Theodotion was an ancient scholar and translator, known primarily for his Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. His work is significant in the study of biblical texts and the history of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. Theodotion's translation is often considered a revision of the Septuagint, and it played a crucial role in the transmission and preservation of biblical texts.

Historical Context

Theodotion is believed to have lived in the 2nd century AD. He is often associated with Ephesus, a city in Asia Minor, though details about his life remain sparse. Theodotion's work emerged during a period when various Jewish and Christian communities were seeking to understand and interpret the Hebrew Scriptures in the Greek language, which was widely spoken throughout the Hellenistic world.

Translation Characteristics

Theodotion's translation is noted for its literal approach, often adhering closely to the Hebrew text. This characteristic made it a valuable resource for those seeking a more direct understanding of the original language. Unlike the Septuagint, which sometimes paraphrased or interpreted the Hebrew text, Theodotion's version aimed for a word-for-word translation, providing a more consistent rendering of Hebrew terms.

Influence and Usage

Theodotion's translation gained prominence in early Christian communities, particularly for its version of the Book of Daniel. The Septuagint's version of Daniel was considered unsatisfactory by some early Christians, leading to Theodotion's version being preferred and eventually incorporated into the Christian Old Testament canon. This preference is evident in the fact that many early Christian writers, such as Irenaeus and Origen, cited Theodotion's Daniel in their works.

Theodotion's influence extended beyond Daniel. His translation was one of the versions included in Origen's Hexapla, a critical edition of the Old Testament that compared six different versions of the text. This inclusion highlights the importance of Theodotion's work in the scholarly study of Scripture during the early centuries of the Church.

Theodotion and the New Testament

Theodotion's translation also impacted the New Testament writers. Some scholars suggest that certain quotations from the Old Testament found in the New Testament align more closely with Theodotion's translation than with the Septuagint. This alignment indicates that Theodotion's work was known and respected among early Christians, influencing their understanding and interpretation of Scripture.

Legacy

Theodotion's translation remains a subject of interest for biblical scholars and historians. His work provides insight into the textual history of the Old Testament and the ways in which Jewish and Christian communities engaged with Scripture in the early centuries. Theodotion's commitment to a literal translation reflects a desire to preserve the integrity of the Hebrew text while making it accessible to Greek-speaking audiences.

Scriptural References

While Theodotion's translation itself is not directly quoted in the Berean Standard Bible, the influence of his work can be seen in the broader context of biblical translation and interpretation. For example, the Book of Daniel, as found in the BSB, reflects the textual tradition that Theodotion helped to shape. The BSB's commitment to accuracy and clarity in translation echoes Theodotion's own approach to rendering the Scriptures faithfully.THEODOTION

the-o-do'-shi-un.

See LANGUAGE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT; SEPTUAGINT.

A vindication of the Prophecy in Isa. vii. 14 against the ...
... vii. 14 against the misinterpretations of Theodotion, Aquila, the Ebionites,
and the Jews. Authority of the Septuagint version. ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxi a vindication of the.htm

But Origen Also, You Will Tell Us, in Composing his Work Called ...
... 36. But Origen also, you will tell us, in composing his work called the Hexapla,
adopted the asterisks, taking them from the translation of Theodotion. ...
/.../36 but origen also you.htm

Date and Place of Writing.
... As to Theodotion's version, there is no reason to suppose that the portion
consisting of Susanna differs in date from the rest of the book. ...
/.../daubney/the three additions to daniel a study/date and place of writing.htm

Origen's Earnest Study of the Divine Scriptures.
... [1885] And in addition to the well-known translations of Aquila, [1886] Symmachus,
[1887] and Theodotion, [1888] he discovered certain others which had been ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xvi origens earnest study of.htm

Date and Place of Writing.
... Theodotion. ... Theodotion, IV.975b), shew that a version largely corresponding
with his existed at the time when these quotations were made. ...
/.../daubney/the three additions to daniel a study/date and place of writing 2.htm

In Reference to Daniel My Answer Will be that I did not Say that ...
... I also told the reader that the version read in the Christian churches was not
that of the Septuagint translators but that of Theodotion. ...
/.../33 in reference to daniel.htm

The Four Gospels.
... I do not ask what [5388] Aquila and [5389] Symmachus think, or why [5390] Theodotion
takes a middle course between the ancients and the moderns. ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/the four gospels.htm

Date and Place.
... Theodotion's version, so far as concerns the locality where it originated, shares
the obscurity which hangs over much of Theodotion's personal life. ...
/.../daubney/the three additions to daniel a study/date and place.htm

Title and Position.
... Rothstein in Kautzsch (p.172) thinks that this was not its original place, but the
one in which Theodotion fixed it, or perhaps that which found favour when ...
/.../daubney/the three additions to daniel a study/title and position 2.htm

Job.
... of my opponents, who charge my translation with being a censure of the Seventy;
as though Aquila among Greek authors, and Symmachus and Theodotion, had not ...
//christianbookshelf.org/jerome/the principal works of st jerome/job.htm

Theodotion
Theodotion. Theocracy, Theodotion. Theodotus . Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia THEODOTION. the-o-do'-shi-un. See LANGUAGE ...
/t/theodotion.htm - 6k

Susanna (1 Occurrence)
... So also in the Syro-Hexapla. In Codex Alexandrinus (Theodotion) it is
designated Horasis a (Vision I); see BEL AND THE DRAGON, sec. ...
/s/susanna.htm - 17k

Three (5005 Occurrences)
... is said that "Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego (Azariah) fell down bound into the
midst of the burning fiery furnace." [?] the version of Theodotion; see "Text ...
/t/three.htm - 18k

Bel (3 Occurrences)
... language of the Book. Theta (Theodotion's version) was produced probably
at Ephesus about 180 AD VIII. CANONICITY AND AUTHENTICITY ...
/b/bel.htm - 39k

Dragon (20 Occurrences)
... language of the Book. Theta (Theodotion's version) was produced probably
at Ephesus about 180 AD VIII. CANONICITY AND AUTHENTICITY ...
/d/dragon.htm - 56k

Esdras
... Septuagint version of Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, what exists in our present
Septuagint being another Greek translation, probably by Theodotion (fl, about ...
/e/esdras.htm - 29k

Ulai (2 Occurrences)
... u'-li, u'-lai ('ubhal 'ulay, "river Ulai"; Theodotion Daniel 8:2, Oubal, the Septuagint
and Theodotion in 8:16, Oulai Latin, Eulaeus): 1. The Name and Its Forms ...
/u/ulai.htm - 9k

Mauzzim
... The Septuagint (uncertainly), Theodotion, and the Geneva Version render
it as a proper name. Theodoret adopted Theodotion's reading ...
/m/mauzzim.htm - 7k

Breeches (6 Occurrences)
... Still, Aquila and Theodotion (sarabara), Septuagint in Daniel 3:27, Symmachus
(anaxurides), Peshitta, express the meaning "trousers" (of a looser kind than ...
/b/breeches.htm - 12k

Septuagint
... Revision of Hebrew Text circa 100 AD 3. Adoption of Septuagint by Christians 4.
Alternative 2nd-Century Greek Versions 5. Aquila 6. Theodotion 7. Symmachus and ...
/s/septuagint.htm - 38k

What is the book of Susanna? | GotQuestions.org

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