in the Syriac psalms are not to be met with in the Sept.? But the question is easily answered, when we consider the fact that these titles are not only found in the commentary of Eusebius, but also in the Codex Alexandrinus. From the latter they were reprinted in Walton's Polyglot (vol. 6 pt. 6 p. 137 sq.), and again by Grabe, in the fourth volume of his edition of the Sept. A comparison of the titles as found in the Alex. Codex with those in the Peshito shows that the dogmatical part of these titles are a later addition, otherwise we could not account for the omission in the Greek, if really the latter had copied the Peshito. Deducting these additions, the titles otherwise agree with each other. Thus the title of Psalms 2 reads: ðñïöçôåßá ðåñὶ ×ñéóôïῦ êáὶ êëήóåùò ἐèíῶí ; Syr. øîæ ðáéåúà îèì ùçä ãîùéçà îèì ÷øéúà ãàîîà Psalms 3, ðñïöçôåßá ãåíçóïìÝíùí ἀãáèῶí ôῷ Äáõßä ; Syr. òì èáúà ãòúéãï àîéø ìãåéã : Psalms 4 ðñïöçôåßá ôῷ Äáõὶä ðåñὶ ὡí ðÝðïíèåí ; Syr. ìãåéã îèì äìéï ãùç .
II. Relation to the Chaldee. — That there is a tolerable likeness between the Syriac and Chaldee in many places cannot be denied. Gesenius has produced a number of examples from. Isaiah to show that the Targum was used there (Comment. 1, 83 sq.). Credner is of the same opinion in regard to the minor prophets (De Prophetarum, etc., p. 107). Havernick and Herbst are of an opposite opinion, and yet the original traces of a use of a Targum are too distinct to be denied, as the following examples in Genesis must show:
We could thus go on with the other books of the Pentateuch, but our examples are sufficient to show that the priority belongs to the Chaldee of Onkelos, and not to the Peshito. Our supposition being correct, the assertions of those must fall to the ground who would put Onkelos in the 2nd or 3rd century. On the contrary, we believe that the Targum of Onkelos belongs to the time of Christ — provided the Syriac version of the Pentateuch belongs to the 1st century of the Christian era — and thus the notices concerning Onkelos which we find in the Talmud are confirmed anew. Our examples from the book of Genesis leaving it beyond a shadow of doubt as to the dependence of the Syriac version upon the Chaldee, the Chaldee of the book of Proverbs will prove this more fully. Thus we read:
We will not increase the quotations, but let the student examine passages like 1:6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 18, 21-23, 25, 30, 33; 2:1, 4, 10, 14, 17, 21; 3:2, 4, 6-8, 12, 15, 19, 21, 25, 29; 4:2,3,10, 11, 14, 18, 21-23, 25-27; 5:2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 13, 16, 18, 21, 23; 6:1, 2, 4-6, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 26, 28, 34; 7:2- 4,10, 16-18, 23-25; 8:4, 8, 10, 12, 13, 20, 23, 26, 32; 9:4, 5, 11, 14; 10:3- 5, 7, 9, 16, 22, 30, 31; 11:7, 13, 14, 18, 21, 22, 26, 27, etc. — altogether more than 300 passages where he will find a striking similarity between these two versions.
Besides this similarity, there are a great many passages in which the Chaldee and Syriac deviate from the Hebrew, and the inner connection of both versions with each other can no longer be doubted. Thus Pro_1:7, the Hebrew reads, éøàú éäåä øàùéú ãòç — i.e., “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom;” but the Chaldee reads, øéù çëîúà ãçìúà ãéé — i.e. “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God;” and so also the Syr. øéù ç÷îúà ãçìúà ãîøéà : or 16:4, éäåä ìîòðäå ëì ôòì — “The Lord has made all things fot himself;” the Chaldee paraphrases, ãàìäà ìàéìéï ãîùúîòéï ìéä ëìäåï òåáãéï — i.e. “All works of God are for those who obey him;” and thus also the Syr. ãîùúîòéï ìä ëìäåï òáãåäé ãîøéà ìàéìéï . Without increasing the number of such passages, we will adduce some in which both versions entirely give up the Masoretic text and follow another reading: thus Pro_1:24, for åúîàðå the Chaldee reads åìà úàîéðå , for the translation is äéîðúåï åìà , and so also the Syriac, äéîðúåï åìà :5,9, the Chaldee reads äåð instead of äåã , ִ for the translation is çéì , ִ and so in the Syriac, çéì : ִ 9,-11, for ëéáé : the Chaldee reads ëéáä , for the translation is îèåì ãáä , and in the Syriac îèì ãáä . These examples, which could be increased greatly (comp. 3:27; 5:4, 9, 19, 21; 7:2,23 3; 9:11; 10:4; 11:26; 12:4, 19, 21, 28; 13:15, 19; 14:14; 15:4; 19:19, 23; 20:4, 14, 20; 21:4, 30; 22:11, 16; 24:5, 22; 25:20,27; 26:5,7, 10; 28:5, 11; 29:18, 21; 30:31; 31:6), leave no doubt that the Chaldee and Syriac stand in a relation of dependence to each other.
But in speaking of a relation of these versions, it must not be understood as if they relate to each other as the original and copy, but this relation consists in that the author of the one version, in preparing the same, followed mostly the other without giving up his independence entirely. This we can see from the eighty-two passages in which the Chaldee follows the Masoretic text, while the Syriac deviates from it, as 2:16; 3:30; 4:3,11, 22, 25, 32; 7:7, 8, 10,22; 8:7,11,35; 9:12, 18; 10:10, 12, 19, 24, 26; 11:9, 10, 16, 19, 24, 29; 12:17, 23; 13:1,10,23; 14:7,17, 22,23, 33,35; 15:10,14,16, 17, 22, 30; 16:7, 26; 17:4, 9, 15; 18:1, 3, 6, 15; 19:1, 4, 22, 29; 21:14; 22:3, 19; 23:2, 6, 30, 34; 24:10, 26, 32, 33; 25:4,11, 10, 13, 21, 22; 26:2, 11-13, 17-19, 26; 30:15, 19; or from those passages in which the Syriac agrees with, the Masoretic text against the Chaldee, as.6:35; 7:15; 8:29; 10:29; 11:4; 14:24; 15:32; 16:5, 17:5, 16; 18:17; 19:2, 13; 23:28; 24:9, 14; 25:9; 28:1; 31:3.
To these examples from the book of Proverbs we could also add a number from other books. Future investigations based upon these must show the tenability or otherwise of our assertion. See also Schohnfelder, Onkelos und Peshito (Muinchen, 1869); Maya haum, Ueber die Sprache des Taryunm zuden Sprilchen u 2nd dessen Verhdltniss zulm Syrer, inm Merx, Archiv für wissenschftliche Erforschulg des Alten Testaments, 2, 66 sq.; Dathe, Opuscula, p. 106 sq.; Fralnkl Studien iib eri die Septuagiutat und Peschito u Jeremiah, in Frankel-Gratz, Moatsschift, 1872, p.444 sq. (B.P.)