The Authority of the Septuagint

The Authority of the Septuagint, Gregory R. Lanier and William A. Ross, eds. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9781514009727) 2025.

Summary: A multi-perspectival approach to the question of the authority of the Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint.

Alexander the Great ruled between 335 and 323 BC. During this time he brought the eastern Mediterranean, the Near East, Egypt and former Persian territories all the way to India. Greece supplanted Persia as the great power. After his death, several rulers divided this kingdom. However, the lingua franca of this empire was Greek. Alexandrian Jews, responding to this reality, translated into Greek the Hebrews scriptures, beginning with the Pentateuch, and eventually the rest of what we would call the Old Testament. Legend has it that a team of seventy (or seventy-two) were responsible for this translation, hence its name, Septuagint.

Today, biblical translations of the Old Testament are based, on the Hebrew Masoretic text, a tradition that traces back to Jerome. Yet, the question remains of the authority of the Greek Old Testament. Why so? First of all, the New Testament writers, who wrote in Greek, often but not always quote from the Septuagint. This, along with the growing collection of documents that would form the New Testament, were the scriptures of Greek-speaking churches. Likewise, the early church fathers often quoted these scriptures. They functioned as a source of authority for early churches. And for the Eastern Orthodox churches, they still do.

One of the problems that arise is that there are differences between some of the Greek texts used in the New Testament and the Hebrew text. Contemporary translators often note in footnotes these differences and other places where alternate readings of the Septuagint may shed light on the meaning of a text. Finally, the authority of this translation raises questions about the authority of all our translations. As we quote those translations, in what sense may we say, “thus saith the Lord”?

This volume brings together the contributions of a variety of scholars in different fields to address the contemporary relevance and authority of the Septuagint in both academy and church. To begin, Greg Lanier addresses the question of canon, arguing that the Septuagint originally did not include apocryphal books but only the three current divisions of Hebrew scripture: the law, prophets, and writings. Then William A. Ross traces the somewhat complex history of Jewish scriptures, how they were passed down and translated.

Thomas Keane studies the citations of scripture in the New Testament and the variations and concludes that the sources they had available, and their rhetorical purposes shaped their usage. While not furnishing a conclusive basis for the authority of the Septuagint, it revealed that they considered the Hebrew scriptures in whatever form they had access to them as authoritative in practice. Following this, patristic scholar Edmon L. Gallagher surveys the debates about the status of the Septuagint between Augustine, Origen, and Jerome. He the gist of this discussion was that the Septuagint provided a generally reliable though imperfect rendering of the Hebrew, reflecting the conviction that God communicates through translations.

The discussion then turns to how Reformation and post-Reformation scholars treated the Septuagint. Early on, the Septuagint was set aside for the supremacy of the Masoretic Text. Subsequent scholars recognized that there were places where the Septuagint might correct the Hebrew text. A couple of excurses explore the importance of an Old Testament “kept pure in all ages” as a confessional position.

Then Daniel J. Trier and Joshua McQuaid take a systematic theology approach. They begin by acknowledging the lack of attention by systematic theologians to the authority of the Septuagint. They note that divine authority typically involves creaturely mediation. In addition, they note how our finitude and fallenness helps explain our lack of direct access to original autographs of the text. Finally, they explore how textual traditions and Spirit illuminated interpretations minister the magisterial authority of scripture through translations. James Prothro considers a Catholic perspective through history, noting the significant common ground that exists.

Myrto Theocharous’ concluding chapter offers a synthesis of the book. He notes a general consensus (though not shared by the Eastern Church) that the Septuagint has a derivative authority, along with other translation efforts. However, in its origins as a Greek translation by Jews, it is useful in textual criticism, and may occasionally offer superior renderings to the Masoretic Text. Some scholars offer alternate wording, describing the authority as ministerial or functional.

I thought the book a thorough exploration of a question I’d not previously considered. Essentially, the argument seemed to be that the authority of the Septuagint is on a par with our modern translations. The Trier and McQuaid essay reminded me of God’s gracious providence. He ministers his saving gospel through translations. Even though we lack original autographs, God works through the critical editions of the Hebrew and Greek text we have. God spoke through whatever sources New Testament writers had available. God ministered to countless numbers through the Septuagint. And it continues to be a gift for Old Testament scholars.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.