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The Reading and Translation of the Divine Name in the Masoretic Tradition and the Greek Pentateuch

Faculty of Theology, University of Rostock, D-18051 Rostock, Germany

The representation of the divine name in the Masoretic tradition and in the early translations of the Septuagint is the subject of ongoing discussion. It can be demonstrated that even the oldest Masoretic vocalization as preserved, among others, in codex L must refer to adonai (the Lord) rather than shema (the Name). By means of exegetical observations in the Greek version of the Torah, it becomes clear that already the translators of the Septuagint have chosen 'Lord' (kyrios) as an appropriate representation of the tetragrammaton; the replacement by the Hebrew tetragrammaton in some Greek manuscripts is not original. Moreover, it becomes clear that the translators of the Septuagint were influenced by theological considerations when choosing an equivalent for the divine name.

Key Words: Tetragrammaton • YHWH • Kyrios • Adonai • Septuagint • name of god • scriptural interpretation • Masoretes

Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Vol. 31, No. 4, 411-428 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0309089207080558


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