Καὶ ἔγραψεν Μωυσῆς πάντα τὰ ῥήματα Κυρίου ὀρθρίσας δὲ Μωυσῆς τὸ πρωὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν θυσιαστήριον ὑπὸ τὸ ὄρος καὶ δώδεκα λίθους εἰς τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ισραηλ (Exodus 24:4 LXX)
וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֵ֚ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וַיִּ֥בֶן מִזְבֵּ֖חַ תַּ֣חַת הָהָ֑ר וּשְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה לִשְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Written Word and Ritual Structure
In Exodus 24:4, Moshe responds to divine revelation with action: he records the covenantal words, rises early, and constructs a sacred structure. The Hebrew presents this as a detailed narrative with sequential wayyiqtol verbs and construct chains. The Greek Septuagint reshapes this with temporal coordination, clarifying agency and structure. What emerges is a smoother, formally ordered description that both preserves and amplifies the tribal and theological emphases of the original.
Grammatical Focus: Construct Chains and Structural Compression
The Hebrew relies on extended construct chains to express tribal affiliation: לִשְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל (“for the twelve tribes of Yisraʾel”). The Greek flattens this into εἰς τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ισραηλ, employing a direct prepositional phrase with definite articles and genitive possession. This shift reflects a change in syntactic economy without loss of semantic content.
Hebrew-Greek Morphological Comparison
| Hebrew Word | Greek Translation | Grammatical Notes | Translation Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב מֹשֶׁ֗ה | καὶ ἔγραψεν Μωυσῆς | Wayyiqtol (3ms) → aorist indicative | Standard narrative equivalence |
| אֵ֚ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה | πάντα τὰ ῥήματα Κυρίου | Construct chain → article + accusative plural | Literal match with lexical substitution: דִּבְרֵי → ῥήματα |
| וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם בַּבֹּ֔קֶר | ὀρθρίσας δὲ Μωυσῆς τὸ πρωὶ | Wayyiqtol + noun → aorist participle + temporal accusative | Temporal restructuring; addition of participle |
| וַיִּ֥בֶן מִזְבֵּ֖חַ | ᾠκοδόμησεν θυσιαστήριον | Wayyiqtol (3ms) → aorist indicative | Standard action equivalence |
| תַּ֣חַת הָהָ֑ר | ὑπὸ τὸ ὄρος | Preposition + definite article → preposition + article + noun | Literal spatial rendering |
| וּשְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה | καὶ δώδεκα λίθους | Numeral + noun → accusative numeral phrase | Lexical substitution: מַצֵּבָה → λίθους |
| לִשְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל | εἰς τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ισραηλ | Construct phrase → preposition + article + numeral + genitive | Syntactic smoothing and article-based structure |
Lexical and Syntactic Highlights
- “Words” vs. “Sayings”: Hebrew דִּבְרֵי becomes Greek ῥήματα, emphasizing spoken revelation over covenantal content (λόγια might have better matched contextually, but ῥήματα remains faithful).
- Time Compression: The Hebrew sequence וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם בַּבֹּ֔קֶר is compressed into ὀρθρίσας… τὸ πρωὶ, combining participial action and temporal accusative—more Greek-like in flow.
- Lexical Shift: מַצֵּבָה to λίθος: Hebrew “standing stone” is translated as “stone” (λίθος), omitting the memorial or cultic nuance unless implied by context.
- Numerical Order Restructured: Hebrew “to the twelve tribes” becomes Greek εἰς τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς, showing a preference for prepositional + article + numeral structure common in Greek speech.
The Grammatical Amen
What the Hebrew recounts with rhythm and construct phrases, the Greek retells with precision and structural fluency. The Septuagint’s translation of this pivotal covenant scene reveals its priority: clarity over cadence, function over flourish. By flattening poetic stacking into grammatical sequencing, the LXX captures not only what Moshe did, but how sacred acts are rendered understandable for the Hellenistic ear. A covenant carved in language, both Semitic and Greek, now speaks in one voice.
