The Septuagints, The Masoretic, The Textus Receptus

 The Septuagint

The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, traditionally attributed to approximately 72 Jewish translators working during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BCE)[1]. The Pentateuch was completed around 280 BCE, with the remaining books finished by 150 BCE[1]. The earliest books represent more literal translation work, while later portions became increasingly interpretive[1].

The Septuagint’s significance lies in its role as a bridge between Hebrew and Greek-speaking Judaism. Jews initially regarded the Septuagint as equally inspired as the original Hebrew texts[1]. However, when Christians adopted the Septuagint for apologetic purposes in late first-century and second-century debates with Jews, Jewish communities grew suspicious of the translation they had once revered[1]. The Septuagint remains the most important Old Testament witness after Hebrew manuscripts, generally representing the Masoretic Text, though significant differences exist, particularly in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Samuel[1].

The Masoretic Text

The Masoretic Text (c. 600–950) is the traditional Hebrew text of the Old Testament preserved by the Masoretes[2]. This text achieved standardization through rigorous scribal discipline: mathematical verification systems, vowel and accent marks, and marginal annotations (the Masorah) ensured consistency across generations. Masoretic control kept textual variation to a minimum, making the first fully satisfactory printed edition of the Hebrew Bible the Venice edition of 1524–25[3]. This edition remained the standard Hebrew text until the early twentieth century[3].

The Textus Receptus

The Textus Receptus refers to the biblical text actually used and regarded as authoritative within a community; the term originated from the 1633 Elzevir edition’s publisher’s claim to offer a text “received/accepted by all”[3]. Desiderius Erasmus produced the first Greek New Testament in 1516, which was reproduced by Robert Estienne and Theodore Beza; Stephanus’s 1551 edition and Beza’s texts are most commonly identified as the Textus Receptus[4].

Critically, the Textus Receptus was based on fewer than 10 manuscripts, unlike modern critical editions drawing from hundreds[4]. Erasmus himself would have disapproved of his work’s elevated status, as he continuously sought to improve his Greek New Testament whenever better manuscripts became available[4]. The texts of Beza and Stephanus underlie the King James Version of 1611[4], which explains why older English translations rely on this limited textual foundation.

[1] Edward D. Andrews, Bible Study Tool: Appendices to the Updated American Standard Version (Cambridge, OH: Christian Publishing House, 2022), 56–57.
[2] Jessica Parks, “The Christian Bible Is Translated Into Many Languages,” in Church History Themes, ed. Zachariah Carter (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2022). [See here.]
[3] E. J. Revell, “Textus Receptus,” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 6:435.
[4] Charles W. Draper, “Textus Receptus,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Chad Brand et al. (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 1577–1578.