1 Kings 5 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: MT 5:12, MT 5:15, MT 5:25
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.
1 Kings 5
Peace, provision, and wisdom that reaches the nations
Editorial reading: Irenaeus connects Solomon’s wisdom and peaceful rule with the kingdom of Christ [P2, IV.27.1]. Source 5:1–14 is commonly English 4:21–34.
5:1–8 | Royal extent and daily provision
Verse MT 5:1 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:1
Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River through the land of the Philistines to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
No LXX counterpart
[No Greek counterpart at this location; see related notices at 2:46b and 2:46k.]
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: This Hebrew notice has no corresponding unit here in the checked Greek sequence. The earlier Greek descriptions remain in their own locations; they are not duplicated or silently imported.
Verse MT 5:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:2
Solomon’s food for one day was thirty kors of fine flour and sixty kors of meal,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:2
These were Solomon’s requirements for one day: thirty kors of fine flour and sixty kors of pounded meal,
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: The quantities and the ancient unit agree. Greek specifies that the meal is pounded and introduces requirements rather than Hebrew’s food, literally bread in this provisioning context.
Verse MT 5:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:3
ten fattened cattle, twenty pasture-fed cattle, and a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, fallow deer, and fattened birds.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:3
ten choice calves, twenty pasture-fed cattle, and a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, and choice birds—fattened provisions.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek names choice calves where Hebrew has fattened cattle, lacks Hebrew’s third wild animal, and ends with the grammatically detached neuter plural siteuta. Fattened provisions provisionally preserves that ending. Fallow deer and birds are conventional, not zoologically certain, identifications of the Hebrew terms.
Verse MT 5:4 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:4
For he ruled over all the region beyond the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings beyond the River; and he had peace on every side around him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:4
For he was ruler beyond the River, and he had peace on every side around him.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek lacks the named endpoints and the second statement about all the kings. The shared peace notice is retained without using the shorter Greek to erase the Hebrew geographical claims.
Verse MT 5:5 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:5
Judah and Israel lived in safety, each under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
No LXX counterpart
[No Greek counterpart at this location; compare 2:46g.]
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: The vine-and-fig-tree notice has an earlier Greek parallel at 2:46g. Both include the Dan-to-Beersheba extent and all Solomon’s days; the Greek notice also mentions eating and drinking. The complete notices remain at their respective source locations.
Verse MT 5:6 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:6
Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariotry, and twelve thousand horsemen.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
No LXX counterpart
[No Greek counterpart at this location; compare 2:46i.]
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Hebrew has forty thousand stalls; Greek 2:46i has forty thousand broodmares. Both notices retain their own wording and location. Neither quantity is changed to the number in a parallel biblical account.
Verse MT 5:7–8 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:7–8
These officers provided for King Solomon and everyone who approached King Solomon’s table, each in his month; they let nothing be lacking. They brought barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where he would be, each according to his duty.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:1
The appointed officers thus provided for King Solomon and all the orders for the king’s table, each in his month; they did not depart from an instruction. They brought barley and straw for the horses and chariots to the place where the king would be, each according to his assignment.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Two Hebrew verses align with one Greek verse, which stands before Greek 5:2. Greek’s diangelmata normally denotes messages or notices [D2]; orders is provisional in this provisioning context, not a translation of Hebrew’s people at the table. Greek names the king and chariots where Hebrew has he and rekhesh, here provisionally swift steeds. The different sequence governs the classification; each source unit appears once.
5:9–14 | Wisdom, sayings, songs, and the created world
Verse MT 5:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:9
God gave Solomon wisdom, very great discernment, and breadth of heart like the sand on the seashore.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:9
The Lord gave Solomon discernment, very great wisdom, and abundance of heart like the sand beside the sea.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew names God and Greek the Lord, and they reverse the order of wisdom and discernment. Greek chyma has an underlying pouring or mass image; LSJ recognizes the contextual sense of largeness of heart here [D3]. The English does not turn the metaphor into a modern psychological diagnosis.
Verse MT 5:10 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:10
Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:10
Solomon increased greatly beyond the discernment of all ancient people and beyond all the discerning people of Egypt.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew’s sons of the East becomes Greek’s ancient people, and Hebrew’s wisdom is the grammatical subject where Greek names Solomon himself. The Greek comparison remains somewhat compressed rather than being recast as the Hebrew sentence.
Verse MT 5:11 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:11
He was wiser than all people—than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His fame was among all the surrounding nations.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:11
He became wiser than all people; he became wiser than Gaithan the Ezraite, Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mal.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek repeats the wisdom verb, has Gaithan and Mal, and lacks the closing fame notice. Securely corresponding Heman and Calcol are normalized; the substantially different name forms are retained.
