LXX Psalms

Septuagint

About this book

Psalm 23

1 A Psalm of David on the first day of the week. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness of it; the world, and all that dwell in it. 2 He has founded it upon the seas, and prepared it upon the rivers. 3 Who shall go up to the mountain of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place?⁠ 4 He that is innocent in his hands and pure in his heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. 5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Savior. 6 This is the generation of those that seek him, that seek the face of the God of Jacob. Pause. 7 Lift up your gates, you princes, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in.⁠ 8 Who is this king of Glory? the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your gates, you princes; and be lifted up, you everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is this king of glory.

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 24:7 and LXX Psalm 23:7

Hebrew Bible · Septuagint

Summary

Psalm 24 uses personification to call on the gates to lift their heads so the king may enter, evoking an ancient Near Eastern cosmic procession. The Greek Septuagint misreads the imagery, translating it backwards as the heads lifting the gates.

Passages

Psalm 24:7

Hebrew Bible

5 Such godly people are rewarded by the Lord, and vindicated by the God who delivers them. 6 Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor, Jacob’s descendants, who pray to him. (Selah) 7 Look up, you gates. Rise up, you eternal doors. Then the majestic king will enter. 8 Who is this majestic king? The Lord who is strong and mighty. The Lord a mighty man in battle. 9 Look up, you gates. Rise up, you eternal doors. Then the majestic king will enter.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

LXX Psalm 23:7

Septuagint

5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Savior. 6 This is the generation of those that seek him, that seek the face of the God of Jacob. Pause. 7 Lift up your gates, you princes, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this king of Glory? the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your gates, you princes; and be lifted up, you everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in.

100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Psalms

References

"... A remarkable instance of the liturgical application and perpetuation of such an error of translation is afforded by the picture of the princes carrying gates, which is more particularly made use of in Byzantine art, and in the celebration of the Ascension in the oriental church. The psalter of St. Albans also contains the illustration of a man, designated as a prince by a golden wreath on his cap, who carries a couple of gates to Christ. If it were not for the translations, who could imagine that this was intended to be an illustration of Psalm 24:7? The psalmist, in giving poetical life to dead matter, bids the gates to lift their heads in order that the king of glory might make his entry with head erect. The lintels of the gates were, in Jewish antiquity, evidently movable so that they could be raised. In consequence of an error in the text of the Septuagint, or by the carelessness of the translator, the splendid verse was transmitted into the art and the liturgy of the church in a garbled manner. The gates which raised their heads were turned into heads that raised their gates. Jerome repeated only too faithfully the error of the LXX, as will be seen from a comparison of the texts ..."

David Kaufmann, “Errors in the Septuagint and the Vulgate from which Illustrations and Sculptures Derived their Origin,” JQR 11.1 (1898): 163–166.

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

LXX Psalms151 psalms

Compare Psalm 24:7 and LXX Psalm 23:7

Summary

Passages

Psalm 24:7

LXX Psalm 23:7

References

Tags

Your feedback

Leave a comment

Glossary

Search the Library