[B-Greek] LXX Genesis 1:2 - tohu as AORATOS
Eric S. Weiss
papaweiss1 at yahoo.com
Wed May 28 11:06:07 EDT 2008
The LXX in Genesis 1:2 translates the Hebrew tohu wa-bohu as AORATOS KAI
AKATASKEUASTOS. I.e., the earth was "invisible." Is that perhaps the basis for Hebrews
11:3 saying: PISTEI NOOUMEN KATHRTISQAI TOUS AIWNAS hRHMATI QEOU, EIS TO
MH EK FAINOMENWN TO BLEPOMENON GEGONENAI?
And ... is AORATOS a proper translation of tohu? The other two occurrences in the Hebrew
Bible of tohu with bohu are not translated similarly in the LXX. E.g., Jeremiah 4:23 simply
subsumes both words under the single Greek word OUQEN, and Isaiah 34:11 translates
tohu as ERHMOS, and the Hebrew bohu phrase is totally different in the Greek.
Eric S. Weiss
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