Gen 7:11: the seventeenth or the twenty-seventh day

Editorial decision: print the MT.

Says The MT dates the breaking of the deep בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בְּשִׁבְעָה־עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ, "in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month." Swete has τοῦ δευτέρου μηνός, ἑβδόμῃ καὶ εἰκάδι τοῦ μηνός, "of the second month, on the twenty-seventh of the month." Swete's notes give no other day; at this verse they note a five- or six-letter erasure in Alexandrinus after the opening "in the," and one manuscript that reads "the one and six hundredth" year and lacks "on this day" (see the Greek note, note.language.Gen.7.11-Gen.7.24.lxx-date-and-waters).

Says The Samaritan text (von Gall, p. 11) has the MT's date, the seventeenth day of the second month of the 600th year; von Gall's notes give no other number here.

Says In the MT the ark rests בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּשִׁבְעָה־עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ, "in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month" (8:4), and the earth is dry וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בְּשִׁבְעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ, "in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month" (8:14).

Uncertain Which day is original. (1) The seventeenth: ground, the Hebrew text, with the same day number at 8:4; objection, a copyist could have carried 8:4's number back to 7:11. (2) The twenty-seventh: ground, it is the day of 8:14, so the waters would leave the earth on the day number they came; objection, a translator or copyist could have carried 8:14's number back to 7:11. The Greek alone does not settle it. No lean is taken here.