My Rock and my salvation: the Septuagint's skittishness

One of the peculiar features of the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament (LXX) is the translators' reluctance to use the metaphor of rock to refer to God. There appears to be no scholarly consensus as to why this is, although there are plausible explanations. Perhaps the Alexandrian Jews had ceased to use these metaphors as they read aloud the text, much as post-exilic Jews were substituting Adonai (LORD) whenever they saw the divine name for God, YHWH. Living amongst pagans, Alexandrian Jews might have been especially sensitive about language used for God so as not inadvertently to tempt their neighbours into idolatry. When I mentioned this peculiarity of the LXX to my late father, who grew up speaking Greek in Cyprus and had studied Koine Greek, without missing a beat he responded that this was because the idols of the pagans were made of stone, which made the rock metaphor off limits to believers. I cannot, of course, judge the validity of his claim, but I assume this reflects teaching in the Orthodox Church in which he grew up.

Below I have posted all of the metaphorical uses of rock in the biblical Psalter. After the chapter and verse numbers I have put the Revised Standard Version's rendering, followed by that of the New English Translation of the Septuagint. The word rock is in boldface, as is the word the LXX/NET offers as a substitute.

Psalm 18:2
RSV: The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
NET: The Lord is my firmness and my refuge and my rescuer; my God is my helper, and I will hope in him, my protector and horn of my deliverance, my supporter.

Psalm 18:31
RSV: For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?—
NET: because, who is god except the Lord? And who is god besides our God?—

Psalm 18:46
RSV: The Lord lives; and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation,
NET: The Lord lives! And blessed be my God, and let the God of my deliverance be exalted,
 
Psalm 19:14
RSV: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
NET: And the sayings of my mouth shall become good pleasure, and the meditation of my heart is before you always, O Lord, my helper and my redeemer.

Psalm 28:1
RSV: To thee, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the Pit.
NET: To you, O Lord, I cried; my God, do not pass me by in silence, lest you pass me by in silence and I shall be like those who go down into a pit.
 
Psalm 31:2
RSV: Incline thy ear to me, rescue me speedily! Be thou a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!
NET: Incline your ear to me; be quick to deliver me. Become to me a protector-god and a house of refuge, to save me,
 
Psalm 31:3
RSV: Yea, thou art my rock and my fortress; for thy name’s sake lead me and guide me,
NET: because you are my empowerment and my refuge, and for your name’s sake you will guide me and nourish me;
 
Psalm 42:9
RSV: I say to God, my rock: “Why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
NET: I will say to God, “My supporter you are; wherefore did you forget me? Why must I walk about sullenly, as the enemy oppresses me?”
 
Psalm 62:2
RSV: He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly moved.
NET: Indeed, he is my God and my Savior, my supporter; I shall be shaken no more.
 
Psalm 62:6
RSV: He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
NET: Because he is my God and my Savior, my supporter, I shall never be a fugitive.
 
Psalm 62:7
RSV: On God rests my deliverance and my honour; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
NET: With God is my deliverance and my glory; O God of my help—and my hope is with God.
 
Psalm 71:3
RSV: Be thou to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for thou art my rock and my fortress.
NET: Be to me a protector-god, and a strong place, to save me, because you are my firmness and my refuge.
 
Psalm 78:35
RSV: They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.
NET: And they remembered that God was their helper and God the Most High was their redeemer.
 
Psalm 89:26
RSV: He shall cry to me, ‘Thou art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’
NET: He shall call upon me, ‘My Father you are, my God and supporter of my deliverance!’
 
Psalm 92:15
RSV: to show that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
NET: to declare that the Lord my God is upright, [ ] and there is no injustice in him.
 
Psalm 94:22
RSV: But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.
NET: And the Lord became to me a refuge, and my God my hoped-for helper.
 
Psalm 95:1
RSV: O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
NET: O come, let us rejoice in the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to God our savior!

Psalm 144:1
RSV: Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;
NET: Blessed be the Lord, my God, who trains my hands for battle; my fingers for war;

Psalm 144:2
RSV: my rock and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues the peoples under him.
NET: my mercy and my refuge, my supporter and my rescuer, my protector and in him I hoped, who subdues my people under me.