Deuteronomy 23 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 23:2, 23:4, 23:6, 23:16, 23:17
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 23
Preservation of the Covenant Community
Assembly Membership Restrictions
Verse 23:1 Similar
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:1 [BHS 23:2] No man with crushed testicles or a severed penis shall enter YHWH’s assembly.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:1 [LXX 23:2] No man with crushed testicles or a severed organ shall enter the Lord’s assembly.
Classification & Notes
[Similar] Text: Both specify genital injuries. Greek’s second term is less anatomically explicit. Assembly is the Israelite gathering, not automatically the later Christian Church.
Verse 23:2 Disparate
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:2 [BHS 23:3] A mamzer shall not enter YHWH’s assembly; even his tenth generation shall not enter YHWH’s assembly.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:2 [LXX 23:3] One born of a prostitute shall not enter the Lord’s assembly.
Classification & Notes
[Disparate] Text: Greek identifies birth from a prostitute and entirely lacks the tenth-generation clause here. Hebrew mamzer is a disputed technical status, not a synonym for every child born outside marriage. The draft supplied the missing generation clause to Greek.
Exclusion of the Ammonites and Moabites
Verse 23:3 Similar
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:3 [BHS 23:4] An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter YHWH’s assembly; even their tenth generation shall not enter YHWH’s assembly, forever.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:3 [LXX 23:4] An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the Lord’s assembly; even to the tenth generation he shall not enter the Lord’s assembly, forever.
Classification & Notes
[Similar] Text: Both contain the generation and perpetuity clauses in this verse. Hebrew refers collectively to their descendants; Greek retains a singular representative subject.
Rabbinic: Mishnah Yevamot treats entering the congregation in terms of marriage eligibility for converts; that legal application is more specific than the bare assembly wording. Mishnah Yevamot 8:3
Verse 23:4 Disparate
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:4 [BHS 23:5] For they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and he hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:4 [LXX 23:5] For they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Mesopotamia to curse you.
Classification & Notes
[Disparate] Text: Hebrew’s hiring verb is singular, with its referent inferred from context; Greek makes the hirers plural. Greek omits Pethor and has Mesopotamia without the draft’s added Syria.
Verse 23:5 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:5 [BHS 23:6] But YHWH your God
would not listen to Balaam. YHWH your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because YHWH your God loved you.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:5 [LXX 23:6] But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam. The Lord your God turned the curses into a blessing, because the Lord your God loved you.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Hebrew has one curse and explicitly for you; Greek has plural curses and no separate beneficiary phrase at that point.
Verse 23:6 Disparate
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:6 [BHS 23:7] Do not seek their peace or prosperity all your days, forever.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:6 [LXX 23:7] Do not address them with words of peace or advantage all your days, forever.
Classification & Notes
[Disparate] Text: Hebrew prohibits seeking their welfare; Greek prohibits addressing them in peaceful or beneficial terms. The draft partly harmonized the Greek speech prohibition to Hebrew seeking.
Verse 23:7 Same
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:7 [BHS 23:8] Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a resident foreigner in his land.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:7 [LXX 23:8] Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a resident foreigner in his land.
Classification & Notes
[Same] Text: Both give the same two prohibitions and their reasons.
Ordinary equivalent words for sojourning do not create a substantive difference.
Verse 23:8 Same
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:8 [BHS 23:9] Children born to them may enter YHWH’s assembly in the third generation.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:8 [LXX 23:9] Children born to them may enter the Lord’s assembly in the third generation.
Classification & Notes
[Same] Text: The third-generation provision agrees.
Purity of the Military Camp
Verse 23:9 Similar
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:9 [BHS 23:10] When you go out as a camp against your enemies, guard yourself from every evil thing.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:9 [LXX 23:10] If you go out to encamp against your enemies, guard yourself from every evil thing.
Classification & Notes
[Similar] Text: Hebrew names the camp or military host; Greek expresses encamping as an action. Thing renders both words in context without restricting the prohibition to spoken words.
Verse 23:10 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:10 [BHS 23:11] If a man among you is unclean because of a nighttime occurrence, he shall go outside the camp and shall not enter it.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:10 [LXX 23:11] If a man among you is unclean because of his discharge at night, he shall go outside the camp and shall not enter it.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Greek explicitly names a discharge where Hebrew uses a nighttime-occurrence euphemism. Both require temporary exclusion.
Verse 23:11 Similar
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:11 [BHS 23:12] As evening approaches, he shall wash with water; after sunset he may enter the camp.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:11 [LXX 23:12] As evening approaches, he shall wash his body with water; after sunset he may enter the camp.
Classification & Notes
[Similar] Text: Greek explicitly says his body. The washing and sunset sequence agree.
Verse 23:12 Same
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:12 [BHS 23:13] Have a place outside the camp where you may go out.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:12 [LXX 23:13] Have a place outside the camp where you may go out.
Classification & Notes
[Same] Text: Both designate an outside place for the bodily function explained next.
Verse 23:13 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:13 [BHS 23:14] Have a digging peg among your equipment. When you squat outside, dig with it, then turn and cover your excrement.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:13 [LXX 23:14] Have a peg on your belt. When you squat outside, dig with it, then bring the earth over and cover your unseemliness with it.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Greek specifies a belt rather than equipment and uses an unseemliness euphemism for Hebrew’s excrement. Earth is supplied to make the Greek covering action intelligible.
