Genesis 20 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 2 Similar 5 Different 5 Divergent 3 Disparate 3
Disparate in this chapter: 20:9, 20:13, 20:16
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.
Abraham Deceives Abimelech
20:1 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the land of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. He sojourned in Gerar.
Greek · Saints priority
20:1 Abraham moved from there to the southern land and settled between Kadesh and Shur. He sojourned in Gerar.
G gives a southward description for H's Negev; neither source here says wilderness.
20:2 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:2 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
Greek · Saints priority
20:2 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” lest the men of the city kill him because of her. Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
G adds the narrator's explicit explanation of Abraham's fear. H later reports Abraham's own explanation in verse 11.
20:3 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:3 God came to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, for she is married to a husband.”
Greek · Saints priority
20:3 God came to Abimelech in sleep at night and said, “You are dying because of the woman you have taken, for she has lived with a husband.”
H explicitly names a dream and uses the married-woman idiom; G names sleep and expresses the marital relation as living with a husband.
20:4 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:4 Abimelech had not approached her. He said, “Lord, will You kill even a righteous nation?
Greek · Saints priority
20:4 Abimelech had not touched her. He said, “Lord, will You destroy a nation that is ignorant and righteous?
G adds ignorance to the appeal and specifies not touching where H says not approaching. Ignorant renders agnooun without inserting an explicit sin verb.
20:5 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:5 Did he not tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In integrity of heart and innocence of hands I did this.”
Greek · Saints priority
20:5 Did he not tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she told me, ‘He is my brother.’ With a pure heart and righteous hands I did this.”
H integrity/innocence differs from G purity/righteousness. G expressly says Sarah told me.
20:6 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:6 God said to him in the dream, “I too knew that you did this in integrity of heart. I Myself kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not allow you to touch her.
Greek · Saints priority
20:6 God said to him in sleep, “I too knew that you did this with a pure heart. I spared you so that you would not sin against Me; therefore I did not allow you to touch her.
H describes restraint; G describes sparing with a purpose clause. Both explicitly attribute the prevention to God.
20:7 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:7 Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you shall live. If you do not return her, know that you will surely die, you and all who belong to you.”
Greek · Saints priority
20:7 Now return the wife to the man, for he is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you shall live. If you do not return her, know that you will die, you and all that is yours.”
The command, prophetic intercession, and conditional threat agree; H intensifies the death expression.
Abimelech Confronts Abraham
20:8 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:8 Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and spoke all these words in their hearing. The men were very afraid.
Greek · Saints priority
20:8 Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and spoke all these words in their hearing. All the men were very afraid.
G explicitly adds all to those afraid.
20:9 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:9 Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought great sin upon me and my kingdom? You have done to me things that ought not be done.”
Greek · Saints priority
20:9 Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? Have we sinned against you, that you have brought great sin upon me and my kingdom? You have done to me a deed that no one would do.”
H asks about Abimelech's own offense; G asks about a collective we. H's general prohibition becomes G's description of a deed no one would do.
20:10 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:10 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see that led you to do this?”
Greek · Saints priority
20:10 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see that led you to do this?”
Both ask what prompted the action. RH does not explicitly add in me.
20:11 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:11 Abraham said, “I thought, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’
Greek · Saints priority
20:11 Abraham said, “I thought, ‘Surely there is no reverence for God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’
G theosebeia denotes reverence or worship; H names fear of God. Both are Abraham's assessment, not the narrator's endorsement of it.
20:12 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:12 Besides, she truly is my sister, my father's daughter but not my mother's daughter, and she became my wife.
Greek · Saints priority
20:12 For she truly is my sister on my father's side but not my mother's, and she became my wife.
The asserted kinship and marriage correspond.
20:13 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:13 When God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you shall show me: wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
Greek · Saints priority
20:13 When God brought me out of my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the righteousness you shall do for me: wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
H has being caused to wander and kindness; G has being led out and righteousness. H unusually pairs elohim with a plural verb here; God is the contextual rendering, with the grammatical plurality noted rather than suppressed.
20:14 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:14 Abimelech took flocks, cattle, male slaves, and female slaves and gave them to Abraham. He returned his wife Sarah to him.
Greek · Saints priority
20:14 Abimelech took one thousand didrachms, sheep, calves, male slaves, and female slaves and gave them to Abraham. He returned his wife Sarah to him.
G adds the thousand didrachms here; H first mentions the silver in verse 16. The Greek monetary denomination is retained as the translation's own historical wording, not converted into a modern currency.
20:15 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:15 Abimelech said, “My land is before you; settle wherever seems good to you.”
Greek · Saints priority
20:15 Abimelech said to Abraham, “My land is before you; settle wherever pleases you.”
G explicitly names the addressee. The permission agrees.
20:16 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your brother one thousand pieces of silver. It is a covering of the eyes for you before all who are with you; before everyone you are vindicated.”
Greek · Saints priority
20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your brother one thousand didrachms. These shall be for the honor of your face and for all the women with you. Speak the truth in everything.”
H's difficult covering-of-eyes and concluding vindication clause differs sharply from G's honor/compensation, expressly female associates, and imperative to tell the truth. H's final clause can also be interpreted as correction or rebuke; its uncertainty is retained in the note.
20:17 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his slave women, and they bore children.
Greek · Saints priority
20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his slave women, and they bore children.
The intercession, healing, and renewed childbearing correspond.
20:18 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
20:18 For YHWH had completely closed every womb in Abimelech's household because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
Greek · Saints priority
20:18 For the Lord had completely closed every womb from outside in Abimelech's household because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
G adds from outside to its closure expression. Both explain the loss of fertility without supplying a modern medical mechanism.
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.