Genesis 41 — Hebrew and Greek compared
← Genesis 40 compared · Reading text of Genesis 41 · Genesis: all chapters · Genesis 42 compared →
Same 14 Similar 21 Different 10 Divergent 12 Disparate 0
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.
Pharaoh’s Dreams
41:1 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:1 At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing beside the Nile.
Greek · Saints priority
41:1 After two full years, Pharaoh saw a dream. He seemed to be standing beside the river.
The Hebrew Egyptian river term is rendered Nile; Greek says river [G41].
41:2 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:2 And behold, there came up out of the river seven cows, beautiful in appearance and fat of flesh, and they grazed in the reed grass.
Greek · Saints priority
41:2 And behold, there came up out of the river seven cows, beautiful in appearance and fat of flesh, and they grazed in the reed grass.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
41:3 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:3 And behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly in appearance and thin of flesh, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the river.
Greek · Saints priority
41:3 Seven other cows came up after them from the river, ugly in appearance and thin in flesh, and they grazed beside the cows along the riverbank.
Hebrew says they stood beside the other cows; Rahlfs–Hanhart says they grazed beside them. The draft’s additional reeds in this verse are removed. [G41]
41:4 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven beautiful, fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.
Greek · Saints priority
41:4 And the seven ugly, thin cows ate up the seven beautiful, fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.
Greek repeats seven with the ugly cows as well as the beautiful cows; the event and totals agree.
41:5 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good.
Greek · Saints priority
41:5 He dreamed a second time: seven ears of grain came up on one stalk, choice and good.
The consulted Greek lacks the separate he slept clause [G41].
41:6 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:6 Seven thin ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, sprang up after them.
Greek · Saints priority
41:6 And behold, seven other ears sprouted after them, thin and blighted by the wind.
Hebrew specifies east; Greek leaves the wind’s direction unspecified [G41].
41:7 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
Greek · Saints priority
41:7 The seven thin, wind-blighted ears swallowed the seven choice, full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and it was a dream.
Greek repeats the wind-blighted description [G41].
41:8 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:8 In the morning his spirit was troubled. He sent for all Egypt’s magicians and wise men and told them his dream, but no one interpreted the dreams for Pharaoh.
Greek · Saints priority
41:8 In the morning his soul was troubled. He sent for all Egypt’s interpreters and wise men and told them the dream, but no one explained it to Pharaoh.
Spirit/soul, magicians/interpreters, and the final plural/singular dream reference differ [G41].
41:9 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:9 The chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I remember my offenses.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:9 The chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I remember my offense.”
The offense expression is plural in Hebrew and singular in Greek [G41].
41:10 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:10 “Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in custody in the captain of the guard’s house, me and the chief baker.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:10 “Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put us in custody in the chief cook’s house, me and the chief baker.”
Hebrew has me and the captain of the guard; Greek has us and the chief cook. Rahlfs–Hanhart’s chief cook corrects the draft’s chief jailer and agrees with the title in 41:12. [G41]
41:11 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:11 “And we dreamed a dream in the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:11 “We saw a dream on the same night, he and I; each saw his own dream.”
Greek lacks the express interpretation phrase [G41].
41:12 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:12 “A young Hebrew man was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, each according to his dream.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:12 “A young Hebrew servant of the chief cook was there with us. We told him, and he interpreted for us.”
Greek gives a shorter report of the interpretation and names the chief cook, as in Rahlfs–Hanhart 41:10. The claimed title variation between these two verses is withdrawn. [G41]
41:13 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:13 “As he interpreted for us, so it happened: he restored me to my position and hanged the other man.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:13 “As he interpreted for us, so it happened: I was restored to my office, and the other man was hanged.”
Active/passive constructions differ. V1’s editorial priority label is removed from the verse [G41].
Interpretation of Pharaoh’s Dream
41:14 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they hurried him out of the pit. He shaved, changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh.
Greek · Saints priority
41:14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they brought him out of the fortress, shaved him, and changed his robe. He came to Pharaoh.
Hebrew describes hurried removal from the pit, followed by Joseph’s own shaving and clothing change. Greek describes others bringing him out, shaving him, and changing his robe. Pit and fortress retain distinct confinement terms. [G41]
41:15 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and no one can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and no one can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear dreams, you can interpret them.”
Greek has hearing dreams and interpreting them in the plural, following Pharaoh’s singular dream. Enypnion is dream; the earlier vision wording unnecessarily distinguished the event. [G41]
41:16 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “Without God, no answer bringing deliverance will be given to Pharaoh.”
Hebrew disclaims Joseph’s own capacity; Greek frames the answer negatively apart from God. Both assign the answer to God [G41].
41:17 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:17 And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “In my dream, it seemed to me that I stood upon the bank of the river.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:17 And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “In my dream, it seemed to me that I stood upon the bank of the river.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
41:18 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:18 “And behold, seven cows came up out of the river, fat in flesh and beautiful in appearance, and they grazed in the reed grass.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:18 “and behold, there came up as it were out of the river seven cows, fat of flesh and beautiful in appearance, and they fed on the sedge.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
41:19 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:19 “Seven other cows came up after them, poor, very ugly, and thin in flesh. I have never seen such bad-looking cows in all Egypt.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:19 “Seven other cows came up after them from the river, wretched, ugly in appearance, and thin in flesh. I have never seen such ugly cows in all Egypt.”
