Deuteronomy 3 — Hebrew and Greek compared
← Deuteronomy 2 compared · Reading text of Deuteronomy 3 · Deuteronomy: all chapters · Deuteronomy 4 compared →
Same 7 Similar 5 Different 15 Divergent 1 Disparate 1
Disparate in this chapter: 3:26
Each verse is rendered independently from the Hebrew (Rabbinic reading tradition) and from the Greek (Saints reading tradition). The badge classifies the relationship between the two readings; the note beneath records the source document’s comparison and attributed interpretation. Each column retains its own verse references where numbering differs.
Defeat of Og King of Bashan
3:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:1 We turned and went up the road to Bashan. Og king of Bashan and all his people came out against us for battle at Edrei.
Greek · Saints priority
3:1 We turned and went up the road to Bashan. Og king of Bashan and all his people came out to meet us for battle at Edrei.
The route, king, and battlefield agree.
3:2 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:2 YHWH said to me: Do not fear him, for I have handed him, all his people, and his land over to you. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.
Greek · Saints priority
3:2 The Lord said to me: Do not fear him, for I have handed him, all his people, and all his land over to you. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.
Greek explicitly says all his land; the promise and command agree.
3:3 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:3 YHWH our God also handed Og king of Bashan and all his people over to us. We struck him down until no survivor remained.
Greek · Saints priority
3:3 The Lord our God handed him over to us—Og king of Bashan and all his people. We struck him down until none of his offspring remained.
Hebrew says no survivor; Greek says no seed or offspring remained of him. The Greek expression emphasizes extinction in the conquest summary. It does not establish that people outside Og's family were spared: the surrounding account also reports the destruction of his people and cities.
3:4 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:4 We captured all his cities at that time. There was no city we failed to take from them: sixty cities, the entire district of Argob, Og's kingdom in Bashan.
Greek · Saints priority
3:4 We captured all his cities at that time. There was no city we failed to take from them: sixty cities, all the surrounding territory of Argob, Og's kingdom in Bashan.
The sixty cities and territorial extent agree.
3:5 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:5 All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides very many unwalled towns.
Greek · Saints priority
3:5 All were fortified cities with high walls, gates, and bars, besides very many cities of the Perizzites.
Hebrew names additional unwalled settlements; Greek names additional cities of the Perizzites. Settlement type becomes an ethnic designation. The Greek does not explicitly say whether those additional cities were fortified, so a different military outcome is not established.
3:6 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:6 We devoted them to destruction as we had done to Sihon king of Heshbon, devoting every city to destruction—men, women, and children.
Greek · Saints priority
3:6 We destroyed them as we had done to Sihon king of Heshbon, destroying every city in succession, with the women and children.
Greek has in succession where Hebrew explicitly names men, as at 2:34. The destruction of women and children remains explicit in both.
3:7 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:7 We took all the livestock and the spoil of the cities as plunder for ourselves.
Greek · Saints priority
3:7 We took all the livestock and the spoil of the cities as plunder for ourselves.
The retained plunder agrees.
3:8 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:8 At that time we took from the two Amorite kings the land beyond the Jordan, from the Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon.
Greek · Saints priority
3:8 At that time we took the land from the two Amorite kings who were beyond the Jordan, from the Arnon torrent to Hermon.
Greek attaches beyond the Jordan to the kings and omits Mount before Hermon; the territorial range agrees.
3:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:9 The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir.
Greek · Saints priority
3:9 The Phoenicians call Hermon Sanior, and the Amorites call it Senir.
Greek uses the broader Phoenicians instead of Sidonians and prints Sanior rather than Hebrew Sirion.
3:10 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:10 We took all the cities of the plateau, all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salcah and Edrei, cities of Og's kingdom in Bashan.
Greek · Saints priority
3:10 We took all the cities of Misor, all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salcah and Edrei, cities of Og's kingdom in Bashan.
Greek transliterates Misor where Hebrew describes the plateau. The initial words continue the object of took in verse 8.
3:11 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:11 Only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. Look, his bed was an iron bed. Is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? It is nine cubits long and four cubits wide, by the human cubit.
Greek · Saints priority
3:11 Only Og king of Bashan remained of the Rephaim. Look, his bed was an iron bed. Look, it is in the citadel of the Ammonites, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, by the human cubit.
Greek says citadel where Hebrew names Rabbah, and replaces the question with a statement. The bed's material and measurements agree; no modern conversion is imposed.
Division of the Land
3:12 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:12 We possessed this land at that time. I gave the Reubenites and Gadites the territory from Aroer on the Wadi Arnon, half the hill country of Gilead, and its cities.
Greek · Saints priority
3:12 We inherited that land at that time. I gave Reuben and Gad the territory from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon torrent, half the hill country of Gilead, and its cities.
Possession is expressed as inheritance in Greek; both identify the same tribal allotments.
3:13 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:13 I gave the rest of Gilead and all Bashan, Og's kingdom, to the half-tribe of Manasseh. The entire district of Argob, all that Bashan, was called the land of Rephaim.
Greek · Saints priority
3:13 I gave the rest of Gilead and all Bashan, Og's kingdom, to the half-tribe of Manasseh, including the entire surrounding territory of Argob, all that Bashan. It is reckoned a land of Rephaim.
Hebrew says called; Greek says reckoned. Both retain the Rephaim identification.
3:14 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:14 Jair son of Manasseh took the entire district of Argob as far as the borders of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He named those places of Bashan after himself, Havvoth-jair, as they are called to this day.
