The Septuagint Weakens, Removes, & Obscures Several Prophecies of Christ

By contrast, the Masoretic Text upholds the Pure Words of Promise

Introduction

There are claims the Masoretic Text was corrupted by Jewish rabbis and scribes to obscure Christ, while the Septuagint is more pure and more clearly points towards Christ.

We have shown that the purity of the Masoretic Text is upheld in Psalm 22:16 and Isaiah 7:14. Lord-willing, we will vindicate the Confessional Text of the Hebrew Bible in other passages too.

Yet Septuagint-priority advocates who accuse the Masoretic Text of having been polluted by anti-Christian hands, never seem to question the evidence of this very thing having happened to the Septuagint itself.

This is a vital issue, as the clearest indication that the Masoretic Text is pure and the Septuagint impure is that the former preserves pure prophecies of Christ, while the latter corrupts them. Here are several instances where this occurs:

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1) Genesis 3:15:

7. The first promise of the gospel, Genesis 3:15, in the Masoretic text has Christ treading on the serpent’s head, and the serpent bruising Christ’s heal. Yet the LXX takes the teeth out of this conflict, with Christ merely watching or “keeping” the serpent, and the serpent watching or keeping Christ.

Here the Masoretic Text reads (with KJV translation):

וְאֵיבָ֣ה ׀ אָשִׁ֗ית בֵּֽינְךָ֙ וּבֵ֣ין הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה וּבֵ֥ין זַרְעֲךָ֖ וּבֵ֣ין זַרְעָ֑הּ ה֚וּא יְשֽׁוּפְךָ֣ רֹ֔אשׁ וְאַתָּ֖ה תְּשׁוּפֶ֥נּוּ עָקֵֽב

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (KJV)

This is a clear prophecy of Christ’s victory over Satan, which the Septuagint greatly weakens. According to the Lexham LXX, “he will watch your head carefully, and you will watch his heel carefully.”:

καὶ ἔχθραν θήσω ἀνὰ μέσον σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματός σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς αὐτός σου τηρήσει κεφαλήν καὶ σὺ τηρήσεις αὐτοῦ πτέρναν

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, he shall watch against thy head, and thou shalt watch against his heel.” (Brenton’s)

In the Masoretic Text, of course, this prophecy of the Protoevangelion makes total sense, giving hope to our first parents: the first Christians, Adam and Eve.

Martin Luther - who agreed with the reading here that is found in the Masoretic Text - wrote:

Their consolation against sin and despair was their hope for this crushing, which was to be brought about in the future through Christ…[Adam and Eve] are full of sin and death. And yet, because they hear the promise concerning the Seed who will crush the serpent’s head, they have the same hope we have, namely, that death will be taken away, that sin will be abolished, and that righteousness, life, peace, etc. will be restored. In this hope our first parents live and die, and because of this hope they are truly holy and righteous.

But was Luther wrong in his interpretation here? Were we deluded all along to think Adam’s hope - given to him immediately after the fall by our gracious God - was merely that there would be a mutual watching between Christ and Satan, rather than Christ crushing Satan’s head? Are we going to surrender this holy prophecy, turning Christ’s victory into an effective stalemate? By no means!
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2) Isaiah 9:6:

Here the Masoretic Text reads (with KJV translation):

כִּֽי־יֶ֣לֶד יֻלַּד־לָ֗נוּ בֵּ֚ן נִתַּן־לָ֔נוּ וַתְּהִ֥י הַמִּשְׂרָ֖ה עַל־שִׁכְמ֑וֹ וַיִּקְרָ֨א שְׁמ֜וֹ פֶּ֠לֶא יוֹעֵץ֙ אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר אֲבִי־עַ֖ד שַׂר־שָׁלֽוֹם

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

In the Septuagint (Rahlf’s), however, the child (Christ) is no longer identified as the Mighty God, but merely the “Messenger of great council.” (Brenton’s Septuagint), or “Messenger of the Great Council” (Lexham’s Septuagint).

