2 Kings 21 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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 21
Manasseh and Amon
Verse 21:1 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Opsiba.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: The age and reign agree; the mother's name has a corresponding Greek form.
Verse 21:2 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:2 He did evil in YHWH's eyes, according to the abominations of the nations whom YHWH dispossessed before the Israelites.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:2 He did evil in the Lord's eyes, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord removed before the Israelites.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both give the same adverse assessment and national comparison.
Verse 21:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:3 He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed, erected altars for Baal, and made an Asherah as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all heaven's host and served them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:3 He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had pulled down, erected an altar for Baal, and made groves as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all heaven's host and served them.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has plural Baal altars and one Asherah; Greek has one altar and plural groves. Both reverse Hezekiah's reform and introduce astral service.
Verse 21:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:4 He built altars in YHWH's house, of which YHWH had said, ‘In Jerusalem I shall place My name.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:4 He built an altar in the Lord's house, as He had said, ‘In Jerusalem I shall place My name.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew's altars are plural; Greek's altar is singular.
Verse 21:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:5 He built altars for all heaven's host in the two courts of YHWH's house.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:5 He built an altar for all heaven's host in the two courts of the Lord's house.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: The number of courts agrees, but altars remain plural in Hebrew and singular in Greek.
Verse 21:6 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:6 He made his son pass through fire, practiced soothsaying, read omens, and established a medium and spiritists. He did much evil in YHWH's eyes, provoking Him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:6 He led his sons through fire, practiced divination from sounds, read omens, and appointed a charmer and knowing ones. He did much evil in the Lord's eyes, provoking Him.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has one son; Greek has sons. Greek κληδονίζομαι concerns omen-bearing sounds, and θελητής/γνώσται are provisionally charmer/knowing ones, preserving their distinctions from Hebrew medium/spiritists.
Verse 21:7 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:7 He placed the carved Asherah image he had made in the house of which YHWH said to David and his son Solomon, ‘In this house and in Jerusalem, which I chose from all Israel's tribes, I shall place My name forever.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:7 He placed the carved image of the grove in the house of which the Lord said to David and his son Solomon, ‘In this house and in Jerusalem, which I chose from all Israel's tribes, I shall place My name there forever.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek lacks ‘which he had made’ after the image, adds ‘there’ to the promise, and has grove rather than Asherah.
Verse 21:8 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:8 I shall no longer make Israel's foot wander from the land I gave their fathers, if only they take care to do everything I commanded them, and all the instruction My servant Moses commanded them.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:8 I shall no longer shake Israel's foot from the land I gave their fathers, for those who keep everything I commanded according to the whole commandment My servant Moses commanded them.’
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Hebrew states an explicit ‘if only’; Greek uses a qualifying relative clause. Both connect continued residence with obedience, though the Greek antecedent is syntactically less explicit.
Verse 21:9 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:9 But they did not listen. Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations whom YHWH destroyed before the Israelites.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:9 But they did not listen. Manasseh led them astray to do evil in the Lord's eyes beyond the nations whom the Lord obliterated before the Israelites.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek adds ‘in the Lord's eyes’ to the evil comparison.
Verse 21:10 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:10 YHWH spoke through His servants the prophets:
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:10 The Lord spoke through His servants the prophets:
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both introduce an attributed prophetic judgment.
Verse 21:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:11 ‘Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, doing worse than everything the Amorites before him did, and has also caused Judah to sin through his idols,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:11 ‘Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these evil abominations, worse than everything the Amorite before him did, and has also caused Judah to sin through their idols,
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew attributes the idols to Manasseh, ‘his’; Greek has plural ‘their.’ The comparative guilt agrees.
Verse 21:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:12 therefore thus says YHWH, Israel's God: Look, I am bringing disaster upon Jerusalem and Judah, such that both ears of everyone hearing it shall tingle.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:12 not so! Thus says the Lord, Israel's God: Look, I am bringing disasters upon Jerusalem and Judah, so that both ears of everyone hearing shall ring.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew's inference ‘therefore’ corresponds to Greek ‘not so.’ The announced disaster and auditory image agree.
