Genesis 26 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 9 Similar 9 Different 10 Divergent 6 Disparate 1
Disparate in this chapter: 26:32
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.
Isaac’s Covenant Renewal
26:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, in Gerar.
Greek · Saints priority
26:1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, in Gerar.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
26:2 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:2 Then YHWH appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; instead, dwell in the land that I shall tell you of.”
Greek · Saints priority
26:2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; instead, dwell in the land that I shall tell you of.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
26:3 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:3 “Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and to your seed I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham.”
Greek · Saints priority
26:3 “Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and to your seed I will give all this land, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham.”
Hebrew plural lands and Greek singular land do not by themselves establish different territorial promises.
26:4 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:4 “And I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your seed all these lands; and all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves in your seed.”
Greek · Saints priority
26:4 “And I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your seed all this land; and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in your seed.”
The Hebrew blessing form can be understood reflexively or passively; Greek is passive. The chosen distinction is not an incompatible promise.
26:5 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:5 “Because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
Greek · Saints priority
26:5 “Because Abraham your father obeyed My voice and watched over My charges, My commandments, My ordinances, and My statutes.”
Greek names Abraham as your father and uses a corresponding list of instructions [G26].
Isaac’s Deception in Gerar
26:6 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
Greek · Saints priority
26:6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
26:7 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:7 And when the men of the place questioned him concerning his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he feared to say, “She is my wife,” thinking, “Lest the men of the place should kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”
Greek · Saints priority
26:7 The men of the place questioned him concerning Rebekah, his wife, and he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” lest the men of the place kill him because of Rebekah, for she was beautiful in appearance.
Greek names Rebekah in the opening clause [G26].
26:8 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:8 And it came to pass, when he had remained there a long time, that Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, leaned out to look through a window, and he saw Isaac playing with Rebekah, his wife.
Greek · Saints priority
26:8 And it came to pass, when he had remained there a long time, that Abimelech, the king of Gerar, leaned out to look through a window, and he saw Isaac playing with Rebekah, his wife.
The royal titles differ; rule over Gerar and the Philistines is compatible.
26:9 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Is she then truly your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die on her account.’”
Greek · Saints priority
26:9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “So she is indeed your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die on her account.’”
Greek begins with an emphatic statement identifying the wife, followed by the question about Isaac’s claim.
26:10 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:10 Abimelech said, “What have you done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
Greek · Saints priority
26:10 Abimelech said, “What have you done to us? One of my kin might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought an unwitting offense upon us.”
People/kin and guilt/unwitting offense differ. Greek agnoia is contextualized without claiming a separate legal code [G26].
26:11 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:11 So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”
Greek · Saints priority
26:11 So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall be liable to death.”
Both threaten death; Greek expresses liability to death rather than the Hebrew emphatic execution formula.
The Wells of Contention
26:12 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and he reaped in that same year a hundredfold; and YHWH blessed him.
Greek · Saints priority
26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and he reaped in that same year a hundredfold of barley; and the Lord blessed him.
Greek explicitly identifies barley [G26].
26:13 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:13 The man became prosperous and continued to prosper until he was very great.
Greek · Saints priority
26:13 And the man was exalted, and advancing he increased until he became very great.
The two expressions describe increasing prosperity and standing.
26:14 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:14 He had flocks, herds, and a large household workforce, and the Philistines envied him.
Greek · Saints priority
26:14 For he possessed flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle, and many tilled lands; and the Philistines envied him.
Hebrew’s service/work expression is rendered household workforce; Greek explicitly names cultivated lands [G26]. The Hebrew scope remains a lexical review point.
26:15 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:15 And all the wells which the servants of his father had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped them and filled them with earth.
Greek · Saints priority
26:15 And all the wells which the servants of his father had dug in the time of his father, the Philistines stopped them and filled them with earth.
Hebrew names Abraham; the consulted Greek does not in this verse [G26].
26:16 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Depart from us, for you have become much mightier than we.”
Greek · Saints priority
26:16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Depart from us, for you have become much mightier than we.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
26:17 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:17 So Isaac departed from there, and he camped in the valley of Gerar and dwelt there.
Greek · Saints priority
26:17 So Isaac departed from there, and he camped in the valley of Gerar and dwelt there.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
26:18 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:18 Isaac dug again the water wells that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham’s death. He gave them the names his father had given them.
Greek · Saints priority
26:18 Isaac dug again the water wells that the servants of Abraham his father had dug, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham his father died. He gave them the names Abraham his father had given them.
Greek explicitly identifies the diggers as Abraham’s servants and repeats his name [G26].
26:19 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:19 And Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and they found there a well of living water.
