THREAD: Subtle wordplay in Hebrews

The author of Hebrews (and, indeed, many New Testament authors) has often been accused of 'mangling' the Old Testament, especially as he quotes from it. This is true of his famous quotation from Psalm 40:6–8 in Hebrews 10:5–7:

'Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,

Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me
[σῶμα δὲ καρτηρτίσω μοι],
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.'

'Then I said, "Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'"

If we examine the original psalm in our English Bible, we discover that the substitution of 'ears' for 'body' is the most obvious change (though not the only one).

The MT reads: אָזְנַיִם כָּרִ֣יתָ לִּ֑י 'you have dug for me ears' (= 'you have given me an open ear'). Consulting the Old Greek, we read: ὠτία δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι ('you have prepared ears for me'). What is one to make of this change?

In my opinion, the definitive work on this passage has been done by Karen Jobes, in a brilliant 1992 article ( http://www.karenjobes.com/.../TrnJ,_function_of...). She suggests that the author was not hiding anything from his readership, nor was he attempting to adjust the original meaning.

The original meaning has not been shoe-horned so as to fit his exegesis. Rather, Jobes detects in this quotation rather conspicuous evidence of paronomasia (a kind of deliberate word-play based on similar sounds).

This word-play was intended to make a contrastive point from the Old Testament. She lays out the key portion of the quotation in syllables, structured chiastically (see the image below). Note the key substitution of ὠτία for σώμα δὲ.

The point being made is that David's obedience to God––his 'open ear'––laudible as it was, could not *really* end the sacrificial system. In fact, he could have perfectly obeyed, and it would still not have mattered.

However, the perfect obedience of Christ in offering his body unto death is what really gave true meaning to the words of the Old Testament, often repeated in the prophets: "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired."

Notice also the substitution of ᾔτησας 'you have asked' for εὐδόκησας 'you have been pleased in.' This completes the argument, fitting sound to intended meaning.

Jobes argues that this particular substitution is very apt as a NT designation of Christ (think, for example, of the Father's approval at Jesus' baptism: 'This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased [εὐδόκησα].')

Jesus Christ really is superior in every respect.

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