Note: The author of course is God, breathing the Holy Spirit- however I have a theory that I lean to on the human transcriber of this amazing book of the Bible. As I’ve been studying Hebrews again, one observation keeps capturing my attention: the writer of Hebrews is reading the Old Testament in Greek, not Hebrew.
That may sound like a technicality, but once you begin to notice it, it opens up a world of interpretive insight—and it even adds weight to the question of who wrote this incredible book.
LXX and MT—Two Old Testaments?
The traditional Old Testament is preserved in what’s called the Masoretic Text (MT)—the authoritative Hebrew version, carefully copied by Jewish scribes for centuries. Most of our modern English translations (like the ESV, NASB, and NIV) are based on this Hebrew text.
But long before Jesus walked the earth—around the 3rd to 2nd century BC—a group of Jewish scholars in Alexandria translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. That translation is known as the Septuagint, or LXX (named for the tradition of 70 translators).
The Septuagint became the standard Bible for Greek-speaking Jews scattered throughout the Roman Empire. And when the New Testament writers quoted Scripture, especially when writing to a Greek-speaking audience, they often used the Septuagint.
It used to bother me when I looked up quoted OT verses in the New Testament. I would go back and read the referenced text and it read differently in places.... but God was faithful to strengthen me as I dug into it. If you are ever reading the Bible and it seems mysterious, or contradictory, pray to the Lord and in time He will strengthen you. That has been my experience now for over 40 years!
Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in Hebrews 1.
Example 1: Hebrews 1:7 and Psalm 104:4
In Hebrews 1:7, the writer quotes Psalm 104:4:
Hebrews 1:7 (quoting the Septuagint/ LXX):
ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα
"He makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire."
Compare that to the Hebrew Masoretic Text of Psalm 104:4:
Psalm 104:4 (Hebrew - Masoretic Text/ MT):
עֹשֶׂה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת מְשָׁרְתָיו אֵשׁ לֹהֵט
"He makes the winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants."
The word order and subject-object relationships differ. In the Hebrew, winds and fire are made into God’s messengers and ministers. But in the Septuagint (and Hebrews), the angels themselves are turned into wind and fire.
It’s a subtle difference, but in Hebrews, the emphasis is on the angels as created, elemental forces—changeable, majestic, but not eternal. That sets up the contrast with the Son in verse 8, who is addressed as God, seated on an eternal throne.
Example 2: Hebrews 1:6 and Deuteronomy 32:43
Hebrews 1:6 provides a fascinating example of how the New Testament relies on the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, revealing a striking difference from the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT):
Hebrews 1:6 (quoting the LXX):
καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ
"Let all God’s angels worship Him."
This quotation is drawn from Deuteronomy 32:43, but the differences between the Hebrew and Greek texts are significant.
In the Hebrew Masoretic Text, Deuteronomy 32:43 reads:
הַרְנִינוּ גוֹיִם עַמּוֹ כִּי־דַם עֲבָדָיו יִקּוֹם...
"Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants..."
Notably, the Hebrew text makes no mention of angels or worship, focusing instead on nations rejoicing and God’s vengeance.
However, the Septuagint expands the verse significantly:
εὐφράνθητε, οὐρανοί, ἅμα αὐτῷ, καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ
"Rejoice, O heavens, with Him, and let all God’s angels worship Him."
This additional material in the Greek—absent in the Masoretic Text—introduces the heavens and all God’s angels worshiping Him. This provides the author of Hebrews with a powerful prooftext to demonstrate the Son’s superiority, as even angels are called to worship Him (Hebrews 1:4–14). This interpretive angle is simply not available in the Hebrew text.
This lead to a thought and some research.....
Why the difference?
The Septuagint may reflect a different Hebrew source text or a theological expansion by its translators. Notably, fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls include a longer version of Deuteronomy 32:43 that aligns more closely with the LXX, mentioning "sons of God" or "heavenly beings," which could correspond to "angels." This suggests the LXX’s reading may preserve an older or alternative tradition.
So What Does This Tell Us About the Author?
The reliance on the Septuagint here is not an isolated case. The author of Hebrews frequently draws on the LXX (e.g., Psalm 95:7–11 in Hebrews 3:7–11), reflecting its widespread use in early Christianity. This example underscores how textual traditions shaped New Testament theology, particularly in affirming the Son’s divine status. Throughout Hebrews, the author uses the Septuagint’s structure and phrasing—even when it differs from the Hebrew Masoretic Text. This tells us that the author:
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He read and interpreted the Old Testament in Greek.
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He was comfortable building theological arguments from the Greek translation, even when it deviated from the Hebrew.
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He was highly literate, skilled in rhetoric, and familiar with Jewish traditions from a Greek-speaking context.
