Texts in Conversation
The priestly blessing in Numbers 6 describes a confident declaration that God’s favor will be unmistakable, while the Greek Septuagint translation introduces an element of uncertainty, likely reflecting a distinct theological perspective.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Numbers 6:25
Hebrew Bible
23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is the way you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24 “‘“The Lord bless you and protect you; 25 The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”’”
Date: 750–400 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
LXX Numbers 6:25
Septuagint
23 Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them, And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I the Lord will bless them. 24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and have mercy upon you; 26 the Lord lift up his face upon you, and give you peace.
Date: 300–201 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Search:
Notes and References
"... In the blessing recorded in Numbers 6:25, however, the Masoretic reads “The Lord make His face shine upon you” whereas the Septuagint counterpart is “May the Lord show His face to you.” Perhaps once more what is at issue is whether or not God will decide to appear. The concept of “seeing God” perhaps reflects Egyptian influence inasmuch as it is reminiscent of the culmination of a rite important for the Egyptian king ..."
Martin Meiser, The Septuagint and Its Reception: Collected Essays (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2022), 17.
* 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.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.
User Comments
,