Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 28/02/2004 09:57, Philip Engmann wrote:

> Comparison of the MT and LXX Quotations of Deuteronomy 32:43
> 1.   There is a difference between the LXX quotation of Deuteronomy
> 32:43 and the MT quotation of Deuteronomy 32:43. The difference is that
> the phrase, 'kai prokunesatwan autw pantes aggeloi theoi' [1], [2], [3],
> [4] exists in LXX Deuteronomy 32:43, but not in MT Deuteronomy 32:43. 
>
> 2.  The Dead Sea Scroll (DSS) 4QDeutq matches the LXX of Deuteronomy
> 32:43.
>
> 3.  According to the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia,[5] in DSS 4QDeutq
> the LXX Deuteronomy 32:43 phrase, 'kai prokunesatwan autw pantes aggeloi
> theoi' is rendered, 'whshthww lo (cl) elohim' vel 'bny xl' in DSS
> 4QDeutq. 
>
> 4.   I have been unable to decipher what vel means in the Sigla Et
> Compendia Apparatum of the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.
>
> 5. Does this mean that in DSS 4QDeutq, mlk (meaning aggeloi) is missing
> in DSS 4QDeutq?   
>
>  
As the BHS margin cannot supply the full DSS Hebrew text but offers 
alternatives, that seems to suggest that the DSS text is fragmentary, 
indicating that there is some text here which is not in MT but giving no 
detailed support for the LXX reading.

The LXX text you quote is corrupt or confused. My Rahlfs LXX has two 
additional lines. The BHS note seems to correspond to the first one, KAI 
PROSKUNHSATWSAN AUTWi PANTES hUIOI QEOU (with PANTES omitted in some 
texts). The second added line is quoted in Greek in BHS, and ends PANTES 
AGGELOI QEOU.

The New Testament, Hebrews 1:6, may here be an independent witness to 
the text. The quotation reads KAI PROSKUNHSATWSAN AUTWi PANTES AGGELOI 
QEOU (more or less as you wrote above, but this is not LXX) - and the 
use of AGGELOI rather than hUIOI is important to the argument in Hebrews 
so is not a textual variant. But this quotation may be based on Psalm 
96:7, LXX PROSKUNHSATE AUTWi, PANTES hOI AGGELOI AUTOU (Hebrew 97:7, 
reads 'ELOHIM).

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/