The LXX and the canon of the Bible

Extracted text from Table_LXX.pptx:

Table of books in the LXX (Septuagint)

Greek Law

English

Genesis

Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy

History N Joshua

Judges Ruth I Samuel II Samuel

I Kings II Kings I Chronicles II Chronicles 1 Esdras

Ezra-Nehemiah Tobit / Tobias Judith Esther with additions 1 Maccabees 2 Maccabees 3 Maccabees

Wisdom Psalms Psalm151 Prayer of Manasseh

o o

Job Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon Wisdom Sirach or Ecclesiasticus Psalms of Solomon

Prophets The Twelve Hosea Amos Micah

'

Joel Obadiah Jonah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai

Zachariah Malachi

Isaiah Jeremiah Baruch Lamentations

Letter of Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel with additions Appendix

'

4 Macabeos

The Deuterocanonical books are: Tobias or Tobit Judith The "Greek additions" to the Book of Esther Wisdom Ecclesiasticus, or Sirach Baruch The Letter of Jeremiah (Baruch 6) The Book of Daniel with Greek additions The Prayer of Azariah (Daniel 3:24-50) The Song of the 3 Young Men (Daniel 3:5190) Susanna (Daniel 13) Bel and the Dragon (Daniel 14) 1 Maccabees

Jerome (hebraica veritas)

Augustine (LXX)

Martin Luther

The British and Foreign Bible Society All King James Bibles published before 1666 included the deuterocanonical books. In 1826, the British and Foreign Bible Society decided that they had no funds to pay for the printing of Bible with the deuterocanonical (apocryphal) books. This decision was then also followed by the publishers of the RVR in 1862. Since then, modern editions, translations and reprints of Bibles produced by evangelical churches have omitted the deuterocanonical books. Many reprints of older versions (eg. KJV) of the Bible now omit the deuterocanonical books

Matt. 2:16 - Herod's decree of slaying innocent children was prophesied in Wis. 11:7 - slaying the holy innocents. Matt. 6:19-20 - Jesus' statement about laying up for yourselves treasure in heaven follows Sirach 29:11 - lay up your treasure. Matt.. 7:12 - Jesus' golden rule "do unto others" is the converse of Tobit 4:15 what you hate, do not do to others. Matt. 7:16,20 - Jesus' statement "you will know them by their fruits" follows Sirach 27:6 - the fruit discloses the cultivation. Matt. 9:36 - the people were "like sheep without a shepherd" is same as Judith 11:19 - sheep without a shepherd. Matt. 11:25 - Jesus' description "Lord of heaven and earth" is the same as Tobit 7:18 - Lord of heaven and earth. Matt. 12:42 - Jesus refers to the wisdom of Solomon which was recorded and made part of the deuterocanonical books. Matt. 16:18 - Jesus' reference to the "power of death" and "gates of Hades" references Wisdom 16:13. Matt. 22:25; Mark 12:20; Luke 20:29 - Gospel writers refer to the canonicity of Tobit 3:8 and 7:11 regarding the seven brothers. Matt. 24:15 - the "desolating sacrilege" Jesus refers to is also taken from 1 Macc. 1:54 and 2 Macc. 8:17. Matt. 24:16 - let those "flee to the mountains" is taken from 1 Macc. 2:28. Matt. 27:43 - if He is God's Son, let God deliver him from His adversaries follows Wisdom 2:18. Mark 4:5,16-17 - Jesus' description of seeds falling on rocky ground and having no root follows Sirach 40:15. Mark 9:48 - description of hell where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched references Judith 16:17. Exodus 23:7 - do not slay the innocent and righteous - Dan. 13:53 - do not put to death an innocent and righteous person.

Luke 1:42 - Elizabeth's declaration of Mary's blessedness above all women follows Uzziah's declaration in Judith 13:18. Luke 1:52 - Mary's magnificat addressing the mighty falling from their thrones and replaced by lowly follows Sirach 10:14. Luke 2:29 - Simeon's declaration that he is ready to die after seeing the Child Jesus follows Tobit 11:9. Luke 13:29 - the Lord's description of men coming from east and west to rejoice in God follows Baruch 4:37. Luke 21:24 - Jesus' usage of "fall by the edge of the sword" follows Sirach 28:18.

Luke 24:4 and Acts 1:10 - Luke's description of the two men in dazzling apparel reminds us of 2 Macc. 3:26. John 1:3 - all things were made through Him, the Word, follows Wisdom 9:1. John 3:13 - who has ascended into heaven but He who descended from heaven references Baruch 3:29. John 4:48; Acts 5:12; 15:12; 2 Cor. 12:12 - Jesus', Luke's and Paul's usage of "signs and wonders" follows Wisdom 8:8.

John 5:18 - Jesus claiming that God is His Father follows Wisdom 2:16. John 6:35-59 - Jesus' Eucharistic discourse is foreshadowed in Sirach 24:21. John 10:22 - the identification of the feast of the dedication is taken from 1 Macc. 4:59. John 15:6 - branches that don't bear fruit and are cut down follows Wis. 4:5 where branches are broken off. Acts 1:15 - Luke's reference to the 120 may be a reference to 1 Macc. 3:55 - leaders of tens / restoration of the twelve. Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11; Gal. 2:6 - Peter's and Paul's statement that God shows no partiality references Sirach 35:12. Acts 17:29 - description of false gods as like gold and silver made by men follows Wisdom 13:10. Rom 1:18-25 - Paul's teaching on the knowledge of the Creator and the ignorance and sin of idolatry follows Wis. 13:1-10.

