IV. δαθή ηIN THE SEPTUAGINT
d. The concept of testament
In Old Testament times there does not seem to have been in existence among the Hebrews the practice of disposing of one’s goods by means of a last will and testament, the matter being controlled by the laws of inheritance. But in later times the practice of testamentary disposition came into vogue, and the Greek word δ
αθή
η was transliterated into Hebrew to give the word for a will, diyyatêqê. Strack-Billerbeck have a long note explaining the Jewish law on the matter and referring to the Rabbinic sources for examples of its use, and it is sufficient simply to refer to their note.170 It may be of significance in interpreting the difficult New Testament passages, in which there is doubt as to whether the sense of δαθήη is ‘covenant’ or ‘testament’, that the Jews were at this time quite familiar with the concept of testament, and, indeed, had taken over the very Greek term used in the New Testament to describe it.
αθήη was transliterated into Hebrew to give the word for a will, diyyatêqê. Strack-Billerbeck have a long note explaining the Jewish law on the matter and referring to the Rabbinic sources for examples of its use, and it is sufficient simply to refer to their note.170 It may be of significance in interpreting the difficult New Testament passages, in which there is doubt as to whether the sense of δαθήη is ‘covenant’ or ‘testament’, that the Jews were at this time quite familiar with the concept of testament, and, indeed, had taken over the very Greek term used in the New Testament to describe it.