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Place the Hebrew Masoretic Text alongside the Greek Septuagint translation to uncover differences that shaped how New Testament authors quoted the Old Testament and how early Christians understood prophecy.
The Septuagint (often abbreviated LXX) is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, produced between roughly 250 and 100 BC in Alexandria, Egypt. According to tradition, seventy-two Jewish scholars independently produced identical translations -- hence the name 'Septuagint,' from the Latin word for seventy. Regardless of the legend's accuracy, the Septuagint is one of the most important documents in biblical history because it was the Bible of the early Christian church and the version most frequently quoted by New Testament authors.
When the apostle Paul quoted Isaiah, or when the author of Hebrews cited the Psalms, they typically quoted from the Septuagint rather than directly translating the Hebrew. In many cases the Greek rendering matches the Hebrew closely, but in some passages the differences are substantial and theologically significant. For example, the Septuagint of Isaiah 7:14 uses the Greek word 'parthenos' (virgin) where the Hebrew has 'almah' (young woman) -- a difference that directly informed early Christian understanding of the Messianic prophecy cited in Matthew 1:23.
For Latter-day Saints, the Septuagint holds special interest for several reasons. The Book of Mormon contains extensive quotations from Isaiah that sometimes agree with the Septuagint against the Masoretic Hebrew text, suggesting that the brass plates Lehi carried from Jerusalem may have preserved a textual tradition closer to the Greek than to the later standardized Hebrew. Studying where the Septuagint and Hebrew diverge can illuminate why certain Book of Mormon Isaiah passages differ from the King James Version.
Latter-Day Daily's Septuagint Bridge tool presents carefully selected passages where the Hebrew and Greek diverge in meaningful ways. Each passage shows the Hebrew text with its meaning, the Greek Septuagint rendering, the KJV English, and where applicable the Book of Mormon parallel. An analysis section explains the significance of each difference, and an LDS significance note connects the textual evidence to Latter-day Saint theology and scripture.
Filter passages by category -- messianic, prophetic, law, wisdom, creation, or covenant -- to focus on the type of text that interests you.
Each passage displays the Hebrew text, Greek Septuagint, KJV English, and Book of Mormon parallel in clearly labeled columns with color-coded borders.
Every passage includes a detailed analysis of the differences between the Hebrew and Greek, plus a note on LDS theological significance.
See the Masoretic Hebrew text alongside the Septuagint Greek for each passage, with English meanings for both versions.
Where a passage has a Book of Mormon parallel, see it displayed alongside the Hebrew, Greek, and KJV for four-way comparison.
Browse passages by theological category including messianic prophecies, covenant texts, wisdom literature, and creation accounts.
Each passage includes a list of specific differences between the Hebrew and Greek, with expert analysis of their theological implications.
The Septuagint is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, created between approximately 250 and 100 BC. It is important because it was the Bible used by the early Christian church and was the version most frequently quoted by New Testament authors. Differences between the Septuagint and the Hebrew Masoretic Text reveal how scripture was understood in the centuries before Christ and directly influenced Christian theology.
Yes. The majority of Old Testament quotations in the New Testament follow the Septuagint Greek rather than directly translating the Hebrew. This is evident in passages like Matthew 1:23 (quoting Isaiah 7:14), Hebrews 10:5 (quoting Psalm 40:6), and many others where the Greek New Testament matches the Septuagint wording even when it differs from the Hebrew.
The Book of Mormon contains extensive Isaiah quotations that sometimes agree with the Septuagint against the standard Hebrew text. This is significant because Lehi's family left Jerusalem around 600 BC with the brass plates, which may have preserved a textual tradition that predates the later standardization of the Hebrew text. The Septuagint Bridge tool highlights these connections for study.
The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible, standardized by the Masoretes between the 7th and 10th centuries AD. The Septuagint is an earlier Greek translation made from Hebrew manuscripts that sometimes differed from what became the Masoretic standard. Differences range from minor wording variations to entire passages that are longer or shorter in one version than the other.
Bible translations differ because they draw on different source texts and follow different translation philosophies. The King James Version primarily follows the Masoretic Hebrew for the Old Testament, while the Septuagint preserves an independent textual tradition. When translators choose different source texts or interpret the same text differently, the resulting English renderings diverge. Comparing these differences deepens understanding of the original meaning.
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