ὅτι παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν υἱὸς καὶ ἐδόθη ἡμῖν οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἐγενήθη ἐπὶ τοῦ ὤμου αὐτοῦ καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελος ἐγὼ γὰρ ἄξω εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας εἰρήνην καὶ ὑγίειαν αὐτῷ

“A child is born to us, and a son is given to us, whose government is upon his shoulder: and his name is called the Messenger of great council.”

Here is a beautiful prophecy of Christ’s divinity: present in the Masoretic Text, yet absent in the Septuagint. What then - if the theory of Judaic manipulation of the Masoretic Text were true, are we to believe that unbelieving Jews removed added in words calling the child of Isaiah 9, “the Mighty God” and “the Everlasting Father” into the Masoretic Text? Does that no directly contradict the very purpose of what LXX-priority advocates claim that the rabbis were attempting?

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3) Zechariah 12:10:

While Septuagint-priority advocates claim that the authors of the Masoretic Text removed a reference to Christ’s crucifixion - a claim we have disproved - it is the Septuagint that does this very thing. In the LXX, Christ is no longer described as having been pierced (as per the Masoretic), but rather, simply mocked (Brenton’s). The Lexham Septuagint has the people neither mocking nor piercing, but rather dancing triumphantly!

Here is Zechariah 12:10 in the Masoretic/KJV:

(2) Zechariah 12:10:

וְשָֽׁפַכְתִּי֩ עַל־בֵּ֨ית דָּוִ֜יד וְעַ֣ל ׀ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֗ם ר֤וּחַ חֵן֙ וְתַ֣חֲנוּנִ֔ים וְהִבִּ֥יטוּ אֵלַ֖י אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־דָּקָ֑רוּ וְסָֽפְד֣וּ עָלָ֗יו כְּמִסְפֵּד֙ עַל־הַיָּחִ֔יד וְהָמֵ֥ר עָלָ֖יו כְּהָמֵ֥ר עַֽל־הַבְּכֽוֹר

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”

Now here is Zechariah 12:10 in the LXX/Brenton’s:

καὶ ἐκχεῶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Δαυιδ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Ιερουσαλημ πνεῦμα χάριτος καὶ οἰκτιρμοῦ καὶ ἐπιβλέψονται πρός με ἀνθ᾽ ὧν κατωρχήσαντο καὶ κόψονται ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν κοπετὸν ὡς ἐπ᾽ ἀγαπητὸν καὶ ὀδυνηθήσονται ὀδύνην ὡς ἐπὶ πρωτοτόκῳ:

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and compassion: and they shall look upon me, because they have mocked me, and they shall make lamentation for him, as for a beloved friend, and they shall grieve intensely, as for a firstborn son.”

Again, let’s assume that the Septuagint-priority theory were true. If rabbis sought to edit the Masoretic Text to remove references to Christ’s crucifixion, why would they add one in Zechariah 12:10 that does not appear in the Septuagint itself?

It would be the least rational action possible, and the very absurdity required here, ought to cause its advocates to notice the logical flaw in the theory.

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4) Hosea 11:1:

The prophecy of Christ being called out of Egypt is removed in the LXX, which merely relates God’s calling more generally to various children.

The Masoretic/KJV reads:

כִּ֛י נַ֥עַר יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וָאֹֽהֲבֵ֑הוּ וּמִמִּצְרַ֖יִם קָרָ֥אתִי לִבְנִֽי

“When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my Son out of Egypt.”

By contrast, here is the LXX/Brenton’s:

διότι νήπιος Ισραηλ καὶ ἐγὼ ἠγάπησα αὐτὸν καὶ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου μετεκάλεσα τὰ τέκνα αὐτοῦ

“Early in the morning were they cast off, the king of Israel has been cast off: for Israel is a child, and I loved him, and out of Egypt have I called his children.”

Septuagint-priority advocates will mention the times when the apostles and Christ speak in Greek in accordance with the Septuagint, yet less commonly do they acknowledge that with regards, to this verse, Christ explicitly cites the Masoretic version of Hosea 11:1 in Matthew 2:15. Here is the verse in the Textus Receptus and in the KJV:

καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἕως τῆς τελευτῆς ἡρώδου ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος ἐξ αἰγύπτου ἐκάλεσα τὸν υἱόν μου

And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

But if God were calling multiple children, how then could the prophecy of calling his son be fulfilled? If Jewish scholars in Tiberias were seeking to make the Hebrew Bible less Christ-like, why then is this prophecy of Christ so clear and harmonious in the Masoretic, while non-existent in the Septuagint?

