Angels, Kings, and the Art of Translation: What We Learn from Two Jobs
Part 4 of 4: Exploring the Septuagint’s Book of Job
Hello brothers and sisters.
We’ve spent three weeks exploring some of the most dramatic differences between the Hebrew and Greek versions of Job:
In Part 1, we wrestled with the “bless or curse” paradox: how Satan’s prediction in the heavenly court reveals the danger of transactional faith and empty worship.
In Part 2, we discovered Job’s “lost ending”: the Septuagint’s epilogue with its royal genealogy, connection to Genesis 36, and explicit promise of resurrection.
In Part 3, we examined the tension in Job 19:25-27, where the Hebrew emphasizes future bodily resurrection (”in my flesh I shall see God”) while the Greek emphasizes present sustaining power (”God is delivering me now”).
Each of these differences has taught us something profound about reading Scripture through multiple textual traditions. The Hebrew and Greek don’t compete, they complement. They’re different voices singing the same truth in harmony.
But those aren’t the only differences worth exploring.
Throughout the book of Job, the Masoretic Text and Septuagint diverge in ways both subtle and significant. Some differences are theological. Some are linguistic. Some simply reflect the immense challenge of translating the most difficult poetry in all of Hebrew Scripture.
In this final post, we’re going to step back and look at the bigger picture. We’ll examine some remaining textual differences, but more importantly, we’ll ask:
What have we learned from this entire exercise?
Why does the Septuagint version of Job exist at all?
What do we learn from having two textual traditions of the same book?
How should we read Scripture when different authoritative traditions emphasize different truths?
And how should this shape the way we read and trust God’s Word?
This isn’t just about Job.
This is about how we approach the Bible itself.
Let’s Dig in!
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“Sons of God” Become “Angels of God”
Let’s start with one of the most theologically significant differences. This is a shift that we also see in other books where the Hebrew uses “Sons of God,” and here it’s one that appears in the very first verse of the heavenly court scene.
Job 1:6 - Who Appears Before God?
MT (NRSV):
“One day the heavenly beings [lit: sons of God] came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.”
Hebrew: וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל־יְהוָה
Transliteration: vayehi hayom vayavo’u benei ha-elohim lehityatzev al-YHWH
Literal: “sons of God” or “sons of the gods”
LXX (Brenton):
“Now there was a day when the angels of God came to stand before the Lord, and the devil came with them.”
Greek: ὡς δὲ ἐγένετο ἡ ἡμέρα καὶ ἰδοὺ ἦλθον οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ παραστῆναι ἔναντι τοῦ κυρίου
Transliteration: hōs de egeneto hē hēmera kai idou ēlthon hoi angeloi tou theou parastēnai enanti tou kyriou
Literal: “the angels of God”
What’s the Difference?
The Hebrew term בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים (benei ha-elohim, “sons of God”) is ambiguous and mysterious. It appears in a few key Old Testament passages:
Genesis 6:2, 4 - “the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful” (the mysterious beings who married human women before the flood)
Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7 - the heavenly court scene
Psalm 29:1; 89:6 - “Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of God” (ESV; NRSV translates “heavenly beings”)
Who are these “sons of God”?
In ancient Israelite cosmology, the term seems to refer to members of the divine council: spiritual beings who serve in God’s heavenly court. They’re not gods in the true sense, as God is unique, but they’re more than human. They’re part of the unseen spiritual realm.
The exact nature of these beings is deliberately left somewhat mysterious in the Hebrew text.
But the Septuagint removes the mystery.
οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ (hoi angeloi tou theou) = “the angels of God.”
Clear. Definite. These are angels.
Why Did the LXX Translators Render it This Way?
Several reasons:
1. Clarification for Greek readers
The translators were rendering Scripture for Greek-speaking Jews (and later, Christians) who wouldn’t have the same cultural context as Hebrew readers.
“Sons of God” could be confusing or misunderstood in a Hellenistic context, where polytheistic ideas about divine offspring were common. By using “angels,” the translators clarified: these are created spiritual beings who serve the one true God, not demigods or divine offspring.
2. Theological precision
By the time the Septuagint was translated (3rd-2nd century B.C.), Jewish theology had developed more explicit angelology, allowing for a more defined understanding of angels and their role.
The term “angels” (ἄγγελοι, angeloi, literally “messengers”) had become the standard way to refer to God’s spiritual servants. Using this term brought Job’s language in line with contemporary theological vocabulary.
3. Avoiding potential misunderstanding about Genesis 6
The “sons of God” in Genesis 6 who married human women had become a subject of considerable interpretive debate. Some Jewish traditions understood them as fallen angels; others as human rulers or descendants of Seth.