Greek · Saints priority
26:19 And Isaac’s servants dug in the valley of Gerar, and they found there a well of living water.
Greek includes Gerar. Living water here describes fresh, flowing water [G26].
26:20 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:20 The shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s shepherds, saying, “The water is ours.” He named the well Esek, because they contended with him.
Greek · Saints priority
26:20 The shepherds of Gerar fought with Isaac’s shepherds, saying the water was theirs. He named that well Injustice, because they wronged him.
The name and explanation use contention in Hebrew and injustice in Greek. Both have a singular naming subject [G26].
26:21 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:21 They dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also, so he named it Sitnah.
Greek · Saints priority
26:21 Isaac moved on from there and dug another well. They disputed that one also, so he named it Enmity.
Greek explicitly describes Isaac’s departure; Sitnah and Enmity are related name and translation [G26].
26:22 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now YHWH has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
Greek · Saints priority
26:22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Broad Space, saying, “Now the Lord has made room for us and increased us in the land.”
The name is interpreted in Greek; Hebrew will be fruitful and Greek has increased differ in verbal perspective [G26].
26:23 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:23 He went up from there to Beersheba.
Greek · Saints priority
26:23 He went up from there to the Well of the Oath.
The proper name and descriptive Greek name identify the corresponding destination.
26:24 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:24 And YHWH appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father; fear not, for I am with you, and I will bless you and multiply your seed for the sake of Abraham My servant.”
Greek · Saints priority
26:24 And the Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father; fear not, for I am with you, and I have blessed you and will multiply your seed for the sake of Abraham your father.”
Hebrew promises I will bless you and concludes Abraham My servant; Greek says I have blessed you and Abraham your father. Both the tense and designation are retained. [G26]
26:25 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:25 He built an altar there, called on the name of YHWH, and pitched his tent there. Isaac’s servants dug a well there.
Greek · Saints priority
26:25 He built an altar there, called on the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there. Isaac’s servants dug a well there.
The unsupported valley of Gerar ending in V1’s Greek-English is removed; the consulted Greek ends with a well [G26].
The Treaty with Abimelech
26:26 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar, along with Ahuzzath his companion and Phicol the commander of his army.
Greek · Saints priority
26:26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar, along with Ahuzzath his groomsman and Phicol the commander of his army.
Greek calls Ahuzzath a groomsman; Hebrew companion does not specify that role [G26].
26:27 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:27 And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?”
Greek · Saints priority
26:27 And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
26:28 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:28 And they said, “We have clearly seen that YHWH is with you, and we said, ‘Let there be an oath between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you,’”
Greek · Saints priority
26:28 And they said, “We have clearly seen that the Lord is with you, and we said, ‘Let there be an oath between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you,’”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
26:29 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:29 “that you will do no wrong to us, just as we have not touched you, and as we have treated you well and sent you away in peace; and now you are blessed by YHWH.”
Greek · Saints priority
26:29 “that you will do no wrong to us, just as we have not loathed you, and as we have treated you well and sent you away in peace; and now you are blessed by the Lord.”
Touch/loathe differs. These are the delegation’s claims, not the narrator’s endorsement of their account.
26:30 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:30 So he made a banquet for them, and they ate and drank.
Greek · Saints priority
26:30 So he made a banquet for them, and they ate and drank.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
26:31 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:31 And they arose early in the morning and swore an oath to one another; then Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
Greek · Saints priority
26:31 And they arose early in the morning and swore an oath to one another; then Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in safety.
Peace and safety correspond in this farewell setting.
26:32 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:32 And it came to pass on that same day, that Isaac’s servants came and reported to him concerning the well which they had dug, and they said to him, “We found water.”
Greek · Saints priority
26:32 That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug, saying, “We did not find water.”
Hebrew reports We found water; Rahlfs–Hanhart prints We did not find water. The negation changes the reported outcome and is retained. This reading has now been checked in the publisher’s Rahlfs–Hanhart main text; it is not a claim that all Greek witnesses agree. [H26; G26]
26:33 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:33 He named it Shibah; therefore the city is called Beersheba to this day.
Greek · Saints priority
26:33 He named it Oath; therefore the city’s name is Well of the Oath to this day.
The naming explanation is preserved through proper names in Hebrew and translated names in Greek.
26:34 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:34 Now when Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.
Greek · Saints priority
26:34 When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, daughter of Elon the Hivite.
The consulted Greek calls Elon a Hivite, not a Hittite as V1 had [G26].
26:35 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
26:35 They were a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and Rebekah.
Greek · Saints priority
26:35 And they were continually quarreling with Isaac and Rebekah.
Hebrew describes grief; Greek describes quarreling. The descriptions are compatible.
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.