Faith and Faithfulness (Part 5)

This is the fifth in a series of studies on the topic of faith and faithfulness.  (If you are coming to this page from a search engine, I recommend this link for table of contents of the topics covered in this series.)

The use of pistis in the Septuagint Song of Songs 4:8 is unusual; other translations take amanah (‏אמנה – H549) as a name and not something to be translated.  The Revised CATSS Hebrew/Greek Parallel Text (edited by Emanuel Tov and Frank Polak) notes on this text attributes the difference to a "difference in vocalization (pronunciation tradition)."  (Without vowels, one of the spelling alternatives of emunah— faithfulness, H530— is the same as amanah.)

Song 4:8 KJV – Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

Song 4:8 NETS (Septuagint translation) – Come here from Lebanon, O bride; come here from Lebanon.  You shall come and pass through from the beginning of Faithfulness, from the head of Sanir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from leapards' mountains.

Most translations of Hosea 2:20 use the word faithfulness.  As with previous uses of pistis in the Septuagint, the word is better understood as loyalty, reliability and fidelity than as belief.

Hos 2:20 KJV – I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

Hos 2:20 NET – I will commit myself to you in faithfulness; then you will acknowledge the LORD.

Hos 2:20 GOD's Word – I will be true to you, my wife. Then you will know the LORD.

So far, we have looked at all the texts where the Septuagint uses the word pistis except for Habakkuk 2:4.  This is an interesting text because it is quoted in the New Testament (Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11, Heb 10:38) and because the Septuagint differs from the Hebrew text in a significant way.  The first set of texts below are the English texts translated from Hebrew along with the Hebrew text.  Following that, separated by a line, is the Greek text of the Septuagint followed by English translations of the Septuagint.  The difference between the Hebrew and Greek that I want to emphasize is the "his faith/faithfulness" of the Hebrew texts and the "my faith/faithfulness" of the Greek texts.

Hab 2:4 KJV – Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Hab 2:4 NASB – Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.

Hab 2:4 Douay-Rheims – Behold, he that is unbelieving, his soul shall not be right in himself: but the just shall live in his faith.

Hab 2:4 NET – Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion,    but the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness.

Hab 2:4 BBE – As for the man of pride, my soul has no pleasure in him; but the upright man will have life through his good faith.

Hab 2:4 GOD's Word – Look at the proud person. He is not right in himself. But the righteous person will live because of his faithfulness.

Hab 2:4 YLT – Lo, a presumptuous one! Not upright is his soul within him, And the righteous by his stedfastness liveth.

Hab 2:4 ESV margin – Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faithfulness.

Hab 2:4 Hebrew – ‏הנה עפלה לא ישרה נפשו בו וצדיק באמונתו יחיה׃

Hab 2:4 Hebrew (readable transliteration) – hineh uplah lo yashrah naphsho bo v'tzadiq be'emunato yichyeh

Hab 2:4 Hebrew (academic transliteration) – hinnê ʿuppᵉlâ lōʾ-yāšᵉrâ nap̱šô bô wᵉṣaddı̂q beʾᵉmûnāṯô yiḥyeh

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Hab 2:4 Septuagint – εαν υποστειληται, ουκ ευδοκει η ψυχη μου εν αυτω· ο δε δικαιος εκ πιστεως μου ζησεται. 

Hab 2:4 Septuagint (transliteration) – ean yposteilētai, ouk eudokei ē psychē mou en autō; o de dikaios ek pisteōs mou zēsetai.

Hab 2:4 NETS (Septuagint translation) margin – If it draws back, my soul is not pleased in it.  But the just shall live by my faithfulness.

Hab 2:4 Brenton (Septuagint translation) – If he should draw back, my soul has no pleasure in him: but the just shall live by my faith.

The difference can be easily explained when we look at the Hebrew word closely.  The Hebrew that is translated "by his faith/faithfulness" is:

 ‏באמונתו

Compare it with the following Hebrew which means "by my faith/faithfulness":

‏באמונתי

It is simply a change of suffix on the word from a vav (ו) to a yod (י).  Notice how the letters are similar, but with the vav having a longer downward stroke.

The change of the suffix is consistent with other Old Testament texts.  Compare Habakkuk 2:4 with with Psalms 89:24,23:

Ps 89:24 KJV – But my faithfulness (‏אמונתי) and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

Ps 89:33 KJV – Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness (‏באמונתי) to fail.

I am not saying that one form of Habakkuk 2:4 is more correct than the other, but rather, that both the Hebrew and Greek variants are reasonable and consistent with other Biblical texts. 

Psalm 89 is a great "faith/faithfulness" chapter; it uses the Hebrew word emunah (faith/faithfulness – H530) seven times.  Here are the seven verses (NKJV) from Psalm 89 that contain the word emunah.  (Keep in mind that this is exactly the same word as used in Habakkuk 2:4— the text that is quoted in three important faith texts of the New Testament.)

Ps 89:1     I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever;
    With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
Ps 89:2     For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;
    Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”
Ps 89:5     And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD;
    Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.
Ps 89:8     O LORD God of hosts,
    Who is mighty like You, O LORD?
    Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
Ps 89:24     “But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
    And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
Ps 89:33     Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,
    Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
Ps 89:49     Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses,
    Which You swore to David in Your truth?

I recommend a reading of the whole chapter.  This chapter points us in the right direction.  The emphasis is on the faithfulness of God rather than on our own faith or belief.   Can we find God's faithfulness in the New Testament faith texts?  We will look at that topic in a future study in this series.