A Lexical Study of the Septuagint Version of the Pentateuch

development is analogous to that in the older word φλέγω» the
22
intransitive use of which is found as early as Pindar. It
would be incorrect, therefore, in my opinion, to regard this use
of φλογίζω as peculiar to the translators' Greek. The same is
true of a number of other words used in this way in the
Pentateuch, such as καταψύχω, σκιάζω, σπερματίζω, and ύγιάζω.
Some unattested uses are natural semantic developments un­
connected with Hebrew idiom that could have occurred almost at
any time in Greek. For example, σκεπάζω is apparently used in
the sense of 'conceal' in Ex. 2.2 (see p.77), a sense not
attested outside the LXX. Yet the development from 'cover' to
'conceal' is a natural one and is paralleled in καλύπτω.
Another example is the use of άλογος in the sense of 'not
counted' in Nu. 6.12 αί ήμέραι α'ι πρότεραι άλογοι έσονται (MT
2 3
). This use is not known elsewhere, but the etymology
would lead us to expect such a sense in this word; and compare
the sense 'unexpected' (i.e. 'not reckoned upon') in Th. 6.46
(LSJ s.v. III.l).
It is clear, then, that a number of the words and uses
not attested outside Biblical and related literature are likely
to have been part of the normal Greek vocabulary. The examples
considered above are of necessity only a selection, representing
the main types; many more could certainly be added. The total
number of such examples forms a significant proportion of all
the words and uses that would seem to be peculiar to Biblical
Greek if we judged by their present attestation alone.
(b) Nevertheless, when all the examples like the above
have been allowed for, there remain many words and uses that are
undoubtedly peculiar to Biblical Greek. Although there is dif­
ficulty in deciding in some instances, those that are likely to
be of this kind are for the most part easily recognized, and no
one would wish to argue that they could be anything other than
neologisms created by the Alexandrian Jewish community or the
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translators themselves in the course of their work.
22. cf. the fluctuation in Eng. 'burn'.
23. Note the idiomatic rendering of the Hebrew.
24. These have not been systematically studied, but many examples
have been noted before: see the works referred to above p. 11, n.l.