Verba Rara Amicorum Iob : The Greek rendering of Hebrew absolute hapax legomena in the speeches of Eliphaz , Bildad and Elihu in LXX job

From 2006 onwards, a new approach to study the translation technique of the different Septuagint (LXX) books has been developed in Leuven by Bénédicte Lemmelijn and Hans Ausloos: the contentand context-related approach (Ausloos & Lemmelijn 2010). This approach takes contentand context-related criteria, such as Hebrew hapax legomena (Ausloos 2009; Ausloos & Lemmelijn 2008, 2012; Lemmelijn 2014; Verbeke 2008), Hebrew wordplay (Ausloos, Lemmelijn & Kabergs 2012; Kabergs & Ausloos 2012) and Hebrew jargon-defined vocabulary (Beeckman 2019, 2020; Lemmelijn 2008), as a starting point. As these semantic and stylistic situations might have posed difficulties for the LXX translators (Lemmelijn 2014:137), the analysis of these criteria and their Greek rendering in the LXX can shed more light on the different translation techniques.


Introduction
From 2006 onwards, a new approach to study the translation technique of the different Septuagint (LXX) books has been developed in Leuven by Bénédicte Lemmelijn and Hans Ausloos: the content-and context-related approach (Ausloos & Lemmelijn 2010). This approach takes content-and context-related criteria, such as Hebrew hapax legomena (Ausloos 2009;Ausloos & Lemmelijn 2008Lemmelijn 2014;Verbeke 2008), Hebrew wordplay (Ausloos, Lemmelijn & Kabergs 2012; and Hebrew jargon-defined vocabulary (Beeckman 2019(Beeckman , 2020Lemmelijn 2008), as a starting point. As these semantic and stylistic situations might have posed difficulties for the LXX translators (Lemmelijn 2014:137), the analysis of these criteria and their Greek rendering in the LXX can shed more light on the different translation techniques.
Within the framework of this approach, several studies on the Greek rendering of Hebrew hapax legomena have been conducted (see supra). One of the more elaborate attempts is the (unpublished) doctoral dissertation of Elke Verbeke. In this work, Verbeke has analysed the Greek rendering of Hebrew absolute and non-absolute hapax legomena in Job. This examination has indicated that the LXX translator of Job dealt with hapaxes in a variety of ways, that is, by omission, transliteration, consistent rendering, association with a similar-looking word, contextual exegesis, approximate translation and paraphrasing (Verbeke 2011:369-416). However, she has only examined the hapax legomena and their Greek rendering in the dialogues between God and Job. Although the results of her analysis can be considered as an important contribution to the characterisation of the translation technique of LXX Job, an examination of the remaining hapax legomena in Job is necessary in order to obtain a more complete understanding of the translation technique of the LXX translator. Therefore, this article will analyse the Greek rendering of Hebrew absolute hapax legomena in the speeches of Job's friends, more specifically, those of Eliphaz, Bildad and Elihu. In the speech of Zophar, in chapter 11, only one hapax is found: ‫ח‬ ָ ‫ּפ‬ ‫מַ‬ (Job 11:20). 1 However, in this http://www.hts.org.za Open Access study we are only interested in absolute hapax legomena, as they have been called by Immanuel Casanowicz, who made a distinction between absolute and non-absolute hapaxes. Absolute hapax legomena are words that are derived from any other existing Hebrew lexeme. This is in contrast to nonabsolute hapax legomena that can be linked to an existing Hebrew lexeme. The hapax in the speech of Zophar cannot be considered as an absolute, but rather as a non-absolute hapax legomenon, as it is also recorded as such by Lisowsky and Greenspahn and not mentioned in Casanowicz's list (Verbeke 2011:115). Therefore, this hapax will not be discussed here. What will be discussed is the following.
