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In the original version of Ezra, the leaders report that the people have mixed themselves with the surrounding peoples. The Greek Septuagint instead says they have been carried off, changing the story to describe the realities of the present exile.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Ezra 9:2
Hebrew Bible
1 Now when these things had been completed, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the local residents who practice detestable things similar to those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 Indeed, they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has become intermingled with the local residents. Worse still, the leaders and the officials have been at the forefront of all this unfaithfulness!” 3 When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and my robe and ripped out some of the hair from my head and beard. Then I sat down, quite devastated.
LXX Ezra 9:2
Septuagint
1 Now when these things were completed, the rulers approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites were not separated from the peoples of the land with their abominations, in reference to the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken from their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and the holy seed was passed by the peoples of the land, and the hand of the rulers was in this unfaithfulness.” 3 And when I heard this word, I tore my garments and trembled and plucked the hair out of my head and my beard and sat silent.
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Notes and References
... The verb ‘rb II occurs four times in the Hebrew Bible, each time in the Hitp. In the historical retrospection of Psalm 106, the reproach sounds: ‘but they mixed themselves with the peoples and took over their customs’ (verse 35). Proverbs 20:19 contains the summon: ‘Do not associate with gossip’. Proverbs 14:10 expresses life experience: ‘a stranger cannot share his [i.e. from the heart] joy’. Thus, ‘rb II in Ezra 9:1-2 is an antonym of the intended isolation (bdl). The Septuagint translated ‘they mingled with’ with parèchtè, ‘had disappeared; was given away’. This translation is presumably based on an intentional shift in view of the territorial situation at the time of the Maccabean uprising. 1 Esdras 8:67 translated the form in an idiolectic way with sunoojkèsan, ‘they lived together with’. ...
* 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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