Project LXX

About Project LXX

Mission and Core Philosophy

The LXX Project is a dedicated effort to deliver a comprehensive, literal, and faithful modern English translation of the Septuagint—the Greek rendition of the Hebrew Scriptures and the authoritative Bible of the Early Church. This work is part of the broader The Greek Bible Project initiative, grounded in careful linguistic analysis and guided by deep reverence for the Scriptures.

This translation faithfully renders the ancient Greek text with precision, utilizing Alfred Rahlfs’ Septuaginta 1935 Critical Edition ¹ as the primary source. My method emphasizes applying linguistic fidelity and theological depth to bring the Septuagint’s richness to today’s readers, exclusively crafted for free distribution for e-Sword Bible software.

Translation Method and Fidelity

My approach to the LXX translation is grounded in a literal translation philosophy, allowing the Greek text to speak for itself while ensuring clarity in modern English. I strive to preserve the original meaning and grammatical structure, translating word-for-word where possible, even if it challenges contemporary idioms.

Special care is taken in the following areas to aid the reader:

• Linguistic Precision: Gender references and geographical terms like “Cush” are expanded to “Cush-Ethiopia” for necessary context.

• Theological Clarity: Theological terms such as ἁγιάζω (hagiázō), meaning ’to make holy’ or ’to set apart,’ are elaborated (e.g., ’set it apart and made it holy’) to aid readers unfamiliar with such language.

• Minimizing Interpretation: I endeavor to avoid interpretive paraphrasing, thereby preserving ambiguities in the Greek for readers to explore. While I aim to minimize theological bias, I realize that all translators have inherent theological perspectives. This bias will not always be immediately apparent but is present nonetheless, so readers are encouraged to study diligently and discern truth for themselves.

This rigorous, text-driven process blends theological insight with linguistic analysis. I leverage AI tools like Gemini, Grok, and ChatGPT for lexical studies and cross-referencing, but every decision reflects my personal years of Scripture study and detailed understanding of Greek grammar—including verb forms, subjects, modifiers, and syntactical relationships.

The translation is meticulously checked against one or more available English Septuagint versions, including Brenton’s (1851), Apostolic Bible Polyglot, A New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS), and the Lexham English Septuagint, Second Edition.

Companion Notes Philosophy

The notes accompanying the LXX Project apply the same linguistic precision and contextual insight. They are formatted consistently with theological commentary and cross-references to illuminate Scripture’s connections.

My text-driven analysis prioritizes Greek meanings and phrases, challenging traditional interpretations when they conflict with the text or broader scriptural evidence. For instance, Gen_1:2’s ἦν ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος (ēn aórātos kai akataskeuastos) is clarified as “invisible and unformed,” avoiding unsupported terms like “chaotic.” These detailed notes equip readers with tools to engage the original language, fostering a study environment where Scripture interprets itself.

Copyright and Free Distribution

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND). Most of my published works also fall under this same, restrictive copyright.

This license permits content to be freely shared for personal and teaching use, provided that proper credit is given, no modifications are made, and the materials are not used for commercial purposes. For additional permissions or inquiries, please consult the full license page.

This work is being released freely based on the principle of giving freely what has been freely received: 1 Corinthians 4:7 (“What do you have that you did not receive?”) and Matthew 10:8 (“Freely you have received; freely give.”).

Distribution Schedule: As each book of the LXX is fully completed, the finalized modules for both the Bible text and the companion notes will be made available through BibleSupport.com, a respected host for thousands of free e-Sword modules. However, as individual chapters are completed, those modules will be released earlier and made available directly on this site via the Project Blog, Announcements and Releases section. Simple video tutorials are provided to show users how to easily add these modules to their e-Sword library.