Deuteronomy 13 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 13:6, 13:9, 13:13
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.
Deuteronomy 13
Idolatry and Covenant Loyalty
Idolatrous Prophets and Dreamers
Verse 13:1 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:1 (BHS 13:2) If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or wonder,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:1 (LXX 13:2) If a prophet or someone dreaming a dream arises among you and gives you a sign or wonder,
Classification & Notes
Same
The proposed sign and the two kinds of claimant agree. Throughout this chapter the consulted Hebrew and Greek references are one verse higher than the common English row number.
Verse 13:2 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:2 (BHS 13:3) and the sign or wonder he told you comes to pass, and he says: Let us follow other gods you have not known and serve them,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:2 (LXX 13:3) and the sign or wonder he told you comes to pass, and he says: Let us go and serve other gods you have not known,
Classification & Notes
Similar
Greek combines following and serving into going to serve; both allow that the predicted sign occurs.
Verse 13:3 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:3 (BHS 13:4) do not listen to that prophet's words or that dreamer of dreams. For YHWH your God is testing you, to know whether you love YHWH your God with all your heart and all your soul.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:3 (LXX 13:4) do not listen to that prophet's words or to the one dreaming that dream. For the Lord God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Greek lacks your in the first Lord God designation. Unlike some other testing passages, both here explicitly say to know.
Verse 13:4 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:4 (BHS 13:5) Follow YHWH your God, fear Him, keep His commandments, obey His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:4 (LXX 13:5) Follow the Lord your God, fear Him, keep His commandments, obey His voice, and be joined to Him.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Greek omits the distinct serve Him clause and expresses attachment as being joined to Him.
Verse 13:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:5 (BHS 13:6) That prophet or dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he spoke rebellion against YHWH your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to drive you from the way YHWH your God commanded you to walk. Purge the evil from your midst.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:5 (LXX 13:6) That prophet or dreamer of that dream shall die, because he spoke to lead you astray from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery, to drive you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to walk. Remove the evil person from among yourselves.
Classification & Notes
Different
Greek explicitly identifies the evil person, where the Hebrew expression the evil can refer to the evil or evildoer; it describes inducement away from God and shortens house of slavery to slavery. Both impose the death sanction on the same offending prophet or dreamer. No different punishment or permitted offense is established.
Enticers in the Family
Verse 13:6 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:6 (BHS 13:7) If your brother, your mother's son, or your son or daughter, the wife in your embrace, or your friend who is like your own self secretly entices you, saying: Let us go and serve other gods that neither you nor your fathers have known,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:6 (LXX 13:7) If your brother from your father or your mother, or your son or daughter, the wife in your embrace, or your friend who is equal to your own self secretly urges you, saying: Let us go and serve other gods that neither you nor your fathers have known,
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Greek expressly includes a brother through either parent; Hebrew expressly names the mother's son. This expands the stated kinship scope without deciding how later law interprets the Hebrew.
Verse 13:7 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:7 (BHS 13:8) gods of the peoples around you, near or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:7 (LXX 13:8) gods of the nations around you, near or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other,
Classification & Notes
Same
The comprehensive geographical range agrees.
Verse 13:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:8 (BHS 13:9) do not consent to him or listen to him. Let your eye show him no pity; do not spare him or conceal him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:8 (LXX 13:9) do not consent to him or listen to him. Let your eye not spare him; do not feel longing for him or conceal him.
Classification & Notes
Different
Greek's language of emotional attachment stands where Hebrew forbids sparing or compassion; the ban on concealment agrees.
Verse 13:9 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:9 (BHS 13:10) You must kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:9 (LXX 13:10) You must report him. Your hands shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people.
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Greek begins with an emphatic duty to report, where Hebrew begins with an emphatic command to kill. Both still require the addressee's first participation in the execution; the Greek is not a noncapital alternative.
Verse 13:10 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:10 (BHS 13:11) Stone him to death, because he sought to drive you away from YHWH your God, who brought you out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:10 (LXX 13:11) They shall stone him, and he shall die, because he sought to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
Classification & Notes
Different
Hebrew addresses you as the stoning agent; Greek gives the act to they, following the whole people of the previous verse.
Verse 13:11 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:11 (BHS 13:12) All Israel shall hear and fear, and no longer do such an evil thing among you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:11 (LXX 13:12) All Israel shall hear and fear, and no longer do such an evil thing among you.
Classification & Notes
Same
Both state the intended deterrent effect.
An Idolatrous City
Verse 13:12 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:12 (BHS 13:13) If you hear it said in one of your cities that YHWH your God is giving you to dwell in,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:12 (LXX 13:13) If you hear people saying in one of your cities that the Lord your God is giving you to dwell in,
Classification & Notes
Same
The report initiates the same city-level case.
Verse 13:13 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:13 (BHS 13:14) Worthless men have gone out from among you and led their city's inhabitants astray, saying: Let us go and serve other gods you have not known,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:13 (LXX 13:14) Lawless men have gone out from among you and caused all their city's inhabitants to turn away, saying: Let us go and serve other gods you have not known,
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Greek expressly says all the inhabitants, materially sharpening the scope of the city's defection. Hebrew sons of worthlessness is an idiom, not a reference here to literal offspring of a named demon.
Verse 13:14 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:14 (BHS 13:15) then inquire, investigate, and question thoroughly. If the report is true and established, and this abomination has been committed among you,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:14 (LXX 13:15) then question and investigate thoroughly. If the report is clearly true, and this abomination has occurred among you,
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Greek compresses the three Hebrew investigation verbs into two; both require established facts before the sanction.
Verse 13:15 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:15 (BHS 13:16) you must strike that city's inhabitants with the sword, devoting it to destruction with everything in it, including its livestock, with the sword.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:15 (LXX 13:16) you must kill all the inhabitants of that city with the sword, devoting it and everything in it to destruction.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Greek explicitly says all inhabitants but omits the separate livestock clause and repeated sword phrase. Its comprehensive everything remains; the omission does not establish that livestock are exempt. The shortened list governs the category without a demonstrated contrary penalty.
Verse 13:16 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:16 (BHS 13:17) Gather all its spoil into its public square and burn the city and all its spoil completely for YHWH your God. It shall remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:16 (LXX 13:17) Gather all its spoil into its thoroughfares and burn the city and all its spoil all together before the Lord your God. It shall remain uninhabited forever, never to be rebuilt.
Classification & Notes
Different
Greek has plural thoroughfares, the collective adverb πανδημεί (with the whole people, collectively), and uninhabited rather than a ruin heap. All together preserves the collective expression without deciding whether it describes communal action or the full population included in the destruction. The preceding verse already prescribes killing by the sword; this adverb does not establish a separate command to burn people alive. Both versions require the city’s permanent destruction. See LSJ, πανδημεί.
Verse 13:17 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:17 (BHS 13:18) Let nothing devoted to destruction cling to your hand, so that YHWH may turn from His burning anger, grant you compassion, have compassion on you, and multiply you, as He swore to your fathers,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:17 (LXX 13:18) Let nothing devoted to destruction cling to your hand, so that the Lord may turn from His furious anger, grant you mercy, have mercy on you, and multiply you, as the Lord swore to your fathers,
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Greek repeats the Lord in the oath clause. Both prohibit retaining any banned property.
Verse 13:18 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
13:18 (BHS 13:19) when you obey the voice of YHWH your God, keeping all His commandments I command you today and doing what is right in the eyes of YHWH your God.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
13:18 (LXX 13:19) if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping all His commandments I command you today and doing what is good and pleasing before the Lord your God.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Greek adds good and renders right as pleasing; both make obedience the condition.