Leviticus 4 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 3 Similar 7 Different 17 Divergent 7 Disparate 1
Disparate in this chapter: 4:3
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 anointed priest · 4:1–12
4:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:1 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying:
Greek · Saints priority
4:1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
The opening speech formula corresponds.
4:2 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:2 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: When anyone sins unintentionally against any of YHWH’s commandments concerning things that must not be done, and does any one of them—
Greek · Saints priority
4:2 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: If anyone sins unintentionally before the Lord against the Lord’s ordinances concerning things that must not be done, and does any one of them—
Greek includes “before the Lord.”
4:3 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:3 if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he shall present to YHWH an unblemished young bull as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.
Greek · Saints priority
4:3 if the anointed high priest sins so that the people sin, he shall present to the Lord an unblemished calf from the cattle for his sin, for the sin he has committed.
Hebrew speaks of the people’s resulting guilt; Greek expressly describes their sinning. Greek also calls the priest high priest. The causal portrayal is substantively different.
4:4 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:4 He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before YHWH, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and slaughter the bull before YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
4:4 He shall bring the calf beside the door of the Tent of Testimony before the Lord, lay his hand on the calf’s head before the Lord, and slaughter the calf in the Lord’s presence.
Greek repeats “before the Lord” with hand-laying.
4:5 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:5 The anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the Tent of Meeting.
Greek · Saints priority
4:5 The anointed priest whose hands have been consecrated shall take some of the calf’s blood and bring it into the Tent of Testimony.
Greek adds the qualification concerning consecrated hands; it describes priestly installation, not a claim that the priest is morally perfect.
4:6 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:6 The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before YHWH, in front of the veil of the sanctuary.
Greek · Saints priority
4:6 The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, toward the holy veil.
The sevenfold sprinkling corresponds; sanctuary veil / holy veil differs in expression.
4:7 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:7 The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense before YHWH, which is in the Tent of Meeting. He shall pour all the bull’s blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
Greek · Saints priority
4:7 The priest shall put some of the calf’s blood on the horns of the altar of compounded incense before the Lord, which is in the Tent of Testimony. He shall pour out all the calf’s blood beside the base of the altar of whole burnt offerings, which is beside the doors of the Tent of Testimony.
Greek specifies the calf’s blood in the first clause and describes the incense as compounded.
4:8 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:8 He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering: the fat covering the entrails and all the fat on the entrails,
Greek · Saints priority
4:8 He shall remove all the fat from the calf of the sin offering: the fat covering the inner parts and all the fat on the inner parts,
The prescribed fat corresponds.
4:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:9 the two kidneys and the fat on them, which is by the loins, and the appendage of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys,
Greek · Saints priority
4:9 the two kidneys and the fat on them, which is by the thighs, and the lobe on the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys,
Loins / thighs and liver appendage / lobe recur.
4:10 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:10 just as it is removed from the ox of the sacrifice of well-being. The priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.
Greek · Saints priority
4:10 just as it is removed from the calf of the sacrifice of deliverance. The priest shall offer it up on the altar of offering.
The animal and offering terms differ; burn / offer up is retained.
4:11 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:11 But the bull’s hide and all its flesh, with its head and legs, its entrails and dung—
Greek · Saints priority
4:11 But the calf’s hide and all its flesh, with its head and extremities, its belly and dung—
Both distinguish the remaining carcass from the altar portions.
4:12 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:12 he shall carry the whole bull outside the camp to a clean place where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood in the fire. It shall be burned where the ashes are poured out.
Greek · Saints priority
4:12 they shall carry the whole calf outside the camp to a clean place where they pour out the ashes, and burn it up on wood in the fire. It shall be burned where the ashes are poured out.
The carrying and burning agents are singular / plural. Both explicitly prescribe burning outside the camp.
Saints reception — typology. Hebrews associates the burning of sacrificial bodies outside the camp with Jesus’ suffering outside the gate, and calls believers to go to Him there. Hebrews 13:10–13
The whole congregation · 4:13–21
4:13 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:13 If the whole congregation of Israel goes astray and the matter is hidden from the assembly’s eyes, and they do any one of YHWH’s commandments concerning things that must not be done and incur guilt,
Greek · Saints priority
4:13 If the whole congregation of Israel is unintentionally ignorant and a matter escapes the congregation’s eyes, and they do any one of the Lord’s commandments concerning things that must not be done and commit an offense,
Communal inadvertence and responsibility correspond; Hebrew distinguishes congregation and assembly, Greek repeats congregation.
4:14 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:14 when the sin they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall present a young bull as a sin offering and bring it before the Tent of Meeting.
Greek · Saints priority
4:14 when the sin they have committed becomes known to them, the congregation shall present an unblemished calf from the cattle for sin and bring it beside the doors of the Tent of Testimony.
Greek expressly requires an unblemished animal here; Hebrew has no corresponding adjective in this verse.
4:15 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:15 The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the bull’s head before YHWH, and he shall slaughter the bull before YHWH.
Greek · Saints priority
4:15 The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the calf’s head before the Lord, and they shall slaughter the calf before the Lord.
The Hebrew slaughtering subject is singular and unnamed; Greek continues with a plural subject.
4:16 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:16 The anointed priest shall bring some of the bull’s blood into the Tent of Meeting.
Greek · Saints priority
4:16 The anointed priest shall bring some of the calf’s blood into the Tent of Testimony.
The anointed priest’s action corresponds.
4:17 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:17 The priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood and sprinkle it seven times before YHWH, in front of the veil.
Greek · Saints priority
4:17 The priest shall dip his finger in some of the calf’s blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the holy veil.
Greek specifies calf’s blood and calls the veil holy.
