Question about the Septuagint

[Tous_Logous]

I’m just wondering what English Bible translations use the Septuagint as the base text for translating the Old Testament. This is for all English Bible translations, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox.

I know that there are individual translations of the Septuagint available, but I’m wondering about “whole” Bible translations, which include OT(plus deuterocanon)+NT.

 

[patrick457]

I’m just wondering what English Bible translations use the Septuagint as the base text for translating the Old Testament. This is for all English Bible translations, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox.

I know that there are individual translations of the Septuagint available, but I’m wondering about “whole” Bible translations, which include OT(plus deuterocanon)+NT.

How about the Orthodox Study Bible?

 

[clintondyches]

I’m just wondering what English Bible translations use the Septuagint as the base text for translating the Old Testament. This is for all English Bible translations, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox.

I know that there are individual translations of the Septuagint available, but I’m wondering about “whole” Bible translations, which include OT(plus deuterocanon)+NT.

See here - Greek and English.

Good luck,

Clinton

 

[Jenni_Anne]

Hi, thank you for sharing a term I didn’t know! Also, I am new to this so please forgive me. I wasn’t aware Catholics had a different version of the Bible than Protestants. What are the differences? I’ve read the King James version which so many people quote out of context or interpret in vastly different ways. Is it clearer in this regard? Also, if I take the next step toward seriously considering returning to the faith of my birth, how can I be sure I purchase the right one? Will it say Catholic on the cover or do I need to find a store specializing in Catholic products?

 

[patrick457]

Hi, thank you for sharing a term I didn’t know! Also, I am new to this so please forgive me. I wasn’t aware Catholics had a different version of the Bible than Protestants. What are the differences? I’ve read the King James version which so many people quote out of context or interpret in vastly different ways. Is it clearer in this regard? Also, if I take the next step toward seriously considering returning to the faith of my birth, how can I be sure I purchase the right one? Will it say Catholic on the cover or do I need to find a store specializing in Catholic products?

Welcome to CAF! Well, first of all a Catholic Bible has at least seven more books than a Protestant one. These extra books as a whole are usually known among Protestants as the ‘Apocrypha’, while the usual term among Catholics is ‘Deuterocanonicals’. That’s the main difference.

 

[clintondyches]

Hi, thank you for sharing a term I didn’t know! Also, I am new to this so please forgive me. I wasn’t aware Catholics had a different version of the Bible than Protestants. What are the differences? I’ve read the King James version which so many people quote out of context or interpret in vastly different ways. Is it clearer in this regard? Also, if I take the next step toward seriously considering returning to the faith of my birth, how can I be sure I purchase the right one? Will it say Catholic on the cover or do I need to find a store specializing in Catholic products?

There are a number of approved Catholic translations of the Holy Bible - the one that we use in church is the New American Bible, Revised Edition, but, also approved and used by the Holy See in translated documents (and the one I read most!) is the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition.

The Protestants ‘got rid’ of the ‘Deuterocanonical’ books of the Old Testament, books which were used in Jesus’ times and included in the Septuagint. You’ll also hear these referred to the ‘apocrypha’ in non-Catholic translations.

For general Bible study, I would recommend the Ignatius Bible (the RSV-CE), It contains the complete Bible (unlike the Protestant editions of the Bible). You can find it at any Catholic book store, online Catholic companies or even on Amazon.

Hope this helps,

Clinton

 

[Jenni_Anne]

Thank you! I must say everyone’s been so nice since I joined. I was a bit intimidated at first and mostly stuck to browsing and reading with a few comments here and there. I’ll have to pick that up and read it. I enjoy reading and I can’t imagine why books would be removed from such a critical book. It doesn’t make sense to me. Even if I ultimately decided against conversion I think I should still read it and learn what I can. Though with the warm reception I’m leaning towards looking into at least attending mass and listening with an open heart and mind.

