Leviticus 23 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 13 Similar 10 Different 12 Divergent 7 Disparate 2
Disparate in this chapter: 23:11, 23:40
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.
The Sabbath and the appointed times · 23:1–3
23:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:1 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying:
Greek · Saints priority
23:1 The Lord said to Moses, saying:
The speech formula corresponds.
23:2 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:2 Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: YHWH’s appointed times, which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—these are My appointed times.
Greek · Saints priority
23:2 Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: The Lord’s festivals, which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—these are My festivals.
Hebrew appointed times is Greek festivals; both introduce the sacred calendar.
23:3 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:3 Work may be done for six days, but on the seventh day there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to YHWH in all your dwellings.
Greek · Saints priority
23:3 You shall do work for six days, but on the seventh day there shall be a Sabbath, a rest, a holy convocation to the Lord. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in every dwelling of yours.
Greek adds to the Lord after holy convocation and addresses work actively. The seventh-day prohibition agrees.
Passover and Unleavened Bread · 23:4–8
23:4 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:4 These are YHWH’s appointed times, holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at their appointed time.
Greek · Saints priority
23:4 These are the festivals for the Lord, holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at their proper times.
Appointed times and festivals continue the terminology of verse 2.
23:5 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings, is YHWH’s Passover.
Greek · Saints priority
23:5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings, is the Lord’s Passover.
The date and between-the-evenings expression correspond.
Saints reception — typology. Justin reads the Passover lamb’s preparation as a figure of Christ’s suffering. This is Christian typology, not a claim that the festival rule itself names Jesus. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 40
23:6 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:6 On the fifteenth day of this month is the Festival of Unleavened Bread to YHWH. You shall eat unleavened bread for seven days.
Greek · Saints priority
23:6 On the fifteenth day of this month is the Festival of Unleavened Bread to the Lord. You shall eat unleavened bread for seven days.
The festival date and duration correspond.
23:7 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work.
Greek · Saints priority
23:7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work.
Both prohibit laborious work on the first day.
23:8 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:8 You shall present an offering by fire to YHWH for seven days. On the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work.
Greek · Saints priority
23:8 You shall bring whole burnt offerings to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall do no laborious work.
Hebrew’s general offering by fire is Greek whole burnt offerings, a more specific category; Greek also has for you.
The first sheaf and the count · 23:9–14
23:9 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:9 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying:
Greek · Saints priority
23:9 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
The speech formula corresponds.
23:10 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:10 Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you and reap its harvest, you shall bring a sheaf of the first of your harvest to the priest.
Greek · Saints priority
23:10 Say to the sons of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you and reap its harvest, you shall bring a sheaf as the first portion of your harvest to the priest.
Both require the first harvest sheaf to be brought to the priest.
23:11 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:11 He shall wave the sheaf before YHWH for your acceptance. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Greek · Saints priority
23:11 He shall offer up the sheaf before the Lord, acceptable for you. On the day after the first day the priest shall offer it up.
Hebrew says after the Sabbath; Greek says after the first day. This bears directly on the festival calendar. Which day Hebrew Sabbath designates is disputed in reception; the texts should not be harmonized silently.
Rabbinic reception. Rashi identifies this as the day after the festival’s first day, not after a weekly Sabbath. That interpretation can bring the calendars into agreement while the two source expressions remain different. Rashi, Leviticus 23:11
23:12 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you shall offer an unblemished year-old lamb as a burnt offering to YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
23:12 On the day you bring the sheaf, you shall offer an unblemished year-old sheep as a whole burnt offering to the Lord.
Hebrew wave becomes Greek bring. The animal’s age and unblemished condition agree.
23:13 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:13 Its grain offering shall be two tenths of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to YHWH, a pleasing aroma. Its drink offering shall be wine, a quarter of a hin.
Greek · Saints priority
23:13 Its sacrifice shall be two tenths of fine flour kneaded with oil, a sacrifice to the Lord, a fragrant aroma to the Lord. Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin of wine.
Greek repeats to the Lord after aroma and uses sacrifice for the grain and fire-offering expressions. The quantities agree.
23:14 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:14 You shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor fresh grain until that very day, until you bring the offering of your God. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Greek · Saints priority
23:14 You shall eat neither bread nor roasted fresh grain until that very day, until you bring the gifts to your God. This is a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations in every dwelling of yours.
Hebrew distinguishes roasted and fresh grain; Greek’s phrase can group the grain description more closely. The deadline agrees.
The fiftieth day · 23:15–22
23:15 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:15 Count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day you bring the sheaf of the wave offering: there shall be seven complete Sabbaths.