By translating בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים as “angels” in Job, the Septuagint was making an interpretive decision: these are angelic beings, not something more ambiguous.
4. Influence on Christian theology
The Septuagint’s choice to use “angels” profoundly influenced early Christian understanding of the heavenly court.
When the Church Fathers read Job 1-2, they weren’t encountering mysterious “sons of God.” They were reading about angels assembled before God, with Satan (or “the devil,” as the LXX translates) among them.
This shaped Christian angelology and demonology. The Job narrative became a picture of the angelic realm, with Satan as a fallen angel who still has access to the heavenly court to accuse believers.
What Do We Gain and Lose?
What the Hebrew preserves:
The mystery and ambiguity of the spiritual realm
Connection to other “sons of God” passages (Genesis 6, Psalm 29)
A sense of ancient cosmology where divine categories weren’t as fixed
The strangeness of the heavenly court: it’s not domesticated or fully explained
What the Greek provides:
Clarity for readers unfamiliar with Hebrew cosmological language
Theological precision that prevents misunderstanding
Connection to developing Jewish and Christian angelology
Accessibility for Greek-speaking believers
Both/And approach:
Do we have to choose? As I often say, absolutely not.
The Hebrew’s “sons of God” reminds us that the spiritual realm is more mysterious than our categories can fully capture. There are realities beyond what we can see or neatly define. God’s court includes beings we don’t fully understand.
The Greek’s “angels of God” reminds us that God has revealed enough for us to understand what we need to know. These are created beings, servants of the Most High, messengers who carry out His will. We don’t need to speculate beyond what’s been revealed.
Mystery AND clarity. Both true. Both necessary.
The Shorter Job: Why the Septuagint Is Missing About 1/6 of the Text
Here’s something that surprises most people: the Septuagint version of Job is significantly shorter than the Hebrew Masoretic Text.
How much shorter? Estimates vary, but scholars generally agree the LXX is about 400-500 lines shorter—roughly 1/6 of the total text.
That’s substantial.
What’s Missing?
The omissions aren’t all in one place. They’re scattered throughout the book, but particularly in:
1. The Dialogue Cycles (Chapters 3-27)
Many verses within the speeches of Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar are condensed or omitted in the Septuagint. The Greek version tends to summarize longer poetic sections.
2. Elihu’s Speeches (Chapters 32-37)
Elihu’s long discourse is significantly shortened in the LXX. Entire verses and sections are missing or condensed.
Particularly affected:
Job 36:27-37:13 - Much of Elihu’s description of God’s power in weather and nature is abbreviated or omitted.
3. God’s Speeches from the Whirlwind (Chapters 38-41)
Even God’s response to Job is somewhat shorter in the Greek, though not as dramatically as the human speeches.
Why Is the LXX Shorter?
This is one of the major scholarly debates about the Septuagint’s Job. Three main theories:
Theory 1: The Translator Worked from a Shorter Hebrew Text
Some scholars argue that the LXX translator had access to a different Hebrew manuscript tradition. One that was already shorter than the text that eventually became the Masoretic tradition.
This theory suggests that both versions go back to authentic ancient Hebrew sources, and the Septuagint preserves a shorter, earlier form of the book.
Evidence for this view:
The omissions don’t seem random; they follow patterns
Some shortened sections might represent scribal abbreviations that were already in the Hebrew source
The Dead Sea Scrolls show us that multiple Hebrew text traditions existed in the Second Temple period
Theory 2: The Translator Condensed Difficult Passages
Job contains some of the most obscure, difficult Hebrew poetry in the entire Bible. Words appear in Job that don’t appear anywhere else in Scripture. Grammatical constructions are unusual. The meaning is often uncertain even to modern scholars with all their lexicons and tools.
The Septuagint translator, working 2,200 years ago without those resources, may have struggled with the Hebrew and paraphrased or summarized sections he couldn’t fully understand.
When the Hebrew was too obscure, he gave the gist rather than attempting a word-for-word translation.
Evidence for this view:
The shortened sections tend to be the most poetically complex
The LXX translator’s Greek style in Job is less literal than in some other Old Testament books
There are places where the Greek meaning seems to drift from the Hebrew, suggesting confusion
Theory 3: Theological or Literary Editing
A few scholars suggest the shortening was deliberate theological or literary editing.
Perhaps the translator felt the speeches were repetitive and streamlined them for Greek readers. Perhaps he wanted to focus the narrative more tightly on key theological points.
This is the least popular theory among scholars, but it’s worth mentioning.
My Perspective: A Both/And View
Anyone familiar with my work should be unsurprised to learn that I lean toward a both/and view that combines Theories 1 and 2.
