Job 34 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 34:8, 34:10, 34:24, 34:30
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 34
Elihu argues about divine judgment
Source chapters: [BHS34] Hebrew; [LXX34] Greek.
Verse 34:1 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:1 Elihu answered and said:
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:1 Then Elihu replied:
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both identify Elihu’s renewed speech.
Verse 34:2 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:2 “Hear my words, you wise;
give ear to me, you who know.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:2 “Hear me, you wise;
you who understand, give ear to what is good.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek good replaces the Hebrew explicit object me in the second line.
Verse 34:3 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:3 For the ear tests words,
and the palate tastes what is eaten.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:3 For an ear tests words,
and a throat tastes food.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both compare discernment of speech with tasting.
Verse 34:4 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:4 Let us choose justice for ourselves;
let us know among ourselves what is good.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:4 Let us choose judgment for ourselves;
let us know among ourselves what is good.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The shared invitation agrees.
Verse 34:5 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:5 For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
but God has removed my justice.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:5 For Job has said, ‘I am righteous;
the Lord removed my judgment,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both introduce Elihu’s account of Job’s claim.
Verse 34:6 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:6 Must I lie about my justice?
My arrow wound is incurable, though I have not transgressed.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:6 and He lied concerning my judgment;
my arrow is violent, though I did no injustice.’
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew’s active first-person I lie is provisionally a rhetorical question; being counted a liar is another construal. Greek explicitly has third-person He lied. The arrow’s violent quality differs from incurability.
Verse 34:7 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:7 What man is like Job,
who drinks mockery like water,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:7 What man is like Job,
drinking mockery like water,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both give the same comparison.
Verse 34:8 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:8 who travels in company with workers of wrongdoing
and walks with wicked men?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:8 without sinning or acting ungodly,
or sharing a road with those doing lawless things,
to travel with the ungodly?
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek explicitly negates sinning and wicked association, unlike the Hebrew accusation of such company. The unexpected negatives remain part of the displayed source.
Verse 34:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:9 For he has said, ‘A man gains nothing
by taking pleasure with God.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:9 For do not say, ‘There will be no inspection of a man’;
there is an inspection for him from the Lord.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek forbids denying divine inspection; Hebrew quotes denial of benefit from delighting in God.
Verse 34:10 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:10 Therefore, men of understanding, hear me:
far be it from God to act wickedly,
and from Shaddai to do injustice.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:10 Therefore, you understanding in heart, hear me:
may I never act ungodly before the Lord
or disturb what is right before the Almighty.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek is Elihu’s first-person vow about his own conduct; Hebrew directly denies wrongdoing by God.
Verse 34:11 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:11 For He repays a human according to his work
and makes each man find what accords with his way.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:11 Instead, He repays a human as each one of them acts,
and on a man’s path He will find him.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek finding the man differs from Hebrew making the man encounter recompense.
Verse 34:12 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:12 Indeed, surely God does not act wickedly,
and Shaddai does not distort justice.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:12 Do you think the Lord will do improper things,
or the Almighty disturb judgment?
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Greek rhetorical questions correspond to Hebrew denials.
Verse 34:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:13 Who appointed Him over the earth,
and who set the whole inhabited world in place?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:13 He is the One who made the earth;
who is the One making the realm under heaven and everything within it?
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek making replaces Hebrew the question about appointing God over creation.
Verse 34:14 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:14 If He set His heart upon Himself
and gathered His spirit and breath to Himself,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:14 for if He wished to hold back
and retain the spirit with Himself,
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek lacks the explicit heart and the separate breath noun. Hebrew upon Himself is provisional; upon the human is another possible antecedent.
Verse 34:15 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:15 all flesh would expire together,
and humanity would return to dust.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:15 all flesh will die together,
and every mortal will go to earth,
from which he was also formed.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek adds formation from earth.
Verse 34:16 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:16 If you have understanding, hear this;
give ear to the sound of my words.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:16 If you are not being admonished, hear these things;
give ear to the sound of words.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek conditional not being admonished differs from Hebrew having understanding. The Greek verb form permits a difficult construction and remains provisional.
Verse 34:17 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:17 Can one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn the righteous, mighty One?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:17 Look at the One who hates lawless things
and destroys the wicked,
who is eternally righteous.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek positively commands contemplation of God hating lawlessness; Hebrew asks whether a hater of justice could rule.
Verse 34:18 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:18 Is one to say to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
or to nobles, ‘Wicked one’?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:18 Ungodly is the one saying to a king, ‘You act lawlessly,’
and to rulers, ‘Most ungodly one,’
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly condemns the accuser; Hebrew’s infinitival question can alternatively introduce what God says to rulers. This rendering provisionally takes it as a rhetorical human limitation.
