A Quest for the Assumed LXX Vorlage of the Explicit Quotations in Hebrews

472 Pages·2011·3.002 MB·English

by  Gert J. Steyn

© 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen
ISBN Print: 9783525530993 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647530994
Forschungen zur Literatur
des Alten und Neuen Testaments
Herausgegeben von
Jan Christian Gertz, Dietrich-Alex Koch,
Matthias Köckert, Hermut Löhr, Steven McKenzie,
Joachim Schaper und Christopher Tuckett
Band 235
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
© 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen
ISBN Print: 9783525530993 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647530994
Gert J. Steyn
A Quest for the Assumed
LXX Vorlage of the Explicit
Quotations in Hebrews
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
© 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen
ISBN Print: 9783525530993 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647530994
Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der
Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind
im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar.
ISBN 978-3-525-53099-3
ISBN 978-3-647-53099-4 (E-Book)
© 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen/
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht LLC, Oakville, CT, U.S.A.
Internet: www.v-r.de
Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Das Werk und seine Teile sind urheberrechtlich geschützt.
Jede Verwertung in anderen als den gesetzlich zugelassenen Fällen bedarf der
vorherigen schriftlichen Einwilligung des Verlages.
Printed in Germany.

Satz: OLD-Media OHG, Neckarsteinach.
Druck- und Bindung: (cid:199) Hubert & Co, Göttingen.
Gedruckt auf alterungsbeständigem Papier.
© 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen
ISBN Print: 9783525530993 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647530994
Acknowledgement
I am indebted to a number of colleagues and institutions mainly from
Germany, Belgium, Scotland and South Africa for their assistance and
support during the different stages of this Quest. Gratitude is hereby ex-
pressed to:
– The Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung for grants that assisted me to
stay a total of twelve months in Germany during the periods 2002–2003
and 2007–2008.
– Prof. Dr. Dietrich-Alex Koch (to whom this work is dedicated) a highly
respected colleague and friend, who was of immense help – especially
during the initial and the final stages of the investigation – always sup-
portive with wisdom, meticulousness, critical thinking and practical ad-
vise. His hospitality and that of the Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultät
of the Westfälische-Wilhelms Universität Münster (Westf.), Germany,
which provided office space and resources during my research visits,
enabled me to concentrate on this quest.
– Prof. Dr. Hans Ausloos from the Catholic University of Louvain, Bel-
gium, who kindly provided an opportunity during the summer of 2005
to expand my base of needed secondary literature. The opportunities
and financial assistance that were made available by the Universities of
Louvain and Pretoria as part of their staff co-operation programme, is
deeply appreciated. It certainly helped a great deal in getting closer to
relevant resources and initial answers to the quest for the Vorlage.
– Prof. Dr. Timothy Lim and the School of Divinity at the University of
Edinburgh, Scotland, who graciously invited me as Research Fellow and
accommodated me to further my research in this direction – after hav-
ing discovered some similarities between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the
quotations in Hebrews – providing opportunities to test some further
results during my stay in the summer of 2006. Access to the library and
staff facilities enabled me to make progress on the myriad of loose ends
during these critical stages in my quest for the Vorlage.
– Prof. Dr. Johann Cook and Prof. Dr. Johan Thom from the Department
of Ancient Studies within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stel-
lenbosch University who were prepared to consider this project for my
second doctorate and to walk with me during the last two years of my
quest. They should be thanked for their valuable comments, support and
assistance. Since I was introduced to the technicalities of the Septuagint
by Johann Cook in 1987, and given the fact that he is a leading specialist

