Total #: 24 15 4
- The translation of the form of עצם here is clearly as “bone,” using
forms of οστεων.
- The translation of the form of עצם here is clearly as might, strength,
power, or a great number. For example: Gen 18:18 has πολυ for
populous; Gen 26:16 has δυνατος for strong or mighty; Deuteronomy
often uses ιςχυροτεπα in “stronger-than” phrases.
- There is no direct parallel in the LXX for the MT use of עצם.
- Two of the instances in 37:7 are clear. The third is less so.
The LXX translators of the Pentateuch, Joshua, and Ezekiel clearly
understood the Hebrew word עצם in its typical forms and uses. In their
translations of these six books of the MT they provided straightforward
Greek parallels in essentially all instances except the eighteen
that are the subject of our study.
Another approach to our question is to ask how the LXX translators treat
phrases that contain the Hebrew יום but not the Hebrew עצם. The
aim being to determine what effect the presence of עצם, or its absence,
has on the Greek translations. If we find the same translation in cases
where יום occurs without an עצם term that could suggest that the term is
absent in our specific cases. For this purpose, we will again limit our
analysis to the Pentateuch, Joshua, and Ezekiel. We will begin with the
simplest phrases that include forms of יום and proceed to more complex
cases.
Case 1: LXX Translations of the Hebrew היום :
Most often the LXX translates the Hebrew היום as σημερον, simply meaning
“today,” which is straightforward and expected. In three cases,
though, the LXX treats היום quite differently.
In Deut 5:1 LXX gives the following translation for היום: εν τη ημερα
ταυτη, which is the same translation found for our עצם phrase at Deut
32:48. That is, the simple היום is translated in Deut 5:1 in precisely
the same way as the much more complex בעצם היום הזה in Deut 32:48 is
treated.
In Josh 5:9 and Josh 22:29, היום is translated as: εν τη σημερον ημερα,
which differs from the עצם phrases at Josh 10:27 and Ezek 2:3 only in
the initial term: that is, εν replaces εως. That difference is not
substantive in the context of this analysis. For practical purposes, the
treatment of היום in those two verses is the same as in the Deut 5:1
instance.
Thus, in these three cases, the LXX translators of Deuteronomy and
Joshua understand the simple היום, with no עצם associated with it, in
the same way as they understand the MT phrases that do associate היום
and עצם.
Case 2: LXX Translations of the Hebrew היום הזה :
The Hebrew היום הזה without some other introductory element, is uncommon
in the texts we are reviewing. In five cases, though, היום הזה is
translated by the LXX as εν τη ημερα ταυτη which is the same as the LXX
for the עצם phrases at Gen 7:13 and Deut 32:48. [See Deut 2:25, 26:16
& 29:9; Josh 3:7, 22:22] It is also the same translation as the Lev
23:28, 29 & 30 phrases, except those lack the initial εν.
Case 3: LXX Translations of variations of the Hebrew היום ההוא :
In Josh 9:27 ביום ההוא is translated as εν τη ημερα εκεινη, which is the
same translation given for the עצם phrases at Exod 12:51 and Ezek 40:1.
In Ezek 39:22 מן היום ההוא is translated in the same way as the עצם
phrase at Ezek 24:2.
Case 4: LXX Translations of the Hebrew עד היום :
In three cases: Gen 19:37 & 38 and Exod 20:31, the LXX translates עד
היום just as it translates the phrase עד עצם היום הזה in Josh 10:27 and
Ezek 2:3.
Case 5: LXX Translations of the Hebrew עד היום הזה:
The Hebrew phrase עד היום הזה is common in the MT texts we are
reviewing.
In seven cases the LXX translates this phrase, which does not include
עצם, in the same way it translates the phrases that do include עצם at
Josh 10:27 and Ezek 2:3. [See Num 22:30, Deut 11:4; Josh 4:9, 5:9,
6:25 & 22:3; Ezek 20:29]
In twenty additional cases, the LXX translates this phrase in the same
way as the instance in Ezek 24:2 that reads את עצם היום הזה except that
in these cases the phrase is introduced by εως instead of απο, which is
not a significant difference for our purposes. [See Gen 32:33, 47:26
& 48:15; Exod 10:6; Deut 2:22, 3:14, 10:8, 29:3 & 34:6; Josh 7:26,
8:28, 8:29, 9:27, 13:13, 14:14, 15:63, 16:10, 22:17, 23:8 & 23:9]
Case 6: LXX Translation of the Hebrew את היום הזה :
In Exod 12:17 and 13:3 the LXX gives the same translation to את היום הזה
that it gives to את עצם היום הזה in Ezek 24:2, except the initial απο,
found in Ezek 24:2, is not in Exod 12:17 or 13:3. That is not a material
difference for our purposes.
Conclusion of Review Outlined in Cases 1 through 6 :
There are several other cases that we could cite to extend the theme of
the review outlined in Cases 1 through 6, above, but none adds
materially to the analysis.
The conclusion is clear: The Greek translations of the MT phrases thatdo include the עצם term are not systematically different from
some translations of similar, simpler MT phrases that do notinclude the עצם term. There is no indication from this analysis that the
LXX recognizes the presence of the Hebrew עצם in its source text.