Job 39 — 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 39
Wild creatures, the war horse and the birds
Source chapters: [BHS39] Hebrew; [LXX39] Greek.
The displayed Greek words νεελασα, ασιδα and νεσσα at 39:13 are preserved as source transliterations, with their explanations in the row note.
Verse 39:1 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:1 “Do you know the time when the rock goats give birth,
or watch the does’ labor?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:1 “Have you known the birth season of rock goat-deer,
and watched the deer’s labor pains?
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek tragelaphoi literally goat-deer names an uncertain wild ruminant; Hebrew explicitly rock goats.
Verse 39:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:2 Do you count the months they fulfill
and know the time of their giving birth?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:2 Did you count their months completed for birth,
and release their labor pains?
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek releasing labor replaces Hebrew knowing its time.
Verse 39:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:3 They crouch and deliver their young;
they cast off their birth pains.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:3 Did you nourish their young beyond fear?
Will you send away their birth pains?
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek directly questions Job about nourishment and relief; Hebrew describes the mothers giving birth.
Verse 39:4 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:4 Their young grow strong and become great in the open country;
they go out and do not return to them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:4 They will break away with their young and multiply in offspring;
they will go out and certainly not return to them.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek breaking away and multiplication in offspring differ from Hebrew the young growing strong in open country. Its opening relation to the young is compressed.
Verse 39:5 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:5 Who sent the wild donkey free,
and who loosened the onager’s bonds,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:5 Who is the one who let the wild donkey go free,
and who loosened its bonds?
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both ask the source of the wild ass’s freedom.
Verse 39:6 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:6 whose home I made the wasteland,
and his dwellings the salt land?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:6 I made its dwelling the wilderness,
and its encampments the salt marsh,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both assign an untamed saline habitat.
Verse 39:7 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:7 He laughs at the city’s clamor
and does not hear a driver’s shouting.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:7 laughing at the city’s crowded bustle,
and not hearing a tax collector’s reproach;
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek tax collector differs from Hebrew a driver or taskmaster.
Verse 39:8 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:8 He searches mountains for his pasture
and seeks every green thing.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:8 it will examine mountains for its pasture
and seek after every green thing.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both describe roaming for pasture.
Verse 39:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:9 Will the wild ox be willing to serve you,
or lodge beside your feeding trough?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:9 Will a one-horned beast be willing to serve you
or sleep at your feeding trough?
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek monokeros explicitly means one-horned; Hebrew reem is provisionally wild ox. Neither is replaced with a modern zoological certainty.
Verse 39:10 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:10 Can you bind the wild ox with its rope in a furrow,
or will it harrow valleys behind you?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:10 Will you bind its yoke with straps,
or will it draw your furrows in a plain?
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek yoke and drawing furrows differ from Hebrew rope and harrowing.
Verse 39:11 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:11 Will you trust it because its strength is great,
and leave your labor to it?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:11 Have you trusted it because its strength is great,
and will you entrust your works to it?
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both question entrusting labor to the beast.
Verse 39:12 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:12 Will you trust it to return your seed
and gather your threshing-floor grain?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:12 Will you believe that it will return your seed to you
and bring in your threshing-floor grain?
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both question its reliability for harvest work.
Verse 39:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:13 The wing of the jubilant bird flaps joyfully;
is it the pinion and plumage of a stork?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:13 A wing of rejoicing creatures—neelasa—
if it takes hold of asida and nessa;
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew’s bird-and-feather clause is difficult; jubilant bird is provisionally the ostrich of the following description. Greek retains νεελασα, ασιδα and νεσσα, transliterated neelasa, asida and nessa. Cox, NETS Iob, p.694 nn.a–c [COX-NETS], associates them with Hebrew appears glad, stork and plumage. The surrounding Greek construction remains difficult; these source transliterations are preserved rather than replaced by Hebrew words.
Verse 39:14 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground
and warms them upon dust,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:14 for she will leave her eggs on earth
and warm them upon dust,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both describe eggs left on the ground.
