Deuteronomy 20 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 20:11, 20:17
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 20
Rules of Warfare
The Priest's Encouragement
Verse 20:1 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:1 When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and people more numerous than you, do not fear them, for YHWH your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:1 If you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, riders, and people more numerous than you, do not fear them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Greek names riders where Hebrew names chariots. The collective military language and exodus assurance are retained.
Verse 20:2 Same
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:2 When you draw near to battle, the priest shall approach and speak to the people.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:2 When you draw near to battle, the priest shall approach and speak to the people.
Classification & Notes
[Same] Text: Both assign the pre-battle address to the priest; Hebrew addresses the approaching troops in the plural, Greek collectively in the singular.
Verse 20:3 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:3 He shall say to them: Hear, Israel! Today you are approaching battle against your enemies. Do not lose heart; do not fear, panic, or be terrified before them,
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:3 He shall say to them: Hear, Israel! Today you are advancing into battle against your enemies. Do not lose heart; do not fear, be broken, or turn aside before them,
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Greek ends with an explicit prohibition on turning aside; Hebrew ends with terror. The cluster of courage commands has a different final action.
Verse 20:4 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:4 for YHWH your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies and save you.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:4 for the Lord your God goes ahead with you to fight alongside you against your enemies and save you.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Greek explicitly depicts God going ahead and fighting alongside the people. Hebrew says going with and fighting for them.
Exemptions from Military Service
Verse 20:5 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:5 The officers shall tell the people: Who has built a new house but not dedicated it? Let him return home, lest he die in battle and another man dedicate it.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:5 The scribes shall tell the people: Who has built a new house but not dedicated it? Let him return home, lest he die in battle and another man dedicate it.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Greek identifies the officials as scribes. The new-house exemption and its reason agree.
Verse 20:6 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:6 Who has planted a vineyard but not put its fruit to ordinary use? Let him return home, lest he die in battle and another man put it to use.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:6 Who has planted a vineyard but not enjoyed it? Let him return home, lest he die in battle and another man enjoy it.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Hebrew uses the technical release-to-ordinary-use verb, ḥillel; Greek describes enjoyment. The first benefit of the vineyard is the common concern.
Verse 20:7 Same
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:7 Who has become betrothed to a wife but not taken her in marriage? Let him return home, lest he die in battle and another man take her.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:7 Who has become betrothed to a wife but not taken her in marriage? Let him return home, lest he die in battle and another man take her.
Classification & Notes
[Same] Text: Both distinguish betrothal from taking the wife into the marital household.
Verse 20:8 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:8 The officers shall continue speaking to the people: Who is afraid and fainthearted? Let him return home, so that he does not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his own.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:8 The scribes shall continue speaking to the people: Who is afraid and timid at heart? Let him return home, so that he does not make his brother’s heart timid like his own.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Greek names scribes, uses singular brother, and expresses timidity without the Hebrew melting image. Both concern fear spreading to fellow troops.
Rabbinic: Rashi reports Rabbi Akiva’s reading of ordinary battle fear and Rabbi Jose the Galilean’s reading of fear arising from sins. The latter is an interpretation, not an added word in the verse. Rashi, Deut. 20:8
Verse 20:9 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:9 When the officers finish speaking to the people, they shall appoint army commanders at the people’s head.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:9 When the scribes finish speaking to the people, they shall appoint army commanders to lead the people.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Greek again names scribes and expresses the commanders’ leading activity explicitly. Both place commanders over the troops.
Rules for Distant Cities
Verse 20:10 Similar
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:10 When you approach a city to fight against it, offer it peace.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:10 If you approach a city to wage war against it, call its people out with an offer of peace.
Classification & Notes
[Similar] Text: Hebrew addresses the city collectively; Greek calls out its people. Both require the initial peace offer.
Rabbinic: Rashi limits this section to an optional war, citing the distinction concerning distant cities in verse 15. Rashi, Deut. 20:10
Verse 20:11 Disparate
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:11 If it answers you peacefully and opens to you, all the people found in it shall be subject to forced labor for you and serve you.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:11 If they answer you peacefully and open to you, all the people found in it shall pay you tribute and be subject to you.