And that leads me to the question of authorship.
Why I Lean Toward Apollos
There are many theories about who wrote Hebrews. It’s anonymous for a reason—perhaps intentionally—but the internal clues point toward someone like Apollos.
In Acts 18:24–28, we meet Apollos:
“Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures... fervent in spirit... he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.”
That sounds like someone who could write Hebrews. Apollos was:
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From Alexandria, where the Septuagint was produced and widely used.
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A gifted communicator, eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures.
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Trained enough in theology to defend the Messiahship of Jesus from the Old Testament.
He’s mentioned again in 1 Corinthians, where Paul praises him as a fellow minister of the gospel, even acknowledging that some people in Corinth preferred Apollos’s preaching style: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Cor. 3:6).
Martin Luther was one of the first to suggest Apollos as the author of Hebrews, and that influenced me of course! Apollos fits the context: a Hellenistic Jew, steeped in Scripture, educated in the Greco-Roman world, and able to write with force, depth, and beauty.
Does Not Damper My High View of Scripture
I’m struck by how God uses such different voices to reveal His Word. Sometimes it’s the earthy boldness of Peter, or the passionate logic of Paul. And sometimes (possibly) it may be a brilliant Alexandrian preacher who burns with Scripture and sees Jesus woven through every line.
Hebrews may remain anonymous, but the fingerprints of a teacher like Apollos are all over it. And even if we never know for sure, the clarity and majesty of its message remain: the Son is supreme, eternal, and worthy of worship—even by the angels.
And let me say this clearly—none of this study diminishes my high view of Scripture. On the contrary, it deepens it. Seeing how God sovereignly used languages, translations, cultures, and people to bring His truth to light only increases my awe. I more fully embrace the providence of God to produce, protect, and promote His Word across centuries and empires.
This isn’t textual trivia—it’s treasure. Beautiful, rich, Spirit-breathed treasure. The kind that rewards those who dig deeply and invites us to place holy thoughts in our imaginations. The Word of God is not brittle or fragile—it is alive, multi-layered, and full of glory.
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post script:Scholars who are skeptical of inspiration or divine authorship sometimes say things like:
“The New Testament misquotes the Old Testament.”
“The NT writers build theological arguments on mistranslations.”
“Scripture evolved, and these changes show human error.”
They often point to places like Hebrews 1:6 or 1:7, where the Septuagint and Hebrew text diverge.
On the surface, it can feel unsettling. After all, if Hebrews 1:6 quotes a line about angels worshiping Christ that isn’t in the Hebrew Old Testament, how can we say the Bible is consistent?
But this is where we need to move from fear to faith—and into deeper study.
The New Testament Writers Knew What They Were Doing
The writers of the New Testament weren’t careless with Scripture. They were using the Scripture available to their audience—and for Greek-speaking Jews and Christians throughout the Roman Empire, that meant the Septuagint.
The Septuagint wasn’t a random or flawed translation—it was the Word of God in Greek, translated by devout Jewish scholars, centuries before Jesus. It was recognized and trusted, and in many cases, it even reflects an older or alternate Hebrew textual tradition that may have been lost in the MT stream.
So when Hebrews quotes the LXX, it’s not an error. It’s a Spirit-inspired use of the Word of God as received and known in that time and context.
Theological Arguments Still Stand
Even when the wording is different, the doctrinal point remains intact—or is even enhanced. In the case of Hebrews 1:
Psalm 104:4 in Greek emphasizes angels as changeable forces—supporting the contrast with Christ’s eternal throne.
Deuteronomy 32:43 in Greek includes the worship of angels—fitting beautifully with Hebrews’ theme of Christ’s supremacy.
These are not manipulations or dishonest proof-texts. They are legitimate, Spirit-led readings of God’s Word, consistent with the unfolding revelation of Jesus Christ.
God’s Sovereignty Over the Whole Process
God is not limited by language barriers or textual variants. He was working through scribes, translators, apostles, and even diverse manuscripts to bring His truth to the world. The fact that a book like Hebrews—so rich, complex, and Christ-exalting—uses the Greek Scriptures as its foundation is not a problem.
Faithful Christians Have Always Affirmed This
Even early Church Fathers, Reformers, and modern scholars who hold a high view of inspiration and inerrancy have understood this issue.
Augustine and Jerome debated the Latin Bible's use of Greek vs. Hebrew texts—but both saw God at work in the process.
Luther, who leaned on the Hebrew Bible for translation, still believed Apollos could have written Hebrews using the LXX.
Today, most evangelical scholars affirm that the truth and authority of Scripture are preserved—not in identical wording across all versions, but in the Spirit-guided message and unity of God’s Word.
