Εἰσῆλθον πρὸς Νωε εἰς τὴν κιβωτόν δύο δύο ἀπὸ πάσης σαρκός ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν πνεῦμα ζωῆς (Genesis 7:15 LXX)
וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־נֹ֖חַ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֑ה שְׁנַ֤יִם שְׁנַ֨יִם֙ מִכָּל־הַבָּשָׂ֔ר אֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֖ו ר֥וּחַ חַיִּֽים׃
Movement Toward Salvation
This verse describes how living creatures came to Noah and entered the ark—each with the ר֥וּחַ חַיִּֽים (rûaḥ ḥayyîm), the breath of life. The Hebrew expresses this through repetition and poetic structure, especially in the phrase שְׁנַ֤יִם שְׁנַ֨יִם. The Greek Septuagint faithfully renders this pairing while smoothing the flow with classical Greek coordination and verbal consistency. The key phrase “in whom is the spirit of life” also undergoes subtle grammatical reshaping, shifting from a relative Hebrew structure to a clearer Greek prepositional clause.
Grammatical Focus: Numerical Repetition and Clause Structuring
The poetic Hebrew phrase שְׁנַ֤יִם שְׁנַ֨יִם uses repetition for rhythmic emphasis. The Septuagint reflects this literally as δύο δύο. The Hebrew ends with a relative clause: אֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֖ו ר֥וּחַ חַיִּֽים, while the Greek restructures this as a prepositional phrase + verb clause: ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν πνεῦμα ζωῆς. This shift from relative to prepositional structure creates syntactic clarity without theological alteration.
Hebrew-Greek Morphological Comparison
| Hebrew Word | Greek Translation | Grammatical Notes | Translation Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ | εἰσῆλθον | Wayyiqtol 3mp → aorist indicative active 3pl | Narrative equivalence |
| אֶל־נֹ֖חַ | πρὸς Νωε | Preposition + proper noun → preposition + proper noun | Literal rendering |
| אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֑ה | εἰς τὴν κιβωτόν | Preposition + definite noun → preposition + article + noun | Standard lexical and article match |
| שְׁנַ֤יִם שְׁנַ֨יִם | δύο δύο | Numeral repetition → identical numeral repetition | Poetic parallel preserved |
| מִכָּל־הַבָּשָׂ֔ר | ἀπὸ πάσης σαρκός | Construct chain with preposition → preposition + genitive | Idiomatic syntactic alignment |
| אֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֖ו ר֥וּחַ חַיִּֽים | ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν πνεῦμα ζωῆς | Relative clause + nominal phrase → prepositional + verb + genitive | Clause restructuring with semantic fidelity |
Theological and Syntactic Observations
- Numerical Pairing: The Hebrew שְׁנַ֤יִם שְׁנַ֨יִם and Greek δύο δύο reflect ordered entry, symbolic of completeness and preservation. The LXX preserves the poetic structure exactly.
- Spiritual Emphasis: The phrase ר֥וּחַ חַיִּֽים (“spirit of life”) becomes πνεῦμα ζωῆς, a phrase echoed in New Testament theology (e.g., Romans 8:2). The LXX thus lays lexical groundwork for later pneumatological usage.
- Relative Clause Simplification: Greek shifts from אֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֖ו (“in whom”) to ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν (“in whom is”), clarifying the Hebrew elliptical structure with a full verb clause.
Reflections at the Threshold
Genesis 7:15 illustrates the beauty of faithful transmission: ordered life entering salvation’s ark. The Septuagint preserves the poetic shape and theological content of the Hebrew while fine-tuning syntax for a Greek-speaking audience. Breath, life, and pairing—each element is preserved with precision. In both languages, the sacred rhythm of salvation remains: two by two, with the breath of life, drawn into divine shelter.