© 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen
ISBN Print: 9783525530993 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647530994
VI Acknowledgement
and one of the world authorities on the Septuagint, it was not only a
natural choice to choose him as supervisor, but also a great honour.
– Specific opportunities created during my research stays in Germany in
order to assist me in testing some of the initial results during confer-
ences and colloquia, assisted further in setting the parameters of this
quest. The following colleagues need to be mentioned in this regard:
Prof. Dr. Cilliers Breytenbach from the Institute for Early Christianity
at the Humboldt University in Berlin; Prof. Dr. Martin Karrer from the
Kirchliche Hochschule in Wuppertal; Prof. Dr. Michael Wolter from
Bonn University and Prof. Dr. Hermut Löhr from Münster.
– I am also indebted to a great number of colleagues at many conferences
where I presented papers and with whom I shared initial results during
personal discussions. Without their insights, critical comments, stim-
ulating remarks, discussions and suggestions of related literature this
venture would not have been the same. These include particularly (a)
the seminar group on the “LXX and NT” of the Studiorum Novi Tes-
tamenti Societas being led by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kraus (Saarbrücken,
Germany) and Prof. Dr. William Loader (Murdoch University, Aus-
tralia); (b) the seminar group on “Early Judaism and the NT” of the
New Testament Society of South Africa, chaired by myself and Prof.
Dr. Steve Moyise from Chichester University, England; (c) the Hebräer-
tagung held at the Kirchlichen Hochschule, Wuppertal (July 2003); (d)
the Septuaginta Deutsch Conferences in Wuppertal (2006 and 2008),
organised by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kraus and Prof. Dr. Martin Karrer; (e)
the Psalms in Hebrews Conference in Pretoria (2006) organised by my-
self and my OT colleague at the University of Pretoria, Prof. Dr. Dirk J.
Human; and (f) the Hebraer-Colloquium in Muenster (Westf.) (2008),
organised by Prof. Dr. Hermut Löhr.
– Colleagues at my home institution, the Faculty of Theology at the Uni-
versity of Pretoria in South Africa, were extremely supportive and en-
couraged me all along the way when the journey looked difficult. With-
out their support, not only in terms of their confidence in the merit of this
investigation, but also practically in terms of study leave periods and ad
hoc grants, I would never have been able to document this quest and pro-
pose some possible outcomes. Particularly the then Head of our Depart-
ment, Prof. Dr. Jan van der Watt, and the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Dr.
Cas Vos, should be mentioned here by name. Financial assistance from
the University of Pretoria through its “Research and Development Pro-
gramme” between 2003–2005 enabled me to travel to Europe in order to
attend related conferences and read papers on aspects of my research.
– Three postgraduate students ventured with me into the research on
Hebrews and completed their Masters degrees on different aspects in
this field: Lance Laughton (2005) on the Introductory Formulae of the

© 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen
ISBN Print: 9783525530993 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647530994
Acknowledgement VII
Quotations; Johannes Mahne (2007) on the Jewish Exegetical Method
(s) of Heb 3–4; and Ronald van der Bergh (2007) on the Textual Criti-
cism of the Ps 40 (39) quotation in Heb 10:5–7. Their discussions and
research had its own impact on this quest.
– Mr. Ronald van der Bergh deserves a special word of thanks for his as-
sistance regarding the technical preparation of this manuscript – which
he read in its entirety.
– Last but not least, a big word of thanks is definitely in order to my fam-
ily for all the sacrifices that they made during the years. Particularly
my parents, wife and children who sacrificed such a lot – the latter who
sometimes accompanied me for some of the research periods, enduring
foreign schools, cold European winters, and many other times living
for substantial periods with an absent father – not only physically but
mentally as well! Baie dankie vir al julle ondersteuning, bemoediging en
aanmoediging oor al die jare!

