Genesis 42 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 17 Similar 10 Different 9 Divergent 2 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.
Jacob’s Desperation
42:1 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:1 Jacob saw that grain was available in Egypt and said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”
Greek · Saints priority
42:1 Now Jacob saw that there was a grain sale in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you sitting idle?”
Greek interprets the reproach as idleness and explicitly describes a sale [G42].
42:2 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:2 He said, “I have heard that grain is available in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so we may live and not die.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy for us a little food, that we may live and not die.”
Greek specifies a little food [G42].
42:3 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:3 So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
Greek · Saints priority
42:3 So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:4 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:4 Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for he said, “Harm might befall him.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some sickness befall him.”
Harm/sickness differs in specificity [G42].
42:5 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:5 And the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Greek · Saints priority
42:5 And the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Joseph Imprisons His Brothers
42:6 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land, and he was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and prostrated themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
Greek · Saints priority
42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land, and he was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and prostrated themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:7 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he acted like a stranger to them and spoke harshly to them. He said to them, “Where do you come from?” And they replied, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he acted like a stranger to them and spoke harshly to them. He said to them, “Where do you come from?” And they replied, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:8 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:8 Thus Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
Greek · Saints priority
42:8 Thus Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:9 Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:9 Joseph remembered the dreams he had seen and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to inspect the tracks of the country.”
Hebrew’s nakedness describes exposed places; Greek has tracks or routes and lacks about them [G42].
42:10 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:10 They said to him, “No, my lord; your servants have come to buy food.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:10 They said to him, “No, my lord; your servants have come to buy food.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:11 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:11 “We are all sons of one man. We are honest men; your servants are not spies.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:11 “We are all sons of one man; we are men of peace; your servants are not spies.”
Honest/peaceful presents their claim of innocent purpose [G42].
42:12 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:12 He said to them, “No! You have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:12 He said to them, “No! You have come to see the tracks of the land.”
The different reconnaissance expressions repeat verse 9 [G42].
42:13 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:13 They said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, sons of one man in Canaan. The youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:13 They said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in Canaan. The youngest is with our father today, and the other is no more.”
Greek lacks sons of one man. Is no more preserves the narrative idiom without asserting annihilation [G42].
42:14 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:14 But Joseph said to them, “It is just as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies.’”
Greek · Saints priority
42:14 But Joseph said to them, “It is just as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies.’”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:15 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:15 “By this you will be tested: as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave here unless your youngest brother comes here.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:15 “By this you will be exposed: by Pharaoh’s health, you will not leave here unless your youngest brother comes here.”
Life/health differs in the oath; the testing/exposing expressions concern the truth of their claim [G42].
42:16 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:16 “Send one of you to bring your brother. The rest of you will remain bound while your words are tested to see whether you tell the truth. If not, as Pharaoh lives, you are surely spies!”
Greek · Saints priority
42:16 “Send one of you and bring your brother. The rest of you will be taken away until your words become clear, whether you tell the truth or not. If not, by Pharaoh’s health, you are surely spies!”
The confinement wording and oath differ as in verse 15 [G42].
42:17 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:17 And he put them all together into prison for three days.
Greek · Saints priority
42:17 And he put them into prison for three days.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Joseph Releases His Brothers
42:18 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:18 Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:18 And he said to them on the third day, “This do and you shall live, for I fear God.”
Greek leaves Joseph’s name unexpressed [G42].
42:19 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:19 “If you are honest men, let one brother remain bound in your prison. The rest of you go and carry grain for your hungry households.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:19 “If you are men of peace, let one brother be detained in prison. The rest of you go and take back the grain you have purchased.”
Greek describes the purchase; Hebrew explicitly mentions the households’ hunger [G42].
42:20 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:20 “Bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified and you will not die.” They did so.
Greek · Saints priority
42:20 “And bring your youngest brother to me, and your words shall be believed; otherwise, you shall die.” And they did so.
Hebrew states survival upon compliance; Greek states death otherwise. These are compatible formulations of the condition [G42].
