2 Chronicles 15 — Asa’s Covenant and Reform — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 15:16
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 15 — Asa’s Covenant and Reform
The prophet’s exhortation
Verse 15:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:1] The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:1] The Spirit of the Lord came upon Azarias son of Oded,
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: The divine designation is God in Hebrew and Lord in Greek.
Verse 15:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:2] He went out before Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin! YHWH is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:2] and he went out to meet Asa and all Judah and Benjamin and said, “Hear me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin! The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek explicitly includes Judah and Benjamin among those the prophet goes out to meet; Hebrew names Asa at that point. The reciprocal warning and promise agree.
Verse 15:3 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:3] For many days Israel is without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without instruction.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:3] For many days Israel is without a true God, without a priest giving guidance, and without law.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Both source clauses lack an explicit finite time verb; is supplies readable English without claiming that the clause itself fixes past or future reference. Instruction and law render the respective Hebrew and Greek terms.
Verse 15:4 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:4] In distress they returned to YHWH, Israel’s God; they sought Him, and He was found by them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:4] They will return to the Lord, Israel’s God, and He will be found by them.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek lacks in distress and the explicit they sought Him, and uses future forms. Hebrew narrates return, seeking, and finding with past-form verbs.
Verse 15:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:5] In those times there was no peace for anyone going out or coming in, for great turmoil was upon all the inhabitants of the lands.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:5] At that time there is no peace for anyone going out or coming in, for terror from the Lord is upon all who inhabit the regions.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has plural times and great turmoil without naming its source here. Greek has singular time and explicitly identifies terror from the Lord.
Verse 15:6 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:6] They were crushed, nation against nation and city against city, for God troubled them with every distress.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:6] Nation will fight against nation and city against city, for God terrified them with every affliction.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew describes being crushed; Greek predicts fighting. Both attribute the distress to God.
Verse 15:7 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:7] But you, be strong and do not let your hands grow slack, for there is a reward for your work.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:7] But you, be strong and do not let your hands become feeble, for there is a reward for your work.”
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both end the exhortation with strength, active hands, and a promised reward.
Reform and the covenant assembly
Verse 15:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:8] When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the abominations from all Judah’s and Benjamin’s land and from the cities he had captured in Ephraim’s hill country, and renewed YHWH’s altar before YHWH’s vestibule.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:8] When he heard these words and the prophecy of Adad the prophet, he grew strong. He expelled the abominations from all Judah’s and Benjamin’s land and from the cities he had seized in Ephraim’s hill country, and renewed the Lord’s altar before the Lord’s sanctuary.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew explicitly names Asa and gives Oded; Greek leaves the subject as he and gives Adad. Neither column inserts Azariah son of to reconcile 15:1. Hebrew vestibule corresponds to Greek sanctuary.
Verse 15:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:9] He gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those residing with them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for many from Israel had gone over to him when they saw that YHWH his God was with him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:9] He assembled Judah and Benjamin and the resident foreigners living with him from Ephraim, Manasse, and Symeon, for many from Israel joined him when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has all Judah and those residing with them; Greek omits all and says with him. Greek proselytes is rendered resident foreigners here, without assuming a later technical conversion status for these named Israelites.
Verse 15:10 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:10] They gathered in Jerusalem in the third month of Asa’s fifteenth regnal year.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:10] They gathered in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both give the same month and regnal year.
Verse 15:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:11] On that day they sacrificed to YHWH from the spoil they had brought: seven hundred cattle and seven thousand sheep.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:11] On that day he sacrificed to the Lord from the spoil they had brought: seven hundred calves and seven thousand sheep.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has a plural sacrificing subject; Greek has singular he. Both give seven hundred bovine animals and seven thousand sheep, with Greek specifying calves.
Verse 15:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:12] They entered into a covenant to seek YHWH, their fathers’ God, with all their heart and all their soul.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:12] He passed into a covenant to seek the Lord, their fathers’ God, with all the heart and all the soul.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew explicitly makes the covenant entry plural; Greek has a singular verb, followed by their fathers. Both require wholehearted and whole-souled seeking.
Verse 15:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:13] Everyone who would not seek YHWH, Israel’s God, was to be put to death, from small to great, man or woman.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:13] Everyone who does not seek the Lord, Israel’s God, will die, from younger to older, man or woman.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew uses an explicit passive execution formula and small to great; Greek uses will die and younger to older. The covenant’s severe death sanction is retained.
Verse 15:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:14] They swore to YHWH with a loud voice, shouting, trumpets, and ram’s horns.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:14] They swore by the Lord with a loud voice, trumpets, and horn trumpets.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek lacks the separate shouting expression. Both name two wind-instrument types, with Greek explicitly describing the second as made of horn.
Verse 15:15 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:15] All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their desire. He was found by them, and YHWH gave them rest all around.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:15] All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their soul and sought Him with every desire. He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew says heart where Greek says soul. Both connect wholehearted seeking, finding God, and surrounding peace.
The queen mother and the closing assessment
Verse 15:16 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:16] King Asa also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her abominable image, crushed it, and burned it in the Kidron wadi.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:16] He also removed Maacah his mother from ministering to Astarte, cut down the idol, and burned it in the Kedron torrent.
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Text: Hebrew removes Maacah from the royal office because of an Asherah image; Greek removes her from religious service to Astarte. Greek lacks the separate crushing action and does not name Asa here. Mother is retained in both without replacing it by grandmother through genealogical harmonization.
Verse 15:17 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:17] The high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless, Asa’s heart was whole all his days.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:17] But the high places did not depart; they still existed in Israel. Yet Asa’s heart was complete all his days.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Greek expands the survival of high places with a second clause. Both retain the favorable heart assessment alongside that limitation.
Verse 15:18 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:18] He brought his father’s consecrated things and his own consecrated things into God’s house: silver, gold, and vessels.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:18] He brought in the holy things of David his father and the holy things of the house of the Lord God: silver, gold, and vessels.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek explicitly names David and describes holy things of the divine house, while Hebrew has his own consecrated things and gives God’s house as their destination. The differing ownership and syntax are preserved.
Verse 15:19 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[BHS 15:19] There was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[LXX 15:19] There was no war with him until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek explicitly adds with him. Both retain the thirty-fifth year without altering the chronology to match other royal notices.