The Use of the Septuagint in New Testament Research

by Timothy McLay

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2003

Overview

The Septuagint is often misunderstood or completely ignored in New Testament studies. In The Use of the Septuagint in New Testament Research, R. Timothy McLay makes a sustained argument for the influence of the Greek Jewish Scriptures on the New Testament and offers basic principles for bridging the research gap between these two critical texts.

McLay explains the use of the Septuagint in the New Testament by looking in depth at actual New Testament citations of the Jewish Scriptures. The Use of the Septuagint in New Testament Research reveals the true extent of the Septuagint's impact on the text and theology of the New Testament. Indeed, given the textual diversity that existed during the first century, the Jewish Scriptures as they were known, read, and interpreted in the Greek language, provided the basis for much, if not most, of the interpretive context of the New Testament writers. While the Septuagint may previously have played a relatively minor role in New Testament scholarship, this book demonstrates how an informed knowledge of the Greek Jewish Scriptures enhances our understanding of the New Testament.

Complete with English translations, a glossary of terms, an extensive bibliography, and helpful indexes, this book will give readers a new appreciation of the Septuagint as an important tool for interpreting the New Testament.

Contents

Top Highlights

“For this reason, most specialists now reserve the term Old Greek (OG) to designate a text that in the judgment of the scholar represents the original translation of a book.” (Page 6)

“The technique of employing one word in a language to translate two or more words from another language is called lexical leveling. Lexical leveling is frequent in the LXX.” (Page 20)

“In the end, the writer of Acts has retained the majority of the text from the OG of Amos 9:11–12, but has also acted as an author, creatively reinterpreting the Scriptures for his audience through subtle substitutions and additions to, as well as omissions from, the cited Scripture.” (Pages 29–30)

“We will argue that the theology of the NT exhibits the distinct influence of the Greek scriptural tradition by its use of vocabulary, its citations of Scripture, and its theological concepts.” (Page 16)

“Brock’s theory that the educational needs of the community were the primary motivation for the creation of the LXX” (Page 104)

Praise for the Print Edition

A much-needed contribution to the field of biblical studies, this book is simply a must for students and scholars who think they know what the Septuagint is and how it relates to the New Testament. The Use of the Septuagint in New Testament Research is clearly written, readable, and rich with insight and exegetical nuggets. I recommend it highly.

—Craig E. Evans, Acadia Divinity College

The current new-found enthusiasm for ancient Greek biblical texts focuses on two traditional areas: (1) the Septuagint as a translation of a Semitic parent text and thus as a new entity within Greek-speaking Jewry and (2) the Septuagint as a paradigmatic body of literature for the writers of the New Testament. McLay's new volume aims to clarify the latter area. To that end McLay brings to bear a wealth of primary and secondary information, and his stimulating discussions on issues of central concern to this field will greatly assist renewed engagement with an old topic.

—Albert Pietersma, University of Toronto

R. Timothy McLay presents a careful study of how the Septuagint influenced the writers of the New Testament. His particular attention to the challenges of translation make this work stand apart from the few other books about this hot-bed issue. Highly recommended as a tool for students and scholars alike.

—Online Reviewer

Product Details

• Title: The Use of the Septuagint in New Testament Research
• Author: R. Timothy McLay
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2003
• Pages: 212

About Timothy McLay

R. Timothy McLay is an independent scholar currently residing in Toronto. He has served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Languages, and Ministry Studies at St. Stephen‘s University, St. Stephen, New Brunswick. He earned his B.A. at Atlantic Baptist University, M.Div. at Acadia, and Ph.D. at Durham.