Septuagint Vs MT

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Ethan
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Septuagint Vs MT

Post by Ethan »

Genesis 31:54

Septuagint
And he offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his brethren, and they ate and drank, and slept in the mountain
καὶ ἔθυσεν Ιακωβ θυσίαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει

MT
And Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount (KJV)
ויזבח יעקב זבח בהר ויקרא לאחיו לאכל־לחם ויאכלו לחם וילינו בהר

This verse is different between the MT and Septuagint, the MT repeats the word לחם 'bread. The Septuagint does not mention bread, just says they were eating and drinking.

This is what the Septuagint is reading.
ויזבח יעקב זבח בהר ויקרא לאחיו ויאכלו וישתו וילינו בהר

1. Was Jacob "In", "On" or "Upon" the mountain?
2. What did Jacob sacrifice?

Comparison.

Gen 26:30
And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.
ויעש להם משתה ויאכלו וישתו
καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτοῗς δοχήν καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον

Homer, Odyssey Book 15 Line 373
they eat and drink
ἔφαγόν τʼ ἔπιόν

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Ethan
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Re: Septuagint Vs MT

Post by Ethan »

The verb ἐκοιμήθησαν is וישכבו in Hebrew.

Genesis 31:54
καὶ ἔθυσεν Ιακωβ θυσίαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει
ויזבח יעקב זבח בהר ויקרא לאחיו לאכל־לחם ויאכלו לחם וישכבו בהר

ἐκοιμήθησαν is used 11 times in Xenophon, Cyropedia.

Xenophon, Cyropedia 3.3.33
When Cyrus had thus spoken, Cyaxares and the rest agreed with him. And then, when they had dined and stationed their sentinels and lighted many fires in front of the outposts, they went to rest.
λέξαντος δ᾽ οὕτω Κύρου συνέδοξε ταῦτα καὶ Κυαξάρῃ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις. καὶ τότε μὲν δειπνοποιησάμενοι καὶ φυλακὰς καταστησάμενοι καὶ πυρὰ πολλὰ πρὸ τῶν φυλακῶν καύσαντες ἐκοιμήθησαν

Xenophon, Cyropedia 5.3.51
Such, at least, was Cyrus's opinion about this matter.
The soldiers, however, then went to dinner, stationed sentinels, packed up everything they needed, and went to bed.
καὶ Κῦρος μὲν δὴ περὶ τούτων οὕτως ἐγίγνωσκεν. οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται τότε μὲν δειπνήσαντες καὶ φυλακὰς καταστησάμενοι καὶ συσκευασάμενοι πάντα ἃ ἔδει ἐκοιμήθησαν

Xenophon, Cyropedia 5.4.19
Thus they went to sleep that evening. At daybreak he made proclamation for all the Cadusians and the officers of the rest to assemble; and he addressed them as follows: “Friends and allies, that which has happened might happen to any man; for it is not at all strange, I think, for mortal man to err. Still it is worth our while to reap some benefit from this occurrence, the lesson never to detach from our main body a force weaker than the forces of the enemy.
καὶ τότε μὲν οὕτως ἐκοιμήθησαν. ἅμα δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ κηρύξας συνιέναι τῶν μὲν ἄλλων τοὺς ἄρχοντας, τοὺς δὲ Καδουσίους ἅπαντας, ἔλεξε τοιάδε. ἄνδρες σύμμαχοι, ἀνθρώπινον τὸ γεγενημένον: τὸ γὰρ ἁμαρτάνειν ἀνθρώπους ὄντας οὐδὲν οἴομαι θαυμαστόν. ἄξιοί γε μέντοι ἐσμὲν τοῦ γεγενημένου πράγματος τούτου ἀπολαῦσαί τι ἀγαθόν, τὸ μαθεῖν μήποτε διασπᾶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὅλου δύναμιν ἀσθενεστέραν τῆς τῶν πολεμίων δυνάμεως.

Ethan
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Re: Septuagint Vs MT

Post by Ethan »

Xenophon uses the verb δειπνέω 'make a meal', the noun δεῖπνον means meal.

Daniel 5:1
Belshazzar the king made a great feast
MT בלשאצר מלכא עבד לחם רב
LXX Βαλτασαρ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐποίησεν δεῗπνον μέγα

δεῗπνον לחם

Homer uses specific words for meals at particular times.

ἄριστον morning meal
δεῖπνον noonday meal
δόρπον evening meal cf. ערב

Proverbs 23:1
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
MT כי־תשב ללחום את־מושל בין תבין את־אשר לפניך
LXX ἐὰν καθίσῃς δειπνεῗν ἐπὶ τραπέζης δυναστῶν νοητῶς νόει τὰ παρατιθέμενά σοι

δειπνεῗν ללחום to make a meal, to dinner

Xenophon Cyropedia 6.1.49
“And I accept your offer,” said Cyrus. “And now I will take leave of you and let you go to dinner with your wife. Some other time you will be expected to dine at my headquarters with your friends and mine
καὶ ὁ Κῦρος εἶπεν· ἐγὼ δὲ δέχομαι· καὶ νῦν μέν σε ἀφίημι, ἔφη, σὺν τῇ γυναικὶ δειπνεῖν· αὖθις δὲ καὶ παρʼ ἐμοὶ δεήσει σε σκηνοῦν σὺν τοῖς σοῖς τε καὶ ἐμοῖς φίλοις.

Xenophon Cyropedia 4.5.1
When they were gone, Cyrus said: “Medes and Armenians, it is now high time for us all to go to dinner; and everything necessary has been prepared for you to the best of our ability. Go, then, and send to us half of the bread that has been baked—enough has been made for all; but do not send us any meat nor anything to drink; for enough has been provided for us at our own quarters.
ἐπεὶ δ᾽ ἐκεῖνοι ᾤχοντο, ὁ Κῦρος εἶπεν: ὥρα δή, ὦ Μῆδοι καὶ Ἀρμένιοι, δειπνεῖν πᾶσιν ἡμῖν: παρεσκεύασται δὲ ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ὡς ἡμεῖς βέλτιστα ἐδυνάμεθα. ἀλλ᾽ ἴτε καὶ ἡμῖν πέμπετε τοῦ πεποιημένου σίτου τὸν ἥμισυν: ἱκανὸς δὲ ἀμφοτέροις πεποίηται: ὄψον δὲ μὴ πέμπετε μηδὲ πιεῖν: ἱκανὰ γὰρ ἔχομεν παρ᾽ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς παρεσκευασμένα.

The word βέλτιστα here resembles בלשאצר / Βαλτασαρ.
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