Amos 4.13 in the OG.
Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2019 6:21 pm
The Old Greek of Amos 4.13 bears an interesting use of the term Christ (Χριστός) where the Hebrew text does not:
The above versions, except for the Masoretic and the OG, we owe to the commentary by Jerome.
It seems pretty clear to me that this verse has been Christianized in the Old Greek; what is interesting to me here is the set of concepts to which "his Christ" finds itself in parallel in the other versions. The Masoretic has "his thoughts," which reminds me of 1 Corinthians 1.24, in which Christ is called both "the power and the wisdom of God." Symmachus has "his utterance," Theodotion has "his word," and Quinta has "his conversation," and of course the Johannine prologue calls Jesus "the word." I have no special comment on this verse except to invite any insights that others might have; I have been on the lookout for unusual instances of the term Christ, and this replacing of God's thoughts and/or word with Christ strikes my eye.
Amos 4.13 (NASB): For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness and treads on the high places of the earth, the Lord God of hosts is His name.
Masoretic: מַה־שֵּׂח֔וֹ ("what are his thoughts").
Aquila: τὴν ὁμιλίαν αὐτοῦ ("his company/association").
Symmachus: τὸ φώνημα αὐτοῦ ("his utterance").
Old Greek (OG/LXX): τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτοῦ ("his Christ").
Theodotion: τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ("his word").
Quinta: τὴν ἀδολεσχίαν αὐτοῦ ("his conversation").
Masoretic: מַה־שֵּׂח֔וֹ ("what are his thoughts").
Aquila: τὴν ὁμιλίαν αὐτοῦ ("his company/association").
Symmachus: τὸ φώνημα αὐτοῦ ("his utterance").
Old Greek (OG/LXX): τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτοῦ ("his Christ").
Theodotion: τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ("his word").
Quinta: τὴν ἀδολεσχίαν αὐτοῦ ("his conversation").
The above versions, except for the Masoretic and the OG, we owe to the commentary by Jerome.
It seems pretty clear to me that this verse has been Christianized in the Old Greek; what is interesting to me here is the set of concepts to which "his Christ" finds itself in parallel in the other versions. The Masoretic has "his thoughts," which reminds me of 1 Corinthians 1.24, in which Christ is called both "the power and the wisdom of God." Symmachus has "his utterance," Theodotion has "his word," and Quinta has "his conversation," and of course the Johannine prologue calls Jesus "the word." I have no special comment on this verse except to invite any insights that others might have; I have been on the lookout for unusual instances of the term Christ, and this replacing of God's thoughts and/or word with Christ strikes my eye.