Exodus 18 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 7 Similar 8 Different 8 Divergent 3 Disparate 1
Disparate in this chapter: 18:23
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.
Jethro’s Arrival
18:1 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:1 Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, and how YHWH had brought Israel out of Egypt.
Greek · Saints priority
18:1 Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that the Lord had done for Israel His own people, for the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.
Greek lacks for Moses and begins with Lord [G18]. Israel is understood as the recipient, in apposition to His own people, not as part of V1’s invented title Lord of Israel.
18:2 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:2 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after she had been sent away,
Greek · Saints priority
18:2 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after she had been sent away,
Both describe her being sent away without narrating its circumstances here [H18; G18]. Greek aphesis does not mean forgiveness of sins in this setting.
18:3 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:3 and her two sons. One was named Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”
Greek · Saints priority
18:3 and his two sons. One of them was named Gershom, for Moses had said, “I was a sojourner in a foreign land.”
Hebrew has her sons; RH has his sons, referring to Moses. The name explanation has Moses as contextual speaker; compare 2:22.
18:4 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:4 The other was named Eliezer, for he had said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
Greek · Saints priority
18:4 The second was named Eliezer, for he had said, “My father’s God was my helper and delivered me from Pharaoh’s hand.”
Sword/hand is the substantive image difference [H18; G18]. The name Eliezer recalls divine help.
18:5 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he camped at God’s mountain.
Greek · Saints priority
18:5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, went out with the sons and the wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he camped at God’s mountain.
The family referents follow verses 2–4. Hebrew’s pronouns are made explicit for clarity [H18; G18].
18:6 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:6 He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons with her.”
Greek · Saints priority
18:6 It was reported to Moses, “Behold, your father-in-law Jethro is coming to you, with your wife and your two sons with him.”
Direct first-person announcement/reported announcement and with her/with him differ [H18; G18]. Hebrew speech could be communicated by a message; no contradiction in the meeting sequence is established.
18:7 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. They asked after one another’s welfare and entered the tent.
Greek · Saints priority
18:7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed before him, and kissed him. They greeted one another, and he brought him into the tent.
Greek has singular brought him, correcting V1’s them [G18]. Bowing is respectful greeting in this context.
Reverence and Confession
18:8 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:8 Moses told his father-in-law everything YHWH had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship they had met on the journey, and how YHWH had delivered them.
Greek · Saints priority
18:8 Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship they had met on the journey, and how the Lord had delivered them from Pharaoh’s hand and the Egyptians’ hand.
Greek explicitly includes the two concluding hand clauses [G18], which V1 omitted from this verse.
18:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:9 Jethro rejoiced over all the good YHWH had done for Israel in delivering them from the Egyptians’ hand.
Greek · Saints priority
18:9 Jethro was amazed at all the good the Lord had done for them in delivering them from the Egyptians’ hand and Pharaoh’s hand.
Rejoiced/was amazed differs; Greek also names Pharaoh [H18; G18]. Joy and amazement are not incompatible reactions.
18:10 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:10 Jethro said, “Blessed be YHWH, who delivered you from the Egyptians’ hand and Pharaoh’s hand, who delivered the people from under the Egyptians’ hand.
Greek · Saints priority
18:10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, for He delivered His people from the Egyptians’ hand and Pharaoh’s hand.
Greek has them instead of you and includes His people in its final deliverance clause. Both describe rescue from Egyptian power.
18:11 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:11 “Now I know that YHWH is greater than all gods, even in the matter in which they acted arrogantly against them.”
Greek · Saints priority
18:11 “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because of this, because they attacked them.”
The final clauses are compressed: Hebrew describes arrogance, Greek an attack [H18; G18]. The Egyptians and Israel are the contextual referents. No missing explanatory clause is silently composed.
18:12 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:12 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron and all Israel’s elders came to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
Greek · Saints priority
18:12 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took burnt offerings and sacrifices for God. Aaron and all Israel’s elders came to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
The burnt offering is singular in Hebrew and plural in Greek [H18; G18]. The meal before God agrees.