Greek explicitly mentions emergence from the river. Rahlfs–Hanhart does not add grazing in the reeds in this verse; the draft’s extra clause is removed. [G41]
41:20 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:20 “And the seven ugly, thin cows ate up the first seven good, fat cows.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:20 “And the seven ugly, thin cows ate up the first seven good, fat cows.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
41:21 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:21 “And they went into their bellies; yet it was completely imperceptible that they had gone into their bellies, for their appearance remained as ugly as at the beginning, then I awoke.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:21 “They went into their bellies, yet no one could tell that they had gone in: their appearance was as ugly as before. I awoke and went back to sleep.”
Greek adds the return to sleep [G41].
41:22 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:22 “I saw in my dream seven ears of grain coming up on one stalk, full and good.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:22 “And I saw again in my sleep, and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, full and good.”
Greek explicitly says again in my sleep [G41].
41:23 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:23 “Seven withered, thin ears, scorched by the east wind, sprang up after them.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:23 “And behold, seven other ears, thin and blasted by the wind, sprouted right next to them.”
Hebrew specifies east and withered; Greek says wind-blighted and places them next to the earlier ears [G41].
41:24 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:24 “The thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. I told the magicians, but no one explained it to me.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:24 “The seven thin, wind-blighted ears swallowed the seven good, full ears. I told the interpreters, but no one explained it to me.”
Greek gives fuller grain descriptions and repeats interpreters [G41].
41:25 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:25 Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dream is one. God has told Pharaoh what He is about to do.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:25 Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dream is one. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.”
Told/shown differs in expression [G41].
41:26 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:26 “The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dream is one and the same.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:26 “The seven beautiful cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years. Pharaoh’s dream is one.”
Greek repeats Pharaoh explicitly [G41].
41:27 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:27 “The seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:27 “The seven thin cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven thin, wind-blighted ears. They will be seven years of famine.”
The descriptive terms and wind specificity differ as in verses 6 and 23 [G41].
41:28 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:28 “This is the very thing that I have spoken to Pharaoh: what God is about to perform, He has shown to Pharaoh.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:28 “This is the very thing that I have spoken to Pharaoh: what God is about to perform, He has shown to Pharaoh.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Joseph’s Advice to Pharaoh
41:29 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:29 “Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:29 “Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
41:30 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:30 “And seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will consume the land.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:30 “And seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will consume the land.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
41:31 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:31 “And the abundance will not be known in the land by reason of that famine following it, for it will be exceedingly severe.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:31 “And the abundance will not be known in the land by reason of that famine following it, for it will be exceedingly severe.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
41:32 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:32 “The dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the matter is established by God, and God will hasten to do it.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:32 “And as for the dream being repeated to Pharaoh twice, it is because the word from God will be true, and God will hasten to perform it.”
Established/true expresses the certainty of the announcement [G41].
41:33 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:33 “Now therefore, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and prudent man, and set him over the land of Egypt.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:33 “Now look for a prudent, discerning man and set him over the land of Egypt.”
Greek directly addresses Pharaoh; Hebrew names him in the proposal [G41].
41:34 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:34 “Let Pharaoh act and appoint overseers over the land, and take a fifth of Egypt’s produce during the seven years of abundance.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:34 “Let Pharaoh act, and let him appoint local governors over the land, and let them collect a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.”
Greek explicitly names produce and gives the collection to the appointed governors; the fifth is retained in both [G41].
41:35 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:35 “And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and let the grain be gathered under the hand of Pharaoh, and let food be kept in the cities.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:35 “And let them gather all the food of these seven good years that are coming, and let the grain be gathered under the hand of Pharaoh, and let food be kept in the cities.”
Greek expressly repeats seven [G41].
41:36 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:36 “And that food shall be held in reserve for the land against the seven years of famine which are about to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not be utterly destroyed by the famine.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:36 “And that food shall be held in reserve for the land against the seven years of famine which are about to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not be utterly destroyed by the famine.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Joseph the Adviser
41:37 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:37 And the words were well-pleasing in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of all his servants.
Greek · Saints priority
41:37 And the words were well-pleasing in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of all his servants.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
41:38 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Shall we find such a man as this, who has the spirit of God in him?”
Greek · Saints priority
41:38 And Pharaoh said to all his servants, “Shall we find such a man as this, who has the Spirit of God in him?”
Greek adds all. The rendering Spirit of God marks divine agency without making Pharaoh articulate a later doctrinal formula [G41].
41:39 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:39 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, no one is as discerning and wise as you.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all these things, there is no man more prudent and discerning than you.”
No one as/no one more expresses the unequaled qualification [G41].