Classification & Notes
[Disparate] Text: Hebrew mas and serve describe compulsory labor and service; Greek explicitly describes tribute-paying and subjection. Both impose domination, but the stated form of obligation differs.
Verse 20:12 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:12 If it will not make peace with you but makes war against you, besiege it.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:12 If they will not submit to you but make war against you, besiege it.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Hebrew speaks of refusing peace; Greek of refusing obedience or submission. Both then prescribe siege.
Verse 20:13 Same
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:13 YHWH your God will hand it over to you, and you shall strike down every male in it with the sword.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:13 The Lord your God will hand it over to you, and you shall kill every male in it with the sword.
Classification & Notes
[Same] Text: Both prescribe killing every male. Greek sword-slaughter and Hebrew the sword’s mouth describe the same lethal action.
Verse 20:14 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:14 But the women, children, livestock, and everything in the city, all its spoil, you may plunder for yourself. You may eat the spoil of your enemies that YHWH your God has given you.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:14 Except for the women and dependent households; all the livestock, everything in the city, and all its equipment you shall plunder for yourself. You may eat all the spoil of your enemies that the Lord your God gives you.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Greek aposkeuē can denote baggage or the accompanying household; dependent households suits its contrast with fighting males here. Hebrew explicitly names children. Greek adds all to the spoil eaten; neither wording implies humane treatment of captives.
Verse 20:15 Same
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:15 Do this to all the cities very far from you that do not belong to these nations.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:15 Do this to all the cities very far from you that do not belong to these nations,
Classification & Notes
[Same] Text: Both distinguish the distant cities from the cities named in the following command.
Destruction of the Canaanite Nations
Verse 20:16 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:16 But in the cities of these peoples that YHWH your God is giving you as an inheritance, leave nothing that breathes alive.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:16 but look: from the cities of these nations whose land the Lord your God gives you to inherit, take nothing that breathes alive.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Greek explicitly mentions inheriting their land and uses taking alive; Hebrew says keeping alive. Both prohibit survivors in the stated conquest setting. The corrupted Hebrew draft sentence has been repaired.
Verse 20:17 Disparate
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:17 Devote them completely to destruction: the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, as YHWH your God commanded you,
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:17 Devote them completely to destruction: the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, and Girgashites, as the Lord your God commanded you,
Classification & Notes
[Disparate] Text: Greek adds the Girgashites, expanding the peoples expressly placed under the destruction command. The ban is not translated as benign dedication in either column.
Verse 20:18 Similar
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:18 so that they do not teach you to practice all their abominations that they performed for their gods, causing you to sin against YHWH your God.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:18 so that they do not teach you to practice all their abominations that they performed for their gods, causing you to sin before the Lord your God.
Classification & Notes
[Similar] Text: Against YHWH becomes before the Lord. The stated warning against learning the nations’ practices agrees.
Preservation of Fruit Trees
Verse 20:19 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:19 When you besiege a city for many days, fighting to capture it, do not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them. You may eat from them; do not cut them down. Is the tree of the field a human being, to come under siege before you?
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:19 If you surround a city for many days, fighting to capture it, do not destroy its trees by bringing iron against them. You may eat from them; do not cut them down. Is the tree in the field a human being, to enter the siege-works before you?
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Greek names iron where Hebrew names an axe and makes the final question explicit. The Hebrew tree-and-human clause is difficult; the interrogative reading used here accords with the siege context, while other construals should remain interpretive alternatives.
Verse 20:20 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
20:20 Only a tree you know is not a food tree may you destroy and cut down, building siege-works against the city at war with you until it falls.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
20:20 But a tree you know does not bear edible fruit you may destroy and cut down, building siege-works against the city at war with you until it is surrendered.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Hebrew ends with the city’s falling; Greek with its being handed over. Greek names no surrendering agent here, so into your hands and an explicit divine action have not been added.