I believe the Septuagint translator worked from a Hebrew source that was somewhat different from the Masoretic tradition (Theory 1), AND he occasionally paraphrased or condensed sections that were especially difficult (Theory 2).
In other words, both textual traditions preserve authentic material, but neither is complete by itself.
The Masoretic Text gives us the fullest form of Job’s poetry: all the cycles of speeches, all the intricate wordplay, all the repeated themes. It’s comprehensive and detailed.
The Septuagint gives us a more streamlined version, sometimes clearer in difficult passages because the translator paraphrased, sometimes preserving variant readings from a different Hebrew tradition.
Together, they give us the fuller picture.
The longer Masoretic version lets us sit with Job’s suffering in all its repetitive, exhausting fullness. The friends say the same things over and over. Job answers with variations on the same themes. The grinding, cyclical nature of the dialogue mirrors the grinding, cyclical nature of suffering itself.
The shorter Septuagint version focuses our attention on key moments, key declarations, key turning points. It moves faster, but it still captures the essential arc of the story.
Both are valuable. Both teach us something about the experience of suffering and the nature of God’s response.
Other Significant Differences Throughout Job
Let me highlight a few more interesting variants:
Job 1:1 - Job’s Character
MT (NRSV):
“That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.”
LXX (Brenton):
“and that man was true, blameless, righteous, God-fearing, abstaining from everything evil.”
The Septuagint adds “true” (ἀληθινός, alēthinos) and “righteous” (δίκαιος, dikaios) to Job’s description.
Why? Probably to emphasize Job’s complete moral integrity in categories familiar to Greek readers. “Righteous” (dikaios) is a key virtue term in Greek ethics and becomes central in Paul’s theology of justification.
Job 28:28 - The Conclusion of the Wisdom Poem
MT (NRSV):
“Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”
LXX (Brenton):
“Behold, godliness is wisdom: and to abstain from evil is understanding.”
Hebrew: יִרְאַת אֲדֹנָי (yir’at adonai) = “fear of the Lord”
Greek: εὐσέβεια (eusebeia) = “godliness” or “piety”
This is a subtle but significant shift. “Fear of the Lord” emphasizes reverential awe, a specifically covenantal relationship with God.
“Godliness” or “piety” emphasizes virtuous living, a moral uprightness that Greeks would recognize.
Both are true, but they accent different aspects. The Hebrew emphasizes relationship; the Greek emphasizes character.
Job 38:1 - God Speaks from the Whirlwind
MT (NRSV):
“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind”
LXX (N.E.T.S.):
“Then, after Eliou had ceased speaking, the Lord spoke to Iob through the whirlwind and clouds and said:”
The Septuagint adds:
“after Eliou had ceased speaking” (creates smoother narrative transition)
“and clouds” (adds to the theophanic imagery)
Small additions, but they help Greek readers follow the narrative flow and visualize the scene more vividly.
What We Learn About Translation
One of the most valuable lessons from comparing the Masoretic and Septuagint versions of Job is this: translation is interpretation.
Every translator makes choices. Every choice involves interpretation.
When the Septuagint translator chose “angels of God” instead of “sons of God,” he was interpreting.
When he condensed difficult poetic passages, he was interpreting.
When modern English translators choose “in my flesh” instead of “from my flesh” in Job 19:26, they’re interpreting.
There is no such thing as a purely neutral, objective translation.
Every translation reflects:
The linguistic resources available to the translator
The theological framework the translator brings
The needs and context of the target audience
The translator’s understanding of obscure or ambiguous passages
This doesn’t mean translations are unreliable. It means translations are acts of faithful interpretation, and we should read them as such.
Multiple Translations Are a Gift
This is why having multiple textual traditions is such a gift.
When we see the same passage translated differently, we’re forced to ask: “What choices were made here? What is the Hebrew actually saying? What emphasis does the Greek preserve?”
We can’t just passively consume. We have to engage. We have to think. We have to wrestle.
And in that wrestling, we encounter the living Word more deeply.
What We Learn About God’s Word
Let me step back now and reflect on what we’ve learned across all four parts of this series.
God Preserves His Word in Multiple Streams
The Masoretic Text represents the Jewish scribal tradition, carefully preserved for millennia with extraordinary precision.
The Septuagint represents the Hellenistic Jewish tradition, translated for Greek-speaking believers and later adopted by the Christian Church.
Both have ancient roots. Both have been used by God’s people to know Him, worship Him, and proclaim His truth.
God didn’t preserve His Word in just one form. He preserved it in multiple textual traditions, in multiple languages, through multiple communities.
Why?