Verse MT 5:12 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:12
He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered one thousand and five.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:12
Solomon spoke three thousand parables, and his songs numbered five thousand.
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Text: The song totals differ substantially: 1,005 in Hebrew and 5,000 in Greek. Hebrew mashal and Greek parabole overlap in the field of proverbial or comparative sayings; the different English terms do not establish two wholly separate genres.
Saints: The accessed English presentation of Irenaeus, Against Heresies IV.27.1, mentions three thousand sayings and five thousand songs while reading Solomon’s wisdom in relation to Christ [P2]. That presentation’s cited song total corresponds to this Greek reading; it does not correct the Hebrew total.
Verse MT 5:13 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:13
He spoke about trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing out of the wall. He spoke about animals, birds, creeping things, and fish.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:13
He spoke about trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing through the wall. He spoke about livestock, birds, creeping things, and fish.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: The scope of Solomon’s discourse agrees. Through the wall retains the Greek preposition. The animal terms overlap, although Greek ktene more specifically evokes domesticated animals.
Verse MT 5:14 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:14
People came from all the peoples to hear Solomon’s wisdom, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:14
All the peoples came to hear Solomon’s wisdom, and he received gifts from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Hebrew’s opening is partitive and its final phrase concerns those coming from the kings. Greek explicitly adds Solomon’s reception of gifts and says all the peoples came. No envoys or diplomatic purpose is inserted into either main text.
5:14a–14b | Greek supplement: marriage and Gezer
Verse 3:1 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
No MT counterpart
[No Hebrew counterpart at this location; compare 3:1.]
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:14a
Solomon took Pharaoh’s daughter as his wife and brought her into the City of David until he finished the Lord’s house, his own house, and Jerusalem’s wall.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: This Greek marriage-and-building notice stands between the wisdom report and Hiram’s embassy. Its order puts the Lord’s house before Solomon’s own house; Hebrew 3:1 has the reverse. It is distinct from the earlier Greek notice at 2:35c.
Verse 9:16–17 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
No MT counterpart
[No Hebrew counterpart at this location; compare 9:16–17.]
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:14b
Then Pharaoh king of Egypt went up, captured Gezer beforehand, and burned it and the Canaanite who lived in Mergab. Pharaoh gave them as parting gifts to his daughter, Solomon’s wife; and Solomon built Gezer.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek places the conquest and marriage gift here. Mergab, the burning of the Canaanite, and the plural them are preserved despite their difficult relationship to the preceding singular city. Parting gifts renders apostolas in this marriage context without inventing a modern legal dowry arrangement.
Preparing the house for the divine name
Editorial Christian reading: Solomon’s building work is read with the temple theme fulfilled in Christ’s body (John 2:19–22 [C3]); architectural particulars remain historical description.
5:15–26 | Solomon and Hiram exchange messages and supplies
Source 5:15–32 is commonly English 5:1–18.
Verse MT 5:15 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:15
Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, for he had heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father; Hiram had always been David’s friend.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:15
Hiram king of Tyre sent his attendants to anoint Solomon in place of David his father, for Hiram had always loved David.
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Text: Hebrew’s embassy follows news of Solomon’s anointing; Greek expressly makes anointing Solomon the attendants’ purpose. This changes the embassy’s agency and relationship to the accession. The Greek is not harmonized to the completed anointing in Hebrew.
Verse MT 5:16 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:16
Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:16
Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: The sender, recipient, and introduction to direct speech agree.
Verse MT 5:17 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:17
“You know that my father David could not build a house for the name of YHWH his God because of the warfare that surrounded him, until YHWH put them under the soles of his feet.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:17
“You know that my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord my God because of the wars that surrounded him, until the Lord put them beneath the footsteps of his feet.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has his God and Greek my God. Greek also has plural wars and a footsteps expression where Hebrew names the soles. The implicit enemies referred to by them are not replaced with a newly supplied list.
Verse MT 5:18 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:18
But now YHWH my God has given me rest on every side; there is no adversary and no evil occurrence.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:18
But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is no plotter and no evil encounter.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew satan is an ordinary adversary here, not a proper name. Greek specifies someone plotting against another. Both describe the present absence of trouble without making a promise about Solomon’s entire future.
Verse MT 5:19 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:19
Look, I intend to build a house for the name of YHWH my God, as YHWH told my father David: ‘Your son, whom I shall place on your throne in your stead, shall build the house for My name.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:19
Look, I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord God told my father David: ‘Your son, whom I shall place on your throne in your stead, shall build the house for My name.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek includes God in the second divine title. Both retain the son’s succession and the house for the divine name; the text does not say that the building contains God.
