The Septuagint (LXX): The Bible of the Early Church

The Septuagint (LXX): The Bible of the Early Church

Introduction for Beginners

If you’ve ever seen a tiny “LXX” in the footnotes of your Bible and wondered what it meant, you’ve stumbled onto one of the most important—and misunderstood—parts of biblical history. LXX stands for “Septuagint,” the Greek translation of the Old Testament. It was the Bible used by Jesus, the apostles, and the early church. And yet, many modern Bibles today rely almost entirely on a different text: the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT), finalized roughly a thousand years after the Septuagint was completed.

So what happened? And why does it matter?

What Does “LXX” Mean?

The Roman numeral “LXX” means 70 and refers to the legendary 72 Jewish scholars who, according to tradition, translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek in the 3rd century BC under the commission of Ptolemy II in Alexandria, Egypt. This was no ordinary translation—it was a spiritual, prophetic work. By the time of Jesus, it had become the default Bible for the Greek-speaking Jewish world, including most of the Diaspora.

Many modern Bibles include LXX references in footnotes, especially when the Septuagint differs from the Masoretic Text. For example, in Hebrews 1:6, the author quotes Deuteronomy 32:43—but the part about “Let all God’s angels worship Him” only appears in the Septuagint, not in the Masoretic.

Why Greek? Wasn’t Hebrew the Original?

Yes—mostly. But the Jewish world of the 3rd century BC was multicultural and multilingual. Greek was the common tongue of the Roman Empire and much of the Jewish diaspora. Even Jesus' own world was trilingual: Hebrew (likely used in religious settings), Aramaic (the common Semitic dialect), and Greek (the lingua franca). The Septuagint was necessary to reach the world. In fact, Greek was the perfect preparation for the Gospel to go global.

More importantly, many believe the Holy Spirit superintended this translation. The Septuagint often reflects prophetic insights and theological connections that the Masoretic Text doesn’t. The apostles treated it as inspired and quoted it without qualification.

Complete History: From Egypt to the Apostles

• 3rd century BC: Ptolemy II commissions the translation of the Torah (first five books).

• 2nd–1st century BC: The rest of the books are translated, including the Deuterocanonical books (what Protestants call the “Apocrypha”).

• 1st century AD: The Septuagint is the primary Old Testament for Jews living outside of Judea—and for the early Christians.

• 2nd century AD: As Christianity grows and uses the Septuagint to prove Jesus is the Messiah, many Jewish leaders reject it and promote alternate Hebrew versions.

• 4th century AD: Jerome favors the Hebrew over the Greek when translating the Latin Vulgate, despite early resistance and the protests of Augustine.

• Reformation era: Protestant translators continue to prioritize the Hebrew Masoretic Text, largely excluding the Septuagint-based books and readings.

• Modern day: The Septuagint remains the Old Testament canon of the Orthodox Church and is increasingly acknowledged by scholars as the more original textual stream in many cases.

Prophecies Found Only in the Septuagint

Many Messianic prophecies quoted in the New Testament match the Septuagint—not the Masoretic.

Key Examples:

1. Isaiah 7:14

   • LXX: “Behold, a virgin (παρθένος / parthenos) shall conceive…”

   • Masoretic: “young woman” (עַלְמָה / ‘almah).

   • NT Reference: Matthew 1:23 quotes the Greek “parthenos” explicitly.

2. Psalm 22:16

   • LXX: “They pierced my hands and my feet.”

   • Masoretic: “Like a lion are my hands and feet.”

   • NT Reference: John 20:25; Luke 24:39 – Describes Christ’s crucifixion in terms that match the LXX rendering.

3. Deuteronomy 32:43

   • LXX (quoted in Hebrews 1:6): “Let all God’s angels worship Him.”

   • Not present in the MT version.

4. Amos 9:11–12

   • LXX: Gentiles will “seek the Lord.”

   • Masoretic: Refers only to “Edom.”

   • NT Reference: Acts 15:16–17 – James quotes the LXX word-for-word at the Jerusalem Council to support the Gentile mission.

These aren’t minor details—they change how you understand Jesus and the Gospel.

New Testament Favoritism Toward the LXX

Over two-thirds of the Old Testament quotes in the New Testament come from the Septuagint, not the Hebrew. Why?

Because the apostles were quoting the Bible they used. And that Bible was Greek.

• Paul in Romans 3:10–18 quotes from Psalms and Isaiah—but his wording matches the Septuagint.

• Jesus quotes the LXX version of Isaiah in Mark 7:6–7: “These people honor me with their lips…”

This shows the early Christians not only used the Septuagint—they viewed it as authoritative.

The Early Church and the Septuagint

The church fathers unanimously affirmed the Septuagint:

• Justin Martyr argued that the Jewish leaders had tampered with the Hebrew to remove Messianic prophecy, whereas the Septuagint preserved them.

• Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Athanasius all used and defended the LXX.

• Augustine said the Septuagint was translated under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

When Jerome chose the Hebrew over the Greek in the Vulgate, it was considered a serious departure by many—including Augustine.

What Changed?

• After Jesus, the Jews rejected the Septuagint because Christians were using it to proclaim Him as the Messiah.

• By the 2nd century AD, Jewish scribes were codifying the Masoretic Text—removing or changing prophetic references.

• The Reformers adopted the Masoretic Text as their primary source for the Old Testament to distinguish themselves from Catholicism.

• This led to the loss of many books (like Tobit, Wisdom, 1 Maccabees) and many verses in the OT as they originally appeared.

The Orthodox Church Kept the Septuagint

To this day, the Eastern Orthodox Church reads the Old Testament from the Septuagint. Their Bibles include:

• Tobit

• Wisdom of Solomon

• 1–4 Maccabees

• Judith

• Baruch

• Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)

These were considered Scripture by the early Church—long before the Protestant Reformation removed them.

Modern Influence and Rediscovery

• Modern scholarly editions (like the NETS – New English Translation of the Septuagint) are making it accessible again.

• The Dead Sea Scrolls support the Septuagint’s readings in several places where it differs from the Masoretic.

• Some modern Bibles now footnote where the Septuagint and Hebrew disagree—though few churches teach these differences.

Conclusion: The Bible Before the Bible

The Septuagint is not an “extra” version of the Old Testament—it’s the original Bible of the apostles, the version quoted by Jesus, and the foundation of the New Testament’s theology.

It contains prophetic clarity, theological continuity, and Holy Spirit insight. And yet, it’s often pushed aside in favor of a later Hebrew version that was altered in response to Christianity.

If you want to read the Bible like the early church—you’ll need to read the Septuagint.