42:21 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:21 They said to one another, “Truly, we are guilty concerning our brother. We saw his anguish when he begged us, but we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:21 They said to one another, “Yes, we have sinned concerning our brother. We disregarded his anguish when he begged us and did not listen to him. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
Saw/disregarded differs in explicitness; both confess the failure to listen [G42].
42:22 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:22 Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’? But you would not listen. Now his blood is being required of us.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:22 Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not wrong the boy’? But you would not listen. Now his blood is being required of us.”
Sin/wrong differs in wording; blood being required is accountability for the apparent killing [G42].
42:23 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for an interpreter stood between them.
Greek · Saints priority
42:23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for an interpreter stood between them.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:24 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:24 And he turned away from them and wept; then he returned to them and spoke to them, and he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
Greek · Saints priority
42:24 And Joseph turned away from them and wept; then he returned to them and spoke to them, and he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
Greek expressly names Joseph as the one who returned to speak with them; the Hebrew reference remains pronominal.
42:25 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with grain, to restore each man’s silver into his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey; and it was so done for them.
Greek · Saints priority
42:25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with grain, to restore each man’s silver into his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey; and it was so done for them.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:26 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:26 And they loaded their grain upon their donkeys and departed from that place.
Greek · Saints priority
42:26 And they loaded their grain upon their donkeys and departed from that place.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:27 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:27 One of them opened his sack to feed his donkey at their lodging place. He saw his silver there in the mouth of his sack.
Greek · Saints priority
42:27 One of them untied his sack to feed his donkeys where they stopped. He saw his bundle of silver at the mouth of his sack.
Donkey/donkeys differs in number; Greek expressly says bundle [G42].
42:28 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:28 And he said to his brothers, “My silver has been restored to me, and behold, it is right here in my sack!” And their hearts were astonished, and they were terrified, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”
Greek · Saints priority
42:28 And he said to his brothers, “My silver has been restored to me, and behold, it is right here in my sack!” And their hearts were astonished, and they were terrified, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Jacob’s Despair
42:29 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:29 And they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, and reported to him all that had happened to them, saying:
Greek · Saints priority
42:29 And they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, and reported to him all that had happened to them, saying:
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:30 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:30 “The man who rules the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as spies of the land.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us, and placed us in custody as men spying out the land.”
Greek explicitly mentions imprisonment in the retelling [G42].
42:31 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:31 “But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.’”
Greek · Saints priority
42:31 “But we said to him, ‘We are men of peace; we are not spies.’”
Honest/peaceful repeats the earlier claim [G42].
42:32 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:32 “We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:32 “We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:33 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:33 “The man who rules the land said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one brother with me, take grain for your hungry households, and go.’”
Greek · Saints priority
42:33 “The man who rules the land said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are men of peace: leave one brother here with me, take the grain purchased for your household, and go.’”
Rahlfs–Hanhart has I will know and explicitly mentions the household’s grain supply, correcting the draft’s we and omitted household. Honest and peaceful express the brothers’ claimed innocence. [G42]
42:34 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:34 “‘and bring your youngest brother to me; then I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. Then I will restore your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’”
Greek · Saints priority
42:34 “‘and bring your youngest brother to me; then I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are men of peace. Then I will restore your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’”
Honest/peaceful repeats the earlier claim [G42].
42:35 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:35 And it came to pass as they were emptying their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of silver was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of silver, they were terrified.
Greek · Saints priority
42:35 And it came to pass as they were emptying their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of silver was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of silver, they were terrified.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:36 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All these things have come upon me!”
Greek · Saints priority
42:36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All these things have come upon me!”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:37 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; commit him into my hand, and I will restore him to you.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; commit him into my hand, and I will restore him to you.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
42:38 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
42:38 He said, “My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm befalls him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down in sorrow to Sheol.”
Greek · Saints priority
42:38 He said, “My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he alone is left. If he falls sick on your journey, you will bring my old age down in sorrow to Hades.”
Harm/sickness and gray hairs/old age differ; Sheol/Hades follows 37:35 [G42].
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.