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The language of the Sept., from its close connection with that of the New Test., has been a fruitful source of discussion, and various theories on the subject have been maintained with considerable vehemence. Thus Isaac Vossius maintained that the Alexandrian Jews were studious of Attic Greek. Scaliger used the phrase “Hellenistic tongue;” Salmasius contended for a “Hellenistic Greek,” and maintained that the diction or style of the Sept. was not a form of Greek which had its origin in Alexandria, or in other parts where the Macedonian rule had prevailed, but that it was the style of translators, or of authors whose acquaintance with the language was imperfect. It was the Greek of the unlearned, and therefore ἰäéùôéêüò , or unpolished; it was used to interpret Hebrew ideas and phrases, and thus it was ἑñìçíåõôéêüò , or the language of interpreters. R. Simon used the term “synagogue Greek” to express a style of Greek which was so full of Hebrew words and Hebraisms as to be scarcely. intelligible to readers who had no knowledge of Hebrew or Chaldee. He illustrates this by the Spanish Jews' translation of the Bible into the Spanish tongue which can be understood only by those who have some knowledge of Hebrew as well as Spanish. Later critics have, however, admitted the existence of an Alexandrian dialect, from which the Sept. has derived some of its features, though these are not its most prominent characteristics. Thus Hody, quoting Crocus, says:
The Greek translators of the Scriptures are to be described as Hebraists, Chaldaists, and. Alexandrists. Their version is full of Hebrew, Chaldee, and Alexandrian words and phrases. They render word for word, and often where a passage is thus translated, the words are Greek, but the Hebrew construction is retained” (De Bibl. Text. Orig. 2, 4, 23).
As the text from which the Alexandrian version was made did not have the vowel-points, it would be very interesting to know how the translators pronounced the Hebrew, and the more so since some critics who delight in hunting after various readings would make the Sept. the standard for the Hebrew text. But here we are at a loss, and all that we know we can only make out from the version itself. Commencing with the alphabet, the pronunciation of the letters is given to us in the Lamentations of Jeremiah, where the verses are arranged alphabetically. The letters of the alphabet, thus commencing the different verses, are expressed fully, as the following scheme will show:
à = ῎Áëåö . ì = ËÜìåä . á = Âήè . î = Ìήì . â = Ãßìåë . ð = Íïýí ã = ÄÜëåè . ñ = ÓÜìå÷ . ä = ῎Ç . ò = Áἴí . å = Ïὐáῦ . ô = Öῆ . æ = Æáßí . ö = Ôóáäή . ç = ῞Çè . ÷ - Êώö . è = Ôήè ø = ῾Ñή÷ò . é = É᾿ώä .. ù = ×óÝí . ë = ×Üö ú = Èáῦ
That
å
and
ú
were pronounced wav and tav we may infer from the fact that v is always equivalent to the Hebrew 5, thus
ìåé
=
Ëåõß
. From the version itself we see that the letters had the following pronunciation:
à
, in itself inaudible (like the Greek spiritus lenis), receives its intonation from the vowel, as
àäøï
,
Á᾿áñώí
;
àֵì÷ðä
,
Å᾿ëêáíÜ
. Sometimes it has the spiritus asper, as
àáøä
,
Á῾âñáÜì
;
àìéçå
,
῾Çëßáò
;
àìåï
(Jdg_9:37),
῾Çëώí
.á is â , sometimes ö : é÷áàּæàá (Jdg_7:25), É᾿áêåâæçö ; also õ , øçåá (Jos_19:30), ῾Ñááῦ ;. Sometimes á is expressed by ìâ , as ðáç , Íïõâᾶ '/; æøåááì , ÆåñïõìâáâÝë : or by ì alone, as ìáðä , ËåìíÜ ; åéáùí (1Ch_7:2), ῾ÉåìáóÜí
â is ã , sometimes ê , as ðôâ , ÍáöÝê ; ãåàâ , Äùήê : also ÷ , as ùøåâ , Óåñïý÷ .
