Deuteronomy 5 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 9 Similar 7 Different 9 Divergent 7 Disparate 1
Disparate in this chapter: 5:33
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.
The Covenant at Horeb
5:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:1 Moses summoned all Israel and said: Hear, Israel, the statutes and judgments I speak in your hearing today. Learn them and take care to practice them.
Greek · Saints priority
5:1 Moses summoned all Israel and said: Hear, Israel, the ordinances and judgments I speak in your hearing today. Learn them and take care to practice them.
The summons, teaching, and command to practice agree.
5:2 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:2 YHWH our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.
Greek · Saints priority
5:2 The Lord your God made a covenant with you at Horeb.
Greek changes our/us to your/you, distinguishing Moses from those addressed.
5:3 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:3 YHWH did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, all of us here alive today.
Greek · Saints priority
5:3 The Lord did not make this covenant with your fathers, but with you, all of you here alive today.
Greek consistently uses your/you where Hebrew has our/us. The covenant is addressed to the living generation in both.
5:4 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:4 YHWH spoke with you face to face on the mountain, from the midst of the fire.
Greek · Saints priority
5:4 The Lord spoke with you face to face on the mountain, from the midst of the fire.
Both describe direct encounter as face to face; 4:12 and 4:15 still deny that Israel saw a form.
5:5 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:5 At that time I stood between YHWH and you to declare YHWH's word to you, because you feared the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said:
Greek · Saints priority
5:5 At that time I stood between the Lord and you to declare the Lord's words to you, because you feared the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said:
Greek has plural words where Hebrew has singular word; Moses' mediating role agrees.
The Ten Commandments
5:6 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:6 I am YHWH your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves.
Greek · Saints priority
5:6 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Hebrew describes a house of slaves; Greek describes slavery abstractly. Both identify God through deliverance from Egypt.
5:7 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:7 You shall have no other gods before Me.
Greek · Saints priority
5:7 You shall have no other gods before Me.
Exclusive allegiance is required in both.
5:8 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:8 You shall not make yourself a carved image, any likeness of what is in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters beneath the earth.
Greek · Saints priority
5:8 You shall not make yourself an idol or any likeness of what is in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters beneath the earth.
Greek uses idol where Hebrew specifically names a carved image; the listed realms agree.
5:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, YHWH your God, am a jealous God, visiting the fathers' iniquity upon their children, to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me,
Greek · Saints priority
5:9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them, for I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, repaying the fathers' sins upon their children, to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me,
Greek explicitly describes repayment of sins; Hebrew uses the idiom visiting iniquity. Both retain the generational language and hatred qualification.
5:10 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:10 but showing steadfast love to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Greek · Saints priority
5:10 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My ordinances.
Hebrew follows the traditional reading (qere), My commandments, which agrees with Greek. The written consonants (ketiv) have His commandment(s); this internal Hebrew distinction must not be presented as a simple opposition between the traditions. Greek uses mercy and ordinances.
5:11 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:11 You shall not take up the name of YHWH your God in vain, for YHWH will not acquit anyone who takes up His name in vain.
Greek · Saints priority
5:11 You shall not take up the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will certainly not clear anyone who takes up His name in vain.
Greek katharizō, clear or cleanse, represents Hebrew acquittal language here. The legal warning does not alone establish a separate purification rite.
5:12 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:12 Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy, as YHWH your God commanded you.
Greek · Saints priority
5:12 Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.
Both use observe and require the day's sanctification.
5:13 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
Greek · Saints priority
5:13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
The six working days agree.
5:14 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to YHWH your God. You shall do no work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your ox or donkey, any of your livestock, or the resident foreigner within your gates—so that your male and female slaves may rest as you do.
Greek · Saints priority
5:14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You shall do no work on it—you, your sons or daughter, your male or female slave, your ox or beast of burden, any of your livestock, or the newcomer residing among you—so that your male and female slaves may rest as you do.
Greek has sons in the plural and beast of burden for donkey; within your gates becomes residing among you. Slave renders the household legal setting, not an automatic meaning of pais in every context.
5:15 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and that YHWH your God brought you out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore YHWH your God commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.
Greek · Saints priority
5:15 Remember that you were a household slave in the land of Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out with a mighty hand and an uplifted arm. Therefore the Lord your God ordered you to observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
Greek adds and keep it holy and uses household-service language for Israel's slavery. Both ground Sabbath observance in liberation from Egypt. The term οἰκέτης marks an enslaved household relationship; it does not establish that every Israelite performed domestic housework.
5:16 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:16 Honor your father and mother, as YHWH your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and it may go well with you on the land YHWH your God is giving you.
Greek · Saints priority
5:16 Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, so that it may go well with you and you may live long on the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Greek reverses the order of well-being and long life. Both promises remain present.
Saints: Ephesians applies the command to honor parents, together with its promise of well-being and long life, to Christian households.
Source: Ephesians 6:1–3
5:17 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:17 (Chabad 5:17a) You shall not murder.
Greek · Saints priority
5:17 (LXX 5:18) You shall not murder.
The corresponding prohibition is Greek 5:18; Greek places adultery before murder. The clauses are aligned here by content, with their actual Greek references retained.
