Genesis 43 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Chapter 43
Israel’s Acceptance
Verse 43:1 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:1 But the famine prevailed upon the land.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:1 But the famine prevailed upon the land.
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:2 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:2 And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:2 And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.”
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:3 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:3 Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:3 Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face unless your youngest brother is with you.’”
Classification & Notes
Divergent — Greek explicitly adds youngest. Rahlfs–Hanhart has is with you, correcting the draft’s comes down to me. [G43]
Verse 43:4 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:4 “If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:4 “If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.”
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:5 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:5 “but if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you’.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:5 “but if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your youngest brother is with you’.”
Classification & Notes
Divergent — Greek repeats the youngest qualification [G43].
Verse 43:6 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:6 And Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:6 And Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?”
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:7 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:7 And they replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we answered him according to his questioning. Could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:7 And they replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we answered him according to his questioning. Could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:8 Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the young man with me. We will set out, so we may live and not die, we, you, and our little ones.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:8 Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the young man with me. We will set out, so we may live and not die, we, you, and our households.”
Classification & Notes
Different — Greek aposkeuē can include the traveling household and its dependents; households fits the living-and-dying context better than V1’s possessions. Hebrew specifically names the little ones [G43].
Verse 43:9 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:9 “I myself will be his guarantor; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:9 “I myself will be his guarantor; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.”
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:10 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:10 “For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:10 “For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:11 Israel their father said to them, “If it must be so, do this: take some of the land’s choice produce in your bags and bring the man a gift, a little balm, a little honey, spices, ladanum, pistachios, and almonds.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:11 Israel their father said to them, “If it must be so, do this: take some of the land’s produce in your bags and bring the man gifts of resin, honey, aromatics, stacte, terebinth nuts, and nuts.”
Classification & Notes
Different — The goods retain distinct source terms; Greek’s final nut term is broader than almonds. Exact botanical identifications remain provisional; see 37:25 [G43].
Verse 43:12 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:12 “And take twice the silver in your hands, and carry back with you the silver that was returned in the mouths of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:12 “And take twice the silver in your hands, and carry back with you the silver that was returned in your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.”
Classification & Notes
Similar — Both order the silver returned; Greek mentions the sacks without repeating the Hebrew mouths of the sacks.
Verse 43:13 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:13 “Take your brother also, and arise, go down again to the man.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:13 “Take your brother also, and arise, go down again to the man.”
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:14 “May El Shaddai grant you compassion before the man, so he may release your other brother and Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:14 “May my God grant you favor before the man, so he may release your one brother and Benjamin. As for me, as I have been bereaved, I have been bereaved.”
Classification & Notes
Different — Hebrew El Shaddai and Greek my God retain distinct divine designations. The bereavement formula also differs in verbal presentation. El Shaddai is rendered consistently with 28:3 and 35:11, without claiming that its etymology is settled. [G43]
Joseph Welcomes His Brothers
Verse 43:15 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:15 So the men took those presents, and they took twice the silver in their hands, along with Benjamin; and they arose and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:15 So the men took those presents, and they took twice the silver in their hands, along with Benjamin; and they arose and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:16 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his steward, “Bring the men into the house. Slaughter an animal and prepare the meal, for the men will eat with me at noon.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:16 Joseph saw them with Benjamin, his brother by the same mother, and ordered his steward to bring the men into the house. “Slaughter animals and prepare the meal, for the men will eat bread with me at noon.”
Classification & Notes
Divergent — Greek explicitly identifies the shared mother. Its slaughter term can denote sacrificial victims, but the meal context does not independently establish a formal religious rite [G43].
Verse 43:17 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:17 And the man did just as Joseph said, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:17 And the man did just as Joseph said, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:18 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:18 The men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house. They said, “We are being brought in because of the silver returned to our sacks the first time, so he can find a pretext against us, attack us, and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:18 Seeing that they were brought into Joseph’s house, the men said, “We are being brought in because of the silver returned to our sacks the first time, so he can accuse us falsely, attack us, and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
Classification & Notes
Different — Hebrew expressly states their fear; Greek begins with seeing and makes false accusation explicit. The duplicated were in V1 is removed [G43].
Verse 43:19 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:19 So they approached the man who was over Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him in the gateway of the house.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:19 So they approached the man who was over Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him in the gateway of the house.
