Translated repetitions in septuagint proverbs

• Main Author: Taylor, Russell D
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2015
• Subjects: Ancient languages; Biblical studies
• ISBN: 1321993846; 9781321993844

Repeated verses and lines occur with relative frequency in the Hebrew text of Proverbs. This study explores how those repetitions are translated in the Septuagint version. Translated repetitions provide unique insight into the decision making process of the translator because they show how the same text is handled in differing contexts. In Greek Proverbs, repetitions are handled in a wide variety of ways, ranging from exact replication of the Hebrew repetition to completely different, independently translated lines. This study asks what factors lead to differences between the Greek lines in each translated repetition. Insights from Translation Studies allow for a nuanced analysis of the translated repetitions, presented in the form of a textual commentary. Five factors are identified and discussed. They are: textual influences, contextual influences, the translator's comprehension of the Hebrew text, the translator's awareness of the Hebrew repetition, and translation shifts. It is argued that no single factor can sufficiently explain the differences among the translated repetitions and that a complex web of influences lies behind each difference. This is significant because previous research has tended to attribute such differences either to textual variants or to deliberate, conscious decisions made by the translator. This study highlights many of the more basic translational features of the Greek text.