Genesis 33 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 33:19, 33:20
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 33
Reunion and Reconciliation
Verse 33:1 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:1 Now Jacob looked up with his eyes and saw, and behold, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two slave women.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:1 Now Jacob looked up with his eyes and saw, and behold, Esau his brother was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two slave women.
Classification & Notes
Divergent — Greek explicitly identifies Esau as his brother [G33].
Verse 33:2 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:2 And he put the two slave women and their children in the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:2 And he put the two slave women and their sons in the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.
Classification & Notes
Similar — The arrangement agrees; Greek calls the slave women’s offspring sons, then uses children for Leah’s offspring.
Verse 33:3 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:3 He himself went on before them and bowed down upon the earth seven times until he came near to his brother.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:3 He himself went on before them and bowed down upon the earth seven times until he came near to his brother.
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 33:4 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him, and they both wept.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:4 Esau ran to meet him, embraced and kissed him, and fell on his neck; both of them wept.
Classification & Notes
Similar — The kiss and falling-on-the-neck actions occur in a different order. Both describe reconciliation [G33]. Rabbinic reception: Rashi records disagreement about the kiss. One reading questions its sincerity; Rabbi Simeon ben Yochai says Esau felt compassion and kissed Jacob wholeheartedly at that moment [R33].
Verse 33:5 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:5 He looked up and saw the women and children and asked, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children God has graciously given your servant.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:5 And looking up, Esau saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” And he said, “The children with whom God has had mercy on your servant.”
Classification & Notes
Similar — Gracious giving and showing mercy overlap in this acknowledgment.
Verse 33:6 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:6 Then the slave women and their children drew near and bowed down.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:6 Then the slave women and their children drew near and bowed down.
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 33:7 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:7 And Leah also and her children drew near and bowed down; and after these things Joseph and Rachel drew near and bowed down.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:7 And Leah also and her children drew near and bowed down; and after these things Rachel and Joseph drew near and bowed down.
Classification & Notes
Similar — The order of the final pair’s names differs [G33].
Verse 33:8 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:8 Esau asked, “What did you mean by all this company I met?” Jacob said, “To find favor in my lord’s sight.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:8 Esau asked, “What did you mean by all these companies I met?” Jacob said, “So your servant might find favor in your sight, my lord.”
Classification & Notes
Similar — The camp/company noun is singular in Hebrew and plural in Greek; Greek also explicitly repeats your servant [G33].
Verse 33:9 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother; keep what is yours for yourself.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother; keep what is yours for yourself.”
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 33:10 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:10 Jacob said, “No, please. If I have found favor in your sight, accept my gift from my hand. Seeing your face has been like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:10 Jacob said, “If I have found favor in your sight, accept the gifts from my hands. I have seen your face as one might see the face of God, and you will accept me.”
Classification & Notes
Different — Greek has a future acceptance expression, not you will be pleasing to me. The comparison to God’s face remains a simile, not an identification of Esau as God [G33].
Verse 33:11 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:11 “Please accept my blessing that has been brought to you, for God has dealt graciously with me, and I have enough.” He urged him, and Esau accepted it.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:11 “Accept my blessings that I have brought to you, for God has shown me mercy, and I have everything.” He pressed him, and Esau accepted them.
Classification & Notes
Similar — Blessing/blessings refers to the gift; the strong urging verb need not mean physical coercion [G33].
Parting of the Ways
Verse 33:12 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:12 Esau said, “Let us journey on, and I will go beside you.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:12 He said, “Let us set out and go straight ahead.”
Classification & Notes
Divergent — Greek does not contain a separate I will go beside you clause. V1’s combined wording is corrected [G33].
Verse 33:13 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:13 Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and I must care for the nursing flocks and herds. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flock will die.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:13 He said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and the sheep and cows are nursing under my care. If I drive them hard for one day, all the livestock will die.”
Classification & Notes
Similar — Both emphasize vulnerable children and nursing animals. Greek explicitly makes Jacob the hypothetical driver [G33].
Verse 33:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:14 “Let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will lead on gently at the pace of the livestock before me and of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:14 “Let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will make my way at a leisurely pace, according to the journey before me and the children’s steps, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
Classification & Notes
Different — Hebrew refers to the work/property before him, here the livestock; Greek describes progress on the journey [G33].
Verse 33:15 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:15 And Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “Why is this necessary? Let me find grace in the sight of my lord.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:15 Esau said, “Let me leave some of my people with you.” He replied, “Why do that? It is enough that I have found favor in your sight, my lord.”
Classification & Notes
Divergent — Greek explicitly says it is enough [G33].
Verse 33:16 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
Classification & Notes
Same — The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Verse 33:17 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:17 Jacob traveled to Succoth. He built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore he named the place Succoth.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:17 Jacob traveled to Booths. He built himself houses there and made tents for his livestock. Therefore he named the place Booths.
Classification & Notes
Different — Greek translates the place name and has houses in the plural, restored from the consulted reading [G33].
Verse 33:18 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:18 Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram. He camped in front of the city.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:18 Then Jacob came to Salem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Mesopotamia of Syria; and he pitched his tent before the city.
Classification & Notes
Different — Hebrew shalem is read as safely/whole; Greek has Salem as a name. This need not be expanded into a claim that two unrelated cities are intended [G33].
Verse 33:19 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:19 He bought the plot of ground where he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred kesitahs.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:19 He bought the plot of ground where he had pitched his tent from Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred lambs.
Classification & Notes
Disparate — Hebrew gives one hundred kesitahs as the payment and names the sons of Hamor as sellers; Greek gives one hundred lambs and names Hamor. Both the payment and the parties to the transaction differ materially. The ancient kesitah is retained without a fabricated modern value. [G33]
Verse 33:20 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
33:20 He erected an altar there and named it El-Elohe-Israel.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
33:20 And he erected an altar there and invoked the God of Israel.
Classification & Notes
Disparate — Hebrew names the altar God, the God of Israel; Greek describes invoking the God of Israel [G33]. Naming an altar and invoking God describe different religious acts.