Only Hebrew Old Testament Preserved by God?

[Scott Pitta]

The LXX refers to any Greek translation of the Old Testament. It has a textual history of its own and none of the LXX manuscripts are identical in their wording.

I have not seen any data pointing out where Jews changed the text of the Hebrew OT for theological reasons.

[coksiw]

Originally Posted by Costeon

Thanks for the resource.

Do you think that later Jews changed the Hebrew in some places to not be as helpful to Christian interpretations and claims that certain texts referred to Jesus?

Never heard of that. And I doubt it because the Jews are very careful with copying and not changing the Word.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

The LXX refers to any Greek translation of the Old Testament. It has a textual history of its own and none of the LXX manuscripts are identical in their wording.

I have not seen any data pointing out where Jews changed the text of the Hebrew OT for theological reasons.

You must not be a history buff.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

The LXX refers to any Greek translation of the Old Testament. It has a textual history of its own and none of the LXX manuscripts are identical in their wording.

I have not seen any data pointing out where Jews changed the text of the Hebrew OT for theological reasons.

Scott, have you ever heard that one is thought wise when they choose to hold their peace. Yet, when they open their mouth they expose they are truly a fool?
Well, Scott, this is one of those times. Scott, you haven’t a clue.

[Scott Pitta]

Which point ??

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

Which point ??

The one on the top of your head.

[Costeon]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

The LXX refers to any Greek translation of the Old Testament. It has a textual history of its own and none of the LXX manuscripts are identical in their wording.

I have not seen any data pointing out where Jews changed the text of the Hebrew OT for theological reasons.

How would you understand the situation of Psalm 22:16, for example? Either the original text was "they pierced my hands and my feet" or "like a lion, they are at my hands and feet." In the oldest Hebrew (the Dead Sea Scrolls), LXX, Syriac, and Latin Vulgate, the reading is "they pierced my hands and my feet"; the Masoretic text alone has "like a lion, they are at my hands and feet." Would you regard that as an accidental change, or perhaps could it have theological motives?

On another note, it seems that Greek-speaking Jews were willing to change Greek translations of the OT, at least in part, because of how Christians used the LXX. In Isaiah 7:14, the later translation by Theodotion, changed the LXX's "parthenos," which Matthew quotes, meaning "virgin," to "neania," meaning "young woman." Some would say that this is just a more accurate translation of the Hebrew "almah," but the motive for changing it most likely was the Christian emphasis on the virgin-birth of Christ. From what I have heard, there are other examples of changes of messianic passages in later Greek versions of the OT away from the LXX readings for similar motives. Perhaps someone on this forum knows offhand if this is so.

[Scott Pitta]

How does one determine the motive of a copyist ??? Is there consistency in those who translated it ??

Since we do not know who translated specific manuscripts, let alone date them, any conjecture is simply that: conjecture.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

How does one determine the motive of a copyist ??? Is there consistency in those who translated it ??

Since we do not know who translated specific manuscripts, let alone date them, any conjecture is simply that: conjecture.

BTW the LXX is not any Greek Old TEstament,

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

How does one determine the motive of a copyist ??? Is there consistency in those who translated it ??

Since we do not know who translated specific manuscripts, let alone date them, any conjecture is simply that: conjecture.

Scott, Esaias is right on target.