41:40 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:40 “You shall be over my house, and all my people shall obey your word; only in respect to the throne will I exceed you.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:40 “You shall be over my house, and all my people shall obey your word; only in respect to the throne will I exceed you.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
41:41 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I appoint you over all the land of Egypt.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I appoint you today over all the land of Egypt.”
Greek explicitly adds today [G41].
41:42 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:42 Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand. He clothed him in fine linen garments and put a gold chain around his neck.
Greek · Saints priority
41:42 Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and placed it upon Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in a robe of fine linen, and put a golden collar around his neck.
Garments/robe and chain/collar differ in expression [G41].
41:43 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:43 He had him ride in his second chariot, and they called before him, “Abrek!” He set him over all Egypt.
Greek · Saints priority
41:43 And he caused him to mount upon his second chariot, and a herald made a proclamation before him; and he appointed him over all the land of Egypt.
Hebrew preserves the cry Abrek, whose language and meaning remain disputed; Greek says a herald proclaimed before him without quoting it [G41].
41:44 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:44 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without you no one will lift a hand or foot in all Egypt.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:44 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh; without you no one shall lift up his hand in all the land of Egypt.”
The consulted Greek lacks or foot [G41].
41:45 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:45 Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah and gave him Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
Greek · Saints priority
41:45 Pharaoh named Joseph Psonthomphanech and gave him Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, as his wife.
The Egyptian name differs in form. On/Heliopolis names the corresponding city; Greek lacks the final journey clause [G41].
41:46 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and journeyed through all the land of Egypt.
Greek · Saints priority
41:46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and journeyed through all the land of Egypt.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
41:47 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:47 During the seven years of abundance, the land produced by the handful.
Greek · Saints priority
41:47 And in the seven years of abundance, the earth produced sheaves.
Hebrew handfuls and Greek sheaves picture the abundant yield [G41].
41:48 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:48 And he gathered all the food of the seven years in which there was abundance in the land of Egypt, and stored the food in the cities; the food from the plains surrounding each city he stored within it.
Greek · Saints priority
41:48 And he gathered all the food of the seven years in which there was abundance in the land of Egypt, and stored the food in the cities; the food from the plains surrounding each city he stored within it.
Both describe storing each city’s surrounding produce within it. Rahlfs–Hanhart supplies a coherent clause and no city name On here, resolving the earlier transcription concern. Greek also explicitly mentions the abundance. [G41]
41:49 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:49 Joseph stored grain like the sand of the sea, so much that he stopped counting, for it was beyond counting.
Greek · Saints priority
41:49 Joseph gathered grain like the sand of the sea, so much that they could no longer count it, for it was beyond counting.
Hebrew says he stopped counting; Rahlfs–Hanhart uses a plural verb, they could not count. The draft’s singular Greek subject and note are corrected. No numerical amount is supplied. [G41]
41:50 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:50 Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine year came. Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore them to him.
Greek · Saints priority
41:50 Two sons were born to Joseph before the seven years of famine came. Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore them to him.
Year/seven years and On/Heliopolis differ in expression [G41].
41:51 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “Because God has made me forget all my labors and all the affairs of my father.”
Greek has all the things of my father. The Hebrew naming wordplay concerns forgetting, not a denial of Joseph’s later family concern [G41].
41:52 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:52 He named the second Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:52 He named the second Ephraim, “For God has increased me in the land of my humiliation.”
Hebrew has made me fruitful; Rahlfs–Hanhart has increased me, correcting the draft’s exalted me. Both describe Joseph’s flourishing, with the Hebrew retaining the name’s fruitfulness wordplay. [G41]
The Famine in Egypt
41:53 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:53 Then the seven years of abundance that were in the land of Egypt passed away.
Greek · Saints priority
41:53 Then the seven years of abundance that were in the land of Egypt passed away.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
41:54 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:54 The seven years of famine began, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the lands, but throughout Egypt there was bread.
Greek · Saints priority
41:54 The seven years of famine began, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the land, but throughout Egypt there was bread.
Both report bread in Egypt. Rahlfs–Hanhart is affirmative, correcting the draft’s no bread and removing the resulting Disparate classification. Hebrew’s lands is plural where Greek has land. [G41]
41:55 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:55 So when all the land of Egypt hungered, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.”
Greek · Saints priority
41:55 So when all the land of Egypt hungered, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
41:56 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:56 And the famine was upon the face of all the earth. Then Joseph opened all the granaries and sold to all the Egyptians; and the famine prevailed in the land of Egypt.
Greek · Saints priority
41:56 The famine was over the face of all the earth. Joseph opened all the granaries and sold to all the Egyptians.
Greek explicitly has granaries but lacks Hebrew’s closing statement that the famine grew severe in Egypt [G41].
41:57 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
41:57 And all the countries came to Egypt to buy from Joseph, because the famine prevailed in all the earth.
Greek · Saints priority
41:57 And all the countries came to Egypt to buy from Joseph, because the famine prevailed in all the earth.
Earth/countries expresses the broad reach of the famine in the narrative; no modern geographic extent is added [G41].
← Genesis 40 compared · Reading text of Genesis 41 · Genesis: all chapters · Genesis 42 compared →
Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.