ã is ä , but also è , as îèøã (Gen_36:39), Ìáôñáú v è . ä is, like à , either inaudible, as äáì , Á᾿âÝë ; or it has the spiritus asper, as äéîï , ÁἱìÜí . å is õ , çåä = ῎Åõá , ìåé = Ëåíß . Sometimes it is â , as ùåä , Óáâý (Gen_14:5), and ùåò (38:12), ÓáâÜ . Sometimes it is not expressed at all, as åùúé , Á᾿óôß ; åùðé (1Ch_6:13), Óáíé . æ is æ , seldom ó — as àìéôæ , Å᾿ëéöÜò (Genesis 36; but 1 Chronicles 1, Å᾿ëéöáæ ); very seldom 10, as áåæ (Gen_22:21), Âáýî .
ç is inaudible at the beginning, middle, and end of a word. Often it is ÷ , çí , ×Üì ; ðçåø , Íá÷ώñ ; sometimes ê . as èáç (Gen_22:24), ÈáâÝê . è is ô , seldom ä , as åôåè (Gen_10:6; 1Ch_1:8), Öïýä ; or ä ,'as àìéôìè (2Sa_5:16; 1Ch_14:5), Å᾿ëéöáëÜè . é is ὶ , as éò÷á , É᾿áêώâ ; but it is also I when followed by øé 8 8 ù , as éøîéäå , ῾Éåñåìßáò .
ë is ÷ , sometimes ê , as ñáúëà (Gen_10:7), ÓáâáèáêÜ ; seldom, ã , as ëôúøéí (Gen_10:14), Ãáöèùñåßì . ì ð ø are ë í ñ . îּ is ì , but sometimes is, â as ðîøåã , Íáâñώä ; ùîìä (1Ch_1:47), ÓåâëÜ . ñ ùׁ ùׂ are ó . ò is inaudible, as òôøåï , Å᾿öñώí ; or with the spiritus asper, as òùå , ῾Çóáῦ : it is also ã as òîåøä , Ãüìïῤῥá ;”or ê (at the end of the word), as àøáò (Gen_23:2), Á᾿ñâüê . ô is ö , sometimes ð , as öìôçã , ÓáëðáÜä . ö is ó , seldom æ , as òååֹ (Gen_10:23; Gen_22:21), Ïὔæ . ÷ is ê , sometimes ÷ , as ÷èåøä (Gen_25:1), ×åôôïõñÜ ; ç÷åôà (Neh_7:53), Á᾿÷éöÜ : seldom ã , as çì÷ (Num_26:30), ×åëÝã . ú is è , sometimes ô , as úçù , Ôï÷üò ; âúø , ÃáôÝñ . A greater difficulty we have in fixing the pronunciation according to our vowel-points, but in general the following rules may be laid down:
Kamets ( ) is a, as àָãָí ÁäÜì ; çָí , ×Üì . Pattach () is a, as àֲäִøֹï , Áὰñώí . Tsere () = ç : àùֵׂø , Á᾿óήñ ; éùøàֵì , É᾿óñáήë . Segol ()= å , as àֲáַéîֶìֶêְ , Á᾿âéìåëÝ÷ .
Cholem ( åֹ = ù : éò÷ֹá , É᾿áêώâ ; éåֹñ , É᾿ùóήö . Kamets chatuph ()= o, as âָìְéִú :, ÃïëéÜè . Long chirek ( é ) = é or åé : òֲðָîַéí , Á᾿íáìßì , ìåßì ; îָëַéø , Ìá÷ßñ , åßñ . Short chirek (.) = é or õ , the latter very seldom: ôְìַùְׁúַé , Öõëéóôåῖì ; ùַîòåï , Óõìåώí . Shurek ( åּ )= ïõ : ìåּã , Ëïýä ; éְáåּñ , É᾿åâïýò . Kibbuts () = ï : áֻּ÷ַé , Âïêêß ; éְôֻðֶä , ῎Éåöïííή .
