1 Samuel 11 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: MT 11:15
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 Samuel 11
Deliverance, mercy, and renewed kingship
Editorial Christian reading: Saul’s rescue and refusal of retaliatory killing can be considered alongside Christ’s teaching on mercy [NT5, Luke 6:27–38]. This is a thematic comparison.
11:1–4 | The threat against Jabesh
Verse MT 11:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:1
Nahash the Ammonite went up and camped against Jabesh-gilead. All Jabesh’s men said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:1
About a month later, Nahash the Ammonite went up and camped against Jabesh-gilead. All Jabesh’s men said to Nahash the Ammonite, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek supplies the interval of about a month and repeats the enemy’s designation. It is retained at 11:1, not substituted for Hebrew Saul’s silence at 10:27.
Verse MT 11:2 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:2
Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make it with you: I will gouge out every right eye among you and make it a disgrace upon all Israel.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:2
Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a covenant with you: I will gouge out every right eye among you and place a disgrace upon Israel.”
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: The mutilation condition agrees. Greek explicitly repeats covenant; Hebrew explicitly includes all Israel and makes the act the disgrace.
Verse MT 11:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:3
Jabesh’s elders said to him, “Give us seven days’ respite so that we may send messengers throughout Israel’s territory. If there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:3
Jabesh’s men said to him, “Give us seven days’ respite so that we may send messengers throughout Israel’s territory. If there is no one to save us, we will come out to you all.”
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew names elders and addresses Nahash in the singular; Greek names men and ends with plural you. Coming out expresses submission in context.
Verse MT 11:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:4
The messengers came to Saul’s Gibeah and spoke the words in the people’s ears. All the people raised their voices and wept.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:4
The messengers came to Gibeah, to Saul, and spoke the words in the people’s ears. All the people raised their voices and wept.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew names Saul’s Gibeah as the destination; Greek explicitly has to Saul. Neither wording is adjusted to remove the narrative relation to Saul’s arrival in 11:5.
11:5–11 | The summons and the rescue
Verse MT 11:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:5
Saul was coming from the field behind the cattle. Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” They told him the words of Jabesh’s men.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:5
Saul was coming from the field after the morning. Saul said, “Why are the people weeping?” They recounted to him the words of Jabesh’s sons.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has behind the cattle; Greek has after the morning. The different reading is retained without supplying cattle in Greek.
Verse MT 11:6 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:6
God’s Spirit rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger burned fiercely.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:6
The Lord’s Spirit leaped upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger burned fiercely against them.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew names God; Greek names the Lord and explicitly adds against them. The anger is Saul’s in the narrative, with its object left pronominal in Greek.
Verse MT 11:7 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:7
He took a yoke of cattle, cut them in pieces, and sent them by the messengers’ hand throughout Israel’s territory, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel—this will be done to his cattle!” Dread of YHWH fell upon the people, and they came out as one man.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:7
He took two oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them by messengers’ hand throughout Israel’s territory, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel—they will do this to his oxen!” Terror from the Lord came upon Israel’s people, and they cried out as one man.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew closes with coming out; Greek with a united cry. Greek explicitly names Israel and has unnamed plural agents in the threat. A Hebrew yoke of cattle denotes the paired animals.
Verse MT 11:8 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:8
He mustered them at Bezek: the sons of Israel numbered three hundred thousand, and Judah’s men thirty thousand.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:8
Abiezek mustered them in Bama: all Israel’s men numbered six hundred thousand, and Judah’s men seventy thousand.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: The totals differ, and Greek has the difficult Abiezek in Bama where Hebrew clearly has at Bezek. Abiezek is construed provisionally as a subject in the displayed Greek; the syntax and place/name relationship require further review.
Verse MT 11:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:9
They said to the messengers who had come, “Say this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, when the sun grows hot, you will have deliverance.’” The messengers came and told Jabesh’s men, and they rejoiced.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:9
He said to the messengers who had come, “Say this to Jabesh’s men: ‘Tomorrow, when the sun grows hot, you will have deliverance.’” The messengers came into the city and told Jabesh’s men, and they rejoiced.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has plural speakers and explicitly names Jabesh-gilead in the message; Greek has one unnamed speaker and explicitly reports entry into the city.
Verse MT 11:10 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:10
Jabesh’s men said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever is good in your eyes.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:10
Jabesh’s men said to Nahash the Ammonite, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us what is good before you.”
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Greek explicitly names the recipient; Hebrew retains the eye image. The promise of coming out conceals the expected rescue in the narrative.
Verse MT 11:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:11
The next day Saul divided the people into three companies. They entered the camp during the morning watch and struck Ammon until the day grew hot. The survivors scattered, and no two of them were left together.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:11
After the next day, Saul divided the people into three companies. They entered the middle of the camp during the morning watch and struck Ammon’s sons until the day grew hot. The survivors scattered, and no two of them were left together.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew says the next day; Greek literally has after the next day. The latter’s temporal force is retained provisionally. Neither watch is converted into a precise modern clock time.
11:12–15 | Execution refused and kingship renewed
Verse MT 11:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:12
The people said to Samuel, “Who was saying, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Hand over the men so that we may put them to death.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:12
The people said to Samuel, “Who said, ‘Saul will not reign over us’? Hand over the men so that we may put them to death.”
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew’s quoted challenge is construed as an incredulous question without an explicit negative; Greek explicitly says will not. The demand for execution agrees.
Verse MT 11:13 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:13
Saul said, “No man shall be put to death this day, for today YHWH has worked deliverance in Israel.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:13
Saul said, “No one shall die this day, for today the Lord has worked deliverance in Israel.”
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Hebrew specifically uses being put to death; Greek says dying in the same execution context. Both ground Saul’s refusal in God’s deliverance.
Verse MT 11:14 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:14
Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:14
Samuel said to the people, “Let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: The proposal, place, and renewal agree.
Verse MT 11:15 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 11:15
All the people went to Gilgal. There they made Saul king before YHWH at Gilgal and sacrificed peace offerings before YHWH. Saul and all Israel’s men rejoiced there exceedingly.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 11:15
All the people went to Gilgal. There Samuel anointed Saul as king before the Lord at Gilgal and sacrificed sacrifices and peace offerings before the Lord. Samuel and all Israel rejoiced exceedingly.
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Text: Hebrew has the people make Saul king and Saul rejoice; Greek has Samuel anoint Saul, offer the sacrifices, and rejoice. Greek also distinguishes sacrifices and peace offerings. These changes of named actor are preserved.