Stuart D. Chepey, «Samson the ‘Holy One’: A Suggestion Regarding the Reviser’s Use of a#gioj in Judg 13,7; 16,17 LXX Vaticanus», Vol. 83 (2002) 97-99

While the use of the Greek term a#gioj, ‘holy one’, as a reference to Samson and rendering of the Hebrew religious technical term ryzn, ‘Nazirite’, in LXX^B Judg 13,7 and 16,17 seems odd given their lexical disparity, an association between the terms does occur in the law for the Nazirite to be holy respecting the growth of hair in Num 6,5.8. A contextual similarity between the Numbers passage and Judg 13,5.7 and 16,17 occurs in that Samson is accorded only one proscription — the use of a razor upon his head. It is likely therefore, perhaps as a way of introducing a new and unintelligible term, that the reviser of LXX^B Judg followed the word association made in Num 6,5.8 and used the two terms, nazir in 13,5 and a#gioj in 13,7 and 16,17, interchangeably in his version of the Samson story.

of the era. LXX^A, on the other hand, represents a much later version similar in character to Origen’s Hexaplaric recension of the third century AD³. An early date respecting the reading in LXX^B is suggested by its probable use in the Synoptic Gospels. Matthew and Mark, for instance, both create a play-on-words based on the LXX^B version of Samson when referring to the various titles of Jesus, e.g. ‘Nazarene’ (Matt 2,23) and ‘Holy One of God’ (Mark 1,18)⁴. Luke also seems to create a peculiar play on the reference when recording the annunciation of John the Baptist’s birth, ‘he will be filled with the holy spirit from the womb’ (Luke 1,15).

        One possibility for the reading in LXX^B 13,5.7 and 16,17 is the use of a Hebrew Vorlage other than MT. Against this, among available Hebrew MSS we have none that agree with LXX^B on these points. Further, there is no agreement between LXX^B and the other extant versions that would suggest the availability of a competing Hebrew reading. Some other solution, therefore, must account for the odd rendering.

        Two partial solutions have been offered by Pretzl and more recently, Zuckschwerdt. According to Pretzl, the reviser introduced nazir in 13,5 but then replaced it with a more familiar and intelligible term, a#gioj, in 13,7 and 16,17 ⁵. Zuckschwerdt, on the other hand, suggests an influence of the practice of Kethib-Qere, wherein the reviser followed in one instance (13,5) what was written in his Vorlage, but in 13,7 and 16,17 in Greek what was normally read in its place — #dq = a#gioj⁶. Pretzl’s hypothesis is the more likely of the two, for it is doubtful the practice of the sixth-century AD Masoretes was active at the time our reading was composed ⁷. Furthermore, if there was such a Kethib-Qere rendering for ryzn it certainly fell out of practice, as there is no trace of it where one might expect to find it, in either the Masora or the rabbinic targum tradition. Neither of these hypotheses provides an adequate answer to the question at hand.

        A solution may be found in Num 6,5.8. Within the Judg narrative only one proscription is assigned to Samson, the cutting of his hair. Abstinence from wine, strong drink and unclean food is assigned to his mother, but for Samson specifically, only the prohibition against the use of a razor is mentioned (13,5.7; 16,17). Interestingly, it is in the context of the proscription against cutting the hair that the legislation for the Nazirite vow in Num 6,1-21 describes the Nazirite as holy. Num 6,5 states, ‘all the days of his separation no razor shall come upon his head, ... he shall be holy (a#gioj e!stai — LXX; hyhy #dq — MT), allowing his hair to grow long’. Similarly, in Num