Rom. 4:17 - Abraham is a father of many nations follows Sirach 44:19. Rom. 5:12 - description of death and sin entering into the world is similar to Wisdom 2:24. Rom. 9:21 - usage of the potter and the clay, making two kinds of vessels follows Wisdom 15:7. 1 Cor. 2:16 - Paul's question, "who has known the mind of the Lord?" references Wisdom 9:13. 1 Cor. 6:12-13; 10:23-26 - warning that, while all things are good, beware of gluttony, follows Sirach 36:18 and 37:28-30. 1 Cor. 8:5-6 - Paul acknowledging many "gods" but one Lord follows Wis. 13:3. 1 Cor. 10:1 - Paul's description of our fathers being under the cloud passing through the sea refers to Wisdom 19:7. 1 Cor. 10:20 - what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God refers to Baruch 4:7. 1 Cor. 15:29 - if no expectation of resurrection, it would be foolish to be baptized on their behalf follows 2 Macc. 12:43-45. Eph. 1:17 - Paul's prayer for a "spirit of wisdom" follows the prayer for the spirit of wisdom in Wisdom 7:7. Eph. 6:14 - Paul describing the breastplate of righteousness is the same as Wis. 5:18. See also Isaiah 59:17 and 1Thess. 5:8. Eph. 6:13-17 - in fact, the whole discussion of armor, helmet, breastplate, sword, shield follows Wis. 5:17-20. 1 Tim. 6:15 - Paul's description of God as Sovereign and King of kings is from 2 Macc. 12:15; 13:4. 2 Tim. 4:8 - Paul's description of a crown of righteousness is similar to Wisdom 5:16.

Heb. 4:12 - Paul's description of God's word as a sword is similar to Wisdom 18:15. Heb. 11:5 - Enoch being taken up is also referenced in Wis 4:10 and Sir 44:16. See also 2 Kings 2:1-13 & Sir 48:9 regarding Elijah. Heb 11:35 - Paul teaches about the martyrdom of the mother and her sons described in 2 Macc. 6:18, 7:1-42.

Heb. 12:12 - the description "drooping hands" and "weak knees" comes from Sirach 25:23. James 1:19 - let every man be quick to hear and slow to respond follows Sirach 5:11. James 2:23 - it was reckoned to him as righteousness follows 1 Macc. 2:52 - it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

James 3:13 - James' instruction to perform works in meekness follows Sirach 3:17. James 5:3 - describing silver which rusts and laying up treasure follows Sirach 29:10-11. James 5:6 - condemning and killing the "righteous man" follows Wisdom 2:10-20.

1 Peter 1:6-7 - Peter teaches about testing faith by purgatorial fire as described in Wisdom 3:5-6 and Sirach 2:5. 1 Peter 1:17 - God judging each one according to his deeds refers to Sirach 16:12 - God judges man according to his deeds. 2 Peter 2:7 - God's rescue of a righteous man (Lot) is also described in Wisdom

Rev. 1:18; Matt. 16:18 - power of life over death and gates of Hades follows Wis. 16:13. Rev. 2:12 - reference to the two-edged sword is similar to the description of God's Word in Wisdom 18:16. Rev. 5:7 - God is described as seated on His throne, and this is the same description used in Sirach 1:8. Rev. 8:3-4 - prayers of the saints presented to God by the hand of an angel follows Tobit 12:12,15. Rev. 8:7 - raining of hail and fire to the earth follows Wisdom 16:22 and Sirach 39:29. Rev. 9:3 - raining of locusts on the earth follows Wisdom 16:9. Rev. 11:19 - the vision of the ark of the covenant (Mary) in a cloud of glory was prophesied in 2 Macc. 2:7. Rev. 17:14 - description of God as King of kings follows 2 Macc. 13:4. Rev. 19:1 - the cry "Hallelujah" at the coming of the new Jerusalem follows Tobit 13:18. Rev. 19:11 - the description of the Lord on a white horse in the heavens follows 2 Macc. 3:25; 11:8. Rev. 19:16 - description of our Lord as King of kings is taken from 2 Macc. 13:4. Rev. 21:19 - the description of the new Jerusalem with precious stones is prophesied in Tobit 13:17.

The NT cites the LXX (the Greek OT) 60% of the time when it quotes the OT. Apparently the LXX, just as much as the MT (the Hebrew OT), was the OT for the NT writers. This likely means that they included the larger canon as well in their idea of what was scripture. Furthermore, Jews of the NT era (some of whom of course became Christians) had an idea of the Oral Torah, which was even more authoritative for them than the written (LXX and MT) versions of their scriptures.

Sometimes modern Christians seem to have forgotten that the history of the LXX and the MT was originally a debate among Christians defending the LXX and Jews (who reacted to the acceptance of the LXX of the Christians to reject it, even though it was a Jewish work) defending the MT.

Further, many people are ignorant of the more recent history of how the LXX books came to not be included in Protestant Bibles. It is not a question of having to change ones own ideas of what comprises the canon of scripture (what books are in the Bible), but learning to respect the different traditions.