4:18 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:18 He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar before YHWH, which is in the Tent of Meeting. He shall pour all the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
Greek · Saints priority
4:18 The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of compounded incense, which is before the Lord in the Tent of Testimony. He shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar of offerings beside the door of the Tent of Testimony.
Greek identifies the inner altar as the altar of compounded incense; Hebrew leaves that identification implicit here.
4:19 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:19 He shall remove all its fat from it and burn it on the altar.
Greek · Saints priority
4:19 He shall remove all the fat from it and offer it up on the altar.
Burn / offer up.
4:20 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:20 He shall do with the bull as he did with the bull of the sin offering; so shall he do with it. The priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.
Greek · Saints priority
4:20 He shall do with the calf as he did with the calf of the sin offering; so shall it be done. The priest shall make propitiation for them, and their sin shall be forgiven them.
Greek names sin as the thing forgiven. Both promise forgiveness; the English ritual terminology does not create an opposing doctrine.
4:21 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:21 He shall carry the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is the assembly’s sin offering.
Greek · Saints priority
4:21 They shall carry the whole calf outside the camp and burn up the calf as they burned up the previous calf. It is the congregation’s sin offering.
Singular / plural agency; Greek includes “whole.”
A ruler · 4:22–26
4:22 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:22 When a leader sins and unintentionally does any one of the commandments of YHWH his God concerning things that must not be done, and incurs guilt,
Greek · Saints priority
4:22 If the ruler sins and unintentionally does any one of the commandments of the Lord their God concerning things that must not be done, and sins and commits an offense,
His God / their God; Greek expresses both sin and offense.
4:23 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:23 or his sin that he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering an unblemished male goat.
Greek · Saints priority
4:23 and the sin he has committed becomes known to him, he shall bring as his gift an unblemished male kid from the goats.
Hebrew introduces the awareness clause with “or”; Greek has “and.” The Greek animal term is more specific.
4:24 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:24 He shall lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it where the burnt offering is slaughtered before YHWH. It is a sin offering.
Greek · Saints priority
4:24 He shall lay his hand on the kid’s head, and they shall slaughter it where they slaughter the whole burnt offerings before the Lord. It is a sin offering.
Singular / plural slaughtering agents.
4:25 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:25 The priest shall take some of the sin offering’s blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He shall pour its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.
Greek · Saints priority
4:25 The priest shall put some of the sin offering’s blood with his finger on the horns of the altar of whole burnt offerings. He shall pour out all its blood beside the base of the altar of whole burnt offerings.
Greek does not separately express taking the blood and specifies “all” in the final instruction.
4:26 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:26 He shall burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of well-being. The priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.
Greek · Saints priority
4:26 He shall offer up all its fat on the altar, like the fat of a sacrifice of deliverance. The priest shall make propitiation for him from his sin, and he shall be forgiven.
Burn / offer up and the offering terminology differ; forgiveness corresponds.
An individual among the people · 4:27–35
4:27 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:27 If anyone from the people of the land sins unintentionally by doing any one of YHWH’s commandments concerning things that must not be done, and incurs guilt,
Greek · Saints priority
4:27 If any one person from the people of the land sins unintentionally by doing any one of the Lord’s commandments concerning things that must not be done, and commits an offense,
The individual case and inadvertence correspond.
4:28 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:28 or his sin that he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering an unblemished female goat for the sin he has committed.
Greek · Saints priority
4:28 and the sin he has committed becomes known to him, he shall bring an unblemished female kid from the goats; he shall bring it for the sin he has committed.
Or / and; Greek repeats the bringing instruction.
4:29 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:29 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering.
Greek · Saints priority
4:29 He shall lay his hand on the head of his sin offering, and they shall slaughter the female kid of the sin offering where they slaughter the whole burnt offerings.
Singular / plural slaughtering agency; Greek names the female kid.
4:30 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:30 The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He shall pour all its blood at the base of the altar.
Greek · Saints priority
4:30 The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of whole burnt offerings. He shall pour out all its blood beside the base of the altar.
The blood rite corresponds.
4:31 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:31 He shall remove all its fat as fat is removed from the sacrifice of well-being, and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to YHWH. The priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven.
Greek · Saints priority
4:31 He shall remove all the fat as fat is removed from a sacrifice of deliverance, and the priest shall offer it up on the altar for a fragrant aroma to the Lord. The priest shall make propitiation for him, and he shall be forgiven.
Burn / offer up; both promise forgiveness.
4:32 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:32 If he brings a sheep as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring an unblemished female.
Greek · Saints priority
4:32 If he brings a sheep as his gift for a sin offering, he shall bring an unblemished female.
The permitted substitute and its sex and condition correspond.
4:33 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:33 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it as a sin offering where the burnt offering is slaughtered.
Greek · Saints priority
4:33 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and they shall slaughter it where they slaughter the whole burnt offerings.
Greek has plural slaughterers and lacks Hebrew’s second sin-offering designation.
4:34 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:34 The priest shall take some of the sin offering’s blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He shall pour all its blood at the base of the altar.
Greek · Saints priority
4:34 The priest shall take some of the sin offering’s blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of whole burning. He shall pour out all its blood beside the base of the altar of whole burning.
Greek repeats the altar’s designation in the final clause.
4:35 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
4:35 He shall remove all its fat as the sheep’s fat is removed from the sacrifice of well-being. The priest shall burn them on the altar, upon YHWH’s offerings by fire. The priest shall make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.
Greek · Saints priority
4:35 He shall remove all its fat as a sheep’s fat is removed from the sacrifice of deliverance. The priest shall place it on the altar, upon the Lord’s whole burnt offering. The priest shall make propitiation for him for the sin he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.
Burn / place; plural offerings by fire / singular whole burnt offering. The final assurance corresponds.
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.