Comparing different Septuagint manuscripts

Graham Criddle

I'm studying 2 Kings 2 and came across something interesting in v14:

He took the cloaks that had fallen from Elijah and struckt the water with it. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), 2 Ki 2:14.

In some LXX texts the words καὶ οὐ διέστη (and they were not separated) are inserted after the first mention of Elisha striking the water but in some texts these words are absent. So it is in Rahifs' text (Logos LXX) but not in Swete's (LXX Swete)

How would I use Logos to go about determining which is a "better" reading, whatever that means?

Thanks, Graham

Mark Barnes

Graham Criddle said:

How would I use Logos to go about determining which is a "better" reading, whatever that means?

The Textual Variants Guide section is normally ideal for this.

But in this case, none of the Textual Commentaries discuss this passage (I think there's only one Textual Commentary for the OT in Logos, unfortunately). This means you have to wade through the Apparatuses, which aren't easy to decipher, and assume a healthy knowledge of manuscripts (and Latin!). There's also no Gottingen volume for Kings, which is a shame.

But with a judicious use of hovering over the symbols, you should be able to work out that the apparatuses that και ου διεστη is omitted by Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus (and the MT, of course).

You can then lookup Codex Vaticanus and lookup Codex Alexandrinus (or search) to do a quick bit of reading to determine how significant those codices are for LXX textual criticism. Or, if you want a primer, Lexham Press' Textual Criticism of the Bible is a great place to start.

Graham Criddle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1044297#Comment_1044297

Thanks Mark, that's very helpful - appreciated.

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1044304#Comment_1044304

Not answering your question, but if you have T&TClark's Companion to the Septuagint, there's a broader discussion of 3-4 Kings patterns among the LXX.

Graham Criddle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1044339#Comment_1044339

Thanks Denise

Intereting insights - Appreciated, Graham

Manuel Maria

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1044297#Comment_1044297

I was thinking to buy the Gottingen septuagint... from your point of view, does is worth it, having many septuagint resources yet?

Thanks!