LXX Gen 13:14–18: sand for dust, the added “forever” and the oak of Mamre

Says At 13:14 Ὁ δὲ θεὸς εἶπεν puts the subject first, as וַיהוָה אָמַר does, with “God” for the divine name (the Bodleian Genesis has “Lord”). Ἀνάβλεψον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου (ἀναβλέπω, “to look up”) renders שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ; the Cotton and Bodleian Genesis have ἀναβλέψας. λίβα (λίψ, “the SW. wind”; Abbott-Smith cites this verse) stands for וָנֶגְבָּה, and θάλασσαν (θάλασσα, “the sea”) for וָיָמָּה.

Says At 13:15 τῷ σπέρματί σου ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος (σπέρμα, “seed, offspring, posterity”) renders וּלְזַרְעֲךָ עַד־עוֹלָם; both nouns for “seed” are singular. At 13:16 ὡς τὴν ἄμμον τῆς γῆς (ἄμμος, “sand, sandy ground”), “as the sand of the earth,” stands for כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ, “as the dust of the earth,” and ἄμμον returns for עֲפַר. The Bodleian Genesis has τῆς θαλάσσης for the first τῆς γῆς.

Says At 13:17 ἀναστὰς διόδευσον τὴν γῆν (διοδεύω, “to travel through”) renders קוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ, with μῆκος (“length”) and πλάτος (“breadth”) for לְאָרְכָּהּ וּלְרָחְבָּהּ. Swete ends καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, which the MT lacks after כִּי לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה; the Cotton and Bodleian Genesis lack it too.

Says At 13:18 ἀποσκηνώσας renders וַיֶּאֱהַל, and ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν renders וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּשֶׁב. παρὰ τὴν δρῦν τὴν Μαμβρήν has one oak for the plural בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא, and ἣ ἦν ἐν Χεβρών renders אֲשֶׁר בְּחֶבְרוֹן.

Uncertain No lean is taken on whether the seed is collective, one person, or both, on how long “forever” runs, or on what the oak of Mamre was.