Job 12 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 12:6, 12:18, 12:20
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 12
Job answers the friends and describes overturning power
Source chapters: [BHS12] Hebrew; [LXX12] Greek.
Verse 12:1 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:1 Job answered and said:
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:1 Then Job replied:
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both introduce the reply.
Verse 12:2 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:2 “Indeed, you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you!
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:2 “So you are the people!
Surely wisdom will die with you!
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The irony directed at the friends’ claim to wisdom agrees.
Verse 12:3 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:3 I too have understanding like you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know such things?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:3 I too have a heart like yours.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek retains only the first clause. Hebrew heart is contextually understanding; Greek’s shorter heart comparison is left unexpanded.
Verse 12:4 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:4 I have become a laughingstock to my friend,
one who called to God and received an answer—
a righteous, blameless man made a laughingstock!
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:4 For a righteous and blameless man became an object of mockery.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek omits the friend and calling-and-answer clause, preserving the righteous man’s mockery.
Verse 12:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:5 In the thoughts of one at ease there is contempt for calamity;
it is ready for those whose feet slip.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:5 For at an appointed time he was prepared to fall beneath others,
and for his houses to be plundered by the lawless.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek explicitly gives an appointed fall and plundered houses. Hebrew lapid is provisionally for calamity; a torch reading and the exact syntax remain difficult.
Verse 12:6 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:6 The tents of raiders are at ease,
and those who provoke God are secure—
those into whose hand God brings it.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:6 But indeed, let no wicked person trust that he will be innocent,
nor those who provoke the Lord suppose that there will be no examination of them.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew observes the security of robbers and provocateurs; Greek warns them of accountability. Hebrew’s last clause is difficult: God bringing it is retained with an implicit gift or security; a carried-god interpretation is not imposed.
Verse 12:7 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:7 But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
the birds of the sky, and they will tell you;
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:7 But ask the four-footed animals, to see whether they will tell you,
and the birds of heaven, to see whether they will report to you.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek specifies quadrupeds and indirect whether clauses rather than Hebrew confident futures.
Verse 12:8 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
the fish of the sea will recount it to you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:8 Speak fully to the earth, to see whether it will tell you;
and the fish of the sea will explain to you.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The earth and fish as witnesses agree. The marked Greek material is translated as displayed.
Verse 12:9 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:9 Who among all these does not know
that the hand of YHWH has done this?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:9 Who among all these did not know
that the Lord’s hand made these things?
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The Hebrew divine name is explicitly present here and rendered YHWH; Greek has Lord.
Verse 12:10 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:10 In His hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all human flesh.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:10 Is not the life of all living things in His hand,
and the breath of every human being?
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The universal divine holding of life and breath agrees.
Verse 12:11 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:11 Does not the ear test words,
and the palate taste food for itself?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:11 For the ear discerns words,
and the throat tastes food.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The sense comparison agrees, with Hebrew a question and Greek a statement.
Verse 12:12 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:12 Wisdom is with the aged,
and understanding with length of days.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:12 In much time is wisdom,
and in a long life knowledge.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek focuses on duration rather than naming aged persons.
Verse 12:13 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:13 With Him are wisdom and might;
counsel and understanding belong to Him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:13 With Him are wisdom and power;
to Him belong counsel and understanding.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both locate wisdom and effective power with God.
Verse 12:14 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:14 Look, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He shuts a man in, and it cannot be opened.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:14 If He throws down, who will build?
If He shuts people in, who will open?
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek uses human-agent questions and plural people; Hebrew describes the impossibility impersonally.
Verse 12:15 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:15 Look, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;
He sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:15 If He restrains water, He will dry the earth;
if He lets it loose, He destroys it by overturning it.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew water dries and then overturns the earth; Greek makes God explicitly dry and destroy the earth.
Verse 12:16 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:16 With Him are strength and sound wisdom;
the one who errs and the one who leads astray belong to Him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:16 With Him are might and strength;
to Him belong knowledge and understanding.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek knowledge and understanding replace the Hebrew pair of deceived and deceiver; the claim’s scope changes.
Verse 12:17 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:17 He leads counselors away stripped
and makes judges foolish.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:17 He leads counselors away captive
and throws the earth’s judges into confusion.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek specifies captivity where Hebrew sholal is stripped or despoiled.
Verse 12:18 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:18 He loosens the bonds of kings
and binds a belt around their waists.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:18 He seats kings on thrones
and bound their waists with a belt.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek enthroning kings differs from Hebrew loosening their bonds, while both gird their waists. Hebrew’s precise bond relation—imposed by or binding kings—remains open; it is not silently read as enthronement.
Verse 12:19 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:19 He leads priests away stripped
and overthrows the firmly established.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:19 He sends priests away captive
and overthrows the earth’s rulers.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek names rulers and captivity; Hebrew uses broader firmly established ones and being stripped.
Verse 12:20 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:20 He takes speech away from the trusted
and removes the elders’ discernment.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:20 He changes the lips of the faithful
and knows the elders’ understanding.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek knowing elders’ understanding differs from Hebrew removing it. The contrast is retained rather than making both clauses deprivation.
Verse 12:21 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:21 He pours contempt upon nobles
and loosens the belt of the mighty.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:21 He pours dishonor upon rulers
and heals the lowly.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The second Greek clause heals the humble, whereas Hebrew weakens the mighty by loosening their belt.
Verse 12:22 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:22 He reveals deep things out of darkness
and brings death’s shadow into light.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:22 He uncovers deep things from darkness
and brings death’s shadow into light.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The revelation of hidden darkness agrees.
Verse 12:23 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:23 He makes nations great and destroys them;
He spreads nations out and leads them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:23 He leads nations astray and destroys them;
He lays nations low and guides them.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek leading astray and laying low differ from Hebrew enlargement and spreading. Hebrew’s final leading can imply relocation or restraint; it is not expanded beyond the verb.
Verse 12:24 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:24 He takes understanding away from the heads of the people of the earth
and makes them wander in a wasteland without a road.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:24 He changes the hearts of the earth’s rulers
and leads them astray on a road they did not know.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew removal of heart-understanding and roadless wasteland differ from Greek changed hearts and an unknown road.
Verse 12:25 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
12:25 They grope in darkness without light,
and He makes them stagger like a drunkard.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
12:25 May they grope in darkness and not light;
may they wander like one who is drunk.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek has wish forms and passive wandering; Hebrew retains God as the causing agent in the final clause.