5:18 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:18 (Chabad 5:17b) You shall not commit adultery.
Greek · Saints priority
5:18 (LXX 5:17) You shall not commit adultery.
The corresponding prohibition is Greek 5:17, preceding murder in the printed Greek order. This is reordering, not the absence of either command.
5:19 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:19 (Chabad 5:17c) You shall not steal.
Greek · Saints priority
5:19 You shall not steal.
The prohibition agrees.
5:20 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:20 (Chabad 5:17d) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Greek · Saints priority
5:20 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Both prohibit false testimony; the Greek's repeated testimony language does not change the command.
5:21 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:21 (Chabad 5:18) You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not desire your neighbor's house, field, male or female slave, ox, donkey, or anything belonging to your neighbor.
Greek · Saints priority
5:21 You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not covet your neighbor's house, field, male or female slave, ox, beast of burden, any of his livestock, or anything belonging to your neighbor.
Greek adds any of his livestock and uses one coveting verb for Hebrew's two verbs. Wife remains distinct from the second list in both.
The People's Fear
5:22 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:22 (Chabad 5:19) YHWH spoke these words to your entire assembly on the mountain, from the midst of the fire, cloud, and thick gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
Greek · Saints priority
5:22 The Lord spoke these words to your entire assembly on the mountain, from the midst of the fire, with darkness, gloom, tempest, and a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
Greek describes darkness, gloom, and tempest where Hebrew has cloud and thick gloom. Both have the final clause He added no more; its reception must be distinguished from translation.
5:23 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:23 (Chabad 5:20) When you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness while the mountain burned with fire, all your tribal heads and elders approached me.
Greek · Saints priority
5:23 When you heard the voice from the midst of the fire while the mountain burned with fire, all your tribal leaders and council of elders approached me.
The voice comes from darkness in Hebrew and fire in Greek. Greek gerousia presents the elders as a council.
5:24 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:24 (Chabad 5:21) You said: Look, YHWH our God has shown us His glory and greatness, and we heard His voice from the midst of the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak with a human being and that person live.
Greek · Saints priority
5:24 You said: Look, the Lord our God has shown us His glory, and we heard His voice from the midst of the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak with a human being and that person live.
Greek omits and greatness after glory. The human survival, not a claim about God beginning to live, is the concluding point.
5:25 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:25 (Chabad 5:22) Now why should we die? This great fire will consume us. If we continue hearing the voice of YHWH our God, we will die.
Greek · Saints priority
5:25 Now let us not die, for this great fire will consume us. If we continue hearing the voice of the Lord our God, we will die.
Hebrew asks why they should die; Greek pleads that they not die.
5:26 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:26 (Chabad 5:23) For who among all flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
Greek · Saints priority
5:26 For what flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and will live?
Greek puts the final survival in the future. Both describe human vulnerability before the living God.
5:27 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:27 (Chabad 5:24) You go near and hear everything YHWH our God says. Tell us everything YHWH our God tells you, and we will listen and obey.
Greek · Saints priority
5:27 You go near and hear everything the Lord our God says. Tell us everything the Lord our God tells you, and we will listen and obey.
The people request mediation and promise obedience in both.
5:28 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:28 (Chabad 5:25) YHWH heard your words as you spoke to me. YHWH said to me: I have heard this people's words to you. Everything they have said is good.
Greek · Saints priority
5:28 The Lord heard your words as you spoke to me. The Lord said to me: I have heard this people's words to you. Everything they have said is good.
Both record divine approval of the people's request.
5:29 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:29 (Chabad 5:26) If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it would go well with them and their children forever!
Greek · Saints priority
5:29 If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep My commandments always, so that it would go well with them and their children forever!
Greek lacks all before My commandments; both express the divine wish for lasting fidelity.
5:30 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:30 (Chabad 5:27) Go and tell them: Return to your tents.
Greek · Saints priority
5:30 Go and tell them: Return to your houses.
Hebrew tents becomes Greek houses.
5:31 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:31 (Chabad 5:28) But you, remain here with Me. I will tell you the whole commandment, the statutes, and the judgments you must teach them, so that they may practice them in the land I am giving them to possess.
Greek · Saints priority
5:31 But you, remain here with Me. I will tell you the commandments, ordinances, and judgments you must teach them. Let them practice these in the land I am giving them as an allotment.
Hebrew's collective whole commandment becomes plural commandments; Greek gives the people's practice as a direct injunction.
5:32 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:32 (Chabad 5:29) Take care to do as YHWH your God commanded you. Do not turn to the right or left.
Greek · Saints priority
5:32 Take care to do as the Lord your God commanded you. Do not turn to the right or left,
Greek shifts the embedded address to singular while retaining plural commands; the fidelity required agrees.
5:33 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
5:33 (Chabad 5:30) Walk in the whole way YHWH your God commanded you, so that you may live, that it may go well with you, and that your days may be long in the land you will possess.
Greek · Saints priority
5:33 along the whole way the Lord your God commanded you to walk, so that He may give you rest, that it may go well with you, and that your days may be long in the land you will inherit.
Hebrew promises life; Greek promises that God will give rest. Greek also joins the opening to the preceding injunction. The rest promise must remain visible without replacing it with the Hebrew wording.
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.