Opening the library…

Search the Bible

A Letter from Origen to Africanus

Origen of Alexandria

Section 3

About this work

Origen responds to Julius Africanus’s objections to the story of Susanna, defending its ecclesial use and discussing textual differences between Greek and Hebrew forms of Daniel.

Author: Origen of Alexandria
Date: c. AD 240
Origin: Caesarea
Genre: Letter

3. And in many other of the sacred

‹ Section 2 Section 4 ›

books

I

found

sometimes

more

in

our

copies

than

in

the

Hebrew

,

sometimes

less

.

I

shall

adduce

a

few

examples

,

since

it

is

impossible

to

give

them

all

.

Of

the

Book

of

Esther

neither

the

prayer

of

Mardochaios

nor

that

of

Esther

,

both

fitted

to

edify

the

reader

,

is

found

in

the

Hebrew

.

Neither

are

the

letters

;

nor

the

one

written

to

Amman

about

the

rooting

up

of

the

Jewish

nation

,

nor

that

of

Mardochaios

in

the

name

of

Artaxerxes

delivering

the

nation

from

death

.

Then

in

Job

,

the

words

from

“

It

is

written

,

that

he

shall

rise

again

with

those

whom

the

Lord

raises

,

”

to

the

end

,

are

not

in

the

Hebrew

,

and

so

not

in

Aquila’s

edition

;

while

they

are

found

in

the

Septuagint

and

in

Theodotion’s

version

,

agreeing

with

each

other

at

least

in

sense

.

And

many

other

places

I

found

in

Job

where

our

copies

have

more

than

the

Hebrew

ones

,

sometimes

a

little

more

,

and

sometimes

a

great

deal

more

:

a

little

more

,

as

when

to

the

words

,

“

Rising

up

in

the

morning

,

he

offered

burnt

-

offerings

for

them

according

to

their

number

,

”

they

add

,

“

one

heifer

for

the

sin

of

their

soul

;

”

and

to

the

words

,

“

The

angels

of

God

came

to

present

themselves

before

God

,

and

the

devil

came

with

them

,

”

“

from

going

to

and

fro

in

the

earth

,

and

from

walking

up

and

down

in

it

.

”

Again

,

after

“

The

Lord

gave

,

the

Lord

has

taken

away

,

”

the

Hebrew

has

not

,

“

It

was

so

,

as

seemed

good

to

the

Lord

.

”

Then

our

copies

are

very

much

fuller

than

the

Hebrew

,

when

Job’s

wife

speaks

to

him

,

from

“

How

long

wilt

thou

hold

out

?

And

he

said

,

Lo

,

I

wait

yet

a

little

while

,

looking

for

the

hope

of

my

salvation

,

”

down

to

“

that

I

may

cease

from

my

troubles

,

and

my

sorrows

which

compass

me

.

”

For

they

have

only

these

words

of

the

woman

,

“

But

say

a

word

against

God

,

and

die

.

”

Notes

3
This should probably be corrected, with Pat. Jun., into, “Nor are the letters, neither,” etc.