Jethro’s Advice
18:13 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.
Greek · Saints priority
18:13 After the next day Moses sat to judge the people, and all the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.
RH has after the next day, μετὰ τὴν ἐπαύριον, and includes all. Its unusual temporal wording is retained without normalizing it to Hebrew’s next day. [H18; G18]
18:14 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone while all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”
Greek · Saints priority
18:14 When Jethro saw all he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone while all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”
Greek names Jethro in place of the relationship description [G18].
18:15 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “The people come to me to inquire of God.
Greek · Saints priority
18:15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “The people come to me to seek judgment from God.
Greek explicitly specifies judgment [G18], consistent with the cases described next.
18:16 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:16 “When they have a matter, it comes to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known God’s statutes and His laws.”
Greek · Saints priority
18:16 “When they have a dispute and come to me, I judge each case and instruct them in God’s ordinances and His law.”
Greek explicitly says dispute and has singular law [H18; G18].
18:17 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.
Greek · Saints priority
18:17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “You are not doing this correctly.
RH places the evaluation of Moses’ procedure here, corresponding to Hebrew 18:17.
18:18 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:18 “You will surely wear yourself out, both you and this people with you, for the matter is too heavy for you. You cannot do it alone.
Greek · Saints priority
18:18 “You and all the people with you will be worn down with unbearable exhaustion. This matter is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.
Both warn of exhaustion and inability to act alone. Greek additionally describes the task as unbearable; RH places the preceding evaluation at 18:17.
18:19 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:19 “Now listen to me. I will advise you, and may God be with you. Represent the people before God and bring their matters to God.
Greek · Saints priority
18:19 “Now listen to me. I will advise you, and God will be with you. Represent the people in matters concerning God and bring their words to God.
Greek’s matters concerning God is a relational expression; later priestly usage is a lexical parallel unless direct dependence is demonstrated [G18].
18:20 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:20 “Instruct them in the statutes and laws, and make known to them the way they must walk and the work they must do.
Greek · Saints priority
18:20 “Solemnly instruct them in God’s ordinances and His law, and show them the ways they must walk and the works they must do.
Greek makes God explicit and uses plural ways and works [G18].
18:21 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:21 “Select capable men from all the people, men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate unjust gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
Greek · Saints priority
18:21 “Select capable, God-fearing men from all the people, righteous men who hate arrogance. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
Trustworthy/righteous and unjust gain/arrogance differ [H18; G18]. These are qualifications for Israel’s judges in this passage; applications to later church offices are reception.
18:22 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:22 “Let them judge the people at all times. They shall bring every great matter to you, but judge every small matter themselves. Make it lighter for yourself, and let them bear it with you.
Greek · Saints priority
18:22 “They shall judge the people at all times. They shall bring the weighty matter to you, but judge the smaller cases themselves. They will lighten your burden and help you carry it.
Both distribute the burden while reserving major cases for Moses [H18; G18].
18:23 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:23 “If you do this and God commands you so, you will be able to stand, and all this people will go to their place in peace.”
Greek · Saints priority
18:23 “If you do this, God will strengthen you, and you will be able to stand, and all this people will go to their own place in peace.”
Hebrew conditions the proposed arrangement on God’s command; Greek presents God’s strengthening as a consequence. The role of divine authorization in Jethro’s advice materially differs.
Leaders and Judges
18:24 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he said.
Greek · Saints priority
18:24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he said.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
18:25 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:25 Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
Greek · Saints priority
18:25 Moses chose capable men from all Israel and appointed them over the people as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
18:26 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:26 They judged the people at all times. They brought difficult matters to Moses, but judged every small matter themselves.
Greek · Saints priority
18:26 They judged the people at all times. They brought every weighty matter to Moses, but judged every light matter themselves.
Greek sustains the weight image in its two case categories [G18].
18:27 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
18:27 Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and he went to his own land.
Greek · Saints priority
18:27 Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and he went to his own land.
The sending verb alone does not imply an otherwise unreported ceremony or blessing.
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.