Genesis 37 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 20 Similar 6 Different 6 Divergent 3 Disparate 1
Disparate in this chapter: 37:28
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.
Joseph the Dreamer
37:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:1 And Jacob dwelt in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.
Greek · Saints priority
37:1 And Jacob dwelt in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:2 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, seventeen years old, was tending the flock with his brothers. He was a young man with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought a bad report about them to their father.
Greek · Saints priority
37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, seventeen years old, was tending the sheep with his brothers. He was a young man with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought a bad report to Israel their father.
Rahlfs–Hanhart has a singular verb with Joseph as the reporter, agreeing with Hebrew agency. Hebrew explicitly says the report was about them; Greek leaves its object unstated and names Israel. The draft’s plural they and report against Joseph are withdrawn; the older alternative is not the selected Greek main text. [H37; G37]
37:3 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:3 Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him an ornate tunic.
Greek · Saints priority
37:3 Jacob loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a multicolored tunic.
Israel/Jacob and the garment descriptions differ. Ornate is provisional: Hebrew passim may concern the garment’s length or decoration; Greek poikilos describes varied coloring or pattern [H37; G37].
37:4 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:4 And when his brothers saw that his father loved him more than all his sons, they hated him and could not speak anything peaceable to him.
Greek · Saints priority
37:4 And when his brothers saw that his father loved him more than all his sons, they hated him and could not speak anything peaceable to him.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:5 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:5 And Joseph dreamed a dream and reported it to his brothers, and they hated him even more.
Greek · Saints priority
37:5 Joseph dreamed a dream and told it to his brothers.
Greek lacks the final statement that they hated him still more [G37].
37:6 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:6 And he said to them, “Hear this dream which I have dreamed:”
Greek · Saints priority
37:6 And he said to them, “Hear this dream which I have dreamed:”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:7 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:7 “Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field. My sheaf rose and stood upright, and your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
Greek · Saints priority
37:7 “I dreamed that we were binding sheaves in the field. My sheaf rose and stood upright, and your sheaves turned around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
Both include Joseph among those binding sheaves. Rahlfs–Hanhart has us, correcting the draft’s you; Greek describes the other sheaves turning around. [G37]
37:8 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us, or shall you indeed lord over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and because of his words.
Greek · Saints priority
37:8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us, or shall you indeed lord over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and because of his words.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:9 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:9 He dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers, saying, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream: the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
Greek · Saints priority
37:9 He saw another dream and told it to his father and his brothers, saying, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream: the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
Greek includes the father among the listeners here; Hebrew includes him in verse 10 [G37].
37:10 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:10 He told it to his father and his brothers, and his father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream you have dreamed? Shall I, your mother, and your brothers indeed come and bow down to you to the ground?”
Greek · Saints priority
37:10 His father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream you have dreamed? Shall I, your mother, and your brothers indeed come and bow down to you to the ground?”
The retelling clause is placed in the preceding Greek verse; no absent encounter is inferred [G37].
37:11 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Greek · Saints priority
37:11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
The corresponding meaning and content agree. Rabbinic reception: Rashi understands the father’s keeping the saying as expectant waiting for its fulfillment [R37].
Joseph the Hated
37:12 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s sheep at Shechem.
Greek · Saints priority
37:12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s sheep at Shechem.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:13 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the sheep at Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he replied, “Here I am.”
Greek · Saints priority
37:13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the sheep at Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he replied, “Here I am.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:14 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:14 And he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the sheep, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he arrived at Shechem.
Greek · Saints priority
37:14 Israel said to him, “Go and see whether your brothers and the sheep are well, and bring me word.” He sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
Greek names Israel explicitly [G37].
37:15 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:15 And a man found him wandering in the plain, and the man asked him, saying, “What are you looking for?”
Greek · Saints priority
37:15 And a man found him wandering in the plain, and the man asked him, saying, “What are you looking for?”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:16 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:16 And he said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are pasturing.”
Greek · Saints priority
37:16 And he said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are pasturing.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:17 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:17 And the man said, “They have moved on from here, for I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
Greek · Saints priority
37:17 And the man said, “They have moved on from here, for I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
Dothan and Greek Dothaim are normalized to the familiar place name [G37].
37:18 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:18 And they saw him from afar, and before he came near to them, they maliciously plotted against him to put him to death.
Greek · Saints priority
37:18 They saw him from far away before he approached them, and they plotted wickedly to kill him.
Rahlfs–Hanhart explicitly describes wicked plotting toward Joseph’s death, agreeing with the Hebrew account. The draft’s weaker going to kill is corrected. [G37]
37:19 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:19 And they said to one another, “Behold, that dreamer is coming!”
