What Is the Septuagint?
The Septuagint is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, often abbreviated as LXX.
It matters because it shaped early Jewish and Christian reading practices and preserved biblical text in a language widely used across the ancient Mediterranean world.
If you have ever wondered why some biblical quotations in the New Testament do not match the Hebrew Bible word for word, the Septuagint is one major reason.
Understanding it opens a clearer view of the Bible’s transmission, language, and historical setting.
How Did the Septuagint Get Its Name?
The name Septuagint comes from the Latin word for seventy.
Ancient tradition says that seventy-two Jewish scholars, six from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, translated the Torah into Greek.
Over time, the number was rounded and the translation became known as the Septuagint, or LXX.
The story is associated with the Letter of Aristeas, a Hellenistic-era text that presents the translation as an esteemed project connected to the Library of Alexandria.
While scholars debate the historical details, the tradition reflects the translation’s prestige in the ancient world.
When and Where Was It Translated?
The Septuagint was not produced all at once.
The translation began with the Pentateuch, the first five books of Moses, likely in Alexandria during the third century BCE.
Other books were translated later, over a long period, by different translators and in different styles.
This gradual process means the Septuagint is a collection of translations rather than a single, uniform work.
Some books are fairly literal, while others are freer and more interpretive.
That variety is one reason the Septuagint is so valuable for textual study.
What Books Are in the Septuagint?
The Septuagint includes the books found in the Hebrew Bible, but it also contains several writings that are part of the Greek Old Testament tradition and, in many Christian traditions, the Deuterocanonical books.
Books commonly associated with the Septuagint
- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
- Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles
- Ezra-Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets
- Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch, 1–4 Maccabees, and additions to Esther and Daniel, depending on manuscript tradition
Different Christian canons treat these books differently.
Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions include more of these writings than most Protestant Bibles, which typically separate them as Apocrypha or omit them from the main canon.
Why Was the Septuagint Important in the Ancient World?
Greek was the dominant language of trade, learning, and administration across much of the eastern Mediterranean after the conquests of Alexander the Great.
Many Jews in the Diaspora, especially outside Judea, used Greek as their primary language.
The Septuagint made the Scriptures accessible to those communities.
Its influence spread far beyond translation.
The Septuagint became a major scriptural text in synagogues and later in the early Church.
For many early Christians, it was the Bible they knew best because it was already written in the language of the Roman world.
How Does the Septuagint Compare with the Hebrew Bible?
The Septuagint often differs from the Masoretic Text, the standard medieval Hebrew form of the Jewish Bible used in most modern Old Testament translations.
These differences can involve wording, sequence, omissions, expansions, or alternative readings.
Common types of differences
- Textual differences: A passage may reflect a Hebrew manuscript tradition older or different from the Masoretic Text.
- Translation differences: Greek wording may interpret the Hebrew rather than reproduce it literally.
- Book order differences: Some books appear in a different arrangement than in the Hebrew canon.
- Longer or shorter passages: Certain texts in Jeremiah, Esther, and Daniel are notably different in the Septuagint tradition.
These differences are not necessarily errors.
They show that biblical texts circulated in multiple forms in antiquity, and the Septuagint often preserves evidence of that diversity.
Why Do Scholars Study the Septuagint?
Textual critics, historians, theologians, and biblical translators study the Septuagint because it helps reconstruct the history of the Bible.
It can reveal earlier readings of Hebrew texts, clarify how ancient interpreters understood Scripture, and explain New Testament quotations.
The Septuagint is especially useful in textual criticism, the discipline that compares ancient manuscripts to determine the most reliable form of a text.
In some cases, the Septuagint confirms a Hebrew reading; in others, it preserves a reading not found in later Hebrew manuscripts.
How Did the Septuagint Influence the New Testament?
The New Testament writers frequently quoted the Old Testament in Greek, and many of those quotations follow the Septuagint rather than the Masoretic Text.
This is important for understanding apostolic teaching, especially in books such as Romans, Hebrews, and the Gospels.
For example, Old Testament passages about the Messiah, covenant, and suffering servant are often cited in forms that align closely with the Greek tradition.
This does not mean the New Testament ignores the Hebrew Scriptures; it shows that early Christian authors read Scripture in the form available to their audiences.
Is the Septuagint Still Used Today?
Yes.
The Septuagint remains central in Eastern Orthodox Christianity and important in academic biblical studies.
Modern editions and translations are used by scholars who want to compare the Greek text with Hebrew manuscripts and later translations.
It also appears in liturgy, especially in Orthodox settings, and it continues to shape interpretation, theology, and biblical translation history.
For readers interested in the origins of Scripture, the Septuagint is not a footnote but a major witness to the biblical text.
What Are the Main Reasons to Learn About the Septuagint?
- It explains many differences between the Old Testament and New Testament wording.
- It helps identify older textual traditions of biblical books.
- It shows how Jewish communities used Scripture in Greek-speaking contexts.
- It is essential for understanding the development of the Christian Old Testament.
- It provides insight into how ancient translators interpreted difficult Hebrew passages.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Septuagint
Is the Septuagint the same as the Old Testament?
Not exactly.
It is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures and includes additional books in many manuscript traditions.
Different Christian traditions define the Old Testament differently, so the Septuagint overlaps with but is not identical to every modern Old Testament canon.
Was the Septuagint translated from Hebrew?
Yes.
Most of it was translated from Hebrew, though some books may reflect complex translation histories and possible revisions from other sources.
Scholars often compare the Greek text with surviving Hebrew manuscripts, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, to study these relationships.
Why do some Bibles reference LXX?
LXX is the standard abbreviation for the Septuagint.
It appears in footnotes, study Bibles, and scholarly works when a passage matches the Greek tradition rather than the Hebrew Masoretic Text.
Does the Septuagint matter for Bible readers today?
Yes, especially if you want to understand biblical history, translation differences, and how early Christians read Scripture.
It adds context to many familiar passages and helps explain why biblical wording sometimes varies between translations.
