language · Gen 2:8–25 · ✓ Approved

LXX Gen 2:8–25: παράδεισος, βοηθός, and “the two”

Says Swete (pp. 3–4, n34–n35) has παράδεισον ἐν Ἔδεμ (2:8). παράδεισος (paradeisos, “garden, park”) renders גַּן (gan). 2:9 has the plus ἔτι, and ὁ θεός where the MT has יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (YHWH 'elohim). 2:9 names the two trees. 2:15 has the plus ὃν ἔπλασεν and no equivalent of עֵדֶן.

Says 2:16 has τῷ Ἀδὰμ λέγων. λέγων corresponds to MT לֵאמֹר (lemor) and is not a plus; this is the first Ἀδάμ in the Greek. 2:17 is plural (φάγεσθε, φάγησθε, ἀποθανεῖσθε) against a singular MT. 2:18 has ποιήσωμεν αὐτῷ βοηθὸν κατ’ αὐτόν, against MT אֶעֱשֶׂהּ (e'eseh, “I will make”); 2:20 has βοηθὸς ὅμοιος αὐτῷ. βοηθός (boēthos, “helper”) renders עֵזֶר ('ezer). See the textual notes on 2:18 and 2:24.

Says 2:21 has ἔκστασιν and μίαν τῶν πλευρῶν αὐτοῦ. πλευρά (pleura, “side”) is often rendered “rib”. 2:23 has ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς for מֵאִישׁ (me'ish) and does not keep the אִשָּׁה / אִישׁ play. 2:24 has προσκολληθήσεται (proskollēthēsetai, “will cleave, join”) for וְדָבַק (vedavaq), and the plus οἱ δύο (“the two”) against וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד (vehayu levasar ehad). Cotton Genesis resumes at προσκολληθήσεται. Inner-Greek witnesses differ at “to/toward the wife”. Swete 3:1 (ENG 2:25) is καὶ ἦσαν οἱ δύο γυμνοί … καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνοντο, a pointer to Genesis 3.

Uncertain Whether ποιήσωμεν and οἱ δύο reflect a different Hebrew or a Greek expansion is not settled; no reconstructed Hebrew is offered. No lean is taken on the trees, death, βοηθός and roles, the speaker of 2:24, or Eden’s location and the garden-sanctuary reading.

Claims

Says2:8 has παράδεισον ἐν Ἔδεμ, and παράδεισος renders גַּן; 2:9 has the plus ἔτι and ὁ θεός where the MT has יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים, and names the two trees; 2:15 has the plus ὃν ἔπλασεν and no equivalent of עֵדֶן.
Says2:16 λέγων corresponds to MT לֵאמֹר and is not a plus; Ἀδάμ first appears there; 2:17 is plural against a singular MT; 2:18 has ποιήσωμεν against אֶעֱשֶׂהּ, and βοηθός renders עֵזֶר;
Says2:21 has ἔκστασιν and πλευρά (“side”); 2:23 has ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς and does not keep the אִשָּׁה / אִישׁ play; 2:24 has προσκολληθήσεται and the plus οἱ δύο, with an inner-Greek variation at “to/toward the wife”; Swete prints ENG 2:25 as 3:1 (ENG 2:25), a pointer to Genesis 3.
UncertainWhether ποιήσωμεν and οἱ δύο reflect a different Hebrew or a Greek expansion is not settled; no reconstructed Hebrew is offered. No lean is taken on the trees, death, βοηθός and roles, the speaker of 2:24, or Eden’s location and the garden-sanctuary reading.

Citations

LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 2:8–16a, vol. 1, p. 3 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaf n34); Gen 2:16b–24 and Swete 3:1 (ENG 2:25), vol. 1, p. 4 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaf n35); read on the page images
OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 2:8–25 (WLC/OSHB)
Abbott-Smith public domain s.vv. παράδεισος (a park, garden; LXX chiefly גַּן), βοηθός (a helper), προσκολλάω (to glue to; pass., to cleave to), πλευρά (the side; LXX chiefly צֵלָע), ἔκστασις (a displacement; in the NT entries, a trance or amazement); paraphrased

Sources LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 OSHB CC BY 4.0 Abbott-Smith public domain Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0

Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits

2026-11-10

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