Greek · Saints priority
37:19 And they said to one another, “Behold, that dreamer is coming!”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:20 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:20 “Come now therefore, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits, and we shall say, ‘A fierce beast has devoured him.’ Then we shall see what will become of his dreams.”
Greek · Saints priority
37:20 “Come now therefore, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits, and we shall say, ‘A fierce beast has devoured him.’ Then we shall see what will become of his dreams.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:21 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:21 Reuben heard this and rescued him from their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.”
Greek · Saints priority
37:21 Reuben heard this and rescued him from their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:22 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—so that he might deliver him out of their hands to restore him to his father.
Greek · Saints priority
37:22 Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him.” He intended to rescue him from their hands and return him to his father.
Rahlfs–Hanhart has this pit, agreeing with Hebrew, and both state Reuben’s rescue purpose. The draft’s one of the pits is corrected. [G37]
37:23 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic, the ornate tunic he was wearing.
Greek · Saints priority
37:23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of the multicolored tunic he was wearing.
See verse 3 for the garment terminology; Greek states the garment once [G37].
37:24 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:24 They took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
Greek · Saints priority
37:24 They took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty; it had no water.
Rahlfs–Hanhart includes both empty and the absence of water. The missing empty clause is restored and the former Divergent classification withdrawn. [G37]
Joseph the Slave
37:25 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:25 They sat down to eat bread. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels carrying spices, balm, and ladanum, on their way to take them down to Egypt.
Greek · Saints priority
37:25 They sat down to eat bread. Looking up, they saw Ishmaelite travelers coming from Gilead, their camels laden with aromatics, resin, and stacte, on their way to take them down to Egypt.
The trade goods are described with different terms. Exact botanical identifications remain provisional; stacte is an aromatic exudate [H37; G37].
37:26 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:26 And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and hide his blood?”
Greek · Saints priority
37:26 And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and hide his blood?”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:27 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:27 “Come, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites, and let not our hands be upon him, because he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.
Greek · Saints priority
37:27 “Come, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites, and let not our hands be upon him, because he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:28 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:28 Midianite merchants passed by. They drew Joseph up from the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver, and brought Joseph to Egypt.
Greek · Saints priority
37:28 Midianite merchants passed by. They drew Joseph up from the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of gold, and brought Joseph to Egypt.
The stated payment metal is silver in Hebrew and gold in the consulted Greek. Neither is converted into a modern currency. The unexpressed sellers are not silently identified to settle the narrative’s agency question [H37; G37].
37:29 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:29 Now Reuben returned to the pit, and when he did not see Joseph in the pit, he tore his garments.
Greek · Saints priority
37:29 Now Reuben returned to the pit, and when he did not see Joseph in the pit, he tore his garments.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:30 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The child is gone! And I, where shall I go now?”
Greek · Saints priority
37:30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The child is gone! And I, where shall I go now?”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
37:31 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:31 They took Joseph’s tunic, slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the tunic in its blood.
Greek · Saints priority
37:31 They took Joseph’s tunic, slaughtered a young goat, and stained the tunic with blood.
The goat description and the dipping/staining verbs differ; the Greek verb need not assert a separate ritual defilement [G37].
37:32 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:32 They sent the ornate tunic and brought it to their father, saying, “We found this. Please recognize whether it is your son’s tunic.”
Greek · Saints priority
37:32 They sent the multicolored tunic and brought it to their father, saying, “We found this. Recognize whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”
The garment descriptions follow verse 3; Hebrew also marks the request with please [H37; G37].
37:33 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”
Greek · Saints priority
37:33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has devoured him; a wild animal has snatched Joseph away.”
The final clauses describe tearing and snatching, respectively [G37].
37:34 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:34 Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned his son for many days.
Greek · Saints priority
37:34 Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned his son for many days.
Rahlfs–Hanhart has many days, agreeing with Hebrew. The draft’s some days is corrected. [G37]
37:35 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:35 All his sons and daughters rose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, saying, “I will go down mourning to my son in Sheol.” His father wept for him.
Greek · Saints priority
37:35 All his sons and daughters gathered and came to comfort him, but he would not be comforted, saying, “I will go down mourning to my son in Hades.” His father wept for him.
Sheol/Hades designate the realm of the dead here; no developed account of final punishment is inserted [G37].
37:36 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
37:36 The Medanites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
Greek · Saints priority
37:36 The Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s eunuch, the chief cook.
Hebrew here spells Medanites, against Midianites in verse 28 and Greek. The court titles differ in form: Hebrew saris may denote an officer; Greek says eunuch. Chief cook is a literal court title, not proof of a purely domestic role [H37; G37].
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.