
Exodus 16 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 13 Similar 8 Different 13 Divergent 2 Disparate 0
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 Lord Provides Bread
16:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:1 They journeyed from Elim, and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after leaving the land of Egypt.
Greek · Saints priority
16:1 They journeyed from Elim, and the whole congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after leaving the land of Egypt.
Both contain the congregation, route, and date [H16; G16]. V1 incorrectly treated the corporate wording as Greek-only.
16:2 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:2 The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
Greek · Saints priority
16:2 The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
Greek lacks the final in the wilderness in this verse [G16]. The setting remains explicit in the surrounding passage.
16:3 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:3 The sons of Israel said to them, “If only we had died by YHWH’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate our fill of bread! You have brought us into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Greek · Saints priority
16:3 The sons of Israel said to them, “If only we had died, struck by the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate our fill of bread! You have brought us into this wilderness to kill this whole congregation with hunger.”
Greek specifies being struck; Hebrew has the hand image [H16; G16]. Neither clause names a particular plague.
16:4 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:4 YHWH said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. The people shall go out and gather each day’s portion, so that I may test whether they will walk in My law or not.
Greek · Saints priority
16:4 The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am raining bread from heaven for you. The people shall go out and gather each day’s portion, so that I may test whether they will walk in My law or not.
The announcement’s verbal form differs; the provision and test agree [H16; G16].
Saints: John 6:31–35 recalls the manna and develops the identification of Jesus as the bread of life. The discourse draws on scriptural bread-from-heaven language; its quoted sentence is not identical to this whole Exodus verse [S9].
16:5 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:5 “On the sixth day they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice what they gather each day.”
Greek · Saints priority
16:5 “On the sixth day they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice what they gather each day.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
16:6 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:6 Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “In the evening you shall know that YHWH brought you out of the land of Egypt,
Greek · Saints priority
16:6 Moses and Aaron said to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, “In the evening you shall know that the Lord brought you out of the land of Egypt,
Greek explicitly includes congregation [G16].
16:7 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:7 “and in the morning you shall see YHWH’s glory, because He has heard your grumbling against YHWH. What are we, that you grumble against us?”
Greek · Saints priority
16:7 “and in the morning you shall see the Lord’s glory, when He hears your grumbling against God. What are we, that you grumble against us?”
The second divine designation is YHWH/God [H16; G16].
The Lord Provides Meat
16:8 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:8 Moses said, “This will happen when YHWH gives you meat to eat in the evening and bread to satisfy you in the morning, because YHWH has heard your grumbling against Him. What are we? Your grumbling is against YHWH, not against us.”
Greek · Saints priority
16:8 Moses said, “This will happen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and bread to satisfy you in the morning, because the Lord has heard your grumbling against us. What are we? Your grumbling is against God, not against us.”
The middle clause has Him/us; the final designation is YHWH/God [H16; G16]. This will happen supplies the implied connection to verses 6–7 in both.
16:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:9 Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Come near before YHWH, for He has heard your grumbling.’”
Greek · Saints priority
16:9 Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Come near before God, for He has heard your grumbling.’”
Hebrew has YHWH; Greek has God [G16].
16:10 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:10 As Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, they turned toward the wilderness, and behold, YHWH’s glory appeared in the cloud.
Greek · Saints priority
16:10 As Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, they turned toward the wilderness, and the Lord’s glory appeared in a cloud.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
16:11 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:11 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,
Greek · Saints priority
16:11 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
16:12 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:12 “I have heard the sons of Israel’s grumbling. Tell them: Between the evenings you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread. You shall know that I am YHWH your God.”
Greek · Saints priority
16:12 “I have heard the sons of Israel’s grumbling. Tell them: Toward evening you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread. You shall know that I am the Lord your God.”
The timing idiom follows the distinction at 12:6 [H16; G16].
16:13 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning a layer of dew lay around the camp.
Greek · Saints priority
16:13 Evening came, and quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning, as the dew around the camp was subsiding,
Greek begins the dew’s subsiding here and carries the sentence into verse 14; Hebrew places the lifting dew in verse 14 [H16; G16]. Quail is retained provisionally for ortygomētra; the word’s components do not establish a leader bird or flock size.
16:14 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the wilderness surface was a fine, flake-like substance, fine as frost on the ground.
Greek · Saints priority
16:14 there on the wilderness surface was something fine, like white coriander, like frost on the ground.
Greek includes the coriander comparison already here, not V1’s repeated fine flakes [G16; G16b]. Hebrew’s rare texture word is rendered flake-like provisionally [H16].
16:15 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread YHWH has given you to eat.
Greek · Saints priority
16:15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is this?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “This is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.
Hebrew man hu is rendered as the question required by the following explanation and linked to the name man in verse 31 [H16]. Greek makes the question explicit [G16].
16:16 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:16 “This is what YHWH commanded: Gather from it, each according to what he can eat, an omer per person according to your number. Each shall take it for those in his tent.”
Greek · Saints priority
16:16 “This is what the Lord commanded: Gather from it, each for those belonging to him, an omer per person according to your number. Each shall gather with your tent companions.”
Greek’s masculine plural tous kathēkontas is taken as persons belonging to the gatherer; it is not the neuter what is needed used in verse 22 [G16]. Greek also has with your tent companions.
16:17 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:17 The sons of Israel did so and gathered, some much and some little.
Greek · Saints priority
16:17 The sons of Israel did so and gathered, some much and some little.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
16:18 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:18 They measured it by the omer. The one who gathered much had no excess, and the one who gathered little had no lack. Each gathered according to what he could eat.
Greek · Saints priority
16:18 They measured it by the omer. The one with much had no excess, and the one with little had no lack. Each gathered for those belonging to his household.