Firstly, all the absolute Hebrew hapax legomena and their Greek rendering in the speeches of Eliphaz, Bildad and Elihu will be registered. Afterwards, these lexemes will be examined in order to discern whether the Greek rendering is because of the translation technique of the LXX translator, or rather to a different Hebrew Vorlage or to textual transmission of the Greek text. This way, this contribution aims at providing a more detailed description of the translation technique of LXX Job.

The registration of Hebrew absolute hapax legomena and their Greek rendering in the speeches of Eliphaz, Bildad and Elihu
Before registering the absolute Hebrew hapax legomena in the speeches of Eliphaz, Bildad and Elihu, it is necessary to indicate what we understand by the term 'absolute hapax legomena'. Derived from the Greek ἅπαξ λεγόμενα, hapax legomena are words that only occur once in a given corpus. Within the framework of this study, that takes the content-and context-related approach as a methodological approach, the corpus in question is the whole Hebrew Bible. Moreover, as already indicated in the introduction, this study examines the Greek rendering of Hebrew absolute hapax legomena.
Verbeke has made a list containing all the absolute and non-absolute Hebrew hapax legomena in the Hebrew Bible. This list is based upon four resources: BibleWorks, the works of Greenspahn (1984), Casanowicz (1904) and Lisowsky (1958). Next to an exhaustive list of hapaxes in the Hebrew Bible, Verbeke's list provides the reader with an overview on whether a hapax is labelled as an absolute or non-absolute hapax by a certain author (this distinction is not found in BibleWorks). As not every author agrees on whether a certain hapax is absolute or non-absolute, the following rules-of-thumb will be taken into consideration to determine whether a hapax is absolute or not.
Rule-of-thumb I: To discern whether a word is a hapax or not However, as we are only interested in the translation technique of the Old Greek (OG) translator of Job, the passages marked with an asterisk (※) in Ziegler's critical edition (Ziegler 1982) 2.As the Biblia Hebraica Quinta of Job, which is being prepared by Robert Althann, is forthcoming in 2021, MT is based upon the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensia: (Elliger & Rudolph 5 1977). For the LXX-version, the Septuagint text the Göttingen edition is used (Ziegler 1982 García Martínez et al. 1998:79-180) and some fragments (4QtgJob) have also been found (Milik 1977:90; see also Puech 2020).

The evaluation of Hebrew absolute hapax legomena and their Greek rendering in the speeches of Eliphaz, Bildad and Elihu
Now that we have registered all the Hebrew absolute hapax legomena in the speeches of Eliphaz, Bildad and Elihu, we will evaluate them. In order to do so, we need to discern whether the rendering in the LXX is because of the translator's activity, to a diverging Hebrew Vorlage or to a later redaction during the process of the textual transmission of the Greek text.
Before we start the evaluation, one final methodological remark should be made. As the study of hapax legomena concerns the field of lexicography, multiple Hebrew and Greek lexica have been consulted. 4 Nevertheless, one must keep in mind that the meaning ascribed to hapax legomena in lexica has often been influenced by different ancient translations of the Hebrew Bible such as the LXX itself (Ausloos 2013:294, 300;Muraoka 1991:212). As the meaning of Hebrew hapaxes is obscure and in many instances at least uncertain, lexicographers tend to look at the LXX translation in order to detract from their meaning. However, in the case of absolute hapaxes, although their meaning cannot be derived from an existing Hebrew root, scholars have often pointed at their affiliation with cognate languages such as Aramaic, Arabic and Syriac. If this is the case, their meaning can often be derived from these languages (as will be clear infra). Be that as it may be, in this study, we are not interested in hapax legomena as such, but rather, and in view of a more accurate characterisation of the translation technique of LXX Job, only in the way in which the LXX translator has dealt with them because they most probably have presented a difficult semantic situation (Ausloos 2013:326;Lemmelijn 2014:137;Verbeke 2011:lxii).

Job 4:10 ‫)נתע(‬
The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion and the teeth of the young lions are broken. 5 The strength of the lion and the voice of the lioness and the pride of dragons were extinguished. 6 3.In Ziegler's text, there are some verses that belong to the asterisked material, which are left unmarked. Therefore, Gentry (1995:31) has provided an updated list of the asterisked material in LXX Job. The list of Gentry is taken as a point of departure to discern the asterisked material in LXX Job for this study.

