language · Rom 11:34–35 · ✓ Approved

Rom 11:34–35: Isa 40:13 and Job 41:11 (MT 41:3; MT and LXX)

Says Rom 11:34 quotes Isa 40:13 in the LXX form. The MT has מִי־תִכֵּן אֶת־רוּחַ יְהוָה וְאִישׁ עֲצָתוֹ יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ (mi-tikken et-ruakh YHWH ve'ish 'atsato yodi'ennu, "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or informed Him as His counselor?" BSB). Swete has τίς ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου, καὶ τίς αὐτοῦ σύμβουλος ἐγένετο, with "know" for תִכֵּן (tikken, "regulate, measure," BDB p. 1067) and "mind" for רוּחַ (ruakh, "spirit," BDB p. 924).

Says Paul's Τίς γὰρ ἔγνω νοῦν κυρίου; ἢ τίς σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο; has σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ, the order of A, Q and Γ in Swete's apparatus, where B reads αὐτοῦ σύμβουλος.

Says Rom 11:35, ἢ τίς προέδωκεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνταποδοθήσεται αὐτῷ;, is not Swete's Job. The MT (ENG 41:11) has מִי הִקְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּם (mi hiqdimani va'ashallem, "Who has given to Me that I should repay him?" BSB); Swete (41:2, margin "(3)") has ἢ τίς ἀντιστήσεταί μοι καὶ ὑπομενεῖ ("or who will resist me and endure?").

Says Paul is nearer the Hebrew in sense: a prior act (הִקְדִּימַנִי, "come before," BDB p. 869) and repayment (וַאֲשַׁלֵּם, Piel, "requite," BDB p. 1022). The forms differ: in the MT God speaks ("me," "I will repay," no object), while Paul has "to him" and a passive "it will be repaid."

Says The same Greek line stands after Isa 40:14 in ℵ* and A (Swete's apparatus); B lacks it.

Uncertain Whether those copies took it from Romans, or Paul knew a Greek text with it, or rendered the Hebrew himself, is uncertain.

Claims

SaysRom 11:34 quotes Isa 40:13 in the LXX form: MT מִי־תִכֵּן אֶת־רוּחַ יְהוָה וְאִישׁ עֲצָתוֹ יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ; Swete τίς ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου, καὶ τίς αὐτοῦ σύμβουλος ἐγένετο, with "know" for תִכֵּן and "mind" for רוּחַ.
SaysPaul's Τίς γὰρ ἔγνω νοῦν κυρίου; ἢ τίς σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο; has σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ, the order of A, Q and Γ; B reads αὐτοῦ σύμβουλος.
SaysRom 11:35 ἢ τίς προέδωκεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνταποδοθήσεται αὐτῷ; is not Swete Job 41:2 (ἢ τίς ἀντιστήσεταί μοι καὶ ὑπομενεῖ); MT Job 41:3 (ENG 41:11) מִי הִקְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּם.
SaysPaul is nearer the Hebrew in sense (prior act הִקְדִּימַנִי; repayment וַאֲשַׁלֵּם), but the MT is first person with no object and Paul has "to him" and a passive.
SaysThe same Greek line stands after Isa 40:14 in ℵ* and A; B lacks it.
UncertainWhether those copies took it from Romans, Paul knew a Greek text with it, or rendered the Hebrew himself is uncertain.

Citations

OSHB CC BY 4.0 Isa 40:13; Job 41:3 (= ENG 41:11; הִקְדִּימַנִי morph HVhp3ms/Sp1cs; וַאֲשַׁלֵּם morph HC/Vpi1cs)
BDB CC BY 4.0 תָּכַן (H8505), p. 1067, entry w.aq.aa; רוּחַ (H7307), p. 924, entry t.bk.ab; קָדַם (H6923), p. 869, entry s.al.ac; שָׁלֵם (H7999), p. 1022, entry v.ds.aa
LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Isa 40:13–14 (vol. 3 p. 174; apparatus: "13 συμβουλος αυτου AQΓ | 14 αυτω 2°] + η τις προεδωκεν αυτω και ανταποδοθησεται (-δωθ. A) αυτω ℵ* (improb ℵ^c.b et postea) A"). LXX read on the Swete page image, vol. 3 (1912), p. 174.
LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Job 41:2, margin "(3)" (vol. 2 p. 598; apparatus: "τις 2°] + εστιν ος A"). LXX read on the Swete page image, vol. 2 (1896), p. 598.
SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Rom 11:34–35
BSB public domain Isa 40:13; Job 41:11

Sources OSHB CC BY 4.0 LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 BDB CC BY 4.0 BSB public domain Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0

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

2026-11-04

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