Greek · Saints priority
23:15 You shall count from the day after the Sabbath, from the day you bring the sheaf of the presentation, seven complete weeks.
Hebrew counts Sabbaths; Greek counts weeks. The starting expression here is Sabbath in both, unlike Greek verse 11’s first day.
23:16 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:16 Until the day after the seventh Sabbath you shall count fifty days, and then present a new grain offering to YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
23:16 Until the day after the last week you shall count fifty days, and then present a new sacrifice to the Lord.
Seventh Sabbath becomes last week; both explicitly total fifty days.
23:17 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:17 From your dwellings you shall bring two loaves as a wave offering. They shall be of two tenths of fine flour, baked with leaven, as firstfruits to YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
23:17 From your dwelling you shall bring bread as a presentation, two loaves. They shall be made from two tenths of fine flour and baked leavened, as firstfruits to the Lord.
Wave offering becomes presentation; number, flour quantity, and leaven agree.
23:18 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:18 With the bread you shall present seven unblemished year-old lambs, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to YHWH, with their grain offerings and drink offerings, an offering by fire, a pleasing aroma to YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
23:18 With the loaves you shall bring seven unblemished year-old lambs, one calf from the herd, and two unblemished rams. They shall be a whole burnt offering to the Lord, with their sacrifices and drink offerings, a sacrifice, a fragrant aroma to the Lord.
Greek expressly repeats unblemished for the rams. The animals and quantities agree.
23:19 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:19 You shall offer one male goat as a sin offering and two year-old lambs as a sacrifice of well-being.
Greek · Saints priority
23:19 They shall offer one male goat for sin and two year-old lambs as a sacrifice of deliverance with the firstfruits loaves.
Greek adds with the firstfruits loaves and changes you to they. Both texts connect the loaves and lambs in the next verse.
23:20 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:20 The priest shall wave them with the firstfruits bread as a wave offering before YHWH, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to YHWH for the priest.
Greek · Saints priority
23:20 The priest shall present them with the firstfruits loaves as a presentation before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord; they shall belong to the priest who presents them.
Greek specifies the presenting priest as beneficiary and uses presentation language instead of waving. The final Greek pronoun resumes the priest as beneficiary; it does not add another divine recipient.
23:21 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:21 You shall proclaim on that very day a holy convocation for yourselves. You shall do no laborious work. This is a perpetual statute in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
Greek · Saints priority
23:21 You shall proclaim this day a convocation; it shall be holy for you. You shall do no laborious work on it. This is a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations in every dwelling of yours.
Greek rearranges convocation and holy and makes on it explicit; the observance agrees.
23:22 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:22 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not finish reaping the edge of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the resident foreigner. I am YHWH your God.
Greek · Saints priority
23:22 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not finish the remainder of your field’s harvest as you reap or gather what falls from your harvest. Leave these for the poor and the resident foreigner. I am the Lord your God.
Hebrew edge becomes Greek remainder. Both protect produce for the poor and resident foreigner.
The seventh-month memorial · 23:23–25
23:23 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:23 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying:
Greek · Saints priority
23:23 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
The speech formula corresponds.
23:24 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:24 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a rest, a memorial of a sounding blast, a holy convocation.
Greek · Saints priority
23:24 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a rest, a memorial of trumpets; it shall be a holy convocation for you.
Greek expressly names trumpets where Hebrew names the sounding blast.
23:25 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:25 You shall do no laborious work, and you shall present an offering by fire to YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
23:25 You shall do no laborious work, and you shall bring a whole burnt offering to the Lord.
Greek specifies a whole burnt offering for Hebrew’s general offering by fire.
The Day of Atonement · 23:26–32
23:26 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:26 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying:
Greek · Saints priority
23:26 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
The speech formula corresponds.
23:27 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:27 Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. You shall have a holy convocation, afflict yourselves, and present an offering by fire to YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
23:27 On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Propitiation. You shall have a holy convocation, humble yourselves, and bring a whole burnt offering to the Lord.
Afflict yourselves is Greek humble yourselves; Greek specifies a whole burnt offering. Atonement/propitiation are contextual renderings, not evidence of opposed doctrines.
23:28 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:28 You shall do no work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before YHWH your God.
Greek · Saints priority
23:28 You shall do no work on that very day, for this is a Day of Propitiation for you, to make propitiation for you before the Lord your God.
Greek repeats for you; both state the purpose and work prohibition.
23:29 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:29 Any person who does not afflict himself on that very day shall be cut off from his people.