5.English translation of
When the hapax can be understood as a derivative from the root ‫,הלל‬ the rendering of σ΄ reflects a more adequate translation than LXX's σκολιός. Nonetheless, the meaning of σκολιός pertains to the same semantic field as ‫,הלל‬ because crookedness can be considered a consequence of folly (Cox, forthcoming). 10 Moreover, the LXX translator has rendered the second colon of this verse rather literally, 9.The root ‫הלל‬ entails multiple meanings. The most commonly known is 'to sing, to praise, to shout exultingly' but it can also mean 'to act like a madman, folly' and 'to begin to shine' (see Job 25:5 infra) (Koehler & Baumgartner 1953:235-236 The addition of the indefinite neutral pronoun τί ('any') which accompanies σκολιόν, is an addition by the LXX translator to emphasise that no single error or any crooked ways of God's angels are left unnoticed. By doing so, the LXX translation seems to stress the omniscience of God. 11 Distress and anguish terrify them; they prevail against them, like a king prepared for battle.
And distress and anguish will take hold of him; he will be like a general falling in the front rank.
So far, no one has given a well argumented answer to the question why the translator has opted for πίπτω as a rendering of ‫ידֹור‬ ‫.ּכִ‬ The hapax might have an affiliation with the Syriac (kdr, 'to disturb'), Akkadian (kadāru, 'to be overbearing, arrogant, spirited'; kadru, 'aggressive'; kadrūtu, 'aggressiveness') or Arabic (kadara, 'to throw down, to disturb, afflict, distress') (Seow 2013:719). Therefore, Seow concludes that the term 'should probably be understood to mean "aggression, attack, combat"' (Seow 2013 has interpreted the hapax in the same line of thought as the (Rabbinic) Targum's interpretation, that is, 'for battle', 'to die in battle' (Cox forthcoming). 12 In MT, distress and anguish are the subject of this verse. They are the ones that prevail against the wicked or impious such as a king ready for battle. However, in contrast to MT, the subject of the verse in the LXX remains the impious as introduced at the beginning of the cluster (15:20). Thus, although the LXX renders the verse differently and perhaps even struggled to translate the hapax, it seems that he has opted for a rendering that was fitting with the context of the verse. This kind of contextual rendering is a technique favoured by the LXX translator to render Hebrew hapax legomena, as has been demonstrated by Verbeke in her dissertation (Verbeke 2011:390-394 They will not be rich, and their wealth will not endure, nor will they strike root in the earth.
Neither shall he ever become rich, nor shall his possessions last. He shall not cast a shadow upon the ground.
The LXX renders the hapax ‫ֶה‬ ‫ל‬ ‫נְ‬ ‫מִ‬ by the Greek noun σκιά. According to Seow, ‫ֶה‬ ‫ל‬ ‫נְ‬ ‫מִ‬ either means 'possession' or 'root' (Seow 2013:722-723 Gerleman (1946:38-39) asserted that the translator has been influenced by the ancient tradition that the dead do not cast any shadow, which is attested in the writings of Plutarch.
They will not escape from darkness. Nor shall he escape darkness.
In this verse, the noun σκότος ('darkness') is used as a rendering of ‫ְך‬ ‫ׁשֶ‬ ‫חֹ‬ ('darkness'). Both lexemes, σκότος and σκιά, pertain to the same semantic domain and are even orthographically closely linked to one another. Moreover, σκότος and σκιά often appear as a word pair in the LXX in general (e.g. LXX Ps 106:10, Ps 106:14, Ob 9:79, Jr 13:16) and even occur three times in LXX Job (3:5, 12, 22; 28:3). Thus, the choice to render the obscure word ‫ֶה‬ ‫ל‬ ‫נְ‬ ‫מִ‬ by the Greek 12.The Aramaic reads: 'Distress and anguish terrify him; they surround him like a king who is ready for the bier'. Some variants read '… like one who is ready to be surrounded by legions' (Mangan 1991:47

‫לא[‬ ‫וכוכביא‬ ‫]זכי‬
If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his sight.
