1 Chronicles 10 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 10:13
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Chapter 10
Hebrew source [H10] • Greek source [G10]
Saul’s death and the transfer of the kingdom (10:1–14)
Verse 10:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:1] The Philistines fought against Israel. The men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:1] The foreigners fought against Israel. They fled before the foreigners and fell wounded on Mount Gelboue.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek calls the Philistines foreigners and describes the fallen as wounded; Hebrew explicitly calls them slain. The Greek term does not by itself say that they survived.
Verse 10:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:2] The Philistines pressed after Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:2] The foreigners pursued Saul and his sons, and the foreigners struck Jonathan, Amminadab, and Melchisoue, Saul's sons.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Abinadab/Amminadab remains a substantive name difference; the three sons' defeat and the pursuing force correspond.
Verse 10:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:3] The battle weighed heavily on Saul. The bowmen found him, and he was in anguish because of the archers.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:3] The battle weighed heavily on Saul. The archers found him with bows and pains, and he suffered from the bows.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek explicitly mentions pains with the bows and repeats suffering; Hebrew's wayyahel can express anguish or trembling. The difficult Greek coordination is retained provisionally without inventing a specific wound.
Verse 10:4 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:4] Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and abuse me.” But his armor bearer was unwilling, for he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:4] Saul said to the man carrying his equipment, “Draw your sword and pierce me with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and mock me.” The man carrying his equipment was unwilling, for he was very afraid. Saul took the sword and fell on it.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both preserve the request, refusal, fear, and suicide. Greek mockery gives a more specific expression beside Hebrew abusive treatment.
Verse 10:5 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:5] His armor bearer saw that Saul was dead; he too fell on the sword and died.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:5] The man carrying his equipment saw that Saul was dead; he too fell on his sword and died.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly calls the second sword “his”; Hebrew says “the sword.” Both report the attendant's death.
Verse 10:6 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:6] Saul and his three sons died; all his house died together.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:6] Saul and his three sons died on that day, and all his house died together.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek adds “on that day.” The sweeping household statement is retained in both without silently reconciling it to other surviving descendants.
Verse 10:7 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:7] All the men of Israel in the valley saw that they had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead. They abandoned their towns and fled; the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:7] Every man of Israel in the valley saw that Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead. They abandoned their cities and fled; the foreigners came and dwelt in them.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly names Israel as the fleeing group; Hebrew uses an unstated plural subject. The evacuation and occupation agree.
Verse 10:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:8] The next day the Philistines came to strip the slain and found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:8] The next day the foreigners came to plunder the wounded and found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gelboue.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: As in verse one, Hebrew explicitly says slain while Greek uses wounded; Saul and his sons have already been declared dead by both narratives.
Verse 10:9 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:9] They stripped him and took his head and his equipment, and sent throughout the land of the Philistines to announce the news to their idols and to the people.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:9] They stripped him and took his head and his equipment, and sent throughout the foreigners' land to announce good news to their idols and to the people.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The stripping, head, equipment, and announcement to idols and people correspond; both announcement verbs carry the favorable-news sense for the victors.
Verse 10:10 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:10] They placed his equipment in the house of their gods, and fastened his skull in the house of Dagon.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:10] They placed his equipment in the house of their god, and placed his head in the house of Dagon.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew has gods, skull, and fastening; Greek has a singular god, head, and placing. Both specify Dagon's sanctuary for the head.
Verse 10:11 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:11] All Jabesh-gilead heard everything the Philistines had done to Saul.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:11] All those dwelling in Galaad heard everything the foreigners had done to Saul and to Israel.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek broadens the hearers to Galaad and adds Israel as an object of the enemy's deeds; Hebrew names Jabesh-gilead and Saul.
Verse 10:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:12] Every man of valor arose. They took Saul's body and the bodies of his sons, brought them to Jabesh, buried their bones beneath the terebinth in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:12] Every mighty man arose from Galaad. They took Saul's body and the body of his sons, brought them to Jabis, buried their bones beneath the oak in Jabis, and fasted seven days.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek specifies departure from Galaad, uses a collective singular body for the sons, and names an oak beside Hebrew terebinth. The burial and seven-day fast agree.
Verse 10:13 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:13] Saul died for the unfaithfulness he committed against YHWH, concerning YHWH's word which he did not keep, and also for asking a medium to seek counsel.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:13] Saul died in the lawless acts he committed against the Lord, according to the Lord's word, because he did not keep it; because Saul inquired through the spirit medium to seek counsel, and Samuel the prophet answered him.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek adds the explicit assertion that Samuel the prophet answered Saul. Hebrew here reports the forbidden consultation without asserting a response. This materially changes the narrated outcome while both condemn Saul. Saints: Augustine, On the Care of the Dead 18 [S1], allows divine disclosure to the departed and discusses Samuel's appearance, acknowledging the alternative view of an impersonating spirit while invoking Sirach's praise of Samuel's posthumous prophecy. This is reception of the Samuel episode, not a quotation of this Chronicles verse.
Verse 10:14 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:14] He did not seek YHWH, so He put him to death and turned the kingship over to David son of Jesse.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:14] He did not seek the Lord, and He killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both attribute Saul's death and the transfer to the divine agent. The preceding medium consultation is distinguished from seeking the Lord, even in Greek where Samuel's reply is narrated.