Deuteronomy 15 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 15:18
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 15
The Sabbatical Release Year
The Year for Canceling Debts
Verse 15:1 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:1 At the end of seven years, enact a release.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:1 At intervals of seven years, enact a remission.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Hebrew marks the end of the period; Greek expresses the recurring interval. Both concern the seven-year release.
Rabbinic: Rashi locates release in the shared seventh-year cycle, rather than seven years after each individual loan.
Source: Rashi on Deuteronomy 15:1
Verse 15:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:2 This is the rule of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not press his neighbor or his brother for payment, because a release for YHWH has been proclaimed.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:2 This is the ordinance of the remission: release every personal debt your neighbor owes you, and do not demand repayment from your brother, because a remission to the Lord your God has been proclaimed.
Classification & Notes
Different
Greek directly addresses the creditor, explicitly names the debt, omits the second reference to neighbor, and adds your God. It retains the neighbor in the release clause.
Verse 15:3 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:3 You may demand payment from a foreigner, but release your claim to what your brother owes you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:3 You may demand from a foreigner whatever he owes you, but remit your brother's debt to you.
Classification & Notes
Same
Both distinguish the foreigner's debt from the brother's debt.
Verse 15:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:4 Nevertheless, there shall be no needy person among you, for YHWH will surely bless you in the land YHWH your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:4 For there shall be no needy person among you, because the Lord your God will surely bless you in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an allotment to inherit,
Classification & Notes
Different
Greek opens with for rather than Hebrew's exceptive or qualifying expression and adds your God to the first blessing clause. Verse 5 supplies the condition; verse 11 addresses continuing actual need.
Verse 15:5 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:5 if only you diligently obey the voice of YHWH your God, taking care to practice this whole commandment I command you today.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:5 if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping and practicing all these commandments I command you today.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Greek expresses the collective commandment as plural commandments; obedience remains the condition.
Verse 15:6 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:6 For YHWH your God has blessed you as He promised you. You will lend to many nations but will not borrow; you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:6 For the Lord your God has blessed you as He told you. You will lend to many nations but will not borrow; you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.
Classification & Notes
Same
Both promise economic and political predominance.
Generosity Toward the Poor
Verse 15:7 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:7 If one of your brothers is needy among you, within any of your gates in your land YHWH your God is giving you, do not harden your heart or close your hand against your needy brother.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:7 If one of your brothers is needy among you, in any of your cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not withdraw your heart's affection or close your hand against your needy brother.
Classification & Notes
Different
Greek describes the hardening of the heart as withdrawal of affection. Both prohibit withholding the heart's concern and practical aid from the needy brother; the distinct moral wording does not establish a different duty.
Verse 15:8 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:8 Open your hand freely to him and be sure to lend him enough to meet whatever need he has.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:8 Open your hands freely to him and be sure to lend him whatever he needs, according to his lack.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Greek has plural hands and restates the measure of need; the obligation agrees.
Verse 15:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:9 Take care lest a worthless thought enter your heart: The seventh year, the year of release, is near, and you look grudgingly at your needy brother and give him nothing. He may cry to YHWH against you, and you will incur sin.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:9 Take care lest a hidden, lawless thought enter your heart: The seventh year, the year of remission, is near, and you look grudgingly at your needy brother and give him nothing. He will cry to the Lord against you, and you will incur a great sin.
Classification & Notes
Different
Greek explicitly calls the thought hidden and the resulting sin great. Both forbid withholding aid because release is approaching.
Verse 15:10 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:10 Give freely to him, without a grieving heart when you give, for because of this YHWH your God will bless you in all your work and everything you undertake.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:10 Give freely to him and be sure to lend him whatever he needs, without a grieving heart when you give, for because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and everything you undertake.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Greek repeats an explicit obligation to lend according to need, absent from this Hebrew verse. Both already command lending in verse 8. The Greek expansion reinforces that duty rather than establishing a new obligation lacking from the Hebrew paragraph.
Verse 15:11 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:11 For the needy will not cease from the land. Therefore I command you: Open your hand freely to your brother, to your poor and needy in your land.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:11 For the needy will never cease from the land. Therefore I command you to do this: Open your hands freely to your poor brother and to the needy in your land.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Greek makes the assurance emphatic and spells out doing the command. In both, continuing poverty is the reason for generosity.
