The Authority of the Septuagint: Biblical, Historical, and Theological Approaches

by William Alexander Ross (Editor), Gregory Ryan Lanier (editor), Karen H. Jobes (afterword)

Does the Septuagint have authority for the church today?

Numerous scholars have explored what the Septuagint is and its history and uses, but less scholarship has engaged with the ways it exercises authority within the Christian tradition. In the first multicontributor volume of its kind, biblical scholars Greg Lanier and Will Ross bring together experts from a variety of disciplines to explore the nature of the Septuagint's authority over the ages.

Discover fresh insights from experts across disciplines—including Old Testament, New Testament, patristics, systematic theology, historical theology, and more—into whether and how the Septuagint holds authority for today’s church. With clarity and depth, this helpful addition to Septuagint studies will expand the conversation of how Christians should understand the Septuagint both in the academy and in the church.

This book

To explore the "authority" question from multiple perspectives.To examine how the early church, Reformers, and systematic (Protestant and Catholic) theologians view the Septuagint.To disentangle the NT's frequent use of the Septuagint from its perceived status as authoritative or "canonical".Whether you're a scholar, theologian, pastor, or seminary student, The Authority of the Septuagint is an invitation to engage with the Septuagint, its history, and its significance for the church today.

296 pages, Paperback

Published October 30, 2025

Reviews

[Zach Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean, if you’re gonna publish a book on a super niche topic like the authority of the Septuagint, you might as well make it fantastic.

Notes:
- While there is strong evidence of a consciousness of authoritative texts in early Christianity and second temple Judaism, we cannot definitively say there was a recognized canon. It seems like there was a recognition of a two-fold or three-fold division of the Hebrew Scriptures, but we cannot tell what books were included or what parts of those books.
- Especially in early Christianity, the particular text form does not seem to have been significant in determining a text’s authority. The Septuagint was relied upon as the word of God, even when it differed from the known Hebrew text.
- The NT authors seemed to choose between LXX renderings and Hebrew renderings based on which one served their theological/missiological purposes better.
- The historic Protestant dismissal of the Septuagint is unfortunate and fails to account for God’s providential blessing on centuries of reliance on the LXX as the Word of God.
- Perhaps we can hypothesize that God intended his Word to be missional and therefore to exist primarily in translation. He is not so concerned with accuracy to the autographs as modern scholars seem to be. He wants his word (gospel) to reach all people.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: A multi-perspectival approach to the question of the authority of the Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint.

Alexander the Great ruled between 335 and 323 BC. During this time he brought the eastern Mediterranean, the Near East, Egypt and former Persian territories all the way to India. Greece supplanted Persia as the great power. After his death, several rulers divided this kingdom. However, the lingua franca of this empire was Greek. Alexandrian Jews, responding to this reality, translated into Greek the Hebrews scriptures, beginning with the Pentateuch, and eventually the rest of what we would call the Old Testament. Legend has it that a team of seventy (or seventy-two) were responsible for this translation, hence its name, Septuagint.

Today, biblical translations of the Old Testament are based, on the Hebrew Masoretic text, a tradition that traces back to Jerome. Yet, the question remains of the authority of the Greek Old Testament. Why so? First of all, the New Testament writers, who wrote in Greek, often but not always quote from the Septuagint. This, along with the growing collection of documents that would form the New Testament, were the scriptures of Greek-speaking churches. Likewise, the early church fathers often quoted these scriptures. They functioned as a source of authority for early churches. And for the Eastern Orthodox churches, they still do.

One of the problems that arise is that there are differences between some of the Greek texts used in the New Testament and the Hebrew text. Contemporary translators often note in footnotes these differences and other places where alternate readings of the Septuagint may shed light on the meaning of a text. Finally, the authority of this translation raises questions about the authority of all our translations. As we quote those translations, in what sense may we say, “thus saith the Lord”?

This volume brings together the contributions of a variety of scholars in different fields to address the contemporary relevance and authority of the Septuagint in both academy and church. To begin, Greg Lanier addresses the question of canon, arguing that the Septuagint originally did not include apocryphal books but only the three current divisions of Hebrew scripture: the law, prophets, and writings. Then William A. Ross traces the somewhat complex history of Jewish scriptures, how they were passed down and translated.

