Texts in Conversation
Isaiah 26 teaches that if the wicked receive mercy they will not learn justice. The Greek translation adds a separate plea asking for the wicked to be removed, language that is not found in the Hebrew text.
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Isaiah 26:10
Hebrew Bible
8 Yes, as your judgments unfold, O Lord, we wait for you. We desire your fame and reputation to grow. 9 I look for you during the night; my spirit within me seeks you at dawn; for when your judgments come upon the earth, those who live in the world learn about justice. 10 If the wicked are shown mercy, they do not learn about justice. Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly; they do not see the Lord’s majesty revealed. 11 O Lord, you are ready to act, but they don’t even notice. They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind; yes, fire will consume your enemies. 12 O Lord, you make us secure, for even all we have accomplished you have done for us.
Date: 7th-5th Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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LXX Isaiah 26:10
Septuagint
8 for the way of the Lord is judgment; we have hoped in your name and in the remembrance 9 that our soul desires. In the night my spirit arises early toward you, O God, because your ordinances are a light upon the earth. Learn righteousness, you who dwell on the earth; 10 for the impious one has come to an end; he will not learn righteousness on the earth; he will not perform truth. Let the ungodly one be taken away so that he may not see the glory of the Lord. 11 O Lord, your arm is lifted up, and they have not known it, but once they realize it, they will be ashamed. Jealousy will take hold of an uninstructed people, and fire will now consume the adversaries. 12 O Lord, our God, give us peace, for you have granted us all things.
Date: 1st Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... At 26:10, in the midst of a series of clauses that discuss the determination of the ungodly to remain so, the LXX translator appears to insert his own exclamation, 'May the ungodly be taken away!' One can imagine how the stubborn description of the ungodly in the context might provoke such an exasperated cry ..."
Baer, David A.
When We All Go Home: Translation and Theology in LXX Isaiah 56-66
(p. 35) Sheffield Academic Press, 2001
* 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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