Genesis 22 — Hebrew and Greek compared
← Genesis 21 compared · Reading text of Genesis 22 · Genesis: all chapters · Genesis 23 compared →
Same 5 Similar 2 Different 9 Divergent 2 Disparate 6
Disparate in this chapter: 22:2, 22:10, 22:12, 22:14, 22:16, 22:18
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 Father’s Journey
22:1 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”
Greek · Saints priority
22:1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham, Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”
G doubles the initial call. Both double the later call in verse 11.
22:2 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:2 He said, “Take your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you.”
Greek · Saints priority
22:2 He said, “Take your son, your beloved, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the high land. Offer him there as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you.”
H emphasizes the only/unique son and names Moriah; G emphasizes the beloved son and says high land. Both name Isaac and describe an offering wholly burned; the English offering labels do not establish partial versus complete burning.
Rabbinic — Rashi on Genesis 22:2: He presents the progressively specified son as a dialogue: each son is unique to his mother, and Abraham loves both, before Isaac is named.
22:3 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:3 Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men and his son Isaac with him. He split wood for the burnt offering, arose, and went toward the place God had told him.
Greek · Saints priority
22:3 Abraham rose in the morning, saddled his female donkey, and took two attendants and his son Isaac with him. He split wood for the whole burnt offering, arose, went, and came to the place God had told him.
G adds an explicit came and grammatically identifies the donkey as female. Its attendants correspond to H's young men in context; neither term alone establishes a precise age.
Rabbinic — Rashi on Genesis 22:3: He interprets Abraham’s personally saddling the donkey as love overcoming normal concern for status.
22:4 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance.
Greek · Saints priority
22:4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance.
The third day and distant sight agree.
22:5 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:5 Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there, worship, and return to you.”
Greek · Saints priority
22:5 Abraham said to his attendants, “Stay here with the female donkey. The boy and I will go over there, worship, and return to you.”
Both give a plural return by Abraham and the boy. G retains the female donkey and its household-service term.
22:6 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. He took the fire and the knife in his hand, and the two went together.
Greek · Saints priority
22:6 Abraham took the wood for the whole burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. He took the fire and the knife in his hand, and the two went together.
The shared action supports comparison in later reception; the offering terms do not imply different degrees of burning.
Saints — Augustine, City of God 16.32: He sees Isaac carrying the wood as a figure of Christ carrying the cross.
22:7 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” He answered, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the animal for the burnt offering?”
Greek · Saints priority
22:7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” He answered, “What is it, child?” Isaac said, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep for the whole burnt offering?”
H has Here I am, my son; G What is it, child. H seh can denote a sheep or goat; G specifies a sheep. Neither noun by itself requires a newborn lamb.
22:8 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:8 Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the animal for the burnt offering, my son.” The two went together.
Greek · Saints priority
22:8 Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself a sheep for the whole burnt offering, child.” The two went together.
Both use a seeing verb idiomatically for provision. The animal and address distinctions continue verse 7; neither text says God will provide himself as the animal.
The Father’s Sacrifice
22:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:9 They came to the place God had told him. Abraham built the altar there, arranged the wood, bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar above the wood.
Greek · Saints priority
22:9 They came to the place God had told him. Abraham built an altar there, laid the wood on it, bound his son Isaac's feet together, and laid him on the altar above the wood.
G's binding verb specifically suggests binding the feet together; H aqad states binding without naming the limbs.
22:10 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
Greek · Saints priority
22:10 Abraham stretched out his hand to take the knife to slaughter his son.
H narrates taking the knife as a completed action; G places taking it in the purpose of the reach. The intervention thus meets a differently formulated stage of the act.
22:11 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:11 The messenger of YHWH called to him from the heavens, “Abraham, Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”
Greek · Saints priority
22:11 An angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”
Both have the doubled call, heavenly origin, and response. English article choice does not settle the messenger's later theological identification.
22:12 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:12 He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the boy or do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only one, from me.”
Greek · Saints priority
22:12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, since you did not spare your beloved son for my sake.”