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5) Isaiah 53:10-11:

The Septuagint treatment of Isaiah 53:10-11 contains one of the most jarring alterations to the holy text that we know and love. You may notice several differences:

• In the Septuagint, the Father cleanses Christ.

• In the Septuagint, Christ’s soul is no longer an offering for sin; rather, the audience is invited to give a sin offering: presented as a conditional promise.

• In the Septuagint, the Father takes away from the travail of Christ’s soul.

• In the Septuagint, Christ no longer justifies many; rather, he justifies the Just One.

The Masoretic reads:

וַֽיהוָ֞ה חָפֵ֤ץ דַּכְּאוֹ֙ הֶֽחֱלִ֔י אִם־תָּשִׂ֤ים אָשָׁם֙ נַפְשׁ֔וֹ יִרְאֶ֥ה זֶ֖רַע יַֽאֲרִ֣יךְ יָמִ֑ים וְחֵ֥פֶץ יְהוָ֖ה בְּיָד֥וֹ יִצְלָֽח׃ יא מֵֽעֲמַ֤ל נַפְשׁוֹ֙ יִרְאֶ֣ה יִשְׂבָּ֔ע בְּדַעְתּ֗וֹ יַצְדִּ֥יק צַדִּ֛יק עַבְדִּ֖י לָֽרַבִּ֑ים וַעֲוֺֽנֹתָ֖ם ה֥וּא יִסְבֹּֽל

“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

Here is the LXX/Brenton’s, for comparison:

καὶ κύριος βούλεται καθαρίσαι αὐτὸν τῆς πληγῆς ἐὰν δῶτε περὶ ἁμαρτίας ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν ὄψεται σπέρμα μακρόβιον καὶ βούλεται κύριος ἀφελεῖν –

“The Lord also is pleased to purge him from his stroke. If ye can give an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed: the Lord also is pleased to take away from the travail of his soul, to shew him life, and to form him with understanding; to justify the Just One who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins.”

We are compelled to speak frankly: these are unorthodox alterations that are jarring the soul, destructive to the words of the Spirit, and alien to sound logic.

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6) Isaiah 25:8

Does the Lord swallow up death in victory, or does death prevail and swallow men up?

The Masoretic Text reads:

בִּלַּ֤ע הַמָּ֨וֶת֙ לָנֶ֔צַח וּמָחָ֨ה אֲדֹנָ֧י יְהוִ֛ה דִּמְעָ֖ה מֵעַ֣ל כָּל־פָּנִ֑ים וְחֶרְפַּ֣ת עַמּ֗וֹ יָסִיר֙ מֵעַ֣ל כָּל־הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר

“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from.”

By contrast, the Septuagint has a rather demoralizing message in this same place:

κατέπιεν ὁ θάνατος ἰσχύσας, καὶ πάλιν ἀφεῖλεν ὁ θεὸς πᾶν δάκρυον ἀπὸ παντὸς προσώπου· τὸ ὄνειδος τοῦ λαοῦ ἀφεῖλεν ἀπὸ πάσης τῆς γῆς, τὸ γὰρ στόμα κυρίου ἐλάλησεν

Death has prevailed and swallowed men up; but again the Lord God has taken away every tear from every face. He has taken away the reproach of his people from all the earth: for the mouth off the Lord has spoken it.

Which text do you think the apostle Paul had in mind, when he declared in 1 Corinthians 15:54 the following?

ὅταν δὲ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος

“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

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Conclusion

We have defended the Masoretic Text in places where corruption is alleged, and by God’s grace, will continue to do so.

By contrast, would any dare to defend any of the aforementioned impieties of the Septuagint as the very Word of God? Can a man read this, and yet still cling all the more closely to a theory claiming that the rabbis somehow obscured Christ by inventing the Masoretic Text, which evidently shows forth Christ more clearly than the Septuagint itself?

If the rabbis were seeking to hide Jesus from the Word of God; well, the Masoretic Text accomplishes the very opposite - especially when contrasted with the LXX.