The final clause follows the personal construction noted at verse 16 [G16]. The balanced no-excess/no-lack statement agrees.
Saints: Paul quotes the no-excess/no-lack statement in 2 Corinthians 8:15 when urging material sharing between communities. This is quotation applied to a new communal setting [S10].
16:19 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:19 Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it until morning.”
Greek · Saints priority
16:19 Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it until morning.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
16:20 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:20 They did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. Moses was angry with them.
Greek · Saints priority
16:20 They did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it until morning, and it swarmed with worms and stank. Moses was embittered against them.
Greek uses the vivid swarming or seething image and an embittered response [G16].
16:21 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:21 They gathered it morning by morning, each according to what he could eat. When the sun grew hot, it melted.
Greek · Saints priority
16:21 They gathered it morning by morning, each what he needed. When the sun grew hot, it melted.
RH includes morning by morning and each person’s needed portion, corresponding to Hebrew; the shorter provisional webpage is superseded.
The Sabbath Observed
16:22 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers per person. All the congregation’s leaders came and reported it to Moses.
Greek · Saints priority
16:22 On the sixth day they gathered twice what was needed, two omers per person. All the congregation’s leaders came in and reported it to Moses.
Greek has what was needed rather than explicitly repeating bread [G16]. The quantity agrees.
16:23 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:23 He said to them, “This is what YHWH spoke: Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to YHWH. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil. Set aside all that remains to keep until morning.”
Greek · Saints priority
16:23 Moses said to them, “This is the word the Lord spoke: Tomorrow is a Sabbath, a holy rest to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil. Set aside all that remains to keep until morning.”
RH explicitly names Moses as speaker and makes a statement about what the Lord spoke. Both distinguish baking from boiling and preserve the Sabbath-rest instruction.
16:24 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:24 They set it aside until morning, as Moses commanded. It did not stink, and no worm was in it.
Greek · Saints priority
16:24 They left some of it until morning, as Moses instructed them. It did not stink, and no worm was in it.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
16:25 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to YHWH. Today you will not find it in the field.
Greek · Saints priority
16:25 Moses said, “Eat today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord. It will not be found in the field.
Greek has the passive will not be found and does not repeat the final today [G16].
16:26 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:26 “You shall gather it for six days, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”
Greek · Saints priority
16:26 “You shall gather for six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath; there will be none on it.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
16:27 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none.
Greek · Saints priority
16:27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
16:28 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:28 YHWH said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?
Greek · Saints priority
16:28 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will you be unwilling to heed My commandments and My law?
You is plural in the rebuke despite its address to Moses. Greek has singular law [H16; G16].
16:29 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:29 “See, YHWH has given you the Sabbath. Therefore on the sixth day He gives you bread for two days. Each of you shall remain where he is; no one shall go out from his place on the seventh day.”
Greek · Saints priority
16:29 “See, the Lord has given you this day, the Sabbath. Therefore on the sixth day He gave you bread for two days. Each of you shall stay in your houses; no one shall go out from his place on the seventh day.”
RH identifies this day as the Sabbath and specifies remaining in one’s houses; Hebrew says one’s place. The context is manna gathering.
16:30 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:30 The people rested on the seventh day.
Greek · Saints priority
16:30 The people kept Sabbath on the seventh day.
Hebrew shavat and Greek sabbatizō express the same Sabbath rest in context [H16; G16]. A shared word family alone is not an exact New Testament quotation.
16:31 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:31 The house of Israel called it Man. It was like coriander seed, white, and tasted like wafers with honey.
Greek · Saints priority
16:31 The sons of Israel called it Man. It was like coriander seed, white, and tasted like a cake with honey.
Man preserves the source name, conventionally manna in English. House/sons and wafers/cake differ [H16; G16]. Subsequent running references use familiar manna.
16:32 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:32 Moses said, “This is what YHWH commanded: ‘Keep an omerful of it throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
Greek · Saints priority
16:32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord commanded: Fill an omer with manna to keep throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread you ate in the wilderness when the Lord brought you out of the land of Egypt.”
Hebrew presents God’s first-person feeding and bringing out; Greek uses you ate and the Lord brought you out [H16; G16]. Quotation punctuation follows the respective speech structure.
16:33 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:33 Moses said to Aaron, “Take one jar, put an omerful of manna in it, and set it before YHWH to keep throughout your generations.”
Greek · Saints priority
16:33 Moses said to Aaron, “Take one golden jar, put an omerful of manna in it, and set it before God to keep throughout your generations.”
Greek specifies golden and has God [G16]. Gold supplements an unspecified material in Hebrew; it does not contradict it.
Saints: Hebrews 9:4 likewise describes the manna container as golden. The corresponding detail is evidence of reception, not a direct quotation proving a single Exodus textual history [S11].
16:34 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:34 As YHWH commanded Moses, Aaron set it before the Testimony to keep.
Greek · Saints priority
16:34 As the Lord instructed Moses, Aaron set it before the Testimony to keep.
RH says before the Testimony, corresponding to Hebrew; the provisional webpage’s before God is superseded.
16:35 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:35 The sons of Israel ate manna for forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
Greek · Saints priority
16:35 The sons of Israel ate manna for forty years, until they came to the inhabited land. They ate manna until they reached the region of Phoenicia.
Canaan/Phoenicia and border/region are retained [H16; G16]. The geographical terminology does not by itself determine a different route.
16:36 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
16:36 An omer is one-tenth of an ephah.
Greek · Saints priority
16:36 An omer was one-tenth of the three measures.
Hebrew names the ephah; Greek describes three measures [H16; G16]. No modern volume or unnamed unit is inserted into the translation.
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.