 

[clintondyches]

Thank you! I must say everyone’s been so nice since I joined. I was a bit intimidated at first and mostly stuck to browsing and reading with a few comments here and there. I’ll have to pick that up and read it. I enjoy reading and I can’t imagine why books would be removed from such a critical book. It doesn’t make sense to me. Even if I ultimately decided against conversion I think I should still read it and learn what I can. Though with the warm reception I’m leaning towards looking into at least attending mass and listening with an open heart and mind.

If you like reading - and if you’re going to attend Mass for the first time - you may want to download and read the PDF document, “The Order of the Mass,” available at old.usccb.org/romanmissal/order-of-mass.pdf. Not every parish celebration is the same, but this will give you an idea of what’s going on! (At 75 pages, you may not want to print it out… but it’s a good read!).

It doesn’t make sense to us why the Protestants removed books that Jesus would have held as sacred, either! There is great wisdom (no pun intended!) in those books.

Feel free to write at any time… I’ve really enjoyed your questions and your charity!

Clinton

 

[PaulinePresbytr]

How about the Orthodox Study Bible?

The Orthodox Study Bible is just the NKJV with commentary, so the Old Testament is translated from the Masoretic with influence from the Septuagint, with the 7 books of the Old Testament that are left out of the NKJV being directly translated from the Septuagint.

 

[Jenni_Anne]

Thank you again! I’ve saved the Order of Mass to my computer so I can read it. I do remember being very confused when I attended the only Catholic mass I’ve ever been to when I was around nine. I had been attending a Baptist church and had been reborn as they called it. This made me upset that I wasn’t able to partake in the Communion that day as I was free to do so in the Baptist church. I do remember feeling a disconnect then. I think I’m beginning to understand why from reading threads here, though I would likely need to speak directly with someone more knowledgeable than myself to fully comprehend it. I’m going to look into the university campus I’ll be attending in the fall for any Catholic groups and nearby churches so I can gain a better understanding. I will also be picking up one of the approved Bibles mentioned here in the thread. I really mean it when I say there’s been a warm welcome here. The reason I left the Baptist church so long ago was the inherent hypocrisy I saw in the people. Nobody here has been judgmental or made me feel that they were better because I’m not “one of you” yet. I noticed that among sects which carry the born again terminology this seems to be consistent. If we’re not supposed to judge then why were they? Even the people I was closest to and respected had this same problem. I know no place is 100% free from gossipers etc., but if this is any indication as to the people I will encounter outside the world I am greatly looking forward to it.

 

[Tous_Logous]

Again, I know that there are individual translations of the Septuagint itself. But I am wondering if there are any English Bible translations that use the Septuagint as the base text of translation for the OT (or even the Vulgate too). EX of common English Bible translations: Jerusalem Bible, RSV, NRSV, etc…do any of those use the Septuagint as the base text of translation for the OT into English?

I am asking this question because many of the popular Protestant Bible translations (ESV, NIV, etc.) use the Masoretic or other Hebrew texts as the main source of translation for the OT. I am reading ridiculous statements, for example, from the Trinitarian Bible Society’s website that the Masoretic Text is the “purest form;” the so-called “perfect copy of the original OT.” Basically, if God had to choose any OT translation, it would probably most likely be the Masoretic text. At least, that’s what I’m getting from many evangelicals/Protestants. Chick Publications also wrote an incredibly ridiculous “article” on the Septuagint that is so laughable the writer declared that the Septuagint was a hoax.

I’m not picking one over the other, but the Septuagint seems to get no love in this day and age; neither does the Latin Vulgate. I would think that since many of Jesus’ OT quotes in the NT are from the Septuagint, wouldn’t you want to use the Septuagint as base text and Hebrew as a secondary text for translation?

 

[COPLAND_3]

I have always been a big Septuagint fan, and so were many of the Church Fathers, especially St. Augustine. I trust that the Church has always been in accordance with the Holy Spirit and if the LXX was meant to be the standard for the Old Testament in our Bibles, then it would have been. There is an interlinear Bible called the Apostolic Bible which has both Old and New Testaments.