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Many renderings reflect the cultural environment of the translators, which consisted of elements of both the Palestinian and Egyptian societies. The Egyptian background is visible in some local technical terms (e.g. the nogsim [»taskmasters«] in the story of the Israelites in Egypt in Exod 3:7 and elsewhere, were rendered by ergodioktai, literally: »those who speed up the workers,« known from Egyptian papyri; the Hellenistic division of cities into nomoi (districts) is reflected in the LXX of Isa 19:2). Palestinian background is reflected in Jewish-Palestinian halakhic exegesis. For example, the »second tithe« in the LXX of Deut 26:12 (MT shenat hamaʿaser, »the year of the tithe,« read as shenit hamaʿaser, as if, »second, the tithe«) represents the rabbinic term maʿaser sheni (»second tithe«) against MT. The concept of the second tithe is not mentioned in the Bible, and the translator of Deuteronomy could have made this identification only if he was aware of Palestinian rabbinic exegesis. A qesitah (a monetary unit of unknown value) is rendered in Gen 33:19 (and subsequently in Josh 24:32 , and Job 42:11) as a »lamb« (amnos, amnas) in the LXX, Targum Onkelos, and the Vulgate. This explanation is also reflected in Gen. Rabba 79:7.

Even in fixed and seemingly frozen renderings one sometimes recognizes the translator’s ideas. Thus, the translator of the Latter Prophets, who usually rendered YHWH tzevaʾot (literally: »the Lord of armies«) as kyrios pantokrator (»the Lord, ruler of all«) must have had a certain view of the Hebrew phrase. For him, tzevaʾot included not only a body of »angels« or »armies« but also encompassed everything in the universe.

The translators often added religious background to verses in Hebrew Scripture. This phenomenon occurs especially in Esther and Proverbs. Probably the most characteristic feature of the LXX of Esther is the addition of a religious background to a book that lacks the mention of God’s name in MT. In several other places, the translators interpreted the context as referring to the Messiah. Thus MT »A star rises from Jacob, a scepter comes forth from Israel« in Num 24:17 is interpreted in the LXX as »A star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a man shall rise out of Israel.« A similar interpretation is reflected in the Aramaic Targumim. In other instances, the translators avoided a physical depiction of God. Thus, in Num 12:8 »and he beholds the likeness of the Lord« has been rendered as referring to the »glory of the Lord«.