Verse 21:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:13 I shall stretch over Jerusalem Samaria's measuring line and the plumb line of Ahab's house. I shall wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it face down.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:13 I shall stretch over Jerusalem Samaria's measure and the weight of Ahab's house. I shall wipe Jerusalem as an alabaster jar is wiped, wiped and overturned on its face.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew specifies measuring line, plumb line, and dish; Greek measure, weight, and alabaster jar. Both employ measurement and emptied-vessel images of judgment.
Verse 21:14 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:14 I shall abandon the remnant of My inheritance and give them into their enemies' hand. They shall become spoil and plunder for all their enemies,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:14 I shall reject the remnant of My inheritance and hand them into their enemies' hands. They shall become plunder and booty for all their enemies,
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Abandoning/rejecting differs in nuance; surrender to enemies agrees.
Verse 21:15 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:15 because they did evil in My eyes and provoked Me from the day their fathers came out of Egypt until this day.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:15 because they did evil in My eyes and provoked Me from the day I brought their fathers out of Egypt until this day.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew says the fathers came out; Greek explicitly states God's bringing them out.
Verse 21:16 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:16 Manasseh also shed very much innocent blood, until he filled Jerusalem from end to end, besides his sin by which he caused Judah to do evil in YHWH's eyes.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:16 Manasseh also poured out very much innocent blood, until he filled Jerusalem from end to end, besides his sins by which he caused Judah to do evil in the Lord's eyes.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both explicitly add extensive innocent bloodshed to the cultic offenses. Saints: Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 2.14, later invokes Manasseh's repentance, drawing on Chronicles, to encourage penitents [P2]. That restoration is not narrated in this Kings chapter and is not inserted into its translation.
Verse 21:17 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:17 The rest of Manasseh's deeds, all that he did, and the sin he committed—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:17 The rest of Manasseh's deeds, all that he did, and the sin he committed—are these not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both refer deeds and sin to Judah's chronicles.
Verse 21:18 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:18 Manasseh lay down with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his house, in Uzza's garden. His son Amon became king in his place.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:18 Manasseh lay down with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his house, in Oza's garden. His son Amon became king in his place.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: The garden burial and succession agree.
Verse 21:19 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz, from Jotbah.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Mesollam daughter of Arous, from Jeteba.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Age and reign agree; the maternal genealogy and origin have corresponding Greek forms.
Verse 21:20 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:20 He did evil in YHWH's eyes, as his father Manasseh had done.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:20 He did evil in the Lord's eyes, as his father Manasseh had done.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both give the same paternal comparison.
Verse 21:21 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:21 He walked in every way his father had walked, served the idols his father had served, and bowed down to them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:21 He walked in every way his father had walked, served the idols his father had served, and bowed down to them.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both detail continuation of the father's cultic service.
Verse 21:22 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:22 He abandoned YHWH, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in YHWH's way.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:22 He abandoned the Lord, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the Lord's way.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both contrast his ancestral God with his actual conduct.
Verse 21:23 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:23 Amon's servants conspired against him and put the king to death in his house.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:23 Amon's servants conspired against him and put the king to death in his house.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both report a palace conspiracy and killing.
Verse 21:24 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:24 The people of the land struck down all who had conspired against King Amon. The people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:24 All the people of the land struck down all who had conspired against King Amon. The people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Greek adds ‘all’ to the acting people; the punishment and installation agree.
Verse 21:25 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:25 The rest of Amon's deeds, what he did—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:25 The rest of Amon's deeds, what he did—look, are these not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Greek adds a presentational ‘look’ to the corresponding formula.
Verse 21:26 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
21:26 He buried him in his tomb in Uzza's garden. His son Josiah became king in his place.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
21:26 They buried him in his tomb in Oza's garden. His son Josiah became king in his place.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: The Hebrew displayed burial verb is singular with an unspecified subject; Greek has plural buriers. Both retain the garden and succession.