Texts in Conversation
Isaiah 59 accuses Israel of violence and injustice, a complaint directed only to them. The Greek Septuagint translation of Psalm 13 echoes and reshapes that language, now applying it to the entire human race.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Isaiah 59:7
Hebrew Bible
6 Their webs cannot be used for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are sinful; they commit violent crimes. 7 They are eager to do evil, quick to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful; they crush and destroy. 8 They are unfamiliar with peace; their deeds are unjust. They use deceitful methods, and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace.
LXX Psalm 13:3
Septuagint
1 The foolish said in his heart, “There is no God.” They destroyed and were abhorred in their practices. There is no one doing goodness; there is not even one. 2 The Lord looked out from the heavens upon the sons of humans, to see if there is one who understands or one who seeks out God. 3 All turned aside together. They became useless. There is not one doing goodness; there is not even one. Their throat is an opened grave. With their tongues they have dealt treacherously with one another. The poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are quick to pour out blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and they know not the way of peace. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
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Notes and References
“... This tricola is adapted from Isa 59:7-8 and Prov 1:16. [...] While all three passages refer to “the feet” of those who “shed blood,” the catena is more vivid in using the adjective [...] (“swift”) in place of the cumbersome Hebraism “run quickly to wickedness/evil.” This detail suggests that the creators of the original catena had a well developed sensitivity to Greek style. It seems likely that the association between feet and bloodshed derived from stalking others (LXX Prov 1:11-16; 6:18). Rom 3:16 and LXX Ps 13:3h: [...] (“ruin and misery are in their paths”) Isa 59:7c: [...] (“ruin and misery are in their paths”) Here the psalmist exactly quotes Isaiah, who laments that Israel’s sins have brought such social disaster upon the population. ...”
* 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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