Does “kairos” appear in the Septuagint?
What Hebrew word does it translate?
I am most curious about the Torah Septuagint.
All and any help is most welcomed.
Yes it does.
The Greek word καιρός means “opportune” or “right time,” and is one of two words used by the Hellenists to refer to time, the other being Χρόνος or “chronos.”
Most of us are familiar with “chronos” as it refers to time such as used on a clock. The other word, “kairos” is very flexible and loaded with meaning, referring to a “precise” or “ideal” moment, a quality of measured time, and is even used as the word for “weather” to this day.
In the LXX you can find “kairos” at Genesis 6:13, Psalm 80:16, Ezekiel 7:12, Daniel 7:22 and 8:17, and some Greek texts of Habakkuk use it in various places. The meanings vary and there is question regarding its use in the prophets as to when it does and when it does not refer to an eschatological event. (This list is not exhaustive by any means.)
In Genesis it refers to God’s moment of intervention, while in the other instances it means the end “time” or “hour.”
But it also has a similar usage in Wisdom at 7:18 and 8:8 without eschatological implications.
