A greater difficulty we have in fixing the pronuncia- tion according to our vowel-points, but in general the following rules may be laid down :
Kamets ( ) is a, as DIX, 'A6«/i; Ol, Xa>. Pattach (_)
is a, as ')~lili!;i Aapwi'.
Tsere(J — rt: ibX, 'Aff,';p ; bxiC"', 'lo-paZ/X. Segnl()= 6, as -b-a'^3S, 'AftifjLuMx-
Chokm (1) = u): ap"'^, 'la/<(/./3; wjOl"^, '1u)<t//0. Kamets chat%ij)h ( ) = o, as r^33, FoXia^.
Long chirek ("^ .) = < or e< : D'^^S^i 'Ai'aM'M, "Mei'm; ^"^3^, Max'p.-e/p. Short chirek (.) = ( or v, the latter very seldom: Q"'Pi03S, (J)u\((7Ter|U ; "jlS'lO'I^, ^vfiewv.
Shiirek (!i) = ov : l^lb, Aood; 0^3;^, 'le/3ow. Eibbuts (_ ) = 0: Ipa, BoKKi'; il3S^, "Ie0on'i7.
This may be regarded as a most general outline for the vowels; for a closer examination, upon which we cannot here enter, will show that these principles are not al- wa3'S carried out. As to Skeva, its pronunciation is gov- erned by the following vowel; thus 11 "3 is <t>oyi!>p; 3ini, 'Poo/3 ; Cin-JljbS), <i>v\i(Trln ; n^:33"c3, ^acparia ; XDr3S, l.a^Sa^aKa. This vocalization exercises also its intluence upon the vowel preceding the Sheva; thus D"33 is BaXat'r 1.1 ; dUJ3^ = Ma/3a(Ta^, etc.
Ihigesh lene is not expressed in the Sept., but the da- gesh forte usually is, as il3^, SeXXd ; ilU33ia, Mcivarr- ar] ; and it is also found, where the Hebrew text has no dagesh, as !ip31 = 'Pf/Bs/CKa. Sometimes the dagesh forte of the Hebrew is not expressed at all, as n^'H, 'Affwfi; ni3p3ri (Josh, xix, 18), XaaaXio^.
With these preliminary remarks we have paved our waj' for the manner in which grammar has been used by the translators of the Sept. ; but here the diffi- culty is greater still, for the translators, as can be seen from their mode of translating, had not the lan- guage, but the translation, of the Scripture in view, and this must account for many grammatical peculiarities which we find so often in the Alexandrian version. Thus e. g. the present is very often used for the perfect, especially in Xkyu) and bpdu), as in Gen. xv, 2, 1'SN^I D13X, XfjH Sk 'AiUpaajX ; xxxvii, 29, ClDli "pS Il3!l1, Ka\ oii\ opal '\(t)<Ti](p , or the infinitive before a definite verb is ex])ressed by a jiarticiple or a noun. The active is often exchanged for the passive, or vice versa, as (Gen. xii, 15) il'iUXil Hpri, Kai ti(j))yayov. Leaving aside all further remarks on these points as not exactly be- longing to our oi)ject, we now come to the subject at is- sue, as to the linguistic peculiarities. Here we notice —
SEPTUAGINT
551
SEPTUAGINT
1. Unusual for maiions ofioords and verbs, viz. :
li/Spa, a favorite slave, Exod. ii, 5.
aixM^'^o'TiCe"'. I-" niake a piisouer, Ezek. xii, 3.
iiKai/, a thoru, 2 Kings xiv, 9.
a\7iipos, soiTowlul, Jer. X, 9.
uiJi<iJiiil^t:aSrai,to put roiiiul about, Job sxix, 14.
ufjL<iJtaaii, a garnieut, Job xxii, 0.
uvaii/jLUTittt^, to devote to destruction. Dent, xiii, 15.
unomdaijovv, to Strip the head of, Lev. x, G.
uTTunefjinTovv, to take up the flfih part, Uen. xli, 34.
ucr/iuXi), soot, Lam. iv, 8.
/Souiifeii', to accuiiiulate, Ruth ii, 14.
yKuiaaoKo/j-ov, a chest, 2 (Jhrou. xxiv, 8.