Greek · Saints priority
23:29 Any person who does not humble himself on that very day shall be destroyed from his people.
The paired affliction/humbling and cutting-off/destruction terminology continues.
23:30 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:30 Any person who does any work on that very day—I will destroy that person from among his people.
Greek · Saints priority
23:30 Any person who does work on that very day—that person shall perish from among his people.
Hebrew explicitly names God as the agent of destruction; Greek states the outcome without naming its agent.
23:31 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:31 You shall do no work. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Greek · Saints priority
23:31 You shall do no work. This is a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
The prohibition and lasting observance correspond.
23:32 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:32 It shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall keep your Sabbath.
Greek · Saints priority
23:32 It shall be a Sabbath of Sabbaths for you, and you shall humble yourselves. From the ninth day of the month, from evening to evening, you shall keep your Sabbath.
Both prescribe evening-to-evening observance; the intensified Sabbath expression and self-affliction are expressed differently.
The Festival of Booths · 23:33–44
23:33 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:33 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying:
Greek · Saints priority
23:33 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
The speech formula corresponds.
23:34 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:34 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Booths to YHWH for seven days.
Greek · Saints priority
23:34 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Tents to the Lord for seven days.
Booths and tents preserve the characteristic Hebrew and Greek shelter terms.
23:35 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:35 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work.
Greek · Saints priority
23:35 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work.
The first-day convocation and work prohibition agree.
23:36 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:36 For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to YHWH. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to YHWH. It is a solemn assembly; you shall do no laborious work.
Greek · Saints priority
23:36 For seven days you shall bring whole burnt offerings to the Lord. The eighth day shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall bring whole burnt offerings to the Lord. It is a closing observance; you shall do no laborious work.
Greek specifies whole burnt offerings and calls the eighth day a closing observance, exodion; Hebrew calls it an assembly or restraint, ʿaṣeret.
23:37 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:37 These are YHWH’s appointed times, which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present an offering by fire to YHWH: burnt offering and grain offering, sacrifice and drink offerings, each day’s requirement on its day,
Greek · Saints priority
23:37 These are the festivals for the Lord, which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings to the Lord: whole burnt offerings and their sacrifices and their drink offerings, each day’s requirement on its day,
Hebrew lists burnt offering, grain offering, sacrifice, and drink offerings; Greek links sacrifices and libations to the whole burnt offerings and has no separate equivalent for every Hebrew item.
23:38 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:38 besides YHWH’s Sabbaths, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings that you give to YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
23:38 besides the Lord’s Sabbaths, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides your freewill offerings that you give to the Lord.
The additional obligations correspond.
23:39 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:39 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather the produce of the land, you shall celebrate YHWH’s festival for seven days. On the first day there shall be rest, and on the eighth day there shall be rest.
Greek · Saints priority
23:39 On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, when you finish gathering the produce of the land, you shall celebrate to the Lord for seven days. On the first day there shall be rest, and on the eighth day there shall be rest.
Greek emphasizes completion of the harvest; the festival duration and rest days agree.
23:40 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:40 On the first day you shall take for yourselves fruit of a splendid tree, palm fronds, branches of leafy trees, and willows of the stream. You shall rejoice before YHWH your God for seven days.
Greek · Saints priority
23:40 On the first day you shall take beautiful tree fruit, palm fronds, densely leafed tree branches, willows, and branches of the chaste tree from a stream, to rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days
Greek adds branches of the chaste tree, agnos, to the plant list. This changes the stated ritual materials. Hebrew’s splendid-tree fruit is not identified botanically within the verse itself.
23:41 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:41 You shall celebrate it as a festival to YHWH for seven days each year. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
Greek · Saints priority
23:41 of the year. This is a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
Greek carries of the year over from verse 40 and lacks the repeated command to celebrate a seven-day festival to YHWH at the start of Hebrew verse 41.
23:42 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All the native-born in Israel shall dwell in booths,
Greek · Saints priority
23:42 You shall dwell in tents for seven days. All the native-born in Israel shall dwell in tents,
The shelter terminology differs; the participants and duration agree.
23:43 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:43 so that your generations may know that I made the sons of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am YHWH your God.
Greek · Saints priority
23:43 so that your generations may see that I made the sons of Israel dwell in tents when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Hebrew know is Greek see; both ground the observance in the exodus.
23:44 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
23:44 Moses declared YHWH’s appointed times to the sons of Israel.
Greek · Saints priority
23:44 Moses declared the Lord’s festivals to the sons of Israel.
The closing report corresponds within the established calendar terminology.
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.