Leviticus 17 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 4 Similar 2 Different 5 Divergent 2 Disparate 3
Disparate in this chapter: 17:3, 17:7, 17:11
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.
Slaughter and the sanctuary · 17:1–7
17:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:1 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying:
Greek · Saints priority
17:1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
The speech formula corresponds.
17:2 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:2 Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the sons of Israel, and say to them: This is what YHWH commanded, saying:
Greek · Saints priority
17:2 Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the sons of Israel, and say to them: This is what the Lord commanded, saying:
The scope of the address corresponds.
17:3 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:3 Any man of the house of Israel who slaughters an ox, sheep, or goat in the camp, or slaughters it outside the camp,
Greek · Saints priority
17:3 Any person of the sons of Israel or of the newcomers attached to you who slaughters a calf, sheep, or goat in the camp, or slaughters it outside the camp,
Greek expressly includes resident newcomers in this initial slaughter rule; Hebrew names only the house of Israel here. Both include foreigners in later rules.
17:4 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:4 and does not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to present an offering to YHWH before YHWH’s tabernacle, bloodguilt shall be reckoned to that man. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people.
Greek · Saints priority
17:4 and does not bring it to the door of the Tent of Testimony to make it a whole burnt offering or a deliverance offering acceptable to the Lord as a fragrant aroma; and whoever slaughters outside and does not bring it to the door of the Tent of Testimony, so that he fails to present a gift to the Lord before the Lord’s tent—blood shall be reckoned to that person. He has poured out blood; that person shall be destroyed from among his people.
Greek greatly expands the rule with named offering types, acceptability, aroma, and a repeated outside-slaughter condition. Cut off / destroyed also differs in expression.
17:5 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:5 This is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they slaughter in the open field; they shall bring them to YHWH, to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of well-being to YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
17:5 This is so that the sons of Israel may bring up their sacrifices, which they themselves slaughter in the plains; they shall bring them to the Lord, to the doors of the Tent of Testimony, to the priest, and sacrifice them as a sacrifice of deliverance to the Lord.
Both redirect field sacrifices to the sanctuary.
17:6 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:6 The priest shall dash the blood against YHWH’s altar at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
17:6 The priest shall pour the blood all around against the altar before the Lord beside the doors of the Tent of Testimony and offer up the fat for a fragrant aroma to the Lord.
Greek includes all around; dash / pour and burn / offer up recur.
17:7 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:7 They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat-demons after which they prostitute themselves. This shall be a perpetual statute for them throughout their generations.
Greek · Saints priority
17:7 They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the vain things after which they prostitute themselves. This shall be a perpetual ordinance for you throughout your generations.
Hebrew se‘irim gives a goat-like demonic designation; Greek mataioi calls the objects vain or empty. This substantially changes the portrayal of the forbidden recipients, without proving a denial of all spiritual beings in Greek.
Offerings and the prohibition of blood · 17:8–12
17:8 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:8 Say to them: Any man of the house of Israel or of the resident foreigners living among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,
Greek · Saints priority
17:8 Say to them: Any person of the sons of Israel or of the sons of the newcomers attached to you who prepares a whole burnt offering or sacrifice,
House / sons of Israel; Greek names the sons of newcomers and addresses you.
17:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:9 and does not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to offer it to YHWH, that man shall be cut off from his people.
Greek · Saints priority
17:9 and does not bring it to the door of the Tent of Testimony to offer it to the Lord, that person shall be destroyed from among his people.
Cut off / destroyed; the sanctuary requirement corresponds.
17:10 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:10 If any man of the house of Israel or of the resident foreigners living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against the person who eats the blood and cut him off from among his people.
Greek · Saints priority
17:10 If any person of the sons of Israel or of the newcomers attached to you eats any blood, I will set My face against the person who eats the blood and destroy him from among his people.
The sanction and community designations differ in expression; divine opposition is explicit in both.
17:11 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your lives, for the blood makes atonement by the life.
Greek · Saints priority
17:11 For the life of all flesh is its blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make propitiation for your lives, for its blood makes propitiation in place of the life.
Hebrew locates life in blood and says blood atones by the life; Greek identifies life with blood and explicitly uses anti, “in place of.” This materially changes the stated rationale. Hebrew’s preposition also permits discussion of exchange; neither wording alone settles a complete atonement theory.
17:12 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:12 Therefore I said to the sons of Israel: None of you shall eat blood, and the resident foreigner living among you shall not eat blood.
Greek · Saints priority
17:12 Therefore I have said to the sons of Israel: None of you shall eat blood, and the newcomer attached to you shall not eat blood.
The prohibition includes Israelite and resident newcomer alike.
Hunting, carcasses, and cleansing · 17:13–16
17:13 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:13 Any man of the sons of Israel or of the resident foreigners living among them who hunts an animal or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust.
Greek · Saints priority
17:13 Any person of the sons of Israel or of the newcomers attached to you who hunts a wild animal or bird that may be eaten shall pour out the blood and cover it with earth.
The hunting and blood-covering rule corresponds.
17:14 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:14 For the life of all flesh is its blood with its life. I said to the sons of Israel: You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.
Greek · Saints priority
17:14 For the life of all flesh is its blood. I said to the sons of Israel: You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be destroyed.
Hebrew’s first blood-and-life clause is compressed and difficult; Greek states a direct identification. Cut off / destroyed recurs.
17:15 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:15 Anyone, native or resident foreigner, who eats an animal found dead or torn by wild animals shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening; then he shall be clean.
Greek · Saints priority
17:15 Anyone, native or newcomer, who eats an animal found dead or torn by wild animals shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening; then he shall be clean.
The washing and evening endpoint correspond.
17:16 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
17:16 But if he does not wash them and does not bathe his body, he shall bear his guilt.
Greek · Saints priority
17:16 But if he does not wash his garments and does not bathe his body in water, he shall bear his lawless deed.
Greek expressly names garments and water; both retain responsibility for failing to cleanse.
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.