Saints: Mark 14:7 echoes the continuing presence of the poor while affirming opportunities to help them. This is an application of the passage, not permission to withhold generosity.
Source: Mark 14:3–9
Release of Hebrew Slaves
Verse 15:12 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:12 If your brother, a Hebrew man or Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall release him free from you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:12 If your brother, a Hebrew man or Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh you shall release him free from you.
Classification & Notes
Same
Both name men and women, then use a representative masculine pronoun. Neither restriction to men nor modern employment language is substituted for sale and service.
Verse 15:13 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:13 When you release him free from you, do not send him away empty-handed.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:13 When you release him free from you, do not send him away empty-handed.
Classification & Notes
Same
Both require provision at release.
Verse 15:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:14 Provide him generously from your flock, threshing floor, and winepress. Give to him from the blessing YHWH your God has given you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:14 Provide him generously from your sheep, grain, and winepress. Give to him according as the Lord your God has blessed you.
Classification & Notes
Different
Greek names grain rather than the threshing floor that produces it, and sheep rather than the broader flock term.
Verse 15:15 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and YHWH your God redeemed you. Therefore I command you this today.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:15 Remember that you were a household slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. Therefore I command you to do this.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Greek adds from there and an explicit do, but omits today. Household slave preserves the sense of oiketēs without disguising enslavement.
Verse 15:16 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:16 If he says to you: I will not leave you, because he loves you and your household and fares well with you,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:16 If he says to you: I will not leave you, because he loves you and your household and fares well with you,
Classification & Notes
Same
The stated wish and motives for remaining agree.
Verse 15:17 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:17 take an awl and put it through his ear and into the door, and he shall be your slave permanently. Do likewise for your female slave.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:17 take an awl and pierce his ear against the door, and he shall be your household slave permanently. Do likewise for your female slave.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Both describe enduring service and retain the female-slave clause. The scope of do likewise and the legal endpoint of permanently require interpretation rather than silent rewriting.
Rabbinic: Rashi limits permanent service by the Jubilee and applies the female-servant clause to the departure gift, not ear-piercing. Those legal interpretations remain in the note rather than replacing the verse's wording.
Source: Rashi on Deuteronomy 15:17
Verse 15:18 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:18 Do not find it hard to release him free from you, for his six years of service to you have been worth twice a hired worker's wages. YHWH your God will bless you in everything you do.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:18 Do not find it hard when they are released free from you, for he served you six years for a hired worker's annual wage. The Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Greek has an annual wage where Hebrew has twice a hired worker's wages, changing the economic rationale. Greek also begins with plural persons being released. The difficult annual-wage statement is retained without inventing a wage calculation.
The Firstborn Animals
Verse 15:19 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:19 Consecrate to YHWH your God every male firstborn born among your cattle and flocks. Do not work your firstborn ox or shear your firstborn sheep.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:19 Consecrate to the Lord your God every male firstborn born among your cattle and sheep. Do not work your firstborn calf or shear your firstborn sheep.
Classification & Notes
Different
Greek names a calf rather than an ox; both prohibit labor and shearing of the consecrated firstborn.
Verse 15:20 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:20 You and your household shall eat it before YHWH your God year by year, at the place YHWH will choose.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:20 You and your household shall eat it before the Lord year by year, at the place the Lord your God will choose.
Classification & Notes
Different
The fuller divine title occurs in different clauses: the eating clause in Hebrew and the place-selection clause in Greek.
Verse 15:21 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:21 If it has a defect, lameness or blindness or any serious defect, do not sacrifice it to YHWH your God.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:21 If it has a defect, lameness or blindness or any serious defect, do not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.
Classification & Notes
Same
The exclusion of defective animals agrees.
Verse 15:22 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:22 Eat it within your gates, the unclean and clean together, as gazelle and deer are eaten.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:22 Eat it in your cities; the unclean among you and the clean may eat it alike, as gazelle or deer is eaten.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Greek has alike rather than together and cities rather than gates; eligibility agrees.
Verse 15:23 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
15:23 Only, do not eat its blood; pour it on the ground like water.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
15:23 Only, do not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Greek omits the possessive its in the first clause; disposal agrees.