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 For the end, a Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They have corrupted themselves, and become abominable in their devices; there is none that does goodness, there is not even so much as one. 2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there were any that understood, or sought after God. 3 They have all gone out of the way, they have together become good for nothing, there is none that does good, no not one. Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known: 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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