Numbers 10 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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Same 11 Similar 7 Different 12 Divergent 3 Disparate 3
Disparate in this chapter: 10:6, 10:31, 10:36
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 Two Silver Trumpets
10:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:1 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying:
Greek · Saints priority
10:1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
10:2 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:2 Make two silver trumpets for yourself; make them of hammered work. They shall serve you for calling the congregation and for setting the camps in motion.
Greek · Saints priority
10:2 Make two silver trumpets for yourself; make them hammered. They shall serve you for summoning the congregation and setting the camps in motion.
10:3 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:3 When they blow them, the whole congregation shall assemble before you at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
Greek · Saints priority
10:3 You shall blow them, and the whole congregation shall assemble at the door of the Tent of Testimony.
They / you as the blowing subject; Greek lacks the explicit gathering before Moses. The priestly trumpeters are specified in verse eight in both texts.
10:4 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:4 If they blow only one, the leaders, the heads of Israel’s thousands, shall assemble before you.
Greek · Saints priority
10:4 If they blow one, all the rulers, the leaders of Israel, shall come to you.
Greek adds all but lacks the specification of thousands.
10:5 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:5 When you blow an alarm, the camps on the east shall set out.
Greek · Saints priority
10:5 When you blow a signal, the camps on the east shall set out.
10:6 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:6 When you blow an alarm a second time, the camps on the south shall set out. They shall blow an alarm for their departures.
Greek · Saints priority
10:6 When you blow a second signal, the camps toward the southwest shall set out. When you blow a third signal, the camps toward the sea shall set out. When you blow a fourth signal, the camps toward the north shall set out. They shall blow a signal for their departure.
Greek gives explicit third and fourth departure signals, absent here in Hebrew. It also uses southwest-wind terminology for the southern camps. The added commands extend the operational instructions.
10:7 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:7 When assembling the assembly, you shall blow, but not sound an alarm.
Greek · Saints priority
10:7 When gathering the congregation, you shall blow, but not with a signal.
Both distinguish the general assembly blast from the departure signal.
10:8 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:8 Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. This shall be a perpetual statute for you throughout your generations.
Greek · Saints priority
10:8 Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. This shall be a perpetual statute for you throughout your generations.
10:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:9 When you enter war in your land against the adversary oppressing you, sound an alarm with the trumpets. You shall be remembered before YHWH your God and saved from your enemies.
Greek · Saints priority
10:9 If you go out to war in your land against the opponents resisting you, give a signal with the trumpets. You shall be remembered before the Lord and delivered from your enemies.
Oppression / resistance and entering / going out frame the conflict differently. Greek does not repeat your God here.
10:10 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:10 On your day of gladness, at your appointed festivals, and at the beginnings of your months, blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and well-being sacrifices. They shall be a memorial for you before your God. I am YHWH your God.
Greek · Saints priority
10:10 On your days of gladness, at your festivals and new moons, blow the trumpets over your whole burnt offerings and sacrifices of deliverance. They shall be a remembrance for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.
Singular day / plural days; the sacrificial vocabulary differs. Both connect the trumpet observance with remembrance before God.
Departure from Mount Sinai
10:11 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud rose from above the Dwelling of Testimony.
Greek · Saints priority
10:11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud rose from the Tent of Testimony.
10:12 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:12 The sons of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud settled in the wilderness of Paran.
Greek · Saints priority
10:12 The sons of Israel set out with their equipment in the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud stood in the wilderness of Paran.
Journey stages / equipment, and from / in the wilderness of Sinai.
10:13 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:13 They set out for the first time at the mouth of YHWH through Moses.
Greek · Saints priority
10:13 They set out first by the voice of the Lord through Moses.
10:14 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:14 The standard of the camp of the sons of Judah set out first, by their armies. Nahshon son of Amminadab was over its army.
Greek · Saints priority
10:14 The formation of the camp of the sons of Judah set out first, with their army. Nahshon son of Amminadab was over their army.
Standard / formation and singular/plural possessors; the marching priority agrees.
10:15 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Issachar.
Greek · Saints priority
10:15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Issachar.
10:16 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:16 Eliab son of Helon was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun.
Greek · Saints priority
10:16 Eliab son of Helon was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun.
10:17 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:17 The Dwelling was taken down, and the sons of Gershon and Merari set out carrying the Dwelling.
Greek · Saints priority
10:17 They shall take down the Tent, and the sons of Gershon and Merari shall set out carrying the Tent.
Hebrew narrates completed action; Greek shifts to a prospective instruction.
10:18 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:18 The standard of Reuben’s camp set out, by their armies. Elizur son of Shedeur was over its army.
Greek · Saints priority
10:18 The formation of Reuben’s camp set out, with their army. Elizur son of Shedeur was over their army.
Standard / formation.
10:19 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Simeon.
