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LXX Psalms

Septuagint

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Psalm 39

1 For the end, a Psalm of David. 2 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he attended to me, and listened to my plea. 3 And he brought me up out of a pit of misery, and from miry clay: and he set my feet on a rock, and ordered my goings aright. 4 And he put a new song into my mouth, even a hymn to our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall hope in the Lord. 5 Blessed is the man whose hope is in the name of the Lord, and who has not regarded vanities and false frenzies. 6 Lord my God, you have multiplied your wonderful works, and in your thoughts there is none who shall be likened to you: I declared and spoke of them: they exceeded number. 7 Sacrifice and offering you would not; but [a body] you have prepared me:⁠ whole burnt offering and sacrifice for sin you did not require. 8 Then I said, Look, I come: in the volume of the book it is written concerning me, 9 I desired to do your will, my God, and your law in the midst of my belly. 10 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation; look! I will not refrain my lips; Lord, you know it. 11 I have not hid your righteousness within my heart, and I have declared your truth and your salvation; I have not hid your mercy and your truth from the great congregation. 12 But you, Lord, do not remove your compassion far from me; your mercy and your truth have helped me continually. 13 For innumerable evils have encompassed me; my transgressions have taken hold of me, and I could not see; they are multiplied more than the hairs of my head; and my heart has failed me. 14 Be pleased, Lord, to deliver me; Lord, draw near to help me. 15 Let those that seek my soul, to destroy it, be ashamed and confounded together; let those that wish me evil be turned backward and put to shame. 16 Let those that say to me, Aha, aha, quickly receive shame for their reward. 17 Let all those that seek you, Lord, exult and rejoice in you; and let those who love your salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified. 18 But I am poor and needy; the Lord will take care of me; you are my helper, and my defender, my God, do not delay.

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 40:7 and LXX Psalm 39:7 and Hebrews 10:5

Hebrew Bible · Septuagint · New Testament

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Summary

Psalm 40 says God “opened” the psalmist’s ears, an idiom for giving understanding and obedience. The Greek Septuagint translation instead says God “prepared a body,” language Hebrews later applies to Jesus, showing its use of the Greek text.

Passages

Psalm 40:7

Hebrew Bible
6 Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. Ears you hollowed out for me.18 You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings. 7 Then I say, “Look, I come! What is written in the scroll pertains to me. 8 I want to do what pleases you, my God. Your law dominates my thoughts.”
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

LXX Psalm 39:7

Septuagint
6 Lord my God, you have multiplied your wonderful works, and in your thoughts there is none who shall be likened to you: I declared and spoke of them: they exceeded number. 7 Sacrifice and offering you would not; but [a body] you have prepared me: whole burnt offering and sacrifice for sin you did not require. 8 Then I said, Look, I come: in the volume of the book it is written concerning me,
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Psalms

Hebrews 10:5

New Testament
5 So when he came into the world, he said, “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me. 6 Whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you took no delight in. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am: I have come—it is written of me in the scroll of the book—to do your will, O God.’”
80–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Hebrews

References

"... The interface between textual and exegetical issues is nowhere more evident than in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Of particular interest is 10:5-7, in which the author quotes Psalm 40:6-8 (LXX 39:7-9). As is well known, the quotation differs from the Hebrew in one important respect. In the Masoretic Text, the second clause of verse 7 reads ('ears you have dug for me'), usually interpreted to mean, 'you have opened my ears,' that is, 'you have properly instructed me' (in contrast to the first clause: 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire'). In Hebrews 10:6, however, we read ('but you prepared a body for me'), which is the reading found in virtually the whole LXX tradition ... Since throughout the Epistle to the Hebrews the author depends on the LXX and appears not to have made use of the Hebrew text, it would follow that he seized on the Septuagint's defensible paraphrase to present a messianic Interpretation of the Psalm ... In the light of these considerations, we have good reason to believe that the author of Hebrews had before him a Greek text of Psalms with the reading and that therefore he is the one responsible for changing this word ..."
Karen H. Jobes and Moisés Silva, Invitation to the Septuagint (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2000), 195–197.

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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  • I think that the LXX guys got it right.

    Jeff Gideon, January 11, 2025

  • In Heb 10, the inspired writer quotes Ps 40:7 (Ps 39:7 in Septuagint), but Ralph's Septuagint quoted from the MT saying 'an ear thou has prepared for me' but the Hebrew writer quotes 'a body thou has prepared for me' = a very crucial error in Ralhf's; Breton's an earlier version has it right; let's ...

    Peter E Droubay, July 30, 2025

Psalm 40:7 and LXX Psalm 39:7 and Hebrews 10:5

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