language · Gen 7:1–10 · ✓ Approved

LXX Gen 7:1–10: sevens and pairs, and the entry into the ark

Says Swete’s Genesis 7 numbering matches the English and the MT. 7:1 and 7:5 have Κύριος ὁ θεός for יְהוָה, and 7:9 has ὁ θεός for אֱלֹהִים.

Says At 7:2 the clean animals come ἑπτὰ ἑπτὰ ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ for שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה אִישׁ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ (shiv'ah shiv'ah ish ve'ishto), and the unclean δύο δύο for שְׁנַיִם (shenayim). καθαρός (katharos) is “pure, clean”, in the LXX chiefly for this Hebrew adjective.

Says At 7:3 Swete prints καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πετεινῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῶν καθαρῶν ἑπτὰ ἑπτὰ for גַּם מֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה, then καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν πετεινῶν τῶν μὴ καθαρῶν δύο δύο ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ. The Hebrew has neither τῶν καθαρῶν nor the unclean birds.

Implies The doubled numeral is distributive in both languages: “by sevens”, “by twos”.

Uncertain Seven animals or seven pairs: one reading counts seven, as the numeral stands alone; the other counts pairs, as ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ follows. No lean is taken.

Says At 7:4 Swete has τεσσεράκοντα ἡμέρας καὶ τεσσεράκοντα νύκτας and ἐξαλείψω πᾶν τὸ ἀνάστεμα for וּמָחִיתִי אֶת־כָּל־הַיְקוּם (umakhiti et-kol-hayqum); ἐξαλείφω (exaleiphō) is “to wipe out”, in the LXX for this verb. An apparatus line with no lemma gives πᾶσαν τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἥν, for πᾶν τὸ ἀνάστεμα ὅ, in the Cotton Genesis (its fragment shows -στασιν-) and the Bodleian Genesis.

Says In Alexandrinus Swete records a twelve-letter erasure after κατακλυσμοῦ (7:7), and at 7:8 καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πετεινῶν … μὴ καθαρῶν over an erasure of several letters, possibly by the first corrector.

Claims

SaysSwete’s Genesis 7 numbering matches the English and the MT; 7:1 and 7:5 have Κύριος ὁ θεός for יְהוָה, and 7:9 ὁ θεός for אֱלֹהִים.
SaysAt 7:2 ἑπτὰ ἑπτὰ ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ stands for שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה אִישׁ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ and δύο δύο for שְׁנַיִם; καθαρός renders the Hebrew adjective for clean.
SaysAt 7:3 Swete has τῶν καθαρῶν with the birds and a clause on unclean birds, δύο δύο, neither of which the Hebrew has.
ImpliesThe doubled numeral is distributive in both languages.
UncertainWhether seven individuals or seven pairs are meant is not settled; one reading counts the numeral alone, the other takes ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ as marking pairs; no lean.
SaysAt 7:4 Swete has τεσσεράκοντα νύκτας and ἐξαλείψω πᾶν τὸ ἀνάστεμα for וּמָחִיתִי אֶת־כָּל־הַיְקוּם; a lemma-less apparatus line gives πᾶσαν τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἥν for the Cotton and Bodleian Genesis.
SaysSwete records a twelve-letter erasure after κατακλυσμοῦ at 7:7 and, at 7:8, wording over an erasure ascribed, with a query, to the first corrector, both in Alexandrinus.

Citations

LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 7:1–4, vol. 1, p. 10 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaf n41); Gen 7:4–10, p. 11 (viewer leaf n42); text and apparatus; read on the page images
OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 7:1–10 (WLC/OSHB)
Abbott-Smith public domain s.vv. καθαρός (pure, clean; LXX chiefly for טָהוֹר), ἐξαλείφω (to wipe out; LXX, metaphorically, for מָחָה); 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

2026-11-11

Open in Reader All notes on this passage