T&T Clark Companion to the Septuagint, ed. James K. Aitken (London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2015; Paperback, 2025)
This volume for specialists and non-specialists alike serves as an introduction to the Septuagint (LXX) in general and each individual LXX book in particular. Its goal is to provide the present state of knowledge of the LXX from thirty-six contributors from diverse perspectives in Septuagintal studies, especially from a younger generation of scholars, and to chart future paths of investigation in the subject area.
It is arranged as follows: a “Preface” (ix–x), a list of “Abbreviations” (xi–xx), “List of Contributors” (xxi–xxvi), a “Glossary” (xxvii–xxx), an “Introduction” (1–12), an introduction to and discussion of all LXX books (13–567), and an “Index of Biblical References,” (568–92).
In the “Introduction,” Aitken provides a concise introduction to the LXX. In the process, he highlights that “no one Septuagint” existed in antiquity (1). He discusses: how the LXX came to be, its various translations, the provenance(s) of its translators, the importance of the LXX for the study of the Bible, the text and manuscripts of the LXX, editions and modern translations of the LXX, and finally tools for those who wish to learn more.
For the most part, the remainder of the volume consists of a book-by-book survey of the LXX: “Genesis” (13–28), “Exodus” (29–42), “Leviticus” (43–57), “Numbers” (58–67), “Deuteronomy” (68–85), “Joshua” (86–101), “Judges” (102–17), “Ruth” (118–26), “1–2 Kingdoms (1–2 Samuel)” (127–46), “3–4 Kingdoms (1–2 Kings)” (147–66), “1–2 Chronicles” (167–77), “1 Esdras” (178–94), “2 Esdras” (195–202), “Esther and Additions to Esther” (203–21), “Judith” (222–36), “Tobit” (237–60), “1 Maccabees” (261–72), “2 Maccabees” (273–91), “3 Maccabees” (292–305), “4 Maccabees” (306–19), “Psalms” (320–34), “Prayer of Manasseh” (335–40), “Proverbs” (341–55), “Ecclesiastes” (356–69), “Canticles (Song of Songs)” (370–84), “Job” (385–400), “Wisdom of Solomon” (401–9), “Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)” (410–24), “Psalms of Solomon” (425–37), “The Minor Prophets” (438–55), “Isaiah” (456–68), “Jeremiah” (469–86), “Baruch” (487–99), “Lamentations” (500–19), “Epistle of Jeremiah” (520–27), “Ezekiel” (528–43), “Daniel” (544–54), and “The Additions to Daniel” (555–67).
Each of these chapters is structured similarly. Its author begins by providing critical editions and translations of the book in question. Then, he or she discusses the following areas of Septuagintal research associated with it: the book’s (or books’) General Characteristics, Time and Place of Composition, Language, Translation and Composition, Key Text-Critical Issues, Ideology and Exegesis, and Reception History. The last portion of every chapter contains a helpful Bibliography for those who wish to learn more about the book (or books’) in question.
To provide an example, I highlight the chapter on the Psalms, the most quoted LXX book by the authors of the New Testament. This chapter is by James Aitken who notes that the date for the Greek translation of the Psalter is unknown, but it appears to have occurred during the second century BC (320–23). He contends that one must not think of one edition of the Psalter in antiquity because the LXX (as well as one of the scrolls from Qumran) attest to an additional psalm, Psalm 151, which is no found in the Masoretic text that stands behind most modern Old Testament translations (321; for more on the Masoretic text, click here). The location whence the Greek Psalter was produced is uncertain. While some have suggested that it was translated in Palestine, linguistic evidence supports an Egyptian provenance (322–23). Some language of the LXX Psalms, especially the term used to describe God as “Deliverer” (ἀντιλήμπτωρ), seems to derive from the administrative realm of Ptolemaic Egypt and to reflect the common spoken language of the day (324).
The translation of the Greek Psalter appears to be the work of a single translator who followed his Hebrew source text closely. There are some modifications, which are theological such as the translator tended to avoid acknowledging the existence of any other god than the One God of Israel. For example, the translator rendered the Hebrew of Psalm 8:6 [8:5 in our English translations], which reads, “You have made him [a son of man or a human] a little lower than the gods (אֱלֹהִים; elohim), as, “You made him a little lower than angels” (ἀγγέλους) (325). The ancient manuscripts of the Psalter attests to much diversity among them. One scroll from Qumran, 11QPsa, includes Psalm 151, like the LXX (for more on 11QPsa and Psalm 151, click here). However, the individual psalms of this scroll are arranged differently than in the Greek Psalter and even includes other non-canonical psalms. Other Psalm manuscripts from Qumran differ from the LXX Psalms and the Masoretic text of the Psalter. What is more, the headings of the psalms differ among the Masoretic text, the Psalms manuscripts from Qumran, and the LXX Psalms. Finally, Aitken goes on to discuss the various proposals about the exegetical character of the Greek Psalter and its reception among Second Temple Jews and early Christians (327–30).
In short, the T&T Clark Companion to the Septuagint, especially in its new paperback edition, is an indispensable tool for anyone conducting research on the LXX. Its book-by-book approach with bibliographies for further reading makes it very efficient for research, especially for non-Septuagintal specialists. Therefore, I highly recommend that, if possible, this work becomes part of your library!
I am grateful to T&T Clark Bloomsbury for this gratis copy, which in no way influenced by review.
