As the Septuagint does not deviate here from the Hebrew, the Apostle must have followed
some Rabbinical tradition.
There were many
Rabbinical Traditions that were added to these, and were not based in Love, when Messiah came 2000 years ago, and He challenged the Pharisees on these.
This last point reaches the heart of the matter, for the most characteristic feature of the gospel tradition, especially in contrast with Jewish
rabbinical tradition, is the remarkable freedom which the transmitters of that tradition exercise in regard to it.
It is conceivable that John was also influenced by a number of other Old Testament or
rabbinical traditions; namely the Semitic understanding of the term «word», dabar, and the identification of Wisdom with the Torah.
Back in grad school I read somewhere that there was
a rabbinical tradition that it was a dog that God gave Cain to protect him in Gen 4... hence the beginning of man's best friend (as well as the inspiration of the Cain / dog relationship in the Kung Fu series).
There is
a rabbinical tradition that the Ten Commandments were issued by God in the several languages of the seventy nations of antiquity.
But
the rabbinical tradition suggests something more complicated.
Not exact matches
If you want a Christian resource on this, check out any book by Brad Young, a well known Christian authority on Hebrew, Jewish
traditions, and
Rabbinical teachings.
Shalom Carmy is chair of Bible and Jewish Philosophy at Yeshiva College and editor of
Tradition, the theological journal of the
Rabbinical Council of America.
Shalom Carmy is editor of
Tradition, the theological journal of the
Rabbinical?
♦ Shalom Carmy reflects on our responses to immigrants in his editor's column for the spring number of
Tradition, the Orthodox Jewish journal published by the
Rabbinical Council of America.