Greek · Saints priority
10:19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Simeon.
10:20 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:20 Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Gad.
Greek · Saints priority
10:20 Eliasaph son of Reuel was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Gad.
Deuel / Reuel recurs; the name is not harmonized.
10:21 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:21 The Kohathites set out carrying the holy things; the Dwelling was to be erected before they arrived.
Greek · Saints priority
10:21 The sons of Kohath shall set out carrying the holy things; they shall erect the Tent before they arrive.
Both have an unexpressed subject in the erection clause. The context points to the preceding tent bearers erecting it before Kohath arrives; Greek’s future forms are retained without inventing a contrary labor assignment.
10:22 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:22 The standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim set out, by their armies. Elishama son of Ammihud was over its army.
Greek · Saints priority
10:22 The formation of Ephraim’s camp shall set out, with their army. Elishama son of Ammihud was over their army.
Standard / formation and narrative past / prospective future.
10:23 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh.
Greek · Saints priority
10:23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh.
10:24 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:24 Abidan son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin.
Greek · Saints priority
10:24 Abidan son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin.
10:25 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:25 The standard of the camp of the sons of Dan set out as the rear guard of all the camps, by their armies. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was over its army.
Greek · Saints priority
10:25 The formation of the camp of the sons of Dan shall set out last of all the camps, with their army. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was over their army.
Gathering rear guard / last position; the Greek future recurs.
10:26 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:26 Pagiel son of Ocran was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Asher.
Greek · Saints priority
10:26 Pagiel son of Ocran was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Asher.
10:27 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:27 Ahira son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali.
Greek · Saints priority
10:27 Ahira son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali.
10:28 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:28 These were the stages of the sons of Israel by their armies, and they set out.
Greek · Saints priority
10:28 These were the armies of the sons of Israel, and they set out with their force.
Journey stages / armies changes the summary’s organizing term.
The Request of Moses
10:29 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:29 Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ relative by marriage: We are setting out for the place of which YHWH said, “I will give it to you.” Come with us, and we will treat you well, for YHWH has promised good for Israel.
Greek · Saints priority
10:29 Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ relative by marriage: We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, “I will give this to you.” Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has spoken good concerning Israel.
Hebrew ḥoten and Greek gambros describe an affinal relationship; their attachment and precise kinship require interpretation. Familiar Hobab is used for Greek Iobab; a second person is not invented from transliteration.
10:30 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:30 He said to him: I will not go. Instead, I will go to my own land and my kindred.
Greek · Saints priority
10:30 He said to him: I will not go, but to my own land and my kindred.
Greek leaves the final motion verb understood.
10:31 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:31 He said: Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be eyes for us.
Greek · Saints priority
10:31 He said: Do not abandon us, since you have been with us in the wilderness, and you shall be an elder among us.
Knowledge of camping places and being eyes / prior companionship and being an elder: the reason for the invitation and proposed role differ substantially. Greek presbytēs can also mean an older man; a later ordained office is not assumed.
10:32 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:32 If you go with us, whatever good YHWH does for us, we will do for you.
Greek · Saints priority
10:32 If you go with us, whatever good things the Lord does for us, we will treat you well.
The Ark of the Covenant Leads
10:33 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:33 They set out from the mountain of YHWH for a journey of three days. The Ark of YHWH’s Covenant went before them for a journey of three days, to seek a resting place for them.
Greek · Saints priority
10:33 They set out from the mountain of the Lord for a journey of three days. The Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went ahead of them for a journey of three days, to scout a resting place for them.
Rabbinic reception: Rashi identifies the forward-moving ark with an ark carrying the broken tablets and preparing the route. This is his explanation of the narrative, not an explicit inventory in this verse.
Source: Rashi, Numbers 10:33
10:34 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:34 The cloud of YHWH was over them by day when they set out from the camp.
Greek · Saints priority
10:34 (LXX 10:36) The cloud was overshadowing them by day when they set out from the camp.
This cloud sentence is Greek 10:36, after the ark prayers, rather than before them. Greek does not repeat of the Lord in this clause.
10:35 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses said: Rise, YHWH! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee from Your presence.
Greek · Saints priority
10:35 (LXX 10:34) When the ark set out, Moses said: Rise, Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered; let all those who hate You flee.
Greek 10:34 adds all and lacks from Your presence. The prayer stands before the cloud sentence in Greek.
10:36 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
10:36 Whenever it rested, he said: Return, YHWH, to the myriads of Israel’s thousands.
Greek · Saints priority
10:36 (LXX 10:35) When it rested, he said: Turn back, Lord, thousands and myriads in Israel.
Greek 10:35 has an accusative object, allowing the request “bring back thousands and myriads”; Hebrew is conventionally read as asking YHWH to return to Israel’s multitudes. The compressed phrases and their interpretive uncertainty are preserved.
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.