Question @ChatGPT: What are the reasons to believe that the NT writers quoted from the LXX and not the Hebrew Bible?
Answer: Great question! This issue is central in textual criticism and biblical studies. Scholars point out several reasons why it looks like the New Testament (NT) writers quoted primarily from the Septuagint (LXX), the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, rather than directly from the Hebrew text (MT = Masoretic Text).
Here are the main reasons:
Many NT quotations match the exact Greek wording of the Septuagint, including unique vocabulary and syntax, even where the Hebrew Bible says something different.
Example:
Hebrews 10:5 quotes Psalm 40:6:
LXX: "a body you prepared for me"
MT: "my ears you have opened"
The NT follows the LXX wording exactly.
Some NT arguments depend on the specific Greek wording of the LXX, which would not make sense if based on the Hebrew.
Example:
Hebrews 1:6 cites Deuteronomy 32:43: “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
This phrase appears in the LXX, but not in the Hebrew Masoretic Text.
Without the LXX, the NT writer couldn’t make this point.
Where the Hebrew and Greek differ significantly, the NT almost always follows the LXX reading, not the Hebrew.
Example:
Amos 9:11–12 (quoted in Acts 15:16–17):
MT: “possess the remnant of Edom”
LXX: “the rest of mankind”
James’ speech at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) depends on the LXX wording, which supports the inclusion of Gentiles.
Most NT writers were addressing communities in the Greek-speaking Roman world, not Hebrew-reading Jews in Palestine.
Using the LXX ensured their audience could understand the Scripture quotations.
The LXX was widely used in the Jewish diaspora, especially outside Judea (e.g., Alexandria, Antioch).
NT writers like Paul, who traveled in Greek-speaking regions, naturally used the Scriptures in Greek.
Sometimes NT writers show knowledge of both:
They mostly quote the LXX, but sometimes a citation seems closer to the Hebrew (or even a paraphrase).
This suggests they were aware of both traditions, but leaned heavily on the LXX.
✅ In summary:
The NT writers mainly quoted the Septuagint because (1) their wording matches it, (2) some arguments only
make sense with it, (3) they often side with the LXX against the Hebrew, and (4) their audience was Greek-speaking.
There are roughly ~300 distinct Old-Testament quotations in the New Testament, and the great majority of them follow the wording (or key readings) of the Greek Septuagint (LXX) rather than the Masoretic/Hebrew text. Rather than try to recreate every verse from memory here, below I:
point you to the best, near-exhaustive reference sources (so you can inspect primary data),
give a compact sample (10 representative examples) showing how the NT follows the LXX, and
explain the scope and what an “exhaustive listing” would include.
If you want a full, scholar-level inventory, these are the standard places to consult (they also show whether each NT citation aligns with the LXX or with the Hebrew/Masoretic tradition):
G. K. Beale & D. A. Carson (eds.), Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament — the multi-author commentary systematically lists and analyzes NT quotations and allusions and indicates textual affinities (LXX vs MT). Beale also authored Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament which is a concise, helpful companion. (Logos).
H. B. Swete, An Introduction to the Old Testament in Greek — classic work with lists and statistics of LXX quotations in the NT (older but still useful for raw lists). (Bible Hub).
Online compiled charts and tables (useful for quick lookup): Kalvesmaki’s NT-OT chart (side-by-side NT citation → LXX text) and the “List of 300 OT quotes in the NT” pages provide near-complete enumerations used by students. (Examples: kalvesmaki.com, bible.ca lists). (kalvesmaki.com).
Helpful summary articles and blog posts that collect LXX citations across the NT (useful for quick orientation): articles like “Septuagint quotes in the New Testament” collect examples and commentary. (Scripture Catholic).
These illustrate the pattern; they’re taken from the standard lists above.
Matthew 1:23 → Isaiah 7:14 — NT and LXX read parthenos (“virgin”); Hebrew has almah (“young woman”). (Matt follows LXX.) (kalvesmaki.com).
Matthew 3:3 / Mark 1:2 / Luke 3:4 → Isaiah 40:3 — NT wording matches the LXX arrangement used in the Gospels. (kalvesmaki.com).
Luke 4:18 → Isaiah 61:1 — Luke’s citation follows the LXX wording (“to proclaim release to the captives; recovery of sight to the blind”), not the Hebrew mt sense. (Medium).
Acts 15:16–17 → Amos 9:11–12 — the reading in Acts reflects the LXX (which permits the application to Gentiles, “the rest of mankind”) rather than the MT (“Edom”). This is a classic example where the LXX reading fits the theological point in Acts. (kalvesmaki.com).
Hebrews 10:5 (quoting Psalm 40:6) → LXX reads “a body you prepared for me” (which Hebrews quotes); the MT reads differently (“my ears you opened”). Hebrews follows the LXX. (Bible Hub).
Hebrews 1:6 (quoting Deut/Deut. 32:43 in LXX tradition) → NT citation follows an LXX verse that is absent from the MT, used to make a christological point. (Bible Hub).
1 Corinthians 1:19 (quoting Isaiah 29:14) → Paul’s wording aligns with the Old Greek (LXX) reading. (Koine-Greek).
Mark 7:6–8 (Jesus quoting Isaiah 29:13) → the verbal citation corresponds to the LXX rather than the MT. (Medium).
Hebrews 11:21 (Genesis 47:31) → NT follows the LXX reading (“bowing over the head of his staff”), which is not present in the Hebrew MT. (Scripture Catholic).
James 4:6 / Prov. 3:34 → James’ wording agrees with the LXX wording. (Scripture Catholic).
(These sample items are representative — the same sources list the full set of ~300 citations.)
A truly exhaustive spreadsheet would normally include, for each NT citation/allusion:
NT reference (book, chapter, verse)
OT reference (book, chapter, verse)
Text of the NT citation (Greek/English)
Text of the LXX reading (Greek/English)
Text of the MT/Hebrew reading (Hebrew/English) when different
A short note (“follows LXX”, “follows MT”, “LXX + MT agree here”, “NT paraphrase/combination”, etc.)
Bibliographic/source note (e.g., Swete, Beale, Kalvesmaki entry)
The three resources above already provide nearly all of these items; Beale/Carson’s Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament is the most scholarly single-volume resource, while Swete and the online tables give quick side-by-side comparisons.
G. K. Beale & D. A. Carson (eds.), Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament; G. K. Beale, Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. (Logos).
H. B. Swete, An Introduction to the Old Testament in Greek (lists of LXX quotations). (Bible Hub).
Kalvesmaki’s NT-OT side-by-side chart (useful table for quick comparison). (kalvesmaki.com).
“List of 300 Old Testament quotes in the New Testament” (compilation pages). (Bible.ca).