Ifjif^opeif, to walch, Neh. vii, .S.
diupTiy, to deceive. Numb, xxiii, 19.
eaie/jLa, ail edict, Eslh. viii, 17.
eKTOKi^eii', to put on interest, Deut. xxiii. 10.
ei/Tofjiii, a cutting. Lev. xix, 28.
eddoKeiv, to approve. Lev. xxvi, 41.
iipiiTTpov, a veil, Song of Sol. v, 7.
KaTaxwpi^eo', to enter iu a register, 1 Chron. xxvii, 24.
Ai/Tpwi', a sewer, 2 Kings x, 27.
na-ietpetoi>, a kitchen, Ezek. xlvi, 23.
fiayttptaaa, a female cook, 1 Sam. viii, 13.
HaKpori/xepei'eiv, to live long, Dent, v, 33.
fiavSiiti, a coat of mail, 1 Sam. xvii, 38.
TrpwToToKeutiii, to appoint as first-born, Deut. xxi, 16.
vpuiTOTOKia, the birthright. Gen. xxv, 32.
p«if , a grape, Isa. Ixv, 8.
<ru/3/3aT<^€ii', to rest, Exod. xvi, 30.
(no-oii, the corner of the head, Lev. xix, 27.
o-Keneii'm, covered, Nell, iv, 13.
CTKJivovrji^ia, Feast of Tabernacles, Deut. xvi, IC.
TeXiaKetv, to complete, Deut. xxiii, IS.
0i/\aKi(7cra, a keeper. Song of Sol. i, 6.
2. New meaninr/s of%cords:
aYX'o-Teuo), to redeem, Ezra ii, C2.
ajyToi-, abominable. Lev. xix, 7.
uTTo = iiiro, Geu. xlviii, 10.
6ia(t>u>i'elv, to be missing, Numb, xxxi, 49.
/uerpiaCeii', to be sick, Neh. ii, 2.
3. A n abstract used collectively :
a'ixf^a\u>aia, the captive, Ezek. xi, 25. SiaffTTopii, living here and there, Psa. cxlvii,2. efoi/j-ti/fiMa. despised, Psa. xxii, 6. iepcireDjua, priesthood, Exod. xix, 6.
4. Peculiar forms of words, as —
a7a3-(UTaT09, Geu. xlvii, 6. <l7a2-toTepoc, Judg. XV, 2. u7rcKT(;7KaT6, Numb, xvi, 41. apTra, Lev. xix, 13.
e'ino'iaav. Psa. XXXiv, 25. 6A2-ciTa),Esth. v, 4. eTTpoKf/ieufTajuei', Deut.lll, 7. e<p<'fyoa-av, Psa. Ixxvii, 29. f'0i;7av, 2 Sam. X, 14. fcupaKal', Deut. xi, 7. fiX^ocrav, Psa. Ixxviii, 1. idoiaav. Job xxi, 20. i'6o(Tai/, Dent, vii, 19. Ka/UMi'eii', Isa. vi, 10. KareiTrayTe?, Numb. xiv, 37. KCKaTi'/paKTai, Nunib. Xxii, 0. KCKpcif avre?, Exod. xxii, 23. K\i73ai/or = Kpi73ai'09, Gen. xv, 17.
^laxaipfj, Exod. XV, 9. irupf ffTiiKai/, Isa. V, 29. woitjaal(rav, Dent, i, 44.
irpa^iioE-rai, Ezek. xlvili, 14. (pa-rovixe^a. Gen. iii, 2.
5. Syntactic peculiarities, as —
a^eoor awo, Ka^ap6<: utto, Gen. viii. aMapTtil/611' utto, LeV. V. 15. afjiapTiiveiv tf, Lev. iv, 14. afXapTdveiv evavri, Lev. iv, 2. a^iapTtii'eii' ■trepi, Lev. V, 5. aMapTtii/eii/ Tin, Jndg. xi, 27. (ii'aMiiCTaJii'ui Ti, Exod. xxiii, 13. tf fpxeff-ai TI, Exod. ix, 29. efiX<.iTKe(r3-ai riii, Ezek. xvi, 63. eudoKeii/ T(, Eccles. ix, 7.