Definition

Noun: 1. The Septuagint: The ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament and related texts. It is the oldest and most important Greek version, traditionally said to have been translated by Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt, during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE.

Usage

The word "Septuagint" is a proper noun and is almost always used with the definite article "the." It refers specifically to this historical translation as a singular work or collection. * Scholars study the Septuagint to understand early Jewish interpretation of scripture. * Many quotations of the Old Testament in the New Testament are taken from the Septuagint. * The name Septuagint comes from the Latin word for "seventy," based on the legend that seventy-two translators completed the work.

Advanced Usage

• Textual Criticism: In academic studies, the Septuagint (often abbreviated as LXX, the Roman numeral for seventy) is a critical witness for reconstructing the original text of the Hebrew Bible, as it was translated from Hebrew manuscripts older than most surviving Hebrew copies.
• Theological Significance: For the early Christian church, which used Greek, the Septuagint served as its primary Old Testament scripture. Differences between the Septuagint and the later standardized Hebrew text (the Masoretic Text) are important for historical theology.

Variants and Related Words

• LXX: The standard scholarly abbreviation for the Septuagint, derived from the Roman numeral for seventy.
• Septuagintal (adj): Of or relating to the Septuagint.
  • The author's argument relies on a Septuagintal reading of the passage.

Synonyms

• Greek Old Testament: A more descriptive, though less specific, synonym. "Septuagint" typically refers to the specific ancient Alexandrian translation, while "Greek Old Testament" can include later revisions and translations.

Notes on Different Meanings

"Septuagint" has one primary, specific meaning as a proper noun referring to the ancient Greek translation. It does not have general or idiomatic uses. The legend of its origin, involving approximately seventy translators, is the source of its name but is not considered historical fact by most modern scholars.

Noun

1. the oldest Greek version of the Old Testament; said to have been translated from the Hebrew by Jewish scholars at the request of Ptolemy II