ISAIAH AND THE MESSIAH
The 'Septuagint' ('the
seventy', LXX) is the oldest Greek translation of the Old Testament of the Holy
Bible. It was translated from the original Hebrew Bible of the Jews. It was
started in about 280 BC at Alexandria under emperor Ptolemy II Philadelphus of
Egypt. He sent messengers to the High Priest of the Jews to send Holy Scriptures,
scholars and scribes to undertake the translation to be preserved in the large
library he planned at Alexandria. The High Priest selected about seventy
scholars (about six from each of the twelve tribes of Israel) and deputed them
to Alexandria. As the translation took about three centuries, the scholars of
the original team (70 or 72) were possibly replaced by others during the
progress of the translation.
One of the scholars who
translated the Scriptures from Hebrew to Greek was a learned priest by name 'Simeon'. He was entrusted with the
translation of the verses of the Book of Isaiah. When he reached the verse, Isaiah 7: 14, the Hebrew verse read as:
"Behold, a virgin (almah) shall
conceive and bear a son and name him Immanuel." Simeon doubted the
possibility of a virgin giving birth to a child. He thought for a long period
and substituted the correct Greek word for 'virgin'
(parthenos) by a different word in
Greek which means 'a young woman' . But miraculously, the word used by Simeon
was erased by an angel and replaced by the correct word for virgin (parthenos).
Simeon tried to change it again but the miracle occurred thrice and was
followed by a divine revelation to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that the miracle
of virgin birth was possible for God and that since he had doubted His divine
will, Simeon would not die before he had seen the Lord's promised Messiah {Luke
2: 26}, as the son of the Holy virgin, St. Mary.
Decades later, Simeon was led by
the Holy Spirit into the Temple when Joseph and Mary brought child Jesus for
the 'presentation'. Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:
"Now, Lord, you have kept your promise, and you may let your servant go in
peace. With my own eyes I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in
the presence of all peoples: a light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and
bring glory to your people Israel" {Luke 2: 27-35}.
This story teaches us that
no one is permitted to alter the words
of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. St. Paul warns the Galatians, "But even if we or an angel from
heaven should preach to you a gospel that is different from the one we preached
to you, may he be condemned to hell!" {Galatians 1: 8}.
This message is strongly emphasized in the
hymn, " Poulose Sleeha dhanyan cholketten ithevam..." sung before the
reading of the Epistles of St. Paul during the Holy Eucharist in the Antiochene
(Antiochian) liturgy that is followed by the Malankara Orthodox Church,
Jacobite Syrian Church and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. This meaningful
hymn may be translated and sung in the original tune as follows:
Poulose
Sleeha dhanyan cholketten ithevam...
(English translation by Prof. Dr. Babu Philip,
Email: [email protected])
Listen, St. Paul, Holy Apostle taught us,
"If someone comes and teaches
Against what we taught you well,
He will be cursed by the Church
Though he may be an angel."
Different versions of doctrines
May arise and spread in world.
Blest
is the one who stays firm
In
divine guidance of God.
Videos
of the hymn are available in the links given below:
...........................................................................................................................................................
© By: Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of
Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof.
Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally and
Leo. S. John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally,
Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
For more moral stories, parables and anecdotes for
students, catechists, teachers and preachers, kindly visit our web-sites:
This
is Story No. 236 in the second site. Please click ‘Older
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