This may be regarded as a most general outline for the vowels; for a closer examination, upon which we cannot here enter, will show that these principles are not always carried out. As to Sheva, its pronunciation is governed by the following vowel; thus ôְòåֹø is Öïãώñ ; øְçåֹá , ῾Ñïüâ ;
ôְìַùְׁúַéí , Öõëéóôßì ; ùְׁôèְéָä , Óáöáôßá ; ñִáְúְëָà , . ÓáâáèáêÜ i.' This vocalization exercises also its influence upon the vowel preceding the Sheva; thus áַìְòָ is ÂáëáÜì ; îַáְùָׂí = ÌáâáóÜì , etc. Dagesh lene is not expressed in the Sept., but the dagesh forte usually is, as öַìָּä , ÓåëëÜ ; îðùä , Ìáíáóóῆ ; and it is also found, where the Hebrew text has no dagesh, as øá÷ä = ῾ÑåâÝêêá . Sometimes the dagesh forte of the Hebrew is not expressed at all, as çֻùָּׁí , Á῾óώì ; äִëְּñֻìåֹú (Jos_19:18), ×áóáëώè ..
With these preliminary remarks we have paved our way for the manner in which grammar has been used by the translators of the Sept.; but here the difficulty is greater still, for the translators, as can be seen from their mode of translating, had not the language, but the translation, of the Scripture in view, and this must account for many grammatical peculiarities which we find so often in the Alexandrian version. Thus e.g. the present is very often used for the perfect, especially in ëÝãù 'and ὁñÜù , as in Gen_15:2, àáø åéàîø , ëÝãåé äὲ Á῾âñáÜì ; Gen_37:29, åäðä àéï éåñ , êáὶ ïὐ÷ ὁñᾶ '/ É᾿ùóήö , or the infinitive before a definite verb is expressed by a participle or a noun. The active is often exchanged for the passive, or vice versa, as (Gen_12:15) åִúֻ÷ִç äàùä , êáὶ åἰóήãáãïí .. Leaving aside all further remarks on these points as not exactly belonging to our object, we now come to the subject at issue, as to the linguistic peculiarities. Here we notice –
1. Unusual formations of words and verbs, viz.:
ἃâñá , a favorite slave, Exo_2:5. áé÷ìáëùôéæåéí , to make a prisoner, Eze_12:3. ἄêáí , a thorn, 2Ki_14:9. ὰëãçñüò , sorrowful, Jer_10:9. ὰìöéÜæåóèáé , to put round about, Job_29:14. ἀìößáóéò , a garment, Job_22:6. ἀíáèåìáôßæåéí , to devote to destruction, Deu_13:15. ἀðïêéäáñïῦí , to strip the head of, Lev_10:6. ἀðïðåìðôïῦí , to take up the fifth part, Gen_41:34. ἀóâüëç , soot, Lam_4:8. âïõíßæåéí , to accumulate, Rth_2:14. ãëùóóüêïìïí , a chest, 2Ch_24:8. ãñçãïñåéí , to watch, Neh_7:3. äéáñôᾶí , to deceive, Num_23:19. ἔêèåìá , an edict, Est_8:17. ἐêôïêßæåéí , to put on interest, Deu_23:10. ἐíôïìßò , a cutting, Lev_19:28. åὐäïêåῖí , to approve, Lev_26:41. èåñéóôñïí , a veil, Son_5:7. êáôá÷ùñßæåéí , to enter in a register, 1Ch_27:24. ëõôñώí , a sewer, 2Ki_10:27. ìáãåéñåῖïí , a kitchen, Eze_46:23. ìáãåéñéóóá , a female cook, 1Sa_8:13. ìáêñïçåñåýåéí , to live long, Deu_5:33. ìáíäüç , a coat of mail, 1Sa_17:38. ðñùôïôïêåýåéí , to appoint as first born, Deu_21:16. ðñùôïôüêéá , the birthright, Gen_25:32. ῥώî , a grape, Isa_65:8. óáââáôßæåéí , to rest, Exo_16:30. óéóïç , the corner of the head, Lev_19:27. óêåðåéíüò , covered, Neh_4:13. óêçíïðçãßá , Feast of Tabernacles, Deu_16:16. ôåëßóêåéí , to complete, Deu_23:18. öõëáêßóóá , a keeper, Son_1:6.
