Why is αρχή plural in Genesis 1:16?

[Brandon]

In Genesis 1:16 LXX, ἀρχή is ἀρχάς, acc. fem. pl. both times. I would have expected ἀρχήν. Why is it plural?

Here is the text of Gen 1:16 from LXX:

καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ ϑεὸς τοὺς δύο ϕωστῆρας τοὺς µεγάλους τὸν ϕωστῆρα τὸν µέγαν εἰς ἀρχὰς τῆς ἡµέρας καὶ τὸν ϕωστῆρα τὸν ἐλάσσω εἰς ἀρχὰς τῆς νυκτός καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας.

[Jason Hare]

Hi, Brandon.

As a matter of housekeeping, please contact a moderator so that we can get your username to conform to the forum police.

I'm not sure why it would read εἰς ἀρχάς instead of εἰς ἀρχήν. I had never really thought of it. I've asked in another group, too, to put out feelers for opinions. Perhaps people have commentaries on the Septuagint.

[timothy_p_mcmahon]

Is it possible the LXX translators read memshelet as memshalot and took that as a plural form?

[Ken M. Penner]

Is it possible the LXX translators read memshelet as memshalot and took that as a plural form?

That is correct.

Genesis 1.16

LXX Genesis 1.16.png (132.11 KiB) Viewed 15032 times

[Barry Hofstetter]

Is it possible the LXX translators read memshelet as memshalot and took that as a plural form?

That is correct.

I mentioned the same thing in the "other group." Here as there I will also mention that the plural for the singular would not be that jarring in Greek, as you occasionally see it other contexts (most often poetry, but not limited to poetry).