Thomas Keane studies the citations of scripture in the New Testament and the variations and concludes that the sources they had available, and their rhetorical purposes shaped their usage. While not furnishing a conclusive basis for the authority of the Septuagint, it revealed that they considered the Hebrew scriptures in whatever form they had access to them as authoritative in practice. Following this, patristic scholar Edmon L. Gallagher surveys the debates about the status of the Septuagint between Augustine, Origen, and Jerome. He the gist of this discussion was that the Septuagint provided a generally reliable though imperfect rendering of the Hebrew, reflecting the conviction that God communicates through translations.

The discussion then turns to how Reformation and post-Reformation scholars treated the Septuagint. Early on, the Septuagint was set aside for the supremacy of the Masoretic Text. Subsequent scholars recognized that there were places where the Septuagint might correct the Hebrew text. A couple of excurses explore the importance of an Old Testament “kept pure in all ages” as a confessional position.

Then Daniel J. Trier and Joshua McQuaid take a systematic theology approach. They begin by acknowledging the lack of attention by systematic theologians to the authority of the Septuagint. They note that divine authority typically involves creaturely mediation. In addition, they note how our finitude and fallenness helps explain our lack of direct access to original autographs of the text. Finally, they explore how textual traditions and Spirit illuminated interpretations minister the magisterial authority of scripture through translations. James Prothro considers a Catholic perspective through history, noting the significant common ground that exists.

Myrto Theocharous’ concluding chapter offers a synthesis of the book. He notes a general consensus (though not shared by the Eastern Church) that the Septuagint has a derivative authority, along with other translation efforts. However, in its origins as a Greek translation by Jews, it is useful in textual criticism, and may occasionally offer superior renderings to the Masoretic Text. Some scholars offer alternate wording, describing the authority as ministerial or functional.

I thought the book a thorough exploration of a question I’d not previously considered. Essentially, the argument seemed to be that the authority of the Septuagint is on a par with our modern translations. The Trier and McQuaid essay reminded me of God’s gracious providence. He ministers his saving gospel through translations. Even though we lack original autographs, God works through the critical editions of the Hebrew and Greek text we have. God spoke through whatever sources New Testament writers had available. God ministered to countless numbers through the Septuagint. And it continues to be a gift for Old Testament scholars.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

[JonM · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book filled with highly illuminating essays. In fact, every essay is great, easy to follow, and more helpful than the majority of books on the subject.

Although the majority of scholarship is Protestant, the final chapters are topped off with essays by one Roman Catholic scholar, one Eastern Orthodox scholar, and one renowned (and retired) LXX scholar.

I really wanted to give this book five stars. If there was an option for 4.5 stars, I'd elevate it to that. However, not one scholar touched upon the well known evidence showing that the Massoretes altered many portions of their texts after 70CE. (This is particularly evident in the Masorah Parvah of Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel.) The closest reference I noticed was to the MT mss containing kethiv-qere, but that was just pointing out the general relevance of Hebrew variants contrary to outdated KJV-only and confessionally Reformed polemics.) It seemed to me that post-70CE Massoretes editing their manuscript tradition (especially areas related to early christology and eschatology) was not on their radar at all, or a matter too controversial to bring into the light at all. For this reason, I'm only giving it 4 stars.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interest in the Septuagint, that collection of Greek versions of Old Testament and apocryphal texts, has expanded over the last half-century. The focus initially was on text-critical issues for the purpose of translation. But as more and more scholars have committed themselves to the study of this body of literature, so has the interest grown in areas beyond that of the Greek text in relation to the Hebrew. This book, as the title indicates, deals with the question of the authority of the Septuagint. Does it have authority in the church? If so, what kind of authority does it have? If not, why not? There will be more to come on this area of theological discussion, but this is a useful introduction to the issues. Recommended for the biblical scholar and pastor who are interested in the area. Most lay people would probably find it over their heads.

[Cbarrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of essays (favorites being the patristic and reformation historic approaches), and it is always good to see the contribution of Mark Ward. Lanier and Ross are doing excellent work in drawing attention to the Septuagint and considering the subject from biblical, historical, and theological perspectives in one volume is a gift. All chapters are informative and thought-provoking.

[Jason D Gudim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent volume, and tremendously helpful for me as a teacher of hermeneutics. Not every chapter was directly applicable to my situation, but that doesn't diminish its value as a resource. I'm incredibly grateful for the work that was put into it, and it will be a volume I return to frequently as I teach on this topic.

[Timothy Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful insights on a thorny question of the LXX's authority.