Verse MT 5:20 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:20
Now command that they cut cedars from Lebanon for me. My servants shall be with your servants, and I will pay you your servants’ wages according to whatever you say; for you know that no one among us knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:20
Now command that they cut timber from Lebanon for me. Look, my servants are with your servants, and I will pay you the wages of your service according to whatever you say; for you know that no one among us knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew specifies cedars and the servants’ wages; Greek has timber and the wages of your service. Greek also adds look. The labor arrangement remains ancient royal service rather than a modern employment contract.
Verse MT 5:21 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:21
When Hiram heard Solomon’s words, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be YHWH today, who has given David a wise son over this great people!”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:21
When Hiram heard Solomon’s words, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be God today, who has given David a discerning son over this great people!”
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: The divine designation differs: YHWH in Hebrew, God in Greek. Wise and discerning retain the respective descriptions of the son. Hiram’s words are preserved as his reported blessing.
Verse MT 5:22 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:22
Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard what you sent to me. I will fulfill all your wishes concerning cedar and cypress timber.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:22
He sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard about everything you sent to me. I will fulfill all your wishes: cedar and pine timber.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew explicitly repeats Hiram and has beroshim, conventionally rendered cypress but botanically uncertain; Greek names pine. The species are not silently harmonized.
Verse MT 5:23 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:23
My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts on the sea as far as the place you send word to me, and break them apart there; you shall take them away. You shall fulfill my wish by providing food for my household.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:23
My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts as far as the place you send word to me, and shake them apart there; you shall take them away. You shall fulfill my wish by providing loaves for my household.”
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew repeats on the sea and uses a breaking-apart verb; Greek uses shaking out and explicitly plural loaves. The raft dismantling is contextual, not a claim that the timber is destroyed.
Verse MT 5:24 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:24
Hiram supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber, all that he desired.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:24
Hiram supplied Solomon with cedars and all that he desired.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek lacks the second timber species in this fulfillment notice, although it named pine in verse 22. The shorter list is not expanded from that earlier promise.
Verse MT 5:25 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:25
Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty kors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year after year.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:25
Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat and machir for his household, and twenty thousand beth of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram each year.
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Text: The oil differs in both number and unit: twenty kors in Hebrew, twenty thousand beth in Greek. Greek’s machir remains a visible, uncertain borrowed term in a provisioning context; it is not silently replaced by Hebrew’s food. Beth is retained as the Greek source’s measure, without a modern conversion.
Verse MT 5:26 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:26
YHWH gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a covenant.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:26
The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they made a covenant between themselves.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: The divine gift, promise, peace, and bilateral covenant agree. Made a covenant renders the respective idioms without changing the participants.
5:27–32 | The levy and the foundation stones
Verse MT 5:27 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:27
King Solomon raised a labor levy from all Israel; the levy was thirty thousand men.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:27
The king raised a levy from all Israel; the levy was thirty thousand men.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew explicitly names Solomon. Greek phoros can denote tribute; the stated number of men and the next verse establish a labor levy here. Neither column changes the number or conceals the compulsory royal demand.
Verse MT 5:28 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:28
He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts: one month they would be in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was over the labor levy.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:28
He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts: one month they were in Lebanon and two months at their home. Adoniram was over the levy.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: The monthly rotation, time at home, and supervisor agree. Hebrew’s distributive his house and Greek’s their house are rendered naturally without changing the workers’ schedule.
Verse MT 5:29 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:29
Solomon had seventy thousand burden-bearers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hill country,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:29
Solomon had seventy thousand burden-bearers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hill country,
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both labor totals and the location agree. No unmentioned ethnic identity or modern occupational status is added.
Verse MT 5:30 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:30
besides Solomon’s chief officers over the work, three thousand three hundred who supervised the people doing the work.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:30
besides the chiefs appointed over Solomon’s works, three thousand six hundred overseers who performed the works.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: The overseer totals differ by three hundred. Hebrew expressly describes supervision of the working people; the Greek relative clause describes those performing the works. The figures are not reconciled through an invented distinction between grades of officials.
Verse MT 5:31 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:31
The king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, dressed stones for laying the house’s foundation.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
No LXX counterpart
[No Greek verse at this location.]
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: The checked Greek sequence moves from verse 30 to verse 32. Hebrew’s royal command and foundation-stone description are retained in full; no Greek text is supplied from another location. Compare the related Greek foundation notice at 6:1a.
Verse MT 5:32 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:32
Solomon’s builders, Hiram’s builders, and the Gebalites dressed them. They prepared the timber and stones to build the house.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:32
They prepared the stones and timber for three years.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Hebrew names three groups of craftsmen and their dressing work; Greek lacks those clauses and adds a three-year preparation period. The order of stones and timber is also reversed. Neither account’s detail is made to disappear inside the other.