Greek · Saints priority
3:14 Jair son of Manasseh took the entire surrounding territory of Argob as far as the borders of Gargasi and the Maacathites. He named those places of Bashan after himself, Havvoth-jair, to this day.
Greek Gargasi differs from Hebrew Geshurites; the remaining allocation and memorial naming agree.
3:15 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:15 I gave Gilead to Machir.
Greek · Saints priority
3:15 I gave Gilead to Machir.
The allocation agrees.
3:16 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:16 To the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead to the Wadi Arnon, the middle of the wadi forming the boundary, and as far as the Wadi Jabbok, the Ammonites' boundary,
Greek · Saints priority
3:16 To Reuben and Gad I gave the territory from Gilead to the Arnon torrent, the middle of the torrent forming the boundary, and as far as Jabbok, the torrent that marks the Ammonites' boundary,
The boundary follows the same waterways.
3:17 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:17 with the Arabah and the Jordan as boundary, from Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah on the east.
Greek · Saints priority
3:17 with the Arabah and the Jordan as boundary, with Machanareth and extending as far as the Sea of Arabah, the Salt Sea, below Asedoth-Pisgah on the east.
Greek incorporates Hebrew's from into the place-form Machanareth and transliterates Asedoth where Hebrew names slopes. The resulting Greek boundary expression is compressed.
3:18 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:18 At that time I commanded you: YHWH your God has given you this land to possess. All your able warriors must cross over armed before your brothers, the Israelites.
Greek · Saints priority
3:18 At that time I commanded you: The Lord your God has given you this land as an allotment. Every able man must go armed ahead of your brothers, the Israelites.
Greek stresses advancing ahead and allotted possession; the eastern tribes' military obligation agrees.
3:19 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:19 But your wives, your little children, and your livestock—I know you have much livestock—may remain in the cities I have given you,
Greek · Saints priority
3:19 But let your wives, your children, and your livestock—I know you have much livestock—remain in the cities I have given you,
The dependents and livestock remain in the allotted cities in both texts.
3:20 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:20 until YHWH gives your brothers rest as He has given you, and they too possess the land YHWH your God is giving them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to the possession I have given you.
Greek · Saints priority
3:20 until the Lord your God gives your brothers rest as He has given you, and they too inherit the land the Lord our God is giving them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to the inheritance I have given you.
Greek adds your God after the first Lord and has our God at the second occurrence, where Hebrew has your God. The condition for returning agrees.
Moses Forbidden to Cross the Jordan
3:21 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:21 At that time I commanded Joshua: Your eyes have seen everything YHWH your God did to these two kings. YHWH will do the same to all the kingdoms you are crossing into.
Greek · Saints priority
3:21 At that time I commanded Joshua: Your eyes have seen everything the Lord our God did to these two kings. The Lord our God will do the same to all the kingdoms you are crossing into.
Greek begins with plural your eyes and uses our God; Hebrew begins with singular your eyes and has your God. Greek also expands the second divine designation.
3:22 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:22 Do not fear them, for YHWH your God is the One who fights for you.
Greek · Saints priority
3:22 Do not fear, for the Lord our God Himself will fight for you.
Greek has our God rather than your God, omits them, and expresses the fighting in the future.
3:23 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:23 At that time I pleaded with YHWH:
Greek · Saints priority
3:23 At that time I pleaded with the Lord:
Moses' petition agrees.
3:24 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:24 Lord YHWH, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand. What god in heaven or on earth can perform deeds and mighty acts like Yours?
Greek · Saints priority
3:24 Lord, Lord, You have begun to show Your servant Your strength and power, Your mighty hand and uplifted arm. What god in heaven or on earth can do as You have done and match Your strength?
Greek expands greatness and mighty hand into strength, power, mighty hand, and uplifted arm. Servant here describes Moses' service to God; it does not establish a separate human ownership status.
3:25 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:25 Please let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, this good hill country and Lebanon.
Greek · Saints priority
3:25 Let me then cross over and see this good land beyond the Jordan, this good hill country and Anti-Lebanon.
Greek names Anti-Lebanon where Hebrew names Lebanon, as at 1:7.
3:26 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:26 But YHWH was angry with me because of you and did not listen to me. YHWH said to me: Enough! Do not speak to Me again about this matter.
Greek · Saints priority
3:26 But the Lord disregarded me because of you and did not listen to me. The Lord said to me: Let it be sufficient for you. Do not speak of this matter again.
Hebrew explicitly describes divine anger; Greek says the Lord disregarded Moses. Greek also lacks to Me in the final prohibition.
3:27 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:27 Go up to the top of Pisgah. Lift your eyes westward, northward, southward, and eastward, and see with your eyes, for you will not cross this Jordan.
Greek · Saints priority
3:27 Go up to the summit of the Hewn Place. Lift your eyes toward the sea, north, southwest, and east, and see with your eyes, for you will not cross this Jordan.
Greek translates Pisgah as the Hewn Place and uses southwest where Hebrew gives south. Both deny Moses the crossing.
3:28 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:28 Commission Joshua, strengthen him, and give him courage, for he will cross over ahead of this people and cause them to inherit the land you will see.
Greek · Saints priority
3:28 Command Joshua, strengthen him, and encourage him, for he will cross over ahead of this people and cause them to inherit the land you have seen.
Hebrew says the land Moses will see; Greek says the land he has seen.
3:29 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
3:29 We remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor.
Greek · Saints priority
3:29 We remained in the valley near the house of Peor.
Greek translates Beth-peor as house of Peor and says near rather than opposite.
← Deuteronomy 2 compared · Reading text of Deuteronomy 3 · Deuteronomy: all chapters · Deuteronomy 4 compared →
Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.