Job 33 — 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 33
Elihu describes correction and restored life
Source chapters: [BHS33] Hebrew; [LXX33] Greek.
Verse 33:1 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:1 “But now, Job, listen to my words;
give ear to all I say.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:1 “Nevertheless, Job, hear my words
and give ear to my speech.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both directly address Job.
Verse 33:2 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:2 Look now, I have opened my mouth;
my tongue speaks within my palate.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:2 For look, I opened my mouth,
and my tongue spoke.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek lacks the palate expression.
Verse 33:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:3 My sayings are the uprightness of my heart;
my lips speak knowledge purely.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:3 My heart is pure in words,
and the understanding of my lips will perceive pure things.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek makes the lips’ understanding perceive pure things; Hebrew describes lips speaking knowledge.
Verse 33:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:4 God’s spirit made me,
and Shaddai’s breath gives me life.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:4 Divine spirit is what made me,
and the Almighty’s breath is what teaches me.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek teaching differs from Hebrew life-giving.
Verse 33:5 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:5 If you can, answer me;
arrange your case before me; take your stand.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:5 If you can, give me an answer to these things;
stand firm; take your stand against me, and I against you.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek adds the reciprocal stance of Elihu against Job.
Verse 33:6 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:6 Look, before God I am like you;
I too was pinched from clay.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:6 You have been fashioned from clay just as I have;
we have been fashioned from the same material.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew kepikha, provisionally like you, is compressed; Greek explicitly states shared material and lacks before God.
Verse 33:7 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:7 Look, my terror will not frighten you,
and my pressure will not be heavy upon you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:7 My fear will not whirl you about,
nor will my hand be heavy upon you.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek hand and whirling differ from Hebrew pressure and fright.
Verse 33:8 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:8 Yet you spoke in my ears,
and I heard the sound of words:
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:8 Nevertheless, you spoke in my ears;
I have heard the sound of your words,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both introduce Elihu’s representation of Job’s claims.
Verse 33:9 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:9 ‘I am clean, without transgression;
I am pure, and there is no guilt in me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:9 for you say, ‘I am clean, having not sinned;
I am blameless, for I did not act lawlessly.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both reproduce a claim of innocence within Elihu’s speech.
Verse 33:10 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:10 Look, He finds pretexts against me;
He counts me as His enemy.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:10 He found a reproach against me
and regards me like an opponent.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew pretexts or occasions of hostility differs slightly from Greek blame.
Verse 33:11 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:11 He puts my feet in the stocks
and watches all my paths.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:11 He placed my foot in a wooden restraint
and guarded all my ways.’
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek foot is singular, and its wooden object is provisionally a restraint.
Verse 33:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:12 Look, in this you are not right, I answer you,
for God is greater than a mortal.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:12 For how can you say, ‘I am righteous, and He has not heard me’?
For the One above mortals is everlasting.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek questions a quoted combined claim and affirms divine eternity; Hebrew directly denies Job’s rightness and affirms divine greatness.
Verse 33:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:13 Why do you contend with Him,
because He answers none of His matters?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:13 You say, ‘Why has He not heard every word of my case?’
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek makes the question Job’s own complaint about hearing his case; Hebrew challenges Job’s contention and God’s lack of explanation.
Verse 33:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:14 For God speaks once, even twice,
but one does not perceive it.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:14 For when the Lord speaks once,
and at a second time—a dream,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek moves dream into this verse and lacks Hebrew failure to perceive; its abrupt construction continues in 33:15.
Verse 33:15 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:15 In a dream, a vision of night,
when deep sleep falls upon people,
in slumber upon the bed,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:15 or in a nighttime meditation,
as when terrible fear falls upon people
amid drowsiness upon a bed,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek terrible fear and meditation differ from Hebrew deep sleep and a vision.
Verse 33:16 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:16 then He uncovers people’s ears
and seals their correction,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:16 then He uncovers people’s minds;
with such forms of fear He terrified them,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek mind and frightening manifestations replace Hebrew opened ears and sealed correction.
Verse 33:17 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:17 to turn a human from his deed
and conceal pride from a man.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:17 to turn a human away from injustice,
and He rescued his body from a fall.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek rescue of the body replaces Hebrew the removal or hiding of pride; Greek explicitly calls the deed injustice.
