Septuagint Paradisus and Jesus’ Physical Resurrection Promise

The Greek word "paradisus," used in the New Testament when Jesus tells the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in Paradise," is a direct translation from the Hebrew term for "garden," specifically "gan" or "gan eden." This term originally refers to the Garden of Eden, described in the Hebrew Bible as the perfect place of communion with God—a lush, vibrant garden where life was intended to flourish. The ancient Jewish scholars who translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, known as the Septuagint, deliberately chose "paradisus" to convey this same concept of a divine, restored garden—a place of God's presence and life.

This linguistic choice is crucial for understanding the promise Jesus made. Rather than indicating a vague or purely spiritual realm, "paradisus" evokes the image of a restored, physical garden characterized by life, beauty, and intimate fellowship with God. The translators, deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and fluent in multiple languages, intentionally connected the promise of eternal life with the biblical imagery of the garden, reinforcing that this promise involves a future physical restoration rather than a disembodied spiritual existence.

This understanding aligns with the broader biblical narrative and the Jewish hope of resurrection. The Jewish expectation was not for souls to exist apart from the body but for the resurrection of the body itself—restored, renewed, and transformed at the end of days. The use of "paradisus" by the Septuagint translators supports this view, suggesting that the "garden" Jesus refers to is a real, physical place of renewal, echoing both the original Eden and the future hope of bodily resurrection.

The physical resurrection of Jesus further confirms this promise. Jesus’ resurrection involved his body waking from the dead, appearing to eyewitnesses in tangible form, showing his wounds, and eating with his disciples. These events demonstrate that resurrection entails a real, physical transformation consistent with the biblical imagery of a garden of restored life. The promise of being with Jesus in "paradisus" is therefore a promise of a future, physical reality—a re-creation of our bodies in a tangible place of divine life.

The connection between the Septuagint’s translation and Jesus’ promise provides a historical and biblical foundation for understanding resurrection as a physical event. It affirms that the resurrection is not merely spiritual but involves the re-creation of the body in a real, divine garden where life is fully renewed, fulfilling God’s original intention for creation. [01:05:09]

This article was written by an AI tool for churches, based on a sermon from Kingston Citadel, one of 60 churches in Boulder, CO