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Review of Books / Journal for the Study of Judaism 41 (2010) 94-151 145 LXX-Isaiah as Translation and Interpretation: The Strategies of the Translator of the Septuagint of Isaiah. By Ronald L. Troxel. (Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism 124). Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2008. Pp. xvi, 309. Cloth with dust jacket. €119.00 / US$ 170.00. ISBN 978-90-04-15394-3. In lxx research, attention is often given to the specific “theology” that is suppos- edly apparent in lxx (e.g., “fulfillment-interpretation”; “contemporization”), usu- ally without in-depth research into the Greek text. Troxel appropriately sets out to critically evaluate the legitimacy of this interpretation of lxx Isaiah. In ch. 1 ( The translator of Isaiah ), T. introduces the various views regarding the translator of the book of Isaiah. Ch. 2 ( Alexandria and the LXX ) presents relevant aspects of the Alexandrian Umwelt of lxx Isaiah. In this respect, T. formulates fundamental criticisms regarding the hypothesis that lxx is an intralinear transla- tion. In ch. 3 ( Reconstructing the Vorlage of LXX -Isaiah ) he very briefly deals with the translation technique of lxx-Isaiah. In ch. 4 ( Linguistic interpretation in LXX -Isaiah ) and ch. 5 ( Contextual interpre- tation in LXX -Isaiah ), T. argues that “the Isaiah translator appears to have been familiar enough with literary Greek to formulate sentences in its style, suggesting that he was among the well educated” (132). More concretely, in ch. 6 ( A critique of contemporization ) and ch. 7 ( Israel’s oppressors in LXX -Isaiah) , he investigates whether or not the translator of Isaiah interpreted the book as a prophecy that was fulfilled in his time. Without wanting to be exhaustive, he then concludes that “there is (. . .) no foundation to liken the translator to the authors of the pesharim ” (246). In ch. 8 ( Translation and Interpretation in LXX -Isaiah ) he tests his preliminary insights regarding the question of a dividing line between “transla- tion” and “theology” using a systematic study of Isaiah 28. His conclusion is clear: “We have not seen a reference to contemporary circumstances specific enough to support a claim that the translator pursued a program of Erfüllungsin- terpretation” (286). T.’s study delivers a notable contribution to the important issue of the search for a well-founded verdict regarding the “theology” of the lxx-translation. To do this, he enters into dialogue with the leading studies on lxx-Isaiah that have been published to date. Nevertheless, his interpretation of the possibility of making an unequivocal distinction between “literal” and “free” translations (87-88) is some- what one-sided. He seems to proceed from the assumption that the degree of “literalness” of the translation can be expressed statistically, while he hardly pays any attention to the characterization of the “freedom” of the translator. The fact that, of the so-called Finnish School, only a few—mainly older—articles by Aejmelaeus are included in the bibliography is illustrative of this approach. Hans Ausloos Katholieke Universiteit Leuven © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2010 DOI: 10.1163/004722110X12580098291071
Journal for the Study of Judaism – Brill
Published: Jan 1, 2010
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