Verse 23:14 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:14 [BHS 23:15] For YHWH your
God walks through your camp to rescue you and hand your enemies over to you. Your camp must be holy, so that He does not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:14 [LXX 23:15] For the Lord your God walks through your camp to rescue you and hand your enemy over before you. Your camp must be holy. Nothing indecent is to be seen among you, lest He turn away from you.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Hebrew has plural enemies and explicitly God seeing; Greek has a singular enemy and a passive seeing clause. In both, the final turning away is the consequence being prevented by the camp’s holiness. The English clarifies that scope; neither source says holiness is meant to cause God’s departure.
Protection of Runaway Slaves
Verse 23:15 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:15 [BHS 23:16] Do not hand over to his master a slave who escapes from his master to you.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:15 [LXX 23:16] Do not hand over to his master a slave who has joined you from his master.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Hebrew describes escape; Greek describes attachment or joining. Greek pais is rendered slave from the explicit master relationship, not from an automatic equation with child or household property.
Verse 23:16 Disparate
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:16 [BHS 23:17] He shall live with you, among you, in whichever place he chooses within one of your towns, wherever he finds it good. Do not oppress him.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:16 [LXX 23:17] He shall live with you; he shall live among you in any place that pleases him. Do not afflict him.
Classification & Notes
[Disparate] Text: Greek repeats live and lacks Hebrew’s restriction to one of your towns. Both protect the person’s residence and prohibit mistreatment; the draft inserted the town clause into Greek.
Prohibition of Cult Prostitution and Tainted Gain
Verse 23:17 Disparate
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:17 [BHS 23:18] No daughter of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and no son of Israel shall be a cult prostitute.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:17 [LXX 23:18] No daughter of Israel shall be a prostitute, and no son of Israel shall practice prostitution.
No daughter of Israel shall be an initiation functionary, and no son of Israel shall undergo initiation.
Classification & Notes
[Disparate] Text: Greek has four prohibitions, distinguishing prostitution and initiation; Hebrew has two cult-status terms, qedeshah and qadesh. Their precise functions are debated; cult prostitute is a traditional contextual rendering, not an uncontested lexical definition.
Verse 23:18 Similar
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:18 [BHS 23:19] Do not bring a prostitute’s fee or a dog’s price into the house of YHWH your God for any vow, for both are an abomination to YHWH your God.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:18 [LXX 23:19] Do not bring a prostitute’s fee or what is received in exchange for a dog into the house of the Lord your God for any vow, for both are an abomination to the Lord your God.
Classification & Notes
[Similar] Text: Greek explicitly describes an exchange for the dog, not its wages. Both leave dog as the actual word; a proposed human referent belongs in interpretation.
Interest on Loans
Verse 23:19 Similar
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:19 [BHS 23:20] Do not charge your brother interest on silver, interest on food, or interest on anything lent at interest.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:19 [LXX 23:20] Do not charge your brother interest on silver, interest on food, or interest on anything you lend.
Classification & Notes
[Similar] Text: Greek’s final clause says anything lent; Hebrew repeats the interest-bearing character. The prohibition agrees.
Verse 23:20 Similar
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:20 [BHS 23:21] You may charge a foreigner interest, but not your brother, so that YHWH your God may bless you in everything you undertake in the land you are entering to possess.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:20 [LXX 23:21] You may charge a foreigner interest, but not your brother, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your works in the land you are entering to inherit.
Classification & Notes
[Similar] Text: Hebrew’s hand idiom becomes all your works in Greek.
Foreigner here corresponds to nokhri and allotrios, distinct from the resident foreigner terminology elsewhere.
Fulfillment of Vows
Verse 23:21 Same
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:21 [BHS 23:22] If you make a vow to YHWH your God, do not delay fulfilling it, for YHWH your God will surely require it of you, and you would incur sin.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:21 [LXX 23:22] If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you would incur sin.
Classification & Notes
[Same] Text: The obligation, emphatic requiring, and consequence agree. Unrelated New Testament occurrences of individual verbs are not classified as differences.
Verse 23:22 Similar
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:22 [BHS 23:23] But if you refrain from making a vow, you incur no sin.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:22 [LXX 23:23] But if you do not wish to make a vow, you incur no sin.
Classification & Notes
[Similar] Text: Hebrew names abstention; Greek names unwillingness. Both permit not making a vow.
Verse 23:23 Different
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:23 [BHS 23:24] Keep and perform what passes your lips, just as you voluntarily vowed to YHWH your God what you promised with your mouth.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:23 [LXX 23:24] Keep and perform what passes your lips, just as you vowed a gift to the Lord your God that you spoke with your mouth.
Classification & Notes
[Different] Text: Hebrew specifies a voluntary offering or undertaking; Greek names a gift without explicitly repeating voluntariness. Greek has doma, not the draft’s dōron.
Neighborly Property Limits
Verse 23:24 Divergent
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:24 [BHS 23:25] If you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat grapes to satisfy your appetite, but put none in your vessel.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:24 [LXX 23:26] If you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat grapes until your appetite is satisfied, but put none in a vessel.
Classification & Notes
[Divergent] Text: Corresponding content agrees apart from your vessel versus a vessel. Greek places this provision after the grain law: Greek 23:26 aligns with Hebrew 23:25 and
customary English 23:24.
Verse 23:25 Divergent
Hebrew–English Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
23:25 [BHS 23:26] If you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck ears with your hand, but do not swing a sickle over your neighbor’s standing grain.
Greek–English Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
23:25 If you enter your neighbor’s harvest, you may gather ears with your hands, but do not put a sickle to your neighbor’s harvest.
Classification & Notes
[Divergent] Text: Greek places this before the vineyard law: Greek 23:25 aligns with Hebrew 23:26 and customary English 23:25. Singular hand becomes plural hands; the substance of the permission and prohibition agrees.