2. New meanings of words:
ἀã÷éóôåýù , to redeem, Ezr_2:62. ἄèõôïí , abominable, Lev_19:7. ἀðü = bir, Gen_48:10. äéáöùíåῖí , to be missing, Num_31:49. ìåôñéÜæåéí , to be sick, Neh_2:2.
3. An abstract used collectively:
áὶ÷ìáëùóßá , the captive, Eze_11:25. äéáóðïñÜ , living here and there, Psa_47:2. ἐîïõèÝíçìá , despised, Psa_22:6. ἱåñÜôåõìá , priesthood, Exo_19:6.
4. Peculiar forms of words, as — ἀãáèώôáôïò , Gen_47:6. ἀãáèώôåñïò , Jdg_15:2. ἀðåêôÜãêáôå , Num_16:41. ἁñðᾶ '/, Lev_19:13. åἴðïéóáí , Psalm 34:25. ἐëèÜôù , Est_5:4. ἐðñïíüìåõóáìåí , Deu_3:7. ἐöÜãïóáí , Psalm 77:29. ἔöõãáí , 2Sa_10:14. ἑώñáêáí , Deu_11:7. ἤëèïóáí , Psa_78:1. ἴäïéóáí Job_21:20. ἴäïóáí , Deu_7:19. êáììýåéí , Isa_6:10. êáôåßðáíôåò , Num_14:37. êåêáôήñáíôáé , Num_22:6. êåêñÜîáíôåò , Exo_22:23. êëßâáíïò = êñßâáíïò , Gen_15:17. ìá÷áßñῃ , Exo_15:9. ðáñÝóôçêáí , Isa_5:29. ðïéήóáéóáí , Deu_1:44. ðñáèήóåôáé , Eze_48:14. öáãïýìåèá , Gen_3:2.
5. Syntactic peculiarities, as —
ἀèùὸò ἀðü , êáèáñüò ἀðü , Genesis 8. ἁìáñôÜíåéí ἀðü , Lev_5:15. ἁìáñôÜíåéí ἐí , Lev_4:14. ἁìáñôÜíåéí ἔíáíôé , Lev_4:2. ἁìáñáôÜíåéí ðåñß , Lev_5:5. ἁìáñôÜíåéí ôéíß , Jdg_11:27. ἀíáìíçóèῆáß ôé , Exo_23:13. ἐîÝñ÷åóèáß ôé , Exo_9:29. ἐîéëÜóêåóèáß ôéíé , Eze_16:63. åὐäïêåῖí ôé , Ecc_9:7. êáôáñᾶóèáß ôéíá , Gen_5:29. ïὶêôåßñåéí ἀðü ôéíïò , Jer_13:14. ïὶêôåßñåéí ôéíÜ , Psa_4:2. öåßäåóèáß ôéíá , Job_16:5. öåßäåóèáß ôéíé , Job_7:11.
6. To these we may add:
The construction of ἔñ÷åóèáé and similar verbs with the infinitive, as ἀðῆëèå öáãåῖí êáὶ ðéåῖí , Neh_8:12; êáôÝâç ëïýóáóèáé , Exo_2:5. The vocative is expressed by the article, as óῶóüí ìå ὁ èåüò ìïí , Psa_3:7
ôßò is used as a relative, as ìüíïí ôïῦôï ôὸ ἱìÜôéïí ... ἐí ôßíé êïéìçèήóåôáé , Exo_22:27; êáὶ ἣîåé ôßíïò áὐôïῦ ἡ ïἰêßá , Lev_14:35.