Verse 33:18 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:18 He keeps his soul from the pit
and his life from passing by the weapon.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:18 He spared his soul from death,
and kept him from falling in war.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek war makes explicit one setting of the Hebrew weapon; death replaces pit.
Verse 33:19 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:19 He is corrected with pain upon his bed,
and the strife of his bones is continual,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:19 Again He reproved him with weakness upon a bed,
and the multitude of his bones grew numb,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew displayed riv is provisionally strife; Greek multitude and numbness differ. Hebrew’s correction is passive, while Greek makes God the inferred agent.
Verse 33:20 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:20 so that his life loathes bread,
and his soul desirable food.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:20 and he will certainly be unable to receive any edible food,
although his soul will desire something to eat,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek still desires food while unable to receive it; Hebrew describes loathing even desirable food.
Verse 33:21 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
and his bones stand bare, once unseen.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:21 until his flesh decays
and exposes his bones empty,
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew’s unusual displayed form is provisionally bare, and once supplies the temporal relation of not seen. Greek empty bones continues the bodily wasting.
Verse 33:22 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:22 His soul draws near to the pit,
and his life to those who bring death.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:22 His soul drew near to death,
and his life was in Hades.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek Hades replaces Hebrew the death-bringers.
Verse 33:23 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:23 If there is an angel over him, an interpreter,
one among a thousand,
to declare to a human what is right for him,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:23 If there are a thousand death-bearing angels,
one of them will certainly not wound him.
If he understands in his heart to turn toward the Lord,
announces his own blame to a human,
and shows his lack of understanding,
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek has a thousand destructive angels and one who will not wound, followed by explicit repentance and confession; Hebrew has one interpreting messenger among a thousand. Greek one-not is preserved without converting it to an explicit none.
Verse 33:24 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:24 and He is gracious to him and says,
‘Release him from going down to the pit;
I have found a ransom,’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:24 He will hold him back from falling into death,
and renew his body like plaster upon a wall,
and fill his bones with marrow;
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek bodily repair and marrow replace Hebrew gracious speech and discovered ransom. God is the inferred rescuing agent in both, though the Hebrew angel remains a possible immediate speaker.
Verse 33:25 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:25 his flesh becomes fresher than in youth;
he returns to the days of his youthful strength.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:25 He will soften his flesh like an infant’s
and restore him, grown to manhood, among humans.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly makes God restore the man and contrasts infant softness with adult standing.
Verse 33:26 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:26 He pleads with God, and He accepts him;
he sees His face with a shout of joy,
and He restores righteousness to the mortal.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:26 When he prays to the Lord, it will be acceptable to Him;
he will enter with a pure face, with confession,
and He will return righteousness to humans.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek pure face and confession differ from Hebrew seeing God’s face with joy. The subject of the final restoring verb is provisionally God in both; Greek humans is plural.
Verse 33:27 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:27 He sings before people and says,
‘I sinned and perverted what was right,
but it was not repaid to me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:27 Then the human will blame himself, saying,
‘What things I carried through!
He did not examine me as my sins deserved.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek self-reproach and examination differ from Hebrew explicit perversion and lack of equal repayment. The Hebrew opening verb may alternatively mean looks toward rather than sings.
Verse 33:28 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:28 He redeemed my soul from passing into the pit,
and my life will see the light.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:28 Save my soul from coming into corruption,
and my life will see light.’
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek is an imperative plea for salvation, while Hebrew reports redemption already accomplished.
Verse 33:29 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:29 Look, God does all these things
twice, three times, with a man,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:29 Look, the Strong One works all these things
in three ways with a man.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek three ways differs from Hebrew the repeated twice, three times.
Verse 33:30 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:30 to bring back his soul from the pit,
to be lighted with the light of the living.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:30 But He rescued my soul from death,
so that my life might praise Him in light.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek shifts to first-person completed rescue and praise; Hebrew continues the third-person purpose and illumination.
Verse 33:31 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:31 Pay attention, Job; listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:31 Give ear, Job, and hear me;
be silent, and I myself will speak.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both request silence and attention.
Verse 33:32 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:32 If you have words, answer me;
speak, for I desire to declare you righteous.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:32 If there are words, answer me;
speak, for I want you to be justified.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek passive being justified differs from Hebrew Elihu’s active desire to justify.
Verse 33:33 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:33 If not, listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:33 If not, listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both conclude the same invitation to learn.