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Saturday 19 July 2008

Some translation issues in Matthew

Today, when I read the quotation of Isaiah 42:1-4 in Matthew, the translation does not quite follow the LXX. The Matthew passage continues with the healing of the man with a withered hand on Sabbath. The Pharisees conspired to kill Jesus (Matthew 12:9-14). So Jesus withdrew from there and Matthew quoted Isaiah to show another fulfillment of prophecy (Matthew 12:15-21). The quotation runs like this.
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will any one hear his voice in the streets;
he will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick,
till he brings justice to victory; and in his name will the Gentiles hope.

ἰδοὺ ὁ παῖς μου ὃν ᾑρέτισα,ὁ ἀγαπητός μου εἰς ὃν εὐδόκησεν ἡ ψυχή μου· θήσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπʼ αὐτόν,καὶ κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπαγγελεῖ.
οὐκ ἐρίσει οὐδὲ κραυγάσει, οὐδὲ ἀκούσει τις ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ.
κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει, ἕως ἂν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τὴν κρίσιν.
καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν
. (Matthew 12:18-21)
The LXX quotation is not quite the same. It runs like this.
Jacob, my child, I shall take hold of him; Israel, my chosen, my soul favourably received him. I have put my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the nations.
He shall not cry out, nor shall he send up his voice, nor shall his voice be heard outside.
A crushed reed, he will not break, and smoking flax he will not extinguish; but he will bring forth judgment unto truth.
He shall illuminate and shall not be devastated until he should set judgment upon the earth; and upon his name nations shall hope.

Ιακωβ ὁ παῖς μου, ἀντιλήμψομαι αὐτοῦ, Ισραηλ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου, προσεδέξατο αὐτὸν ἡ ψυχή μου, ἔδωκα τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ̓ αὐτόν, κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐξοίσει.
οὐ κεκράξεται οὐδὲ ἀνήσει, οὐδὲ ἀκουσθήσεται ἔξω ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ. 
κάλαμον τεθλασμένον οὐ συντρίψει καὶ λίνον καπνιζόμενον οὐ σβέσει, ἀλλὰ εἰς ἀλήθειαν ἐξοίσει κρίσιν. 
ἀναλάμψει καὶ οὐ θραυσθήσεται, ἕως ἂν θῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κρίσιν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν
 (Is 42:1-4).
A translation from MT, the Hebrew text is like this.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall make the right to go forth to the nations.
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the dimly burning wick shall he not quench: he shall make the right to go forth according to the truth.
He shall not fail nor be crushed, till he have set the right in the earth:
and the isles shall wait for his teaching
.
The following table will help us see better the differences.
Isaiah 42:1-4 (LXX)Matthew 12:18-21
Ιακωβ ὁ παῖς μου, ἀντιλήμψομαι αὐτοῦ, Ισραηλ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου, ἰδοὺ ὁ παῖς μου ὃν ᾑρέτισα,ὁ ἀγαπητός μου
προσεδέξατο αὐτὸν ἡ ψυχή μου, εἰς ὃν εὐδόκησεν ἡ ψυχή μου·
ἔδωκα τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ̓ αὐτόν,θήσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπʼ αὐτόν,
κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐξοίσει.καὶ κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπαγγελεῖ.
οὐ κεκράξεται οὐδὲ ἀνήσει,οὐκ ἐρίσει οὐδὲ κραυγάσει,
οὐδὲ ἀκουσθήσεται ἔξω ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ.οὐδὲ ἀκούσει τις ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ.
κάλαμον τεθλασμένον οὐ συντρίψεικάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει
καὶ λίνον καπνιζόμενον οὐ σβέσει,καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει,
ἀλλὰ εἰς ἀλήθειαν ἐξοίσει κρίσιν. ἀναλάμψει καὶ οὐ θραυσθήσεται, ἕως ἂν θῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κρίσιν,ἕως ἂν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τὴν κρίσιν.
καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν.καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν.

Unlike the quotation above, that of Isaiah 6:9-10 in Matthew 13:14-15 is identical to LXX. As for this Isaiah 42 passage, the translations are rather different in the wording.
The LXX translation is very faithful to the Hebrew text, except for the first verse where Jacob and Israel were explicitly named. Here, Matthew rendered in a way close to the Hebrew text. However, Matthew summarized the last part of Isaiah 42:3 in a drastic way!
till he brings justice to victory (Matthew)
He shall illuminate and shall not be devastated until he should set judgment upon the earth; (LXX)
He shall not fail nor be crushed, till he have set the right in the earth: (MT)
Therefore, we should be cautious in reading these translations. Matthew might not simply lift text from Septuagint.

My dear Advocate, Erminia and Saturnia have arrived at Milan. Thank You for Your taking good care of them. May this tour be eye-opening as well as soul-enriching for them. Amen.

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