If he instructs the moon, then it does not shine, and the stars are not pure before him.
[] pure, and the stars are not [ The Hebrew hapax ‫אהל‬ in Job 25:5 is to be understood as a derivative of the Hebrew root ‫הלל‬ ('to shine') (BDB 1979:14;Clines 1993:142;Dhorme 1967:369). Just as in Job 31:26 and 41:10, the LXX translator rendered this verb with ἐπιφαύσκω ('to shine'), which only occurs in the LXX of Job (in the NT, it is only used once, namely in Eph 5:14), thus providing an adequate translation. Because this hapax might be linked to an existing Hebrew root, we cannot label it as an absolute hapax legomenon (as is the case in 4:18 supra). 13 So that their lives loathe bread, and their appetites dainty food.
And he shall not be able to take any edible bit of food.
The LXX only attests the first stich of verse 33:20. Stich b, that is, καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ βρῶσιν ἐπιθυμήσει, is marked with an asterisk and is not part of OG.
The Greek text of the LXX offers a completely different translation of the Hebrew text attested in MT. Concerning the hapax under examination, that is, ‫זהם‬ (which means 'be foul, loathsome', from the Aramaic ‫זהים‬ 'foul' [BDB 1979:263]), Dhorme (1967:498) and Beer (1897:211) argued that the Hebrew text originally read ‫ה‬ ‫ֲמָ‬ ‫ה‬ ‫זֹ‬ instead of ‫ּתּו‬ ֣ ‫מַ‬ ֲ ‫ה‬ ֽ ‫.זִ‬ Nonetheless, the LXX rendering does not provide an exact quantitative representation of the Hebrew of MT, but rather a paraphrastic one because the hapax in 33:20 is represented by the phrase οὐ μὴ δύνηται προσδέξασθαι (he will not be able to take or receive). If the translator paraphrased the Hebrew, he understood the hapax as 'something that cannot be eaten'. The negative connotation of ‫זהם‬ is thereby represented by the construction οὐ μὴ. However, it is hard to tell whether the LXX translator has provided a paraphrastic rendering of his Hebrew Vorlage, which might have resembled MT or whether his Vorlage has actually differed from MT. According to Seow (2011:168), the Hebrew hapax ‫פדע‬ should be read as ‫פרע‬ ('to loose', 'to free', and also possibly 'ransom'), because this is attested in MSS Kenn 206,454 and because the dalet and reš were 'graphically similar […] in the paleo-Hebrew script'. The hapax is attested in MT; in 4QJob a there is a lacuna. 11QtgJob, on the other hand, records ‫פצהי‬ which means 'to deliver', 'to save'. 14 According to the editors of DJD, this reading is based upon the reading of MT's ‫פדעהו‬ as ‫פדהו‬ (eds. García Martínez et al. 1998:132;see also Heater 1982:105).
The LXX provides a completely different reading from MT. One might think that the translator has elaborated this verse, because the Hebrew text is considerably shorter than the Greek one. However, the suggestion of the editors of DJD that 11QtgJob probably lacks two hemistichs that are missing in MT, implies that it might have reflected the Hebrew Vorlage of the LXX translator (eds. García Martínez et al. 1998:132). Even if this is the case, the LXX does not provide a rendering for ‫פדעהו‬ (MT) or ‫פדהו‬ (11 QtgJob). 15 In this verse, it seems that the LXX translator has ignored the hapax (perhaps because he did not know its meaning). Instead, he has elaborated on the negative image of flesh and bones that is introduced in 33:21 and contrasted it with a positive image in 33:24b: This contrasting elaboration of the image of the renewed body and bones is absent in MT's version of 33:24.