Verse 39:15 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:15 forgetting that a foot may scatter them
or a wild beast trample them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:15 and she forgot that a foot would scatter them
and wild beasts of the field trample them;
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both describe failure to anticipate trampling.
Verse 39:16 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:16 She deals harshly with her young, as though not hers;
her labor may be in vain, without fear.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:16 she hardened toward her children as though not her own;
she toiled in vain without fear,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both describe harshness and heedless wasted labor.
Verse 39:17 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:17 For God made her forget wisdom
and gave her no share in understanding.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:17 for God kept wisdom silent for her
and did not give her a share in understanding.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek keeping wisdom silent differs from Hebrew causing forgetfulness.
Verse 39:18 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:18 When she lifts herself high,
she laughs at horse and rider.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:18 At the proper time she will lift up on high
and laugh at a horse and its rider.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both contrast the bird’s speed with horse and rider; neither is made into a technical claim of sustained flight.
Verse 39:19 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:19 Do you give the horse strength,
or clothe its neck with a mane?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:19 Did you clothe a horse with power
and put fear upon its neck?
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek fear differs from Hebrew raemah, provisionally mane though connected with trembling or thunder by other proposals.
Verse 39:20 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:20 Do you make it leap like a locust?
Its majestic snorting is terrifying.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:20 Did you put full armor upon it,
and clothe the glory of its breast with daring?
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek armor and bold breast replace Hebrew locust-like leaping and terrifying snorting.
Verse 39:21 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:21 Its feet dig in the valley, and it rejoices in strength;
it goes out to meet weapons.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:21 Digging in the plain, it exults
and goes out into the plain with strength;
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew begins with an unnamed plural subject, provisionally the feet. Greek lacks the explicit approaching weapons.
Verse 39:22 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:22 It laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
it does not turn back from the sword.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:22 meeting a missile, it laughs
and will certainly not turn away from iron.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek missile and iron correspond to the Hebrew fearful encounter and sword.
Verse 39:23 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:23 A quiver rattles over it,
the flashing spear and javelin.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:23 Bow and sword exult over it,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek bow and sword replace Hebrew quiver, spear and javelin.
Verse 39:24 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:24 With trembling and rage it gulps down the earth;
it cannot believe when the trumpet sounds.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:24 and in wrath it will obliterate the earth;
it will certainly not believe until a trumpet signals.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both use strong earth-consuming imagery and a difficult not-believing response to the trumpet; Greek until differs from Hebrew when.
Verse 39:25 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:25 At each trumpet blast it says, ‘Aha!’
From afar it smells battle,
the thunder of commanders and the war cry.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:25 When the trumpet signals, it says, ‘Well done!’
From afar it smells war,
with leaping and shouting.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek leaping replaces the Hebrew commanders’ thunderous voices.
Verse 39:26 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:26 Is it by your understanding that the hawk takes wing
and spreads its wings toward the south?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:26 Is it by your knowledge that a hawk stands,
spreading its wings, motionless,
looking toward the south?
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek standing motionless differs from Hebrew taking wing.
Verse 39:27 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:27 Is it at your command that the eagle rises
and lifts its nest high?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:27 Does an eagle rise high at your command,
and does a vulture sit upon its nest and lodge
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek distinguishes eagle and vulture; Hebrew continues one nesher, conventionally eagle though the bird identification is broader.
Verse 39:28 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:28 It dwells and spends the night upon rock,
on a rock’s tooth and a stronghold.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:28 upon a rocky projection and in a concealed place?
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek completes 39:27’s question and gives a shorter rock-and-concealment description.
Verse 39:29 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:29 From there it searches for food;
its eyes look far away.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:29 Being there, it seeks food;
its eyes watch from afar.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both describe the bird’s distant vision.
Verse 39:30 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
39:30 Its young gulp blood,
and where the slain are, there it is.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
39:30 Its nestlings are stained with blood,
and wherever the dead are, they are immediately found.”
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek bloody nestlings differ from drinking blood, and the final subject is plural rather than singular.