Exodus 19 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 6 Similar 7 Different 9 Divergent 3 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.
Covenant Promise
19:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:1 In the third month after the sons of Israel left the land of Egypt, on that day they came to the wilderness of Sinai.
Greek · Saints priority
19:1 In the third month after the sons of Israel left the land of Egypt, on that day they came to the wilderness of Sinai.
That day preserves the source’s compressed date expression; a more exact calendar date is not inserted [H19; G19].
19:2 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:2 They journeyed from Rephidim, came to the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. Israel camped there before the mountain.
Greek · Saints priority
19:2 They journeyed from Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai. Israel camped there opposite the mountain.
Greek lacks the separate they camped in the wilderness clause [G19]. Both conclude with singular Israel camped.
Rabbinic: Rashi on 19:2 interprets the singular camped as expressing Israel’s unity of purpose at Sinai. This is a homiletic reading of the grammatical form [R19].
19:3 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:3 Moses went up to God, and YHWH called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel:
Greek · Saints priority
19:3 Moses went up to God’s mountain, and God called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and announce to the sons of Israel:
Both have the divine call from the mountain. RH’s mountain supersedes the provisional webpage’s heaven.
19:4 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:4 “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.
Greek · Saints priority
19:4 “You yourselves have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, and I carried you as on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.
Greek explicitly marks the wings as a comparison with as [G19].
19:5 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:5 “Now, if you diligently obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is Mine.
Greek · Saints priority
19:5 “Now, if you diligently obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured people among all nations, for all the earth is Mine.
Greek expresses the treasured status as a people, laos periousios [G19]. Both place Israel’s covenant calling within God’s ownership of the whole earth.
19:6 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:6 “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
Greek · Saints priority
19:6 “You shall be to Me a royal priesthood and a holy nation. These are the words you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
Kingdom of priests/royal priesthood preserves the distinct construction [H19; G19]. Both address Israel in the scene.
Saints: First Peter 2:9 reuses royal-priesthood and holy-nation language for its Christian audience. That scriptural reuse is distinguished from Exodus’s original address to Israel [S13].
19:7 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:7 Moses came, called the people’s elders, and set before them all these words that YHWH had commanded him.
Greek · Saints priority
19:7 Moses came, called the people’s elders, and set before them all these words that God had instructed him.
Both describe Moses calling the elders. RH names God where Hebrew names YHWH; the provisional spoke to is superseded.
19:8 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:8 All the people answered together, “We will do everything YHWH has spoken.” Moses brought the people’s words back to YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
19:8 All the people answered with one accord, “We will do everything God has said, and we will obey.” Moses brought the people’s words to God.
Greek adds and we will obey and has God [G19]. The added pledge does not contradict the shorter Hebrew response.
19:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:9 YHWH said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and trust you forever.” Moses told the people’s words to YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
19:9 The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a pillar of cloud, so that the people may hear Me speaking to you and trust you forever.” Moses reported the people’s words to the Lord.
Thick cloud/pillar of cloud differs [H19; G19]. The descriptions can coexist and are not inherently contradictory.
Preparation and Consecration
19:10 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:10 YHWH said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Let them wash their garments
Greek · Saints priority
19:10 The Lord said to Moses, “Go down, solemnly warn the people, and purify them today and tomorrow. Let them wash their garments
Greek adds the warning and specifies going down [G19]. Consecration and purification are closely related here but are not universal lexical equivalents.
19:11 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:11 “and be ready for the third day, for on the third day YHWH will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
Greek · Saints priority
19:11 “and be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
19:12 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:12 “Set bounds around the people, saying, ‘Take care not to go up the mountain or touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.
Greek · Saints priority
19:12 “Set bounds around the people, saying, ‘Take care not to go up the mountain or touch any part of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely die.
Edge/any part and the expressed passive execution formula differ [H19; G19].
19:13 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:13 “‘No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot. Whether animal or human, he shall not live. When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they may go up the mountain.’”
