Genesis 44 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 11 Similar 16 Different 4 Divergent 3 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.
Joseph’s Ultimatum
44:1 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack.”
Greek · Saints priority
44:1 And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack.”
Greek names Joseph explicitly [G44].
44:2 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:2 “Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the youngest man’s sack, along with his grain money.” He did as Joseph had said.
Greek · Saints priority
44:2 “Put my silver cup in the youngest man’s sack, along with the price of his grain.” It happened as Joseph had said.
Hebrew specifies the sack’s mouth; the concluding agency differs in expression [G44].
44:3 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:3 As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
Greek · Saints priority
44:3 As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
44:4 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:4 They had left the city and were not far away when Joseph said to his steward, “Go after the men. When you overtake them, say, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:4 When they had gone out of the city and were not far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Arise, pursue after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?’”
The pursuit and question correspond. In Rahlfs–Hanhart the additional accusation begins verse 5, not verse 4. [G44]
44:5 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:5 “‘Is not this the very cup from which my lord drinks, and with which he practices divination? You have done an evil thing in what you have done.’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:5 “‘Why have you stolen my silver cup? Is not this the very cup from which my lord drinks, and with which he practices divination? You have done an evil thing in what you have done.’”
Greek adds the explicit silver-cup accusation here. Its my cup / my lord wording is retained. Divination belongs to the staged accusation, not an editorial endorsement. [G44]
44:6 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:6 So he overtook them, and he spoke these same words to them.
Greek · Saints priority
44:6 So he overtook them, and he spoke these same words to them.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
44:7 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak this way? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!”
Greek · Saints priority
44:7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak this way? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!”
The Greek address lacks the possessive; my lord is retained as the English address convention [G44].
44:8 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:8 “Look, the silver that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?”
Greek · Saints priority
44:8 “Look, the silver that we found in our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?”
Hebrew specifies the sacks’ mouths [G44].
44:9 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:9 “With whomever of your servants the cup is found, let him die; and moreover, we will be slaves to our lord.”
Greek · Saints priority
44:9 “With whomever of your servants the cup is found, let him die; and moreover, we will be slaves to our lord.”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
44:10 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:10 And he said, “Now let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found shall be my slave, but the rest of you shall be blameless.”
Greek · Saints priority
44:10 And he said, “Now let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found shall be my slave, but the rest of you shall be blameless.”
Innocent/clean is freedom from the alleged offense here; the proposed status is enslavement [G44].
Servant’s Plea
44:11 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:11 Then they hastened, and each man took down his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
Greek · Saints priority
44:11 Then they hastened, and each man took down his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
44:12 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:12 And the steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
Greek · Saints priority
44:12 He searched, beginning with the oldest until he reached the youngest, and found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.
Hebrew has the cup was found; Greek has he found the cup [G44].
44:13 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:13 Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.
Greek · Saints priority
44:13 Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his sack onto his donkey, and they returned to the city.
Greek explicitly names the sack [G44].
44:14 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:14 And Judah and his brothers entered Joseph’s house while he was still there, and they fell before him to the ground.
Greek · Saints priority
44:14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph while he was still there, and fell to the ground before him.
Greek lacks the explicit house reference [G44].
44:15 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:15 And Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Did you not know that a man such as I practices divination?”
Greek · Saints priority
44:15 And Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Did you not know that a man such as I practices divination?”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
44:16 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:16 Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? God has found out your servants’ guilt. We are my lord’s slaves, both we and the man with whom the cup was found.”
Greek · Saints priority
44:16 Judah said, “What can we answer my lord? What can we speak? How can we be cleared? God has found out your servants’ unrighteousness. We are our lord’s household slaves, both we and the man with whom the cup was found.”
The vindication language concerns the accusation. Household slaves preserves the Greek status term without softening it to voluntary service [G44].
44:17 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:17 He said, “Far be it from me to do this! The man with whom the cup was found will be my slave; the rest of you may go up in peace to your father.”
Greek · Saints priority
44:17 Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do this! The man with whom the cup was found will be my slave; the rest of you may go up safely to your father.”