H has not withholding the only son from me; G has not sparing the beloved son for my sake. The relational expression and description of Isaac differ while both prohibit harm.
Saints — Hebrews 11:17–19: Abraham’s test is interpreted through trust that God could raise Isaac from death. Genesis does not narrate an actual death and resurrection.
22:13 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:13 Abraham raised his eyes and saw a ram behind him, caught by its horns in the thicket. Abraham went, took the ram, and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
Greek · Saints priority
22:13 Abraham raised his eyes and saw one ram held by its horns in a sabek plant. Abraham went, took the ram, and offered it as a whole burnt offering in place of his son Isaac.
H reads behind and thicket; G one and sabek plant, and expressly names Isaac. Sabek is not assigned an unverified botanical species.
Saints — Augustine, City of God 16.32: He interprets the ram caught by its horns as a figure of Christ crowned with thorns. The typology leaves the animal in the translation unchanged.
22:14 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:14 Abraham named that place “YHWH will see,” as it is said today, “On the mountain of YHWH it will be seen.”
Greek · Saints priority
22:14 Abraham named that place “The Lord saw,” so that they might say today, “On the mountain the Lord appeared.”
H has future seeing, often interpreted as provision, with a difficult passive concluding saying. G has past seeing and explicitly makes the Lord the one who appeared. The tense and theological presentation differ.
The Lord’s Oath
22:15 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:15 The messenger of YHWH called to Abraham a second time from the heavens,
Greek · Saints priority
22:15 An angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven,
The second heavenly call agrees.
22:16 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares YHWH: because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only one,
Greek · Saints priority
22:16 saying, “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord: because you have done this and did not spare your beloved son for My sake,
G repeats for my sake, absent from H in this verse, and continues beloved/not spared where H has only/not withheld.
22:17 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:17 I will surely bless you and greatly multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies.
Greek · Saints priority
22:17 I will surely bless you and greatly multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring shall inherit the cities of their adversaries.
H has an enemy gate, a metonym for control of a city; G explicitly has plural cities. The blessing and multitude imagery agree.
22:18 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:18 All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your offspring, because you listened to My voice.”
Greek · Saints priority
22:18 All the nations of the earth shall be blessed in your offspring, because you obeyed My voice.”
H's reflexive verb is rendered bless themselves; G is passive, be blessed. A passive or reciprocal understanding of H is also argued, so this classification records a consequential interpretive difference without claiming unambiguous contradiction.
22:19 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:19 Abraham returned to his young men. They arose and went together to Beersheba, and Abraham settled at Beersheba.
Greek · Saints priority
22:19 Abraham returned to his attendants. They arose and went together to the Well of the Oath, and Abraham settled at the Well of the Oath.
G translates the place-name. Neither verse explicitly lists Isaac in the return clause; this omission does not itself state that he was killed.
The Genealogy of Nahor
22:20 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah too has borne sons to your brother Nahor:
Greek · Saints priority
22:20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah too has borne sons to your brother Nahor:
The family report agrees.
22:21 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,
Greek · Saints priority
22:21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of the Syrians,
H names Aram; G uses the corresponding people-name Syrians, making the ethnographic sense explicit.
22:22 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
Greek · Saints priority
22:22 Chesed, Azau, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
RH has Azau at the position of H Hazo, correcting the draft's Chazan. The other names are conventionally normalized.
22:23 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:23 Bethuel begat Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
Greek · Saints priority
22:23 Bethuel begat Rebekah. These are the eight sons whom Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
RH explicitly says sons, not the draft's families. The count and Rebekah's parentage agree.
22:24 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
22:24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
Greek · Saints priority
22:24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tabek, Gaham, Tochos, and Mocha.
The more distinctive Greek name forms are retained, while Reumah and Gaham are conventionally normalized. The concubine and number of named descendants correspond.
← Genesis 21 compared · Reading text of Genesis 22 · Genesis: all chapters · Genesis 23 compared →
Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.