Texts in Conversation
In Isaiah 44, Cyrus gives the command to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. In the Greek Septuagint translation, this is changed so that the command comes directly from God, a theological change to emphasize divine sovereignty.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Isaiah 44:28
Hebrew Bible
26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants and brings to pass the announcements of his messengers, who says about Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’ and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, her ruins I will raise up,’ 27 who says to the deep sea, ‘Be dry! I will dry up your sea currents,’ 28 who commissions Cyrus, the one I appointed as shepherd to carry out all my wishes and to decree concerning Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and concerning the temple, ‘It will be reconstructed.’
Date: 740–450 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
LXX Isaiah 44:28
Septuagint
26 and confirming the word of his servant, and verifying the counsel of his messengers: who says to Jerusalem, You shall be inhabited; and to the cities of Judea, You shall be built, and her desert places shall spring forth. 27 Who says to the deep, You shall be dried up, and I will dry up your rivers. 28 Who bids Cyrus be wise, and he shall perform all my will: who says to Jerusalem, You shall be built, and I will lay the foundation of my holy house.
Date: 100–1 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Theologically motivated alterations are found in the books of Joshua, Chronicles, Hosea, and Isaiah ... In Isaiah 44:28, the proclamation to rebuild the temple is no longer that of Cyrus but of God himself. In Isaiah 40:26, the choice of κόσµος ('the cosmos') as the counterpart to צבא ('army') underscores the worldwide might of God ..."
Martin Meiser, The Septuagint and Its Reception: Collected Essays (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2022), 19.
* 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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