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:20 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:20 They said, “Please, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:20 They said, “Please, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food.”
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:21 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:21 “When we reached the lodging place and opened our sacks, each man’s silver was in the mouth of his sack, our silver at its full weight. We have brought it back with us.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:21 “When we reached the lodging place and opened our sacks, each man’s silver was in his sack. We have now brought our silver back at its full weight in our hands.”
Classification & Notes
Similar — Both describe the returned silver at its full weight. Rahlfs–Hanhart ends in our hands, correcting the draft’s in our sacks. The retelling is preserved without rewriting the account in 42:27–35. [G43]
Verse 43:22 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:22 “and we have brought other silver with us to buy food. We do not know who cast the silver into our sacks.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:22 “and we have brought other silver with us to buy food. We do not know who cast the silver into our sacks.”
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:23 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:23 He said, “Peace to you; do not fear. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your silver.” He brought Simeon out to them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:23 The man said, “May you find favor; do not fear. Your God and the God of your fathers has given you treasures in your sacks. I have received your good silver in full.” He brought Simeon out to them.
Classification & Notes
Different — Father/fathers, the greeting, and the receipt language differ. Good silver describes accepted payment, without imposing coined legal tender [G43].
Verse 43:24 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:24 And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water to wash their feet, and he provided fodder for their donkeys.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:24 He brought water for them to wash their feet and brought fodder for their donkeys.
Classification & Notes
Divergent — The consulted Greek lacks the repeated entry into the house [G43].
Verse 43:25 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:25 They prepared the gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon, for they had heard that they would eat bread there.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:25 Then they prepared their presents for Joseph’s arrival at noon, for they had heard that he was about to dine there.
Classification & Notes
Different — Hebrew refers to their eating; Greek refers to his dining [G43].
Israel’s Sons Feast
Verse 43:26 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:26 When Joseph entered the house, they brought him the presents that were in their hands into the house, and they prostrated themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:26 When Joseph entered the house, they brought him the presents that were in their hands into the house, and they prostrated themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:27 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:27 And he questioned them, saying, “How are you?” And he said to them, “Is your father healthy, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:27 And he questioned them, saying, “How are you?” And he said to them, “Is your father healthy, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:28 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:28 They said, “Your servant our father is healthy; he is still alive.” He said, “May that man be blessed by God.” They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.
Classification & Notes
Divergent — Greek adds the blessing, with he referring contextually to Joseph [G43].
Verse 43:29 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:29 He looked up and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” He said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:29 Joseph looked up and saw Benjamin, his brother by the same mother, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, whom you said you would bring to me?” He said, “May God show mercy to you, child.”
Classification & Notes
Different — Greek refers to bringing Benjamin and has mercy/child against gracious/my son [G43].
Verse 43:30 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:30 Joseph hurried away, deeply moved for his brother, and sought a place to weep. He entered his chamber and wept there.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:30 Joseph was troubled, for his heart stirred deeply for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. He entered his chamber and wept there.
Classification & Notes
Different — Hurried/was troubled differs. The Greek inward-organ idiom is rendered as deep emotion, without V1’s distracting literal anatomy [G43].
Verse 43:31 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:31 Then he washed his face and came out; and restraining himself, he said, “Set on the bread.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:31 Then he washed his face and came out; and restraining himself, he said, “Set on the bread.”
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 43:32 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:32 And they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who dined with him by themselves; for the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:32 They served him separately, the brothers separately, and the Egyptians who ate with him separately. The Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that was an abomination to the Egyptians.
Classification & Notes
Same — Rahlfs–Hanhart attributes the objection to eating together, agreeing with Hebrew. The draft’s every shepherd of sheep clause belongs to 46:34 and is removed here. [G43]
Verse 43:33 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:33 They sat before him in order of age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:33 They sat before him in order of age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
Classification & Notes
Same — The age-order and astonishment expressions are smoothed without adding an explanation for Joseph’s knowledge.
Verse 43:34 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
43:34 Portions were brought to them from his table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as large as any of theirs. They drank and became drunk with him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
43:34 Portions were brought to them from his table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as large as any of theirs. They drank and became drunk with him.
Classification & Notes
Same — Both use a verb of becoming intoxicated; the wording is retained without turning the scene into a separate ethical judgment [G43].