Exodus 21 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 8 Similar 15 Different 6 Divergent 2 Disparate 5
Disparate in this chapter: 21:7, 21:13, 21:16, 21:22, 21:23
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.
Ordinances of the Law
21:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:1 These are the ordinances you shall set before them:
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:1 These are the ordinances you shall set before them:
Both introduce the ordinances that follow.
Rabbinic reception: Rashi on 21:1 connects these ordinances with the revelation at Sinai and explains teaching as setting out the reasons clearly. [R21]
Regulations on Indentured Servitude
21:2 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:2 If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years, and in the seventh he shall go free without payment.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:2 If you acquire a Hebrew slave, he shall serve you for six years, and in the seventh year he shall go free without payment.
Greek explicitly says “serve you.” The purchase and release provisions establish the legal context for “slave.”
21:3 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:3 If he came in alone, he shall go out alone. If he was married, his wife shall go out with him.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:3 If he came in alone, he shall go out alone. If his wife came in with him, his wife shall also go out with him.
Hebrew describes his marital status; Greek specifies his wife’s entry with him.
Rabbinic reception: Rashi on 21:3 reads the wife’s departure as evidence of the purchaser’s responsibility for the slave’s family maintenance. This legal exposition is not an extra clause in the translation. [R21]
21:4 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and the children shall belong to his master, and he shall go out alone.
The Hebrew possessive refers to her master; Greek refers to his master.
21:5 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:5 But if the slave plainly says, “I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,”
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:5 But if the slave answers, “I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go away free,”
Hebrew emphasizes the declaration; Greek introduces it as an answer.
21:6 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:6 his master shall bring him before God, and bring him to the door or the doorpost. His master shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:6 his master shall bring him before God’s tribunal, and then bring him to the door, to the doorpost. His master shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.
Greek explicitly names a tribunal. Hebrew ha-elohim can be understood judicially; these are not demonstrably incompatible venues. [H21; G21]
Rabbinic reception: Rashi on 21:6 interprets ha-elohim as the court. [R21]
21:7 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:7 If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she shall not go free as male slaves do.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:7 If anyone sells his daughter as a household slave, she shall not go free as female slaves do.
Hebrew contrasts the daughter’s release with that of male slaves; Greek contrasts it with female slaves. The comparison class governing her legal release differs.
21:8 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:8 If she displeases her master, who designated her for himself, he shall allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to a foreign people, because he has dealt faithlessly with her.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:8 If she displeases her master, who pledged her to himself, he shall redeem her. He has no right to sell her to a foreign nation, because he has broken faith with her.
Hebrew follows the qere, “for himself”; the written form has “not.” Greek apolytrosei means “redeem,” not merely “release.” [H21; G21]
21:9 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:9 If he designates her for his son, he shall treat her according to the rights of daughters.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:9 If he pledges her to his son, he shall treat her according to the ordinance for daughters.
Both require treatment appropriate to a daughter in the household.
21:10 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:10 If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:10 If he takes another wife, he shall not deprive her of necessities, clothing, or conjugal companionship.
Both preserve three obligations; the terms for maintenance and marital relations differ in expression.
21:11 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:11 If he does not provide these three things for her, she shall go free without payment.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:11 If he does not provide these three things for her, she shall go free without payment.
Capital Offenses and Personal Injury
21:12 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:12 Whoever strikes a person so that the person dies shall surely be put to death.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:12 If anyone strikes someone and that person dies, the assailant shall surely be put to death.
The same penalty is expressed through different sentence forms.
21:13 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:13 But if he did not lie in wait and God allowed it to fall into his hand, I will appoint you a place to which he may flee.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:13 If he did not act willingly, but God delivered the person into his hands, I will give you a place to which the killer may flee.
Hebrew excludes lying in wait; Greek explicitly excludes willing action. These express different tests for the homicide case allowed a place of refuge, without imposing a complete modern theory of intent.
21:14 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:14 But if a man deliberately attacks his neighbor to kill him by deceit, you shall take him even from My altar to be put to death.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:14 But if anyone attacks his neighbor to kill him by deceit and takes refuge, you shall take him from My altar to be put to death.
Greek explicitly includes taking refuge. This addition does not by itself identify its historical origin.
21:15 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:15 Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:15 Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
21:16 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:16 Whoever kidnaps a person and sells him, or is found holding him, shall surely be put to death.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:17 Whoever kidnaps one of the sons of Israel, subjects him to oppression and sells him, and is found holding him, shall surely die.
Greek specifies an Israelite victim and joins kidnapping, oppression and being found with the victim. Hebrew has a different offense formulation. The victim scope and stated conditions of the capital law differ; the Greek conjunction is retained.
21:17 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:17 Whoever curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:16 Whoever reviles his father or his mother shall surely die.
Corresponds to G21:16. The two laws occur in reverse order in Greek. “Reviles” and “curses” overlap without requiring identical scope. [G21]
21:18 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:18 If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or a fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed,
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:18 If two men quarrel and one strikes his neighbor with a stone or a fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed,
RH specifies two men but, like Hebrew, identifies one striking the other. The provisional plural assailant is superseded.
