God's way in the Old Testament
Old Testament or Septuagint?
When the original authors of the New Testament wanted to quote from their Old Testament writings, they usually used the Greek Septuagint as their source. Where did this Septuagint come from? In an increasingly Greek speaking world, the Hebrews wanted their sacred Writings accurately translated into Greek. So it was done -- very carefully. Later, in Yeshua's time what we know as "the Old Testament" was in use in Israel as the Hebrew Scriptures, but also as the Greek Septuagint.
The legendary account of how this translation came about is well known. Whether all the details are true is debatable. However, two factors are probable: that highly competent Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew Old Testament writings into Greek, and that this was done centuries before the birth of our Messiah. This Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures and other writings could then be used by any Greek speaking people anywhere in the whole Greek speaking world.
Bible scholars thoroughly compare ancient manuscripts. Relatively recently this has produced some interesting results. Some evidence has been found that the Greek Septuagint copies found among the famous Dead Sea Scrolls are overall more like the most ancient copies of Hebrew OT writings found there, than they are to the more recent Masoretic texts of the OT produced by Hebrew scholars which originate from the 6th to the 10th century, a thousand years after the time of Yeshua.
This has great implications for bible translators today because most English bible translations of the OT published even in the twenty-first century are still based upon the Hebrew Masoretic texts. That is why it might be more productive to translate the OT alongside extensive comparison with the much older Greek Septuagint versions.
With the improved accuracy enabled by the N2LR method in creating the Greek-English TENT Lexicon, we might also use this TENT Lexicon to refine our understanding of how the Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament differs in English translation. As an example below we can look at the subject of God's "Way" in the Old Testament verses where this term appears.
King David said that God's Way was in the Tabernacle (literally: tent). In John 14:6, Yeshua calls Himself "the Way, the Truth and the Life (from YHWH)." We have seen that the Way of the Tabernacle is a pattern in YHWH's Word. We see it lived out in Yeshua as our High Priest. We see Yeshua applying the Way pattern spiritually to us in the Lord's Prayer. We see Paul's "royal priesthood" in his sacrificial service to spread the gospel (lit.: good news) and in his quoting a descriptive praise of Yeshua's accomplished mission in 1 Tim 3:16, as showing the Way pattern of Paul's gospel. We are meant to see that these manifestations of the pattern are for our help in conforming our way to His Way.
I have capitalized "Way" in the appropriate verses below because the term seems to be used as a Hebraic euphemism for the Word of YHWH in us, just as the Hebrew word for Heaven (without the article) can also be used as a euphemism for YHWH (see TENT Lexicon or TENT Commentary for NT3772). Below, you first see each verse as translated in the KJV, and below that is the same verse translated by applying the TENT Lexicon to translate the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament.
Gen 6:12
King James Version - 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
TENT Lexicon/Septuagint - 12 And YHWH the Mighty One saw the earth, and it was corrupt because all flesh corrupted His Way upon the earth.
Ps 18:30
King James Version - 30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
TENT Lexicon/Septuagint - 30 My Mighty-One , flawless is His Way; the inspiring words of YHWH having been set on fire! He is a defender of all the ones trusting in Him.
Ps 27:11
King James Version - 11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies.
TENT Lexicon/Septuagint - 11 O YHWH, teach me in Your Way and guide me in a right path because of my haters.
Ps 37:23
King James Version - 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
TENT Lexicon/Septuagint - 23 The steps of a person are guided by YHWH, and that person will greatly want His Way.
Ps 37:34
King James Version - 34a Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, ...
TENT Lexicon/Septuagint - 34a Stay under YHWH, and guard His Way...
Ps 44:18
King James Version - 18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;
TENT Lexicon/Septuagint - 18 And we removed not our mind away to the back, nor turned our paths aside from Your Way;
Ps 67:2
King James Version - 2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
TENT Lexicon/Septuagint - 2 ..., the knowing Your Way in the earth, Your saving among all peoples.
Ps 86:11a
King James Version - 11a Teach me thy way, O LORD, and I will go in thy truth...
TENT Lexicon/Septuagint - 11a O YHWH, guide me in Your Way and I will go on in Your Truth...
Ps 119:37
King James Version - 37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
TENT Lexicon/Septuagint - 37 For not seeing worthlessness, turn away my eyes! Make me live in Your Way!
Jer 10:23
King James Version - 23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
TENT Lexicon/Septuagint - 23 O YHWH, I know that the Way [from-YHWH] for [a] human being is not from self; [a] person will go and not even keep upright their progress.