Go to Related Reading
About this book

LXX Jonah

Septuagint

About this book
Chapter 2

1 Now the Lord had commanded a great sea monster to swallow up Jonah: and Jonah was in the belly of the sea monster three days and three nights. 2 And Jonah prayed to the Lord his God out of the belly of the sea monster,⁠ 3 and said, I cried in my affliction to the Lord my God, and he listened to me, even to my cry out of the belly of hell: you heard my voice. 4 You cast me into the depths of the heart of the sea, and the floods surrounded me: all your billows and your waves have passed upon me. 5 And I said, I am cast out of your presence: shall I indeed look again toward your holy temple?⁠ 6 Water was poured around me to the soul: the lowest deep surrounded me, my head went down to the clefts of the mountains; 7 I went down into the earth, whose bars are the everlasting barriers: yet, Lord my God, let my ruined life rise up.⁠ 8 When my soul was failing me, I remembered the Lord; and may my prayer come to you into your holy temple. 9 They that observe vanities and lies have forsaken their own mercy.⁠ 10 But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of praise and thanksgiving: all that I have vowed I will pay to you, the Lord of my salvation.⁠ 11 And the sea monster was commanded, and it cast up Jonah on the dry land.

Texts in conversation

Compare Jonah 2:8 and LXX Jonah 2:9

Hebrew Bible · Septuagint

Share:

Summary

In the Hebrew version of Jonah, the prophet says those who cling to worthless idols give up the divine mercy that could be theirs. The Greek Septuagint sharpens this, calling the idols not just empty but false and deceptive.

Passages

Jonah 2:8

Hebrew Bible
7 When my life was ebbing away, I called out to the Lord. And my prayer came to you, to your holy temple. 8 Those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs. 9 But as for me, I promise to offer a sacrifice to you with a public declaration of praise; I will surely do what I have promised. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
300–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Jonah

LXX Jonah 2:9

Septuagint
7 I went down into the earth, whose bars are the everlasting barriers: yet, Lord my God, let my ruined life rise up. 8 When my soul was failing me, I remembered the Lord; and may my prayer come to you into your holy temple. 9 They that observe vanities and lies have forsaken their own mercy.
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Jonah

References

... The versions treated the phrase differently. Although the Septuagint (mataia kai pseude) and the Old Latin (vana et falsa) inserted a conjunction between the words, hendiadys merges them into one concept, “false vanities.” Aquila (see above) and Symmachus (atmous mataious) approximated the Hebrew, while the Vulgate (qui custodiunt vanitates frustra) became more interested in the nature of the act and therefore treated saw’ as an adverbial accusative, “they who pointlessly retain vanities.” Worrying lest the reader attach nefarious deeds to Israel, the Targum supplied two words and unabashedly paraphrased the rest of the line, “Not as the nations, worshipers of idols (who do not understand the source of their well-being).” (On all of these matters, see Trible 1963: 39 and Levine 1978: 79–80.) ...
Jack M. Sasson, Jonah: A New Translation with Introduction, Commentary, and Interpretation (New York: Doubleday, 1990), 197.

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

Your feedback

Jonah 2:8 and LXX Jonah 2:9

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library