Does James and Peter Misquote Scripture in James 4:6 & 1st Peter 5:5?

By: Matthew D. Dyer

    Have you ever read a passage in the New Testament that is supposed to be quoting the Old Testament, and you go over to the Old Testament and read that passage and it either isn’t a direct quote or it sounds completely unrelated to the passage you just read in the New Testament? If you have, you are not alone. In most cases, the New Testament writers are quoting from the Greek Old Testament, what is called the Septuagint (LXX), rather than the Hebrew Masoretic Text and that is why it is worded differently. The Septuagint is quoted most of the time in New Testament verses that are quoting Old Testament passages.

For example, in James 4:6 (KJV) it states:
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

    The question to ask here is “who saith God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble?” Because if you look in your Hebrew Old Testament (based on the Masoretic Text) you will not find this quote anywhere. We even see this quoted again by the Apostle Peter in one of his Epistles.

1st Peter 5:5 (KJV) states:
“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”

    Now if you have a cross-reference Bible you may see a reference to Proverbs 3:34, or if you look up a commentary on either of these verses it may state that this quotation concerning God resisting the proud and giving grave to the humble is a direct quote of Proverbs 3:34. Let’s see what that verses says:

Proverbs 3:34 (KJV) states:
“Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.”

    It doesn’t take a Biblical scholar to see that this passage in Proverbs is not a direct quote of the verse in the Book of James or the Epistle of 1st Peter…. unless you look at Proverbs 3:34 in the Greek Septuagint.

Proverbs 3:34 (The Brenton Septuagint) states:
“The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble.”

Proverbs 3:34 (Apostolic Bible Polyglot) states:
“The LORD resists the proud, but gives favor to the humble”

Proverbs 3:34 (Charles Thomas Septuagint) states:
“The Lord resisteth the proud; but he granteth favour to the humble.”

    We found our answer! Both James and Peter were quoting from the Greek Septuagint, and not from the Hebrew Masoretic Text, and therefore not misquoting Scripture.