The relative is connected with ἐÜí , as ðᾶí óêåῦïò ὀóôñÜêéíïí åὶò ὃ ὲὰí ðÝóç ἀðü ôïýôùí ἔíäïí , ὅóá ἐὰí ἔíäïí ῃ ὰêÜèáñôá ἔóôáß ,, Leviticus 40:33; ἐí ἀãñῷ ïõ ἐὰí ῃò ἐêåῖ ... êáὶ ὄøïìáé ὅôé ἐὰí ῃ , 1Sa_19:3; ἄíèñùðïò ... ôéíὶ ἐὰí ῃ ἐí áὐôῷ ìῶìïò , Lev_21:17. The connection with ἐí instead of åὶò , as ðïñåýóïìáé ἐí ðýëáéò ἄäïõ , Isa_38:10; ἄîåé ἐí êñßóåé , Ecc_12:14. The connection of infinitives, as åõñïõ ÷Üñéí ἐí ὀöèáëìïῖò óïõ ôïῦ ἐðéãíῶíáß ìå ,, Rth_2:10; ðüëéò áὕôç ἐããὺò ôïῦ êáôáöõãåῖí ìå ἐêåῖ , Gen_19:20; ἤããéóáí áἱ ἡìÝñáé É᾿óñáὴë ôïῦ áðïèáíåῖí , Gen_47:29; ἔóôç ôïῦ ôßêôåéí , Gen_29:35; ) çí áὐôῶí ôὰ ὑðÜñ÷ïíôá ðïëëὰ ôïῦ ïἰêåῖí ἃìá ., Gen_36:7; ἠìâëýíèçóáí ïß ὀöèáëìïß áὐôïῦ ôïῦ ὁñᾶ '/ í , Gen_27:1.
7. Very prominent also are the Egyptian words which we find in the Sept.; and which betray the origin of the translation. The following are the most remarkable:
ἀëήèåéá , truth, the rendering of úîéí (Thummim, or perfections), in Exo_28:26; Lev_8:8; and Deu_33:8. According to AEliau, ἀëήèåéá was the name given to an image of sapphire stone, which was hung by a golden chain round the neck of the oldest and highest in rank of the Egyptian priests, who also held the office of judge. This was to denote the truth or justice with which he was to decide the cases which were brought before him. Hence it is supposed that the use of it for the Thummim of the high priest was derived; yet not without regard to the meaning of truth, as expressing the faithfulness and righteousness of God. The word ῎Áðéò (Apis, the sacred bull of the Egyptians) occurs in Jeremiah 46 [26], 15: Äéáôß ἔöõãåí ... ῎Áðéò ὁ ìüó÷ò ὀ ἐêëåêôüò óïõ (“ Why is Apis, thy chosen calf, fled?”), where it is put as a paraphrase upon àáéøé thy valiant ones,” in the prophecy of the desolation of Egypt by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. ἀñôÜâç was a measure which is mentioned by Herodotus as being used in Egypt and Persia. It is put for the “homer” in Isa_5:10, and it also occurs in Daniel 13:3 (History of Bel and the Dragon).
ἄ÷åé , or ἄ÷é , is an Egyptian word for the papyrus, or some other reed or growth of the marshes. It occurs both in the Hebrew and Sept. of Gen_41:2; Isa_19:7-8. It is also found in Ecclesiastes 40:16.
ãÝíåóéò , as applied to the “creation” of the world, was traced by Hody to Egyptian philosophy. But it seems rather to be derived from the úåìãåú , or genealogical narratives, of which the first book of the Pentateuch is composed.
æýèïò was a drink made from barley in Egypt, mentioned by Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus. It is found in the Sept. version of Isa_19:10, where it seems that ùëø (strong drink) was read instead of ùëø (merchandise). èήñá is found in Psa_132:16, “I will abundantly bless her provision.” Jerome said that it was an Egyptian word for corn; and Hesychius mentions ἀèçñÜ as a decoction of milk and corn employed by the Egyptians — perhaps the medicine athara of which Pliny speaks. The Heb. öéã is, however, rendered èήñá (venison) in Gen_25:27.
ἱððüäñïìïò is used to denote a measurement of space in Gen_35:19; Gen_48:7. Jerome seems to have been perplexed by its introduction in these passages. Hody conjectures that the use of the word was suggested by the hippodrome which was constructed by Ptolemy Lagus at Alexandria, and was the scene of the events recorded in the 3d book of Maccabees. Thus the “hippodrome of Ephrath” signifies a certain distance from Bethlehem, which was nearly the interval between the goals of the Egyptian racecourse.
The word êüíäõ , used for a cup, in Genesis 44, Isaiah 51, is of Persian origin.
êüóõìâïò , a headband or fringed garment, the wearer of which is called êïóõìâùôüò (Exodus 28; Isaiah 3), was an Egyptian ornament. íïìüò , in Isa_19:2, is not to be read íïìüò , “law,” but has the sense of “province,” or “district,” Egypt being divided into íüìïß , governed by íïìÜñ÷áé , or prefects. In this sense it occurs in 1Ma_10:30.
ïἴöé , was supposed by Jerome to be the Hebrew ephah; but Hesychius states that it was an Egyptian measure containing four ÷ïßíéêåò (Num_28:5; Jdg_6:19).
ðÜðåéñïò , or ðÜðõñïò , occurs in some of the Greek texts in Exo_2:3, the Egyptian paper reed, which was the material of the ark in which the parents of Moses concealed him. It was also called âßâëïò , and hence the “vessels of bulrushes” in Isa_18:2 are called ἐðéóôïëáὶ âéâëßíáé ,.
ðáóôïöüñéïí is used in the Sept. for the chambers and treasures adjoining the Temple inhabited by the priests and Levites (1Ch_9:26; 1Ch_9:33; Eze_40:18, etc.). They ðáóôïöüñïé are mentioned by Clemens Alexandrinus as a class of priests among the Egyptians.
ÑáéöÜí , in Amo_5:26, was an Egyptian name for the sun god, or the king of heaven. It is put for ëéåï , Chiun.
óéíäώí , in Jdg_14:12-13, was a fringed garment of fine linen which was made in Egypt.
óôßâç , or óôßìç , a dark purple or black, with which the guilty city of Jerusalem anoints her face to conceal her deformity (Jer_4:30). This is traced to óôßììéò , a word of Egyptian origin.
ó÷ïßíïò
, in Psa_139:2, “Thou hast searched my path,” etc., was a word which, according to Herodotus, represented a measure of space or distance of sixty stadia.
øïíèïìöáíή÷
, in Gen_41:45, answers to the Heb. Zaphlath Paaneah. The latter is supposed to be an Egyptian word, signifying “the food of the living;” but Josephus and Origen ascribed to it the sense of “discoverer of secrets,” or “one to whom the future is revealed.” Hody supposed that
øïíèïìöáíή÷
also had this sense in the later Egyptian; but Jerome explains it to be the “Savior, or Deliverer, of the world.”8. Another feature of this version is the many Hebrew and Chaldee expressions, as — ἀðöώè , Jer_52:19. ìáùæáßì , Dan_11:38. ἀñéήë , 1Ch_11:22. íáãÝâ , Eze_20:46. ἀñéώè , 2Ki_4:39. íÝâåë , Hos_3:2. Äáñüì , Eze_20:46. ïὐëáìïýæ , Gen_28:19. Å᾿óåößì , 1Ch_26:17. îáèìÝí , 1Ki_19:4. æáê÷ῶí , 1Ch_28:11. óáâÝê , Gen_22:13. É᾿áìåßí , Gen_36:24. óïÜì , 1Ch_29:2. É᾿áñåßì , Hos_5:13. öåëëáíß , 1Sa_21:2. ìáíáÜ , 2Ki_8:9. ÷áâñáèÜ , Gen_41:7. ìáóìáñώè , Jer_52:19. ÷ïῤῥß , 2Ki_11:4. ìá÷âÜñ , 2Ki_8:15.
These and many more words must not be regarded, as has usually been the case, as a mark of ignorance of the Hebrew, but as attempts to mix the vernacular with Hebrew expressions. Besides such Hebrew words, we find a great many Hebraisms; as Greek words with a Hebrew signification, Greek words in Hebrew constructions, Hebrew constructions, etc. — too many to be enumerated.
9. Another peculiarity of the Alexandrian version is that the same word is differently translated, not only in different books, but also in the same book. This point is the more important, as it evidently shows that the different books must have had different translators. A comparison of the Pentateuch with the book of Joshua will prove this beyond a shadow of doubt. A. VERBS.
çîã , to desire, Exo_20:17; Deu_5:18; Deu_7:25, ἐðéèõìåῖí ôé<