Because truth is richer than any single expression can contain.
The Hebrew emphasizes some things. The Greek emphasizes others. Together, they give us the fullness.
Scripture Is Robust, Not Fragile
Some people worry that textual differences undermine the Bible’s authority. If the Hebrew and Greek don’t match exactly, how can we trust Scripture?
But I see it differently.
The existence of multiple textual traditions shows us that God’s Word is robust, not fragile.
Scripture isn’t like a house of cards that collapses if you remove one verse. It’s like a mighty oak tree with deep roots and many branches. You can approach it from different angles, through different traditions, and still encounter the same living Truth.
The Masoretic and Septuagint traditions of Job tell the same story:
A righteous man suffers unjustly
His friends offer inadequate theology
God reveals Himself and vindicates Job
Job is restored and blessed
The core narrative, the theological message, the portrayal of God’s character, all of that remains consistent across both traditions.
The differences enrich; they don’t undermine.
We’re Called to Read Humbly and Broadly
Here’s another lesson: we shouldn’t limit ourselves to one textual tradition if we have access to multiple.
If you only ever read modern English translations based on the Masoretic Text, you’ll miss things the Septuagint preserves.
If you only ever read the Septuagint tradition, you’ll miss nuances in the Hebrew.
Reading broadly— across textual traditions, across translations, across interpretive communities —makes us better readers of Scripture.
It teaches us humility. We can’t master the Bible. We can only receive it, wrestle with it, and live in it.
It teaches us to listen. Different traditions have heard different emphases, and we can learn from all of them.
It teaches us to hold truth in tension. Sometimes the answer isn’t either/or. Sometimes it’s both/and.
The Both/And Framework: A Summary
Throughout this series (and my body of work as a whole), I’ve emphasized a both/and approach to reading the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint.
Let me summarize what I mean by that:
1. Both traditions are authoritative.
I don’t believe one is “more inspired” or “more reliable” than the other. I believe God has providentially preserved both to give His people access to His Word.
The Hebrew represents the Jewish scribal tradition. The Greek represents the Hellenistic Jewish and early Christian tradition. Both have been used by the Church. Both bear witness to divine truth.
2. Both traditions have been intentionally preserved.
It’s not an accident that we have two textual streams. God could have allowed one to disappear. He didn’t.
I believe He preserved both because they complement each other. They tell the fuller story together.
3. Differences are usually complementary, not contradictory.
When the Hebrew says one thing and the Greek says another, my first assumption isn’t “one is wrong.”
My first assumption is “both are revealing something true, and I need to understand how they fit together.”
Sometimes one tradition emphasizes future hope; the other emphasizes present sustaining.
Sometimes one tradition emphasizes mystery; the other emphasizes clarity.
Sometimes one tradition gives the longer version; the other gives the streamlined version.
Different facets of the same diamond. Different voices in the same choir.
4. We read them in light of the whole counsel of Scripture.
The Church Fathers didn’t get anxious about textual differences because they read Scripture holistically (as a unified whole).
They knew the story arc: creation, fall, redemption, consummation. They knew the central character: the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, revealed fully in Jesus Christ.
So when they encountered different readings in Job, they asked: “How does this fit the larger story? How does this point to Christ? How does this help us know God more fully?”
That’s how we should read, too.
5. Tension is a feature, not a bug.
We live in the tension of the “already but not yet.”
Christ has risen, but we still die.
The Kingdom has come, but creation still groans.
We are being saved, but our salvation isn’t complete.
Scripture reflects this tension. It doesn’t resolve it prematurely. It holds it faithfully.
When the Hebrew emphasizes future resurrection and the Greek emphasizes present vindication, that’s not a problem to solve. That’s the shape of Christian existence.
We need both. Always both.
Job’s Story Is Our Story
Let me close with this.
Job’s story— in both its Hebrew and Greek forms —is ultimately our story.
We suffer. Often unjustly. Often inexplicably.
We cry out to God. We demand answers. We wrestle with theology that doesn’t fit our experience.
Our friends offer comfort that isn’t comforting. They give explanations that don’t explain.
And then God speaks.
Not with answers to our questions, but with a revelation of Himself.
And somehow, that’s enough.
The Masoretic Text tells us this story with all its poetic complexity, all its grinding repetition, all its raw emotional honesty.
The Septuagint tells us this story with clarity about Job’s identity, explicit promises about resurrection, and emphasis on God’s present sustaining power.
We need both.
We need the Hebrew’s unvarnished portrayal of suffering, because our suffering is real, and Scripture doesn’t sanitize it.
We need the Greek’s theological clarity. Because in the midst of suffering, we need to know that God is eternal, that He will deliver us, that there is resurrection hope.