Verse 34:19 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:19 He shows no partiality to officials
and does not favor the rich before the poor,
for all are the work of His hands.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:19 who did not stand in awe before an honored person,
nor knows how to give honor to powerful men
so as to admire their persons.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek’s relative who has a difficult antecedent after 34:18 and is not assigned an explicit new divine subject. Hebrew plainly grounds impartiality in God’s creation and mentions the poor.
Verse 34:20 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:20 In a moment they die;
at midnight a people is shaken and passes away,
and the mighty are removed without a hand.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:20 Their crying out and asking a man for help will prove empty,
for they dealt lawlessly while the powerless were turned aside.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek futile human appeals and oppression replace Hebrew sudden death and removal of the mighty.
Verse 34:21 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:21 For His eyes are upon a man’s ways,
and He sees all his steps.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:21 For He Himself observes human works,
and nothing they do has escaped Him,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both assert complete divine observation.
Verse 34:22 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:22 There is no darkness or deep darkness
where workers of wrongdoing may hide.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:22 and there will be no place
for those doing lawless things to hide.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek lacks the particular darkness and death-shadow locations.
Verse 34:23 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:23 For He does not appoint a person another time
to go before God in judgment.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:23 For He will place no more upon a man;
for the Lord observes everyone,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew’s unexpressed thing appointed is provisionally another time for judgment; Greek leaves the placed object unspecified and instead states universal observation.
Verse 34:24 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:24 He shatters mighty men without inquiry
and sets others in their place.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:24 He who comprehends unsearchable things,
glorious and terrible things beyond number,
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek comprehending innumerable wonders replaces Hebrew overthrow and replacement of mighty rulers.
Verse 34:25 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:25 Therefore He recognizes their deeds;
He overturns them at night, and they are crushed.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:25 He who makes their works known
will turn night about, and they will be humbled.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek making known differs from Hebrew knowing; Greek turns night itself rather than explicitly overturning people at night.
Verse 34:26 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:26 He strikes them as wicked people
in a place where people see,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:26 He extinguished the ungodly,
and they are visible before Him,
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek visibility is specifically before God; Hebrew describes a publicly visible striking.
Verse 34:27 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:27 because they turned away from following Him
and did not understand any of His ways,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:27 because they turned aside from God’s law
and did not recognize His ordinances,
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly identifies law and ordinances rather than following God and His ways.
Verse 34:28 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:28 causing the poor person’s cry to come to Him;
He hears the cry of the afflicted.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:28 so as to bring a needy person’s cry upon Him;
He will hear the cry of the poor.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both connect oppression with cries heard by God.
Verse 34:29 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:29 When He gives quiet, who can condemn?
When He hides His face, who can behold Him?
He acts upon a nation and upon a human alike,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:29 He will provide quiet, and who will condemn?
He will hide His face, and who will see Him?
Upon a nation and upon a human alike,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both describe uncontested divine action at collective and individual scales.
Verse 34:30 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:30 so that a godless human may not reign,
and a people may not be ensnared.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:30 He makes a hypocritical human king
because of a people’s perversity.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew prevents a godless ruler and snares; Greek positively describes making a hypocrite king because of the people’s difficult conduct.
Verse 34:31 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:31 For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne it; I will do no wrong;
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:31 For the one saying to the Strong One,
‘I have received; I will not take pledges;
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek receiving and no further pledge-taking differ from Hebrew bearing punishment and no wrongdoing. Both have an unexpressed first object.
Verse 34:32 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:32 what I do not see, teach me;
if I have done injustice, I will not do it again’?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:32 apart from myself I will see; You show me;
if I practiced injustice, I will certainly not add to it’—
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek apart from myself I will see is grammatically difficult and provisionally retained, rather than changed to the Hebrew what I do not see.
Verse 34:33 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:33 Must He repay on your terms because you reject it?
For you must choose, not I;
so speak what you know.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:33 Will He repay it on your terms?
For you will reject it, for you will choose, not I;
speak what you have known.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both confront the hearer with choice and divine repayment; the precise object rejected remains unexpressed.
Verse 34:34 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:34 Men of understanding will say to me,
and a wise man who hears me,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:34 Therefore those understanding in heart will say these things,
and a wise man has heard my word:
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek hearing is completed and its sayings are less directly addressed to Elihu.
Verse 34:35 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge,
and his words lack insight.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:35 ‘Job did not speak with understanding,
and his words were not spoken with knowledge.’
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both accuse Job of uncomprehending speech.
Verse 34:36 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:36 I wish Job would be tested to the end
because of answers like those of wicked men.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:36 Nevertheless, learn, Job;
do not give another answer like the foolish,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew avi is provisionally a wish, though My father is another reading; Greek instead directly instructs Job to stop foolish replies.
Verse 34:37 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
34:37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
he claps among us
and multiplies his sayings against God.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
34:37 so that we may not add to our sins;
lawlessness will be reckoned against us
as we speak many words before the Lord.”
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek shifts to we and us and lacks the Hebrew clapping; Hebrew continues accusing Job individually.