Abstract
With the help of former students, Jobes sets out to introduce the intermediate Greek student to the text of the Septuagint (LXX). In the introductory sections Jobes defines the LXX in a concise overview, lays out the expected proficiency level for the reader, and provides helpful references on the LXX. Discovering the Septuagint is directed toward individuals who have had at least an intermediate course on Koine Greek and can read at a high vocabulary frequency. Jobes uses Rahlfs-Hanhart’s Septuaginta for the Greek text and A New English Translation of the Septuagint for the translation sections, although she is not afraid to disagree with NETS in certain instances.
There are ten chapters, and each is focused on a different book in the LXX. Jobes has selected 645 verses for translation: 80 from Genesis, 79 from Exodus, 21 from the Ten Commandments in Exodus/Deuteronomy, 85 from Ruth, 73 from Esther, 67 from the Psalms, 56 from Hosea, 48 from Jonah, 55 from Malachi, and 81 from Isaiah. By finishing the volume, the reader will have had translated a number of verses from various genre, including all of Ruth and the LXX additions found in Esther.
Every chapter has an identical layout. The complier(s) introduces the Greek text of the specific book in 1–2 pages. Then there is a small bibliography for further studies, which is followed by the bulk of the book: the text and its notes. These notes include parsing, grammatical function, and points of interest between the LXX and the Masoretic Text. Afterward the translation for the text portion is given from NETS. If possible, Jobes ends each passage with a textual allusion or quotation from the New Testament (NT). These sections provide an exciting opportunity for the Greek NT student to make a connection between the NT and its LXX counterpart. For each example Jobes gives a brief explanation on the contextual and/or thematic importance of the texts.
Jobes and her compilers do a phenomenal job in accomplishing their objectives. Discovering the Septuagint would be a perfect book to bring into a Koine Greek classroom for advanced students, especially if one couples it with her and Silva’s field standard Invitation to the Septuagint (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2015). The only criticism of the present volume is that Jobes neglects the deuterocanonical books. The Greek student would have benefit from exposure to these important works found in Jewish and Early Christian communities.