Greek · Saints priority
19:13 “‘No hand shall touch him, for he shall be stoned with stones or shot with a dart. Whether animal or human, he shall not live. When the sounds, the trumpets, and the cloud leave the mountain, they may go up the mountain.’”
Him takes the preceding trespasser as the pronoun’s referent; the mountain is another interpretive possibility. The final approach signal differs substantially [H19; G19]. Greek explicitly includes the departing cloud.
19:14 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:14 Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their garments.
Greek · Saints priority
19:14 Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated them, and they washed their garments.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
19:15 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:15 He said to the people, “Be ready for the third day. Do not approach a woman.”
Greek · Saints priority
19:15 He said to the people, “Be ready for three days. Do not approach a woman.”
Approach is the sexual-abstinence expression in this preparation setting. The duration wording differs [H19; G19]; it is not a declaration that women are absent from the covenant people.
The Lord Descends upon the Mountain
19:16 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:16 On the morning of the third day there were thunder and lightning, a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud horn blast. All the people in the camp trembled.
Greek · Saints priority
19:16 Toward dawn on the third day there were thunder and lightning and a dark cloud over Mount Sinai. The trumpet sounded loudly, and all the people in the camp were terrified.
Greek names Sinai and emphasizes terror; both describe audible storm sounds [H19; G19]. Voices need not replace thunder mechanically.
19:17 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:17 Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
Greek · Saints priority
19:17 Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood beneath the mountain.
RH has beneath the mountain; Hebrew has at the mountain’s lower part. RH does not separately name Sinai in this verse.
19:18 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because YHWH had descended on it in fire. Its smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.
Greek · Saints priority
19:18 Mount Sinai was entirely covered with smoke because God had descended on it in fire. The smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and all the people were greatly astonished.
The final subject and action differ: the mountain trembles/the people are astonished. Greek also has God [H19; G19]. Both reactions could occur; the readings are not inherently incompatible.
19:19 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:19 The horn’s sound grew louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice.
Greek · Saints priority
19:19 The trumpet’s sounds grew much stronger. Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice.
Voice preserves the divine response; sound or thunder is possible within the audible setting [H19; G19].
19:20 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:20 YHWH descended on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. YHWH called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Greek · Saints priority
19:20 The Lord descended on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. The Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
19:21 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:21 YHWH said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to YHWH to gaze and many of them fall.
Greek · Saints priority
19:21 God said to Moses, “Go down and solemnly warn the people, lest they come near God to gaze and a multitude of them fall.
Greek has God and approaching rather than breaking through [G19]. Fall retains the warning’s death image without supplying a mechanism.
19:22 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:22 “Let the priests who approach YHWH also consecrate themselves, lest YHWH break out against them.”
Greek · Saints priority
19:22 “Let the priests who approach the Lord God consecrate themselves, lest the Lord depart from them.”
Greek has Lord God and the difficult apallaxē ap’ autōn, provisionally rendered depart from them [G19]. Hebrew explicitly warns of breaking out against them [H19]. V1 conflated distinct Greek verbs; see the different verb in verse 24.
19:23 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:23 Moses said to YHWH, “The people cannot go up Mount Sinai, for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’”
Greek · Saints priority
19:23 Moses said to God, “The people cannot go up Mount Sinai, for You solemnly warned us, saying, ‘Set the mountain apart and consecrate it.’”
YHWH/God and set bounds/set apart differ in expression [H19; G19].
19:24 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:24 YHWH said to him, “Go down, then come up with Aaron. But do not let the priests or the people break through to come up to YHWH, lest He break out against them.”
Greek · Saints priority
19:24 The Lord said to him, “Go down, then come up with Aaron. But do not let the priests or the people force their way up to God, lest the Lord destroy some of them.”
Greek explicitly names God as the destination and the Lord as the destroying agent [G19]. This verse’s apolesē means destroy; it should not be substituted for verse 22’s different wording.
19:25 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
19:25 Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.
Greek · Saints priority
19:25 Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.