LXX Isaiah 24: 1-26:6 as Interpretation and Translation: A Methodological Discussion

246 Pages·2014·1.917 MB·English

by  Wilson de Angelo Cunha

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The Old Greek of Isaiah is unique among other Greek translations a
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of the Tanak because of its large number of divergences in relation
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to the Masoretic Text. Scholars have long explained these
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divergences as due to a different Vorlage, mechanical mistakes, 4
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or faulty knowledge of Hebrew on the scribe-translator’s part. This 1
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work adopts a different approach, reading Greek Isaiah in its own 2
6 LXX Isaiah 24:1–26:6 as
right and not just in relation to its Hebrew source text. While not
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denying possible mistakes, the volume demonstrates that many
Interpretation and Translation
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of the differences in the Greek are due to the scribe-translator’s
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particular reading mode. Through a thorough analysis of Isaiah I
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24:1–26:6, it shows that by transmitting a message that is no t A Methodological Discussion
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longer in the Hebrew source text, the scribe-translator has clearly r
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produced a separate and ideologically coherent piece of literature. r
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WILSON DE ANGELO CUNHA is Assistant Professor of Biblical a
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Studies at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas. io
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la Wilson de Angelo Cunha
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LXX IsaIah 24:1–26:6
as InterpretatIon and transLatIon
septuagint and Cognate studies
Wolfgang Kraus, editor
robert J. V. hiebert
Karen Jobes
arie van der Kooij
siegfried Kreuzer
philippe Le Moigne
number 62
LXX IsaIah 24:1–26:6
as InterpretatIon and transLatIon
a MethodoLogICaL dIsCussIon
By
Wilson de angelo Cunha

sBL press
atlanta
Copyright © 2014 by SBL Press
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
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should be addressed in writing to the Rights and Permissions Office, SBL Press, 825 Hous-
ton Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cunha, Wilson de Angelo, author.
LXX Isaiah 24:1–26:6 as interpretation and translation : a methodological discussion /
by Wilson de Angelo Cunha.
p. cm. — (Septuagint and cognate studies ; number 62)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-62837-022-5 (paper binding : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-62837-023-2
(electronic format) — ISBN 978-1-62837-024-9 (hardcover binding : alk. paper)
1. Bible. Isaiah, XXIV-XXVI, 6—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Bible. Old Testa-
ment. Greek—Versions—Septuagint. I. Title. II. Series: Septuagint and cognate studies
series ; no. 62.
BS1515.52.C86 2014
224'.10486—dc23 2014027665
Printed on acid-free, recycled paper conforming to
ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R1997) and ISO 9706:1994
standards for paper permanence.
to Katie

Contents
preface ......................................................................................................................ix
abbreviations .......................................................................................................xiii
1. Introduction .........................................................................................................1
1.1. The Contours of LXX Isaiah’s research history 1
1.2. preliminary Questions 32
1.3. problematic assumptions 36
1.4. Methodology 43
1.5. Contribution 45
1.6. scope 46
part 1: Mt and LXX Isaiah Compared
2. Isaiah 24:1-23: a Comparison .........................................................................51
3. Isaiah 25:1-12: a Comparison .........................................................................85
4. Isaiah 26:1–6: a Comparison ........................................................................107
part 2: LXX Isaiah in Its own right
5. LXX Isaiah 24 in Its own right ....................................................................121
5.1. Isaiah 24:1–3: translation and Commentary 121
5.2. Isaiah 24:4–7: translation and Commentary 127
5.3. Isaiah 24:8–12: translation and Commentary 132
5.4. Isaiah 24:13: translation and Commentary 138
5.5. Isaiah 24:14–16: translation and Commentary 140
5.6. Isaiah 24:17–20: translation and Commentary 149
5.7. Isaiah 24:21–23: translation and Commentary 152
5.8. summary 155
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viii Contents
6. LXX Isaiah 25 in Its own right ....................................................................157
6.1. Isaiah 25:1–5: translation and Commentary 157
6.2. Isaiah 25:6–12: translation and Commentary 170
6.3. summary 179
7. LXX Isaiah 26:1–6 in Its own right .............................................................181
7.1. Isaiah 26:1–3b: translation and Commentary 181
7.2. Isaiah 26:3c–6: translation and Commentary 184
7.3. summary 187
8. Conclusions ......................................................................................................189
8.1. a Word on Methodology 192
8.2. Further research 193
Bibliography .........................................................................................................197
Index of ancient sources....................................................................................207
Index of Modern authors...................................................................................222
preface
The present monograph is a revised version of my phd dissertation submit-
ted to universiteit Leiden in september 2011. The present work tackles the
difficult issue of explaining divergences found in LXX Isaiah vis-à-vis the
Mt, arguing that differences found in the greek must be weighed against the
literary context in which they are found. do they cohere with the so-called
“literal translations” taken from the translator’s or scribe’s Vorlage? If so, what
is the ideological message of LXX Isa 24:1–26:6 and how does it compare to
modern interpretations of Mt Isa 24:1–26:6? In general, this work attempts
to demonstrate that LXX Isa 24:1–26:6 can be seen as a coherent ideologi-
cal composition which differs greatly from the way scholars have interpreted
Mt Isa 24:1–26:6. This coherence comes across through the use of certain
lexemes and conjunctions throughout the corpus under discussion. The main
conclusion this work draws from the level of coherence found in LXX Isa
24:1–26:6 is that its scribe or translator already had an interpretation—on a
higher level—before he started the process of translation. That is, the inter-
pretation of his hebrew Vorlage preceded and, to a large extent, shaped his
translation into greek.
some will object to attempts at uncovering the translator’s ideology: how
can the translator’s ideology be discovered when he is simply conveying what
is in his Vorlage? however, while it is true that the translator was trying to
relay what he found in his Vorlage, it is also true that he tried to communicate
what was there according to his interpretation of it. In the case of Isa 24:1–
26:6, the translator’s interpretation differs significantly from modern scholars’
interpretation of the same corpus. Indeed, it would be a grave mistake to
expect the translator to interpret his Vorlage the same way we do today.
Briefly, two interrelated themes come to the fore in LXX Isa 24:1–26:6.
The first focuses on “cities” (see Isa 24:10, 12; 25:2–4; 26:1, 5). The use of πόλις
and πόλις ὀχυρά lends coherence to LXX Isa 24:1–26:6. It emphasizes the
destruction of the city(ies) of the ungodly and salvation for the oppressed.
The second theme centers on judgment and salvation. While there is judg-
ment for the “ungodly” and their cities, there is salvation for the oppressed
and their cities. In connection with the themes of “cities” and “judgment and
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