Numbers 30 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 30:2, 30:6, 30:15
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.
Numbers 30
Relationship Vows
The Binding Force of Vows
Verse 30:1 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:1 (MT 30:2) Moses spoke to the heads of the Israelite tribes, saying, “This is what YHWH has commanded:
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:1 (LXX 30:2) Moses spoke to the rulers of the tribes of Israel, saying, “This is the word that the Lord has commanded:
Classification & Notes
Similar
English 30:1–16 aligns with 30:2–17 in both source editions. “Heads” and “rulers” identify the same tribal leaders.
Verse 30:2 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:2 (MT 30:3) If a man makes a vow to YHWH or swears an oath to bind himself by an obligation, he shall not profane his word. He shall do everything that comes from his mouth.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:2 (LXX 30:3) Any person who vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath, or imposes a restriction upon himself, shall not profane his word. He shall do everything that comes from his mouth.
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Greek presents an imposed restriction as a third alternative alongside vow and oath; Hebrew describes the oath as binding the person. The legal formulations should remain visible.
Apostolic comparison: Matthew records Jesus’ instruction concerning oaths and straightforward truthful speech. This is later Gospel teaching alongside the vow law, not wording supplied to either Numbers column.
Source: Matthew 5:33–37
Vows of Unmarried Daughters
Verse 30:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:3 (MT 30:4) If a woman makes a vow to YHWH and binds herself by an obligation while in her father’s house in her youth,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:3 (LXX 30:4) If a woman vows a vow to the Lord or imposes a restriction while in her father’s house in her youth,
Classification & Notes
Different
Hebrew connects the vow and binding obligation with “and”; Greek gives alternatives with “or.”
Verse 30:4 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:4 (MT 30:5) and her father hears her vow and the obligation by which she has bound herself, but her father remains silent toward her, then all her vows shall stand, and every obligation by which she has bound herself shall stand.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:4 (LXX 30:5) and her father hears her vows and her restrictions that she imposed upon herself, but her father remains silent toward her, then all her vows shall stand, and all her restrictions that she imposed upon herself shall remain.
Classification & Notes
Similar
The father’s silence confirms the obligations in both texts.
Verse 30:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:5 (MT 30:6) But if her father disallows her on the day he hears, none of her vows or obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand. YHWH will forgive her, because her father disallowed her.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:5 (LXX 30:6) But if her father refuses her on the day he hears, none of her vows or restrictions that she imposed upon herself shall stand. The Lord will cleanse her, because her father refused her.
Classification & Notes
Different
Hebrew salaḥ expresses forgiveness; Greek katharizō expresses cleansing. The same paternal refusal releases the obligation.
Vows Brought into Marriage
Verse 30:6 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:6 (MT 30:7) If she becomes a man’s wife while her vows are upon her, or a rash utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:6 (LXX 30:7) If she becomes a man’s wife while her vows are upon her, according to the specific statement of her lips by which she imposed a restriction upon herself,
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Hebrew expressly includes a rash utterance as an alternative; Greek describes a specific verbal statement without that characterization. This changes the description of the obligation brought into marriage.
Verse 30:7 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:7 (MT 30:8) and her husband hears, but remains silent toward her on the day he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:7 (LXX 30:8) and her husband hears, but remains silent toward her on the day he hears, then all her vows shall stand, and her restrictions that she imposed upon herself shall remain.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Both make the husband’s silence on the day of hearing decisive.
Verse 30:8 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:8 (MT 30:9) But if her husband disallows her on the day he hears, he annuls her vow that is upon her and the utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself. YHWH will forgive her.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:8 (LXX 30:9) But if her husband refuses her on the day he hears, none of her vows or restrictions that she imposed upon herself shall remain, because her husband refused her. The Lord will cleanse her.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Greek recasts the annulment as the noncontinuance of all vows and restrictions, adds the explanatory “because,” and uses cleansing for Hebrew forgiveness.
Vows of Widows and Divorced Women
Verse 30:9 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:9 (MT 30:10) But every vow of a widow or a divorced woman—everything by which she has bound herself—shall stand against her.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:9 (LXX 30:10) But the vow of a widow or a divorced woman—whatever she vowed concerning herself—shall remain against her.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Both explicitly retain the obligations of widowed and divorced women.
Vows of Married Women Within a Household
Verse 30:10 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:10 (MT 30:11) If she vowed in her husband’s house or bound herself by an obligation with an oath,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:10 (LXX 30:11) If her vow was made in her husband’s house, or her restriction was imposed upon herself with an oath,
Classification & Notes
Same
Verse 30:11 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:11 (MT 30:12) and her husband heard, remained silent toward her, and did not disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and every obligation by which she has bound herself shall stand.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:11 (LXX 30:12) and her husband heard, remained silent toward her, and did not refuse her, then all her vows shall stand, and all her restrictions that she imposed upon herself shall remain against her.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Greek explicitly retains “against her” at the end; the husband’s silence has the same legal effect.
Verse 30:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:12 (MT 30:13) But if her husband annuls them on the day he hears, then whatever came from her lips concerning her vows or the obligation upon herself shall not stand. Her husband has annulled them, and YHWH will forgive her.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:12 (LXX 30:13) But if her husband completely cancels them on the day he hears, then whatever came from her lips concerning her vows and the restrictions upon herself shall not remain against her. Her husband has canceled them, and the Lord will cleanse her.
Classification & Notes
Different
The annulment agrees; Greek again expresses cleansing where Hebrew expresses forgiveness.
Verse 30:13 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:13 (MT 30:14) Every vow and every binding oath to humble herself—her husband may establish it, or her husband may annul it.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:13 (LXX 30:14) Every vow and every oath imposing a restriction to humble herself—her husband may establish it, or her husband may cancel it.
Classification & Notes
Same
Verse 30:14 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:14 (MT 30:15) But if her husband remains entirely silent toward her from day to day, he establishes all her vows or all her obligations that are upon her. He has established them because he remained silent toward her on the day he heard.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:14 (LXX 30:15) But if her husband remains entirely silent toward her from day to day, he establishes all her vows and all the restrictions upon her. He has established them because he remained silent toward her on the day he heard.
Classification & Notes
Similar
The conjunction differs, while the rule that continued silence confirms the obligations agrees.
Verse 30:15 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:15 (MT 30:16) But if he annuls them after he has heard, he shall bear her guilt.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:15 (LXX 30:16) But if he cancels them after the day on which he heard, he shall bear his sin.”
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Greek explicitly says “after the day” and assigns “his sin”; Hebrew says “after he has heard” and assigns “her guilt.” Both the timing and the expressed ownership of liability differ.
Rabbinic reception: Rashi understands the husband as retracting an earlier confirmation, even on the same day, and bearing the consequences of causing his wife to stumble. This interpretation makes the Greek’s explicit later-day formulation particularly visible.
Verse 30:16 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
30:16 (MT 30:17) These are the statutes that YHWH commanded Moses between a man and his wife, and between a father and his daughter while she is in her youth in her father’s house.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
30:16 (LXX 30:17) These are the ordinances that the Lord commanded Moses between a man and his wife, and between a father and his daughter in her youth in her father’s house.
Classification & Notes
Same
This is 30:17 in both source editions. The duplicate 30:3–5 block in the supplied manuscript has been removed.