LXX Exodus 15:3

Septuagint

1 Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to God and they said, saying, “Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously glorified; horse and rider he has cast into the sea.” 2 He has become a helper and protector to me for salvation; this is my God, and I will honor him, God of my father, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord who shatters wars, the Lord is his name 4 The chariots of Pharaoh and his forces he has cast into the sea. Select riders, officers standing on the chariots, were swallowed up in the Red Sea. 5 In the open sea he covered them; they sank into the deep like a stone.

Judith 9:7

Deuterocanon

5 "For you have done these things and those that went before and those that followed. You have designed the things that are now, and those that are to come. What you had in mind has happened; 6 the things you decided on presented themselves and said, "Here we are!' For all your ways are prepared in advance, and your judgment is with foreknowledge. 7 "Here now are the Assyrians, a greatly increased force, priding themselves in their horses and riders, boasting in the strength of their foot soldiers, and trusting in shield and spear, in bow and sling. They do not know that you are the Lord who shatters wars; the Lord is your name. 8 Break their strength by your might, and bring down their power in your anger; for they intend to defile your sanctuary, and to pollute the tabernacle where your glorious name resides, and to break off the horns of your altar with the sword. 9 Look at their pride, and send your wrath upon their heads. Give to me, a widow, the strong hand to do what I plan.

 Notes and References

"... In 2010, Johann Maier examined the problem by focusing on the verb employed in the phrase, which he understood as “to rub together” (i.e. to light a fire)”, “to shatter”, and, thus, having the figurative meaning of “waging war”. Hence, according to the LXX version of Exodus 15:3, God is by no means a pacifist and does not make an end to war. In her 2012 article, Judith Lang raised this issue again, contesting the traditional exegesis (comparing Judith 9:7, Judith 16:2, and Exodus 15:3). Like Larry Perkins, she focus ses on the context and concludes “The Greek text perpetuates the idea of God’s powerful and destructive capability”. Concretely, the LXX does not say that God refrains from fighting but underlines exactly the contrary:Excluding Israel from fighting, God “fights (for the benefit of Israel) in the warfare.” ..."

Bons, Eberhard "The Lord is the One Who Crushes Wars – A Fresh Look at the Septuagint Translation of Exod 15:3" in Meiser, M. et al (eds.), Die Septuaginta – Geschichte, Wirkung, Relevanz (pp. 158-167) Mohr Siebeck, 2018

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