LXX Gen 15:7–11: three-year-olds, the halves, and Abram “sat down with them”

Says At 15:7 Ἐγὼ ὁ θεὸς renders אֲנִי יְהוָה, and ἐκ χώρας Χαλδαίων (χώρα, “a land, country, region”) stands for מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים, with no word for Ur. The Cotton Genesis adds αὐτήν after κληρονομῆσαι.

Says At 15:9 each animal is three years old: δάμαλιν τριετίζουσαν (δάμαλις, “a heifer”), αἶγα τριετίζουσαν and κριὸν τριετίζοντα, for עֶגְלָה מְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת וְעֵז מְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת וְאַיִל מְשֻׁלָּשׁ. τρυγόνα (τρυγών, “a turtle-dove”) renders וְתֹר, and περιστεράν (περιστερά, “a dove”) renders וְגוֹזָל.

Says At 15:10 διεῖλεν αὐτὰ μέσα (διαιρέω, “to divide into parts, cut asunder”; Abbott-Smith cites this verse) renders וַיְבַתֵּר אֹתָם בַּתָּוֶךְ, and ἔθηκεν αὐτὰ ἀντιπρόσωπα ἀλλήλοις, “set them facing one another,” renders וַיִּתֵּן אִישׁ־בִּתְרוֹ לִקְרַאת רֵעֵהוּ. The plural τὰ δὲ ὄρνεα (ὄρνεον, “a bird”) stands for הַצִפֹּר. The Cotton Genesis has ἑαυτῷ for αὐτῷ.

Says At 15:11 κατέβη δὲ ὄρνεα renders וַיֵּרֶד הָעַיִט, and τὰ σώματα, τὰ διχοτομήματα αὐτῶν (σῶμα, “a body”) expands הַפְּגָרִים. Where the MT has וַיַּשֵּׁב אֹתָם אַבְרָם, “and Abram drove them away,” the Greek has καὶ συνεκάθισεν αὐτοῖς Ἀβράμ (συνκαθίζω, “to sit together”), “and Abram sat down with them,” in the Hebrew order: verb, them, Abram.

Uncertain No lean is taken on why the Greek has “sat down with them” for וַיַּשֵּׁב, or on what the animals and the birds signify.