© 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen
ISBN Print: 9783525530993 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647530994
© 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen
ISBN Print: 9783525530993 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647530994
Table of Contents
Acknowledgement ........................................ V
Abbreviations ............................................ XIII
Chapter 1: Introduction .................................... 1
1. Hebrews and the unresolved problem of the Vorlage ......... 1
2. Theoretical points of departure and research questions ....... 4
3. A brief research history on OT quotations in Hebrews ....... 9
4. Gaps in the research, and the resultant rationale for this study . 17
5. Strategy and methodology for the investigation ............. 18
6. Pairs of quoted texts and the structure of this investigation ... 25
7. Some practical matters ................................... 28
Chapter 2: Eschatological motifs of a royal Davidic messiah 4QFlor
and the combination of Ps 2:7 + 2 Sam (2 Kgdms) 7:14 in Heb 1:5 . 29
1. Ps 2:7 in Heb 1:5 and Heb 5:5 ............................. 31
2. 2 Sam (2 Kgdms) 7:14 (1 Chr 17:13) in Heb 1:5 ............... 49
3. Taken from a “Testimony book”? ......................... 54
Chapter 3: The motif of serving angels
The Canticum Mosis verse 43 + Ps 104 (103):4 in Heb 1:6–7 ...... 57
1. Ode 2:43 / Deut 32:43 LXX in Heb 1:6 ..................... 57
2. Ps 104 (103):4 in Heb 1:7 ................................. 72
Chapter 4: Motif of the eternal reign of the Son
The combination Ps 45 (44):7–8 + Ps 102 (101):26–28 in Heb 1:8–12 . 82
1. Ps 45 (44):7–8 in Heb 1:8–9 ............................... 83
2. Ps 102 (101):26–28 in Heb 1:10–12 ......................... 102
Chapter 5: The motif of the exalted King. 1 Cor 15 and the
combination Ps 110 (109):1 + Ps 8:5–7 in Heb 1:13, 2:6–8 ........ 112
1. Ps 110 (109):1 in Heb 1:13 ................................ 113
2. Ps 8:5–7 in Heb 2:6–8 ................................... 125
© 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen
ISBN Print: 9783525530993 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647530994
X Table of Contents
Chapter 6: The Hymn of the ‘Pioneer of Salvation’
The combination Ps 22 (21):23 + Isa 8:17, 18 in Heb 2:12–13 ...... 146
1. Ps 22 (21):23 in Heb 2:12 ................................. 148
2. Isa 8:17, 18 in Heb 2:13 ................................... 158
Chapter 7: The motif of rest
The combination of Ps 95 (94):5–7 + Gen 2:2 in Heb 3–4 . . . . . . . . 170
1. The quotation from Ps 95 (94):7–11 in Heb 3:7–11 ............ 172
2. Gen 2:2 in Heb 4:4 ...................................... 196
Chapter 8: The Motif of a Royal Priest – like Melchizedek
Four key texts: [Ps 2:7 + Ps 110:4] Gen 22:17 [Gen 14:17–20 + Ps 110:4] . 205
1. The combination: Ps 2:7 + Ps 110 (109):4 in Heb 5:5–6 ........ 207
2. The Abrahamic promise: Gen 22:17 in Heb 6:14 ............. 212
3. The combination Gen 14:17–20 + Ps 110 (109):4 in Heb 7 ...... 219
Chapter 9: The motif of cultic worship and the covenant
The combination Exod 25:40 in Heb 8:5 + Jer 31 (38):31–34
in Heb 8:8–12 and Jer 31 (38):33, 34b in Heb 10:16–17 ........... 235
1. Exod 25:40 in Heb 8:5 ................................... 236
2. Jer 31 (38):31–34 in Heb 8:8–12; Jer 31 (38):33–34 in Heb 10:16–17 248
Chapter 10: The motif of cultic worship – sacrifices
The combination Exod 24:8 in Heb 9:20 + Ps 40 (39):7–9
in Heb 10:5–8 ............................................ 272
1. Exod 24:8 in Heb 9:20 ................................... 273
2. Ps 40 (39):7–9 in Heb 10:5–7 .............................. 282
Chapter 11: The eschatological motif of judgement
The combination of the phrases from Deut 32:35, 36 in Heb 10:30 +
Isa 26:20/Hab 2:3b–4 in Heb 10:37–38 ........................ 298
1. Deut 32:35, 36 in Heb 10:30 .............................. 300
2. [Isa 26:20] + Hab 2:3b–4 in Heb 10:37–38 .................. 310
Chapter 12: The motif of God testing believers
The combination Gen 21:12 in Heb 11:18 + Prov 3:11–12
in Heb 12:5–6 ............................................ 326
1. Gen 21:12 in Heb 11:18 .................................. 328
2. Prov 3:11–12 in Heb 12:5–6 .............................. 333
© 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen
ISBN Print: 9783525530993 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647530994