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LXX Isaiah

Septuagint

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Chapter 16

1 I will send as it were reptiles on the land:⁠ is not the mount of Zion a desolate rock? 2 For you shall be as a young bird taken away from a bird that has flown, daughter of Moab: and then, Arnon, 3 take further counsel, and continually make a shelter from grief: they flee in darkness at mid-day; they are amazed; do not be led captive.⁠ 4 The fugitives of Moab shall stay with you; they shall be to you a shelter from the face of the pursuer: for your alliance has been taken away, and the oppressing ruler has perished from the earth. 5 And a throne shall be restored with mercy;⁠ and one shall sit upon it with truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and earnestly seeking judgments, and hastening righteousness. 6 We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud. You have cut off his pride: your prophecy shall not be thus. 7 Not thus; Moab shall howl; for all shall howl in the land of Moab: but you shall care for those who dwell in Deseth, and you shall not be ashamed. 8 The plains of Heshbon shall mourn, the vine of Sibmah: swallowing up the nations, trample her vines, even to Jazer: you shall not come together; wander in the desert: they that were sent are deserted, for they have gone over the desert. 9 Therefore I will weep as with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah; Heshbon and Elealeh have cast down your trees; for I will trample on your harvest and on your vintages, and all your plants shall fall. 10 And gladness and rejoicing shall be taken away from your vineyards; and in your vineyards they shall not rejoice at all, and they shall not at all tread wine into the vats; for the vintage has ceased. 11 Therefore my belly shall sound as a harp for Moab, and you have repaired my inward parts as a wall. 12 And it shall be to your shame, (for Moab is wearied at the altars,)⁠ that he shall go in to her idols to pray, but they shall not be at all able to deliver him. 13 This is the word which the Lord spoke against Moab, when he spoke. 14 And now I say, in three years, of the years of a hireling, the glory of Moab shall be dishonored with all his great wealth; and he shall be left few in number, and not honored.

Texts in conversation

Compare Isaiah 16:5 and LXX Isaiah 16:5

Hebrew Bible · Septuagint

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Summary

The Hebrew version of Isaiah promises a trustworthy king set on David’s throne to judge with justice. The Greek Septuagint translation changes this so the throne is restored in mercy, sharpening the hope for a ruler in the line of David.

Passages

Isaiah 16:5

Hebrew Bible
4 Please let the Moabite fugitives live among you. Hide them from the destroyer!” Certainly the one who applies pressure will cease; the destroyer will come to an end; those who trample will disappear from the earth. 5 Then a trustworthy king will be established; he will rule in a reliable manner, this one from David’s family. He will be sure to make just decisions and will be experienced in executing justice. 6 We have heard about Moab’s pride—their great arrogance—their boasting, pride, and excess. But their boastful claims are empty.
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

LXX Isaiah 16:5

Septuagint
4 The fugitives of Moab shall stay with you; they shall be to you a shelter from the face of the pursuer: for your alliance has been taken away, and the oppressing ruler has perished from the earth. 5 And a throne shall be restored with mercy; and one shall sit upon it with truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and earnestly seeking judgments, and hastening righteousness. 6 We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud. You have cut off his pride: your prophecy shall not be thus.
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Isaiah

References

... Without going into too much detail, it can be said that from whatever angle one may wish to tackle the passage under scrutiny, there is a least one element worth pointing out. Every reading of this text reaches a climax with verses 4c-5, which point to a time when a throne shall be established, with one sitting on it in the tabernacle of David. At this point, one may still argue that these verses in their Greek form do not seem to say anything that is different from the message of their Hebrew parent text. However, it can be demonstrated that in the Septuagint there is a significant degree of emphasis on assuring the action of establishing Davidic rule over Moab. ...
Abi T. Ngunga, Messianism in the Old Greek of Isaiah: An Intertextual Analysis, FRLANT 245 (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2013), 122.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Isaiah 16:5 and LXX Isaiah 16:5

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