Psalm 40:6

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Augustine3

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Why is there such a huge difference between the Septuagint and Masoretic texts regarding this verse?

How do we reconcile it with St Paul’s citation of it from the letter to the Hebrews?
 
Why is there such a huge difference between the Septuagint and Masoretic texts regarding this verse?

How do we reconcile it with St Paul’s citation of it from the letter to the Hebrews?
Actually, come to think of it, there are a lot of differences between the Septuagint and the Masoretic text, which could be both due to the translation style and quality (which vary between each book) and the fact that the two versions are derived from different Hebrew texts. And yes, there’s actually the question of why the quotations in Hebrews do not exactly match their OT source (here’s one possible solution to the problem).
 
Where in Hebrews?
I believe it’s in Hebrews 10:5-7.

Διὸ εἰσερχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον λέγει,

Θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας,
σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι:
ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας
οὐκ εὐδόκησας.
τότε εἶπον, Ἰδοὺ ἥκω,
ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ,
τοῦ ποιῆσαι, ὁ θεός, τὸ θέλημά σου.


Therefore, when He comes into the world, he says,

“Sacrifice and offering you did not want,
but a body you fashioned for me;
Whole burnt offerings and one for sin
you have taken no pleasure in.
Then I said, ‘Look, I have come,
in a scroll of a book it is written of me,
to do your will, O God.’

Compare with the Septuagint:

Θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας,
ὠτία δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι:
ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας
οὐκ ᾔτησας.
τότε εἶπον, Ἰδοὺ ἥκω,
ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ.
τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου, ὁ θεός μου, ἐβουλήθην,
καὶ τὸν νόμον σου, ἐν μέσῳ τῆς κοιλίας μου.

Sacrifice and offering you did not want,
but ears you fashioned for me.
Whole burnt offering and one for sin
you did not request.
Then I said, “Look, I have come;
in a scroll of a book it is written of me.
To do your will, O my God, I desired—
and your law, within my belly.”

For the Hebrew:

Sacrifice and offering you do not desire;
ears you have dug for me.
Whole burnt-offering and sin-offering
you have not required.
Then I said, “Look, I have come;
in a scroll of a book it is written of me.
To do your will, O my God, I have delighted;
and your law, within my belly.”
 
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