15.Contrary to Homer Heater, who believes it has been rendered in the LXX (Heater 1982:105 In 4QJob a , the last letters of the first word are attested, although they are barely readable. The editors of DJD XVI suggest that it cannot be a šin, but rather a reš-waw construction (eds. Ulrich et al. 2000:174). Thus, 4QJob a probably had a different reading for MT's ‫ׁ֣ש‬ ‫ֲפַ‬ ‫ט‬ ֽ ‫.רֻ‬ However, because the complete word is not attested, it is hard to discern what the word might have been. It might as well be a dittography of ‫.בשרו‬ The LXX renders ‫ׁש‬ ֣ ‫פַ‬ ֲ ‫ט‬ ֽ ‫רֻ‬ by ἁπαλύνω ('to soften'). The verb ἁπαλύνω only occurs three times in the LXX, that is, 2 Kings 22:19, Psalms LXX 54:22 and Job 33:25, as a rendering of the Hebrew verb ‫רכך‬ ('to be tender'). Seow (2011:169-170) argues that it is possible that the reš is a dittograph and that the root is ‫טפׁש‬ ('be unsensible', 'unfeeling' and often also translated by 'be fat') (see also BDB 1979:936), which also occurs in Ps 119:70 (LXX 118:70) (see also Dhorme 1967:503 and especially Altschüller 1886:212 who introduced this idea). However, one might argue that the fragmentary 4QJob a attests khaf-waw and that the Vorlage of the LXX translator recorded ‫רכו‬ as is the case in Ps 55:22 (MT). When looking at the fragment (i.e. plate 1116, fragment 5) itself, one can detect a little dot of ink under the waw that might reflect the presence of a khaf, certainly when compared with other khafs by the scribe's hand (see e.g. Job 32:4 in 4QJob a ). Thus, the LXX's Vorlage might have attested ‫רכך‬ and consequently, the LXX translator provided an adequate rendering (i.e. ἁπαλύνω).

‫להלבש{ו}א‬ ‫[התנ]דע‬ ‫גבורה‬ ‫עננה‬
Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of the one whose knowledge is perfect.
And he understands the division of the clouds and the extraordinary falls of the wicked.
[Do you kn]ow how to clothe His cloud with might?
The Hebrew hapax ‫ָׂש‬ ‫ל‬ ‫פְ‬ ‫מִ‬ has been rendered by the lexeme διάκρισις ('separation', 'dissolution') into Greek. MT attests a plural form whereas the LXX has a singular form.
Only Greenspahn records this hapax as an absolute hapax (it is not present in Casanowicz's list and Lisowsky labels it as a non-absolute hapax). However, the meaning of the hapax can be derived from the root ‫פלס‬ ('to smooth', 'to level', 'to balance') (cfr. BDB 1979:814;Clines 2001:432). Therefore, just as was the case in 4:18 ‫ָה)‬ ‫ֳל‬ ‫ה‬ ‫)ּתָ‬ and ‫אהל‬ (Job 25:5) supra, this absolute hapax cannot be labelled as such. It should rather be considered as a non-absolute hapax. Dhorme (1967:568) had suggested that the LXX read ‫ׂש‬ ָ ‫ל‬ ‫פְ‬ ‫מִ‬ as a form of ‫פרש‬ ('to make distinct', 'to divide'). This might be plausible because, as Cox argues (Cox forthcoming), the derivative verb of διάκρισις, that is, διακρίνω ('to decide', 'to judge', 'to distinguish'), is also used in Leviticus 24:12 as a rendering of ‫.פרש‬ By doing so, LXX provided an adequate rendering of the Hebrew lexeme. Moreover, in 37:15, the LXX refers to the creation of light out of darkness (φῶς ποιήσας ἐκ σκότους), which entails a division (i.e. light vs. darkness). Thus, the choice of the translator to render ‫ׂש‬ ָ ‫ל‬ ‫פְ‬ ‫מִ‬ by διάκρισις also reflects his stylistic attention for the literary context.