Peace/safety corresponds in the dismissal; Greek names Joseph [G44].
Judah’s Passion
44:18 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:18 Judah approached him and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.”
Greek · Saints priority
44:18 Judah approached him and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word before you. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are next to Pharaoh.”
Like/next to differs in the comparison with Pharaoh. The latter concerns rank and is not equal to Pharaoh himself [G44].
44:19 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:19 “My lord questioned his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:19 “My lord, you questioned your servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’”
Greek directly addresses my lord as you questioned your servants; Hebrew speaks of my lord and his servants.
44:20 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:20 “We said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:20 “We said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’”
Rahlfs–Hanhart reads mother in the remaining-child clause, agreeing with Hebrew; the earlier draft’s father is corrected. [G44]
44:21 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:21 “You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I may set my eyes on him.’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:21 “And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him.’”
Greek expresses taking care of him, a possible implication of the Hebrew eye idiom [G44].
44:22 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:22 “We said to my lord, ‘The young man cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, he will die.’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:22 “We said to my lord, ‘The young man cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, he will die.’”
The pronoun’s reference is not resolved by adding father to the translation. Verse 31 explicitly describes the father’s feared death.
44:23 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:23 “And you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:23 “And you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
44:24 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:24 “And it came to pass, when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.”
Greek · Saints priority
44:24 “And it came to pass, when we went up to your servant our father, we told him the words of my lord.”
My/our father differs in the retelling [G44].
44:25 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:25 “And our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food.’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:25 “And our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food.’”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
44:26 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:26 “But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother goes down with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:26 “But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother goes down with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’”
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
44:27 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:27 “Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore two sons to me;’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:27 “Then your servant our father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore two sons to me;’”
My/our father differs. The wife refers contextually to Rachel; her name is not added [G44].
44:28 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:28 “‘One went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces!” I have not seen him since.’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:28 “‘One went away from me, and you said, “He has been devoured by a wild animal.” I have not seen him since.’”
I/you changes the speaker credited with the explanation; the animal-death wording also differs [G44].
44:29 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:29 “‘If you take this one from me too, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hairs down in sorrow to Sheol.’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:29 “‘If you take this one from me too, and sickness befalls him on the journey, you will bring my old age down in sorrow to Hades.’”
The distinctions repeat 42:38; Greek adds on the journey [G44].
44:30 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:30 “Now, when I return to your servant my father and the young man is not with us, since his life is bound to the young man’s life,”
Greek · Saints priority
44:30 “Now, if I return to your servant our father and the young man is not with us, since his life hangs upon the young man’s life,”
Bound/hangs upon expresses the father’s attachment; my/our differs. Judah’s own speech resumes here [G44].
44:31 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:31 “when he sees that the young man is absent, he will die. Your servants will bring your servant our father’s gray hairs down in sorrow to Sheol.”
Greek · Saints priority
44:31 “when he sees that the young man is not with us, he will die. Your servants will bring your servant our father’s old age down in anguish to Hades.”
The grief and death expressions correspond; Greek explicitly repeats with us [G44].
44:32 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:32 “Your servant became guarantor for the young man to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before my father all my days.’”
Greek · Saints priority
44:32 “Your servant guaranteed the young man to the father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back and set him before you, I will have sinned against the father all my days.’”
Greek adds set him before you, recalling 43:9 [G44].
44:33 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:33 “Now please let your servant remain as my lord’s slave in place of the young man, and let the young man go up with his brothers.”
Greek · Saints priority
44:33 “Now I will remain with you as my lord’s household slave in place of the young man; let the young man go up with his brothers.”
The consulted Greek has the first-person offer I will remain; Hebrew phrases it as a request [G44].
44:34 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
44:34 “How could I go up to my father if the young man were not with me? I could not bear to see the calamity that would befall my father.”
Greek · Saints priority
44:34 “How could I go up to my father if the young man were not with us? I could not bear to see the calamity that would befall my father.”
Hebrew has with me; Greek has with us. The closing purpose clause is smoothed within Judah’s plea. [H44; G44]
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.