LXX Gen 2:2–7: the sixth day, rest, and a living soul
Says Swete prints the finishing [ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ] τῇ ἕκτῃ and the rest [τῇ ἡμ]έρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ (p. 3, n34; brackets mark letters lost in Alexandrinus). κατέπαυσεν (katepausen, “rested, ceased”) renders וַיִּשְׁבֹּת (wayyishbot). The MT of 2:2 has בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי (bayyom hashevi'i) at the finishing. 2:3 has ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ θεὸς ποιῆσαι for אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת. See the textual note on 2:2.
Says 2:4 opens a new paragraph, Αὕτη ἡ βίβλος γενέσεως οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, rendering אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת (elleh toledot). At 2:5 and 2:7 the Greek has ὁ θεός where the MT has יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (YHWH 'elohim).
Says 2:7 has ἔπλασεν τὸν ἄνθρωπον χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, ἐνεφύσησεν … πνοὴν ζωῆς, and ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν. ἔπλασεν (eplasen, “formed, molded”) renders וַיִּיצֶר (wayyitser); πνοὴν ζωῆς (pnoēn zōēs, “breath of life”) renders נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים (nishmat hayyim); εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν (eis psychēn zōsan, “into a living soul”) renders לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה (lenefesh hayyah). The Greek has ἄνθρωπος here and first uses Ἀδάμ at 2:16.
Implies The man depends on God for breath: God forms him from dust and breathes πνοὴν ζωῆς into him, and only then he becomes εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν. Alternatively, the verbs describe the act, not a doctrine of dependence.
Uncertain Whether τῇ ἕκτῃ is earlier wording or a change to avoid work on the seventh day is not settled. No lean is taken on the sense of “finished”, on the 2:4a boundary, or on where the personal name begins. The day-views are not reopened; see note.exegetical.Gen.1.1-Gen.1.31.creation-days-views.
Claims
- SaysSwete 2:2 has the finishing on the sixth day and the rest on the seventh, with brackets marking letters lost in Alexandrinus; κατέπαυσεν renders וַיִּשְׁבֹּת; the MT has “on the seventh day” at the finishing as well; 2:3 has ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ θεὸς ποιῆσαι for אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת.
- Says2:4 opens a new paragraph, Αὕτη ἡ βίβλος γενέσεως, rendering אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת; at 2:5 and 2:7 the Greek has ὁ θεός where the MT has יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים.
- Says2:7 has ἔπλασεν τὸν ἄνθρωπον χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, ἐνεφύσησεν … πνοὴν ζωῆς, and εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν, rendering וַיִּיצֶר, נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים, and לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה; the Greek has ἄνθρωπος here and first uses Ἀδάμ at 2:16.
- ImpliesThe man depends on God for breath, on the grounds that God forms him from dust and breathes πνοὴν ζωῆς into him, and only then he becomes εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν; the alternative is that the verbs describe the act, not a doctrine of dependence.
- UncertainWhether τῇ ἕκτῃ is earlier wording or a change to avoid work on the seventh day is not settled. No lean is taken on the sense of “finished”, on the 2:4a boundary, or on where the personal name begins. The day-views are not reopened here.
Citations
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 2:2–7, vol. 1, p. 3 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaf n34); read on the page images
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 2:2–7 (WLC/OSHB)
- Abbott-Smith public domain s.vv. καταπαύω (intrans. to rest; Heb 4:4 LXX), πλάσσω (to form, mold; LXX chiefly יצר), πνοή (a breathing, breath; cites Gen 2:7), ψυχή (breath, life, soul; ψ. ζῶσα at 1 Cor 15:45); paraphrased
Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits
2026-11-10
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