LXX Gen 15:1–6: “I shield you,” the son of Masek, and the passive “was reckoned”

Says Swete’s numbering in Genesis 15 matches the English and the MT. At 15:1 the word comes ἐν ὁράματι (ὅραμα, “an appearance, vision”) for בַּמַּחֲזֶה. God says ἐγὼ ὑπερασπίζω σου, “I shield you,” a verb where the MT has the noun מָגֵן, and ὁ μισθός σου πολὺς ἔσται σφόδρα (μισθός, “reward”) is its own clause with a future verb for שְׂכָרְךָ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד.

Says At 15:2 and 15:8 Abram says Δέσποτα Κύριε (δεσπότης, “a master, lord”) for אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה. ἀπολύομαι ἄτεκνος (ἄτεκνος, “childless”; Abbott-Smith cites this verse) renders הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי. For וּבֶן־מֶשֶׁק בֵּיתִי the Greek has ὁ δὲ υἱὸς Μάσεκ τῆς οἰκογενοῦς μου, taking מֶשֶׁק as a name, and οὗτος Δαμασκὸς Ἐλιέζερ keeps the Hebrew order, Damascus before Eliezer.

Says At 15:4 φωνὴ Κυρίου (φωνή, “a voice”) stands for דְבַר־יְהוָה, “the word of the Lord,” where 15:1 has ῥῆμα Κυρίου. At 15:6 ἐπίστευσεν Ἀβρὰμ τῷ θεῷ names Abram and has “God” for וְהֶאֱמִן בַּיהוָה, and ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην (λογίζομαι, “to count, reckon”; δικαιοσύνη, “righteousness”) is passive where וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה is active.

Says Codex Alexandrinus breaks off within πολὺς at 15:1 and resumes at 15:6; for 15:2–5 Swete cites only the Cotton Genesis and prints no variant.

Uncertain No lean is taken on the sense of מֶשֶׁק, on the form of the revelation, or on how 15:6 has been read.