Additional Evidence of Semantic and Syntactic Sensitivity in the Septuagint

Abstract

Abstract In this article, a tribute to James Aitken by his students and postdoctoral collaborator, several case studies are presented that demonstrate how situating the Septuagint within its Post-classical Greek context can add significantly to our understanding of the textual-linguistic character of the Septuagint translations. They include a new approach to understanding parataxis with καί in the Greek Pentateuch, morphology and word formation in relation to presumed neologisms in Greek Jeremiah, lexical choice related to verbs of “pouring” in kaige, verbal periphrasis with ποιέω in Greek Genesis, the expression of motion in Greek Exodus, and the literary expression of “to die” in Greek Genesis. While we do not deny the existence of interference in the translations, we argue that its extent has been overstated. Through examples that showcase semantic and syntactic sensitivity on the part of the translators, we demonstrate various approaches to positioning the Septuagint within the history of Greek.