thoughts, rather than an exactly literal rendering of
the original word for word.

The prophecy of Isaiah, for example (6:9, 10), is six times
quoted in the New Testament, wholly or in part, with very free
variations of language. Matt. 13:14, 15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10;
John 12:40; Acts 28: 26, 27; Rom. 11:8. From neither of these
quotations, nor from all of them combined, could we draw a
_critical_ argument respecting either the Hebrew or Greek text
of the passage quoted. Neither can we argue from the exact
agreement of a quotation in the New Testament with the
Septuagint where that differs from the Hebrew, that the Hebrew
text has been corrupted. The New Testament writers are occupied
with the spirit of the passages to which they refer, rather than
with the letter.

7. The Hebrew _text_ from which the Septuagint version was executed was
unpointed and much older than the Masoretic text. Were the version more
literal and faithful, and had its text come down to us in a purer form
(see below, Chap. 17, No. 2), it would be of great service in settling
the exact text of the original Hebrew. With its present character, and
in the present condition of its text, it is of but comparatively small
value in this respect. Yet its striking agreement with the text of the
Samaritan Pentateuch (Ch. 13, No. 8) is a phenomenon worthy of special
notice. Biblical scholars affirm that the two agree in more than a
thousand places where they differ from the Hebrew. For the probable
explanation of this see above, Ch. 14, No. 9.

The reader must be on his guard against the error of supposing
that these more than a thousand variations from the Hebrew text
are of such a nature as to affect seriously the system of
doctrines and duties taught in the Pentateuch. They are rather
of a critical and grammatical character, changes which leave the
substance of revelation untouched. See on this point Ch. 3.
There is one striking agreement between the Samaritan text and
that of the Septuagint in which many biblical scholars think
that the true ancient reading has been preserved. It is that of
Gen. 4:8: "And Cain said to Abel his brother, Let us go out into
the field. And it came to pass when they were in the field."
etc.

II. OTHER GREEK VERSIONS.

8. In the beginning of Christianity the Septuagint enjoyed, as we have
seen, a high reputation among the Jews