21:19 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:19 if he rises and walks outside with his staff, the one who struck him shall be cleared. He must nevertheless pay for the loss of his time and provide for his healing.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:19 if the man rises and walks outside with a staff, the one who struck him shall be cleared. He must nevertheless pay for his lost work and medical expenses.
Greek makes the payment for treatment explicit; Hebrew requires provision for healing.
21:20 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:20 If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, the death shall surely be avenged.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:20 If anyone strikes his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies under his hands, the death shall be avenged by justice.
Both require vengeance for the death. Neither clause here states the precise form of the penalty.
21:21 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:21 But if the slave survives a day or two, the death shall not be avenged, for the slave is his money.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:21 But if the slave survives a day or two, the death shall not be avenged, for the slave is his money.
“His money” preserves the text’s property language; it is not an added judgment about the person’s worth.
21:22 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:22 If men fight and strike a pregnant woman so that her children come out, but no harm follows, the offender shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands, and he shall pay as the judges determine.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:22 If two men fight and strike a pregnant woman so that her child comes out not fully formed, the offender shall be fined as the woman’s husband demands, and he shall pay according to an assessment.
Hebrew uses a harm condition without expressly naming its recipient; Greek expressly makes the child’s lack of formation the condition for the monetary penalty. The governing legal criterion differs. Hebrew is not narrowed here to harm to the mother alone.
Saints reception: Basil of Caesarea, Letter 188, canon 2, rejects a formed/unformed distinction in his treatment of deliberate destruction of an unborn child. His disciplinary ruling concerns a different act from the accidental injury described here; it is not a translation of this verse. [S-Basil188]
21:23 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:23 But if harm follows, you shall give life for life,
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:23 But if it was fully formed, he shall give life for life,
Hebrew makes the life-for-life provision conditional on harm; Greek makes it conditional on the child being formed. The stated trigger for the penalty differs. This is a comparison of these injury laws, distinct from Basil’s later rule on deliberate abortion.
21:24 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
Rabbinic reception: Rashi on 21:24 interprets the formula as monetary compensation for injury. [R21] Saints reception: Matthew 5:38–42 quotes the eye-for-eye formula and develops Jesus’ teaching on nonretaliation; the legal formula also occurs in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. [S-Matt5]
21:25 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
21:26 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:26 If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free in compensation for the eye.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:26 If anyone strikes the eye of his household slave or female servant and blinds it, he shall send them out free in compensation for their eye.
Greek uses plural release language for the alternatives; both require emancipation for the injury.
21:27 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:27 If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let the slave go free in compensation for the tooth.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:27 If he knocks out the tooth of his household slave or female servant, he shall send them out free in compensation for their tooth.
The same release provision is expressed with Greek plural pronouns.
Property Liability and Animal Damage
21:28 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:28 If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten. Its owner shall be cleared.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:28 If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten. Its owner shall be cleared.
Greek specifies a bull; Hebrew shor denotes an ox or bovine without establishing age here.
21:29 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:29 But if the ox was known to gore in the past, and its owner had been warned but did not restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also put to death.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:29 But if the bull was known to gore in the past, and witnesses warned its owner but he did not remove it, and it kills a man or woman, the bull shall be stoned and its owner also die.
Greek uses testimony and removal language; Hebrew speaks of warning and guarding the animal.
21:30 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:30 If a ransom is imposed on him, he shall pay whatever is imposed for the redemption of his life.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:30 If a ransom is imposed on him, he shall pay whatever is imposed as a ransom for his life.
Greek repeats the ransom term where Hebrew uses two related nouns.
21:31 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:31 Whether it gores a son or a daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this ordinance.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:31 Whether it gores a son or a daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this ordinance.
21:32 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:32 If the ox gores a male or female slave, its owner shall give the slave’s master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:32 If the bull gores a male or female slave, its owner shall give their master thirty didrachmas of silver, and the bull shall be stoned.
The source units differ in name. A didrachma is the Greek rendering here; this does not establish an incompatible valuation or a universal modern equivalent. [H21; G21]
21:33 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:33 If a man opens or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or donkey falls into it,
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:33 If anyone opens or hews out a pit and does not cover it, and a calf or donkey falls into it,
Greek specifies a calf and uses a verb for hewing out.
21:34 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution. He shall give silver to the animal’s owner, and the dead animal shall be his.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution. He shall give silver to the animal’s owner, and the dead animal shall be his.
21:35 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:35 If one man’s ox injures another’s and it dies, they shall sell the live ox and divide its price. They shall also divide the dead animal.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:35 If one man’s bull gores his neighbor’s bull and it dies, they shall sell the live bull and divide its price. They shall also divide the dead bull.
Greek specifies goring; both divide the live animal’s price and the carcass.
21:36 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
21:36 But if it was known that the ox had gored in the past and its owner did not restrain it, he shall surely make restitution, ox for ox, and the dead animal shall be his.
Greek · Saints priority
G 21:36 But if the bull was known to gore in the past, and its owner had been warned by testimony but did not remove it, he shall make restitution, bull for bull, and the dead animal shall be his.
Greek explicitly repeats the owner’s warning by testimony. [G21]
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.