Restored from the Septuagint
1 Samuel
David and Goliath: the LXX tells a shorter, more coherent story.
References to God
780
Verses in LXX
811
Verses in MT
What Changed
The LXX version of 1 Samuel 17-18 (the David and Goliath narrative) is significantly shorter than the MT, missing about 44 verses. The MT version contains apparent contradictions (David is introduced to Saul twice, as if they had never met). The shorter LXX version reads more coherently. Qumran manuscript 4QSam(a) supports the shorter LXX reading in several places.
Theological Impact
The differences affect how David's faith and God's selection of him are presented. The LXX version provides a more focused narrative of God choosing the unlikely champion. Hannah's prayer (1 Samuel 2) also differs between LXX and MT in ways that affect its prophetic content.
What You're Missing
“The Lord shall give strength to our kings, and shall exalt the horn of his anointed.”
1 Samuel 2:10 (LXX)
Hannah's prayer in the LXX uses "kings" (plural) and "anointed" (Christos in Greek), a messianic reading. The MT has a slightly different emphasis. Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) clearly draws from the LXX version of this prayer.
New Testament Connections
These NT passages reference or echo the Septuagint version: