Texts in Conversation
The Hebrew version of Jeremiah 10 contains an out of place sentence praising God in the middle of rhetoric criticizing idols. The Greek Septuagint translation does not have this sentence, suggesting that the extra sentence in the Hebrew is a pious addition in the Masoretic tradition.
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Jeremiah 10:10
Hebrew Bible
9 Hammered-out silver is brought from Tarshish and gold is brought from Ufaz to cover those idols. They are the handiwork of carpenters and goldsmiths. They are clothed in blue and purple clothes. They are all made by skillful workers. 10 The Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. When he shows his anger, the earth shakes. None of the nations can stand up to his fury. 11 You people of Israel should tell those nations this: ‘These gods did not make heaven and earth. They will disappear from the earth and from under the heavens.’
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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LXX Jeremiah 10:10
Septuagint
5 They will be lifted and carried, for they will not walk. Do not be afraid of them, because they shall not do harm, and there is no good in them. 9 Overlaid silver will come from Tarshish, gold of Mophaz and a goldsmith’s hand; they all are the work of artisans. They will put blue and purple on them.” 11 This is what you will say to them, “Let gods who have not made the sky and the land be destroyed from the land and from beneath this sky. 12 It is the Lord who made the earth with his power, who set up the inhabited world with his wisdom. And he has stretched out the sky with his insight,
Date: 1st Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The prophecy described in Jeremiah 10:1–11 in the Masoretic Text contains both mockery of idols and praise of the Lord. The text refers with disdain to the idols’ manmade origins and their inability to walk, speak, or do any harm or good. The mockery is included in verses 2–5, 8–9, 11, while the remaining verses 6–7 and 10 praise the Lord. The verses containing this praise are lacking in the Septuagint (LXX), as well as in the Qumran scroll 4QJerB. Many scholars believe that these shorter texts reflect the original form of Jeremiah 10, and that the tradition behind the Masoretic text reflects a later text in which the praise of the Lord has been added in order to stress the futility of the idols. The addition of these verses in the tradition of the Masoretic text went together with the splitting up of verse 5 into two parts. In the development of Scripture, usually elements were added, not deleted. Moreover, it is intrinsically more plausible that verses of praise were added than omitted ..."
Wright, Benjamin G.
Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture
(p. 68) The Jewish Publication Society, 2013
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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