Different Parent Texts in Isaiah 53:8d? (Part 1)
Posted by John on June 6, 2009
Introduction to the Problem
In the last post on Ecclesiastes 2:12, I concluded that although the LXX appeared to have a different parent text than the MT, the LXX actually witnessed to the same consonantal text as represented in the MT. In Isaiah 53:8d, I want to explore an example where the LXX has a different parent text than the MT, and show that the LXX actually witnesses to the original Hebrew text. But another matter in this verse must be treated first, so I will first present all of the evidence of Hebrew witnesses including the DSS and then present all of the evidence of the Ancient Versions. I will then handle the issue of the MT pointing of nega’, and finally, in a separate post, I will return to the textual matter between the MT and the LXX in the same verse.
List of Witnesses
L (BHS) מפשע עמי נֶגַע למו [on account of the transgression of my people the blow was his/theirs]
1QIsa מפשע עמי נוגע למו [on account of the transgression of my people he was stricken by them/him]
1QIsb מפשע עמי נגע למו
4QIsc Lacuna
4QIsd מפש]ע עמי נגע למו
LXX απο των ανομιων του λαου μου ηχθη εις θανατον [on account of the lawless deeds of my people he was led to death]
Aquila απο αθεσιας λαου μου ηψατο αυτων [on account of the lawlessness of my people he struck them]
Symmachus δια την αδικιαν του λαου μου πληγη αυτοις [on account of the unrighteousness of my people the blow belonged to them]
Theodotion απο αθεσιας του λαου μου ηψατο αυτων [on account of the lawlessness of my people he struck them]
Old Latin a facinoribus populi mei adductus est ad mortem [on account of the crimes of my people he was led to death]
Vulgate propter scelus populi mei percussit eos/eum [on account of the sin of my people he pierced him/them]
Peshitta ܘܡܢ ܥܘܠܐ ܕܥܡܝ ܩܪܒܘ ܠܗ [and because of the wicked ones of my people, they approached/touched him]
Targum חובין דחבו עמי עד לותהון ימטי [the sins, which my people have committed, have come upon them (i.e. the nations or Israel)]
The Pointing of Nega’
The MT contains a noun for נגע “strike, blow,” but the problem with this reading lies in the fact that only Symmachus reads a noun for these consonants (πληγη). 1QIsa LXX Aq Th V P T all read a verb form, though they do not all agree on the voice of the verb. 1QIsa probably has a Pual Pf 3ms [נוגע], and this passive form is probably confirmed by the LXX’s reading ηχθη. The other Versions have an active form, which shows they were reading נגע as a verb but they supplied a Qal Pf 3ms vocalization, not the segolate noun vocalization of the MT. The other DSS readings are inconclusive since they do not employ the plene spelling of the former.
Although the consonantal texts are identical and the Versions testify to this fact, the MT has probably preserved an erroneous vocalization in this instance, since the external evidence of the verbal form enjoys a wide geographical base, which indicates that it is the original reading.
Conclusion
Isaiah 53:8d contains two problems: one related to the vocalization of the MT and one related to the text of the MT. This post dealt with the former of these issues and concluded that the MT has preserved an erroneous vocalization. 1QIsa (with its inclusion of the mater lectionis) and LXX indicate that the text should be read as a Pual Pf 3ms “he was afflicted, stricken.” Incidentally, several English translations already transform the noun into a verb, even though these translations claim that they follow the MT (cf. NIV NAS ESV). In the next post we will examine the textual matter between the LXX and the MT. Should the original text be “to them/him” = MT or “to death” = LXX?
