Introduction

Genesis 9:10, within the narrative of God’s covenant with Noah after the flood, presents a textual variant of interest. This verse’s wording in the Masoretic Text (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia) contrasts with its rendering in the Septuagint (LXX), specifically regarding the phrase “to all the beasts of the earth.” This analysis seeks to explore the original phrasing of Genesis 9:10 by examining documentary evidence from these textual traditions, alongside internal narrative considerations, to understand the covenant’s scope and implications better.

Manuscript Evidence and Analysis

Textual Variants Overview

Main Reading (MT – Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia): The inclusion of “to all the beasts of the earth” (לְכֹ֖ל חַיַּ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ), emphasizing the comprehensive nature of God’s covenant.
Variant Reading (LXX): Absence of “to all the beasts of the earth,” suggesting a narrower scope or a different emphasis within the covenant.

External Evidence

The MT’s explicit mention of “to all the beasts of the earth” serves to underscore the covenant’s universality, extending God’s promise of never again destroying all life with a flood to every form of terrestrial life. This repetition of the covenant’s beneficiaries highlights the inclusive and comprehensive nature of God’s mercy and commitment. In contrast, the LXX’s omission could reflect a textual tradition that viewed the explicit repetition as redundant or that a copyist’s error led to the accidental dropping of the phrase. The LXX’s divergence might also signify a different interpretive lens, focusing less on the detailed listing of covenant beneficiaries and more on the covenant’s essence.

Internal Evidence and Narrative Consideration

The narrative context of Genesis 9, detailing the aftermath of the flood and the establishment of a covenant between God and all earth’s inhabitants, supports a reading that emphasizes inclusivity. The repetition in the MT could be seen as a deliberate narrative strategy to emphasize the all-encompassing nature of God’s promise. From a theological perspective, the explicit inclusion of all creatures in the covenant highlights the interconnectedness of all life and God’s sovereignty over creation. The LXX’s omission might streamline the narrative but potentially at the cost of diluting this thematic emphasis.

The Reading Culture of Early Christianity

Considering both the external and internal evidence, the Masoretic Text’s inclusion of “to all the beasts of the earth” in Genesis 9:10 likely reflects the original intent of the passage more closely. This phrasing aligns with the broader themes of Genesis 9, emphasizing the universal scope of God’s covenant and the inclusive nature of divine mercy. The Septuagint, while invaluable for textual criticism and understanding early interpretations of the Hebrew scriptures, may in this instance reflect a variant tradition or a textual simplification rather than the original wording. Therefore, the MT’s comprehensive listing of covenant beneficiaries underscores the narrative’s theological message of universal mercy and the restoration of creation, positioning “to all the beasts of the earth” as a crucial component of the original text.

Weighing the Evidence

The primary weight of external evidence generally goes to the original language manuscripts, and the Codex Leningrad B 19A and the Aleppo Codex are almost always preferred. In Old Testament Textual Criticism, the Masoretic text is our starting point and should only be abandoned as a last resort. While it is true that the Masoretic Text is not perfect, there needs to be a heavy burden of proof if we are to go with an alternative reading. All of the evidence needs to be examined before concluding that a reading in the Masoretic Text is corrupt. The Septuagint continues to be very much important today and is used by textual scholars to help uncover copyists’ errors that might have crept into the Hebrew manuscripts either intentionally or unintentionally. However, it cannot do it alone without the support of other sources. There are a number of times when you might have the Syriac, Septuagint, Dead Sea Scrolls, Aramaic Targums, and the Vulgate that are at odds with the Masoretic Text; the preferred choice should not be the MT.

Initially, the Septuagint (LXX) was viewed by the Jews as inspired by God, equal to the Hebrew Scriptures. However, in the first century C.E., the Christians adopted the Septuagint in their churches. It was used by the Christians in their evangelism to make disciples and to debate the Jews on Jesus being the long-awaited Messiah. Soon, the Jews began to look at the Septuagint with suspicion. This resulted in the Jews of the second century C.E. abandoning the Septuagint and returning to the Hebrew Scriptures. This has proved to be beneficial for the textual scholar and translator. In the second century C.E., other Greek translations of the Septuagint were produced. We have, for example, LXX^Aq Aquila, LXX^Sym Symmachus, and LXX^Th Theodotion. The consonantal text of the Hebrew Scriptures became the standard text between the first and second centuries C.E. However, textual variants still continued until the Masoretes and the Masoretic text. However, scribes taking liberties by altering the text was no longer the case, as was true of the previous period of the Sopherim. The scribes who copied the Hebrew Scriptures from the time of Ezra down to the time of Jesus were called Sopherim, i.e., scribes.

From the 6th century C.E. to the 10th century C.E., we have the Masoretes, groups of extraordinary Jewish scribe-scholars. The Masoretes were very much concerned with the accurate transmission of each word, even each letter, of the text they were copying. Accuracy was of supreme importance; therefore, the Masoretes used the side margins of each page to inform others of deliberate or inadvertent changes in the text by past copyists. The Masoretes also use these marginal notes for other reasons as well, such as unusual word forms and combinations. They even marked how frequently they occurred within a book or even the whole Hebrew Old Testament. Of course, marginal spaces were very limited, so they used abbreviated code. They also formed a cross-checking tool where they would mark the middle word and letter of certain books. Their push for accuracy moved them to go so far as to count every letter of the Hebrew Old Testament.

In the Masoretic text, we find notes in the side margins, which are known as the Small Masora. There are also notes in the top margin, which are referred to as the Large Masora. Any other notes placed elsewhere within the text are called the Final Masora. The Masoretes used the notes in the top and bottom margins to record more extensive notes and comments concerning the abbreviated notes in the side margins. This enabled them to be able to cross-check their work. We must remember that there were no numbered verses at this time, and they had no Bible concordances. One might wonder how the Masoretes could refer to different parts of the Hebrew text to have an effective cross-checking system. They would list part of a parallel verse in the top and bottom margins to remind them of where the word(s) indicated were found. Because they were dealing with limited space, they often could only list one word to remind them where each parallel verse could be found. To have an effective cross-reference system by way of these marginal notes, the Masoretes would literally have to have memorized the entire Hebrew Bible.

About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is the CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored more than 220 books and is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).