MT “and the boy was a boy” LXX “and the boy was with them” VG “the boy was yet an infant” The ESV reads "And the child was young." (NASB, LEB, CSB similar) The UASV has "And the boy was a boy."
OTTC 1 SAMUEL 1:24: “And the boy was a boy”?
OTTC GENESIS 38:25: When Should the Translator Abandon the Hebrew Masoretic Text?
The Masoretic Text (MT) is or primary text and should be abandoned only when the weightiest evidence stands against it. Genesis 38:25 would be an example of this.
WHAT IS OLD TESTAMENT TEXTUAL CRITICISM AND WHY DO WE NEED IT?
Old Testament Textual Criticism (sometimes called lower criticism) is the study of copies of Old Testament documents whose original no longer survives. It is the process of attempting to ascertain the original wording of a text.
OTTC GENESIS 47:21: Did Moses write of Joseph, saying that “he removed them to the cities” or was it “he enslaved them as slaves”?
DIFFICULTY: For some scholars, this is a difficulty, as they feel “he removed them [i.e., the people] to the cities,” does not make a lot of sense in this context. They feel that “he made slaves of them” makes more sense in this context. What is the case?
OTTC GENESIS 46:26-27: WAS IT “TWO SOULS” OR WAS IT “NINE SOULS”? WAS THE TOTAL “SEVENTY SOULS” OR WAS IT “SEVENTY-FIVE SOULS”?
First, a quick reminder about textual issues. Simply put, having no perfect solution does not mean that there is no perfect solution, it merely eludes us at this time. For this textual difficulty, many have offered different explanations.
OTTC ISAIAH 34:14: WAS IT “LILITH” OR WAS IT “LILIOTH”?
The Hebrew word has been variously translated as “screech owl” (KJ), “night-monster” (AS, NASB), “nightjar” (NEB, UASV), and “night hag” (RS), "night birds " (CSB), "vampire" (Moffatt), while the Jerusalem Bible and the Lexham English Bible prefer simply to transliterate the name as “Lilith.”
OTTC GENESIS 21:16: WAS IT “THE CHILD CRIED ALOUD AND WEPT” OR “SHE LIFTED UP HER VOICE AND WEPT”?
The Hebrew has the reading “she lifted up her voice and wept” in verse 16 of chapter 21. On the other hand, the Greek Septuagint (LXX) has “and the child cried aloud and wept” (referring to Ishmael) in verse 16 of chapter 21.
OTTC GENESIS 10:24 “Arphaxad fathered Shelah” or “Arphaxad fathered Cainan, and Cainan fathered Sala [Shelah]”
The MT has the reading “Arphaxad fathered Shelah” in verse 24 of Genesis chapter 10. On the other hand, the Greek Septuagint (LXX) has “Arphaxad fathered Cainan, and Cainan fathered Sala [Shelah]” in verse 24 of Genesis chapter 10. ... Continue Reading →
OTTC GENESIS 10:4: “Dodanim” or “Rodanim”?
Most of the MT has the reading “Dodanim” in verse 4 of chapter 10. On the other hand, the Greek Septuagint (LXX) and the Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) and some Hebrew manuscripts have “Rodanim” in verse 4 of chapter 10. “Rodanim” is also found in the Masoretic Text (MT) at 1 Chronicles 1:7. However, many of the Hebrew manuscripts, as well as the Syriac Peshitta and the Latin Vulgate read “Dodanim.” ...
OTTC GENESIS 4:15: “Therefore whoever kills Cain” or “Not so! Whoever kills Cain”
Some have argued that it was the versions that changed the reading from “Therefore whoever kills Cain.” so that it reads “Not so! Whoever kills Cain” in order to make a stronger contrast to Cain’s words in verse 14.