Together, they give us the complete witness.
Job suffered, but God vindicated him.
Job cried out in darkness, but God was sustaining him even then.
Job died, but he will rise again.
That’s our hope.
Not in having all the answers.
Not in resolving every textual variant.
Not in perfectly harmonizing every tradition.
Our hope is in the God who speaks from the whirlwind, who vindicates His servants, who raises the dead.
The God of Job.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That God is faithful.
He’s preserved His Word in multiple streams so we might know Him more fully.
He’s given us the Hebrew and the Greek so we might hear His voice in stereo; different speakers, same message.
And He invites us not to be anxious about the differences, but to receive them as gifts.
Gifts that deepen our understanding.
Gifts that enrich our worship.
Gifts that strengthen our hope.
For I know that my Redeemer lives.
He is eternal, and He is delivering me.
At the last, He will stand on the earth.
And I— in my flesh, with my own eyes —will see God.
Not as a stranger, but face to face.
That’s the witness of both traditions.
That’s the hope we hold.
That’s the Word we trust.
Series Conclusion
We’ve reached the end of our journey through the Septuagint’s Book of Job.
We’ve explored:
The “bless or curse” paradox (Part 1)
The resurrection epilogue and royal genealogy (Part 2)
The tension between future and present vindication in Job 19 (Part 3)
The angelic court, length differences, and what we learn from translation (Part 4)
If you’ve stayed with me through all four parts, thank you. This has been a deep dive, and I’m grateful you’ve engaged with this material.
My hope is that this series has:
Opened your eyes to the richness of the Septuagint tradition. You don’t have to choose between Hebrew and Greek. You can receive both.
Given you tools for reading Scripture across textual traditions. When you encounter differences, don’t panic. Ask what each tradition is emphasizing. Look for the complementary truths.
Deepened your appreciation for God’s Word. The Bible is more wonderful, more multifaceted, more robust than we often realize. God has preserved His truth in multiple forms so we might know Him more fully.
Strengthened your hope in the midst of suffering. Job’s story— told in both Hebrew and Greek —reminds us that God vindicates His people, sustains them in trial, and promises resurrection.
If exploring these kinds of comparative readings of the Masoretic Text and Septuagint fascinates you as much as it does me, then you’re in the right place! That’s exactly what this Substack is all about.
And there’s so much more to discover.
Final Discussion Questions:
Has this series changed how you think about textual differences in Scripture? Are you more comfortable holding multiple traditions in tension?
Which of the differences we’ve explored (bless/curse, resurrection epilogue, Job 19, angels vs. sons of God) had the biggest impact on your understanding of Job?
Do you tend to prefer longer, more comprehensive versions of Scripture (like the MT’s full Job), or shorter, more streamlined versions (like the LXX’s condensed Job)? Why?
How does the both/and framework help you in other areas of theology where there’s tension between complementary truths (e.g., divine sovereignty and human responsibility, already and not yet, etc.)?
What’s one thing from Job’s story— in either textual tradition —that you’re taking away as encouragement for your own walk with God?
If this series has been helpful or insightful, please share it with a friend who loves Scripture as much as you do.
Coming Up Next
Now that we’ve finished this deep dive through the book of Job, there’s a crucial topic that I want to address. One that I’ve seen coming up again and again in online discussions. And it’s one that directly impacts how Christians read the Old Testament and understand God’s covenant faithfulness.
Next week, I’m going to start a series on Replacement Theology (otherwise known as Supersessionism).
For centuries, many Christians have believed that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s plan. That the promises made to Abraham’s physical descendants have been transferred to spiritual Israel (the Church), and that ethnic Israel no longer has a distinct role in redemptive history.
This theology has shaped how we read prophecy, how we understand the covenants, and tragically, how Christians have treated Jewish people throughout history.
But what does Scripture actually teach?
We’re going to examine key passages— both Hebrew and Greek —that speak to Israel’s role, the grafting in of the Gentiles, and God’s irrevocable promises. We’ll look at what Paul really says in Romans 9-11. We’ll explore how the early Church Fathers understood these questions. And we’ll ask: Can we affirm the Church as the people of God without diminishing God’s ongoing covenant with ethnic Israel?
As always, we’ll approach this with our both/and framework, seeking the fuller story that emerges when we read Scripture broadly and humbly.
If you have questions about the role and destiny of Israel (or if you’ve had a pastor preach on the church having adopted the role of Israel), this series is for you. If you haven’t subscribed yet, make sure you do so you don’t miss this!
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I am currently writing an academic article on Job so this is super helpful. I'm going to save the rest of the articles to read. Thank you
I loved this deep dive!