volume 12, issue 1, 2020, pages 1-23

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64438/sbsCYMV5960
Published online: 2020-06-01
Published in print: 2020-06-30

Abstract: This study refers to a few major Israelite figures featuring in the Minor Prophets, examining their representation in the Septuagint. The Septuagint is a translation, but the translators of the various books could have presented these figures differently from their presentation in MT; for example, the Greek translations could have preserved vestiges of ancient traditions different from those of MT. It should be remembered that the LXX canon is composed of translations of different types. Thus, the Greek Joshua reflects only a few variant traditions about Joshua, while the Greek book of 1 Kgs reflects many traditions about Solomon that differ from MT, and the LXX of Chronicles reflects again very few deviating traditions. The translation of each book stands by itself. Thus, the Greek form of 1 Kgs (3 Kgdms in the LXX) presents a rather unique situation. I would say that this is the exception rather than the rule. Only if the description of the Greek figures differs from that of the Hebrew ones do we have some information about their depiction in the LXX. The Greek translation emphasizes Solomon’s wisdom and whitewashes his sins, and it presents a more favorable account of the sinners Jeroboam and Ahab.