Isaiah 51 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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.
Chapter 51
Comfort for Zion and the cup removed
Verse 51:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:1 “Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness and seek YHWH. Look to the rock from which you were cut, to the hollow of the pit from which you were dug.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:1 “Listen to Me, you who pursue what is right and seek the Lord. Look at the solid rock you quarried and the hollow of the pit you dug.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew the people were cut and dug out; Greek they themselves quarried the rock and dug the pit, changing passive origins to active work. The appeal to righteousness and the two geological images agree.
Verse 51:2 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:2 Look to Abraham your father and Sarah who bore you. When he was alone, I called him, blessed him, and made him many.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:2 Look at Abraham your father and Sarah who labored to bear you. He was one, and I called him, blessed him, loved him, and multiplied him.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The ancestral couple and multiplication of one man agree. Greek adds divine love and makes Sarah's labor explicit.
Verse 51:3 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:3 For YHWH has comforted Zion and all her ruins. He makes her wilderness like Eden and her wasteland like YHWH's garden. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and a voice of song.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:3 I will now comfort you, Zion; I have comforted all her deserted places and will make her deserted places like the Lord's paradise. They will find joy and exultation in her, thanksgiving and a voice of praise.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek directly addresses Zion before returning to her, and combines the separate Eden and divine-garden comparisons. Renewed joy, gratitude, and song agree.
Verse 51:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:4 Attend to Me, My people; My nation, give ear to Me. When instruction goes out from Me and My judgment becomes a light to peoples, I will give them rest.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:4 Listen to Me, listen, My people; and kings, give ear to Me. For law will go out from Me, and My judgment as a light for nations.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek kings replaces My nation and lacks the final rest-giving verb. Hebrew that verb's separate promise follows Rashi; establishing judgment as light is another construction [RASHI51]. Both announce instruction and judgment for peoples.
Verse 51:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:5 My righteousness is near; My salvation has gone out. My arms will chastise peoples; islands will wait for Me and hope in My arm.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:5 My righteousness approaches swiftly, and My salvation will go out like light. Nations will hope in My arm; islands will wait for Me and hope in My arm.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew arms judging or chastising peoples becomes Greek nations hoping in the arm; Greek adds swift approach and salvation as light. Chastise follows Rashi's judicial sense [RASHI51]. Island hope agrees.
Verse 51:6 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:6 Lift your eyes to heaven and look at earth below. Heaven will decay like smoke; earth will wear out like a garment, and its inhabitants will die likewise. But My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will not be broken.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:6 Lift your eyes to heaven and look at earth below. Heaven was made firm like smoke, but earth will grow old like a garment, and earth's inhabitants will die like these. My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will never fail.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Hebrew heaven decaying, following Rashi, becomes Greek heaven made firm, despite the shared smoke image [RASHI51]. Both contrast mortal creation with enduring salvation. Hebrew likewise can alternatively be read like gnats; the Greek explicitly compares with these things.
Verse 51:7 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:7 Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, a people with My instruction in their heart. Do not fear human reproach or be dismayed by their reviling.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:7 Listen to Me, you who know judgment, My people with My law in your heart. Do not fear people's reproach or be overcome by their contempt.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Internalized instruction and resistance to human scorn agree. Greek judgment corresponds to righteousness, and being overcome to being dismayed.
Verse 51:8 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:8 For a moth will eat them like a garment, and a worm consume them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, and My salvation through generations of generations.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:8 For a garment will be consumed by time, and wool eaten by a moth. But My righteousness will last forever, and My salvation through generations of generations.”
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both contrast perishable fabric with enduring righteousness and salvation. Greek time replaces Hebrew the first moth, and its fabric comparison has no explicit them; Hebrew names a second fabric-eating creature.
Verse 51:9 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:9 Awake, awake, clothe yourself in strength, arm of YHWH! Awake as in days of old, generations long past. Are you not the one who cut Rahab apart and slew the sea monster?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:9 Awake, awake, Jerusalem, and clothe yourself with your arm's strength! Awake as at day's beginning, as an age-old generation. Are you not the one
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek addresses Jerusalem and her own arm, not YHWH's arm, and omits Rahab and the slain monster entirely. Hebrew slaying follows Rashi; piercing is another rendering [RASHI51]. Greek ends with a question completed in ten.
Verse 51:10 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:10 Are you not the one who dried the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the sea depths a road for the redeemed to cross?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:10 who makes the sea desolate, the abundant water of the abyss, who made the sea depths a crossing road for those rescued
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The drying of deep water into a crossing agrees, but the Greek question continues addressing Jerusalem from nine. Hebrew repeats the opening question; Greek carries its rescued travelers into eleven.
Verse 51:11 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:11 May YHWH's ransomed return and come to Zion with singing, everlasting joy upon their heads. May gladness and joy overtake them; may sorrow and sighing flee.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:11 and ransomed? For by the Lord they will be brought back and come to Zion with joy and everlasting exultation. Exultation and praise are upon their heads; joy will overtake them. Pain, sorrow, and sighing fled.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew the return as prayer follows Rashi [RASHI51]. Greek explicitly makes the Lord bring the people back, adds praise upon their heads, and has three departing afflictions rather than two. Restoration and lasting joy agree.
Verse 51:12 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:12 “I, I am the One comforting you. Who are you to fear a mortal who dies, a human being made like grass,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:12 “I am, I am the One comforting you. Recognize whom you dreaded and feared: a mortal person, a human being who withered like grass.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Divine comfort challenges fear of mortal humanity in both. Greek commands recognition rather than asking who the fearful person is and depicts the grass-like withering as accomplished.
Verse 51:13 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:13 and forget YHWH your Maker, who stretches heaven and founds earth? You tremble continually, all day, before the oppressor's fury as he prepares to destroy. Where is the oppressor's fury now?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:13 You forgot God who made you, who made heaven and founded earth, and feared continually, every day, the face of your oppressor's anger. For as he planned to remove you—where now is your oppressor's anger?
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The forgotten Creator and transient threat agree. Greek making heaven replaces stretching it and explicitly identifies you as the intended target; its comparison-like for as clause is compressed.
Verse 51:14 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:14 The one girded with strength will quickly be loosened; his captive will not die in destruction or lack bread.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:14 For as you are saved, it will not stand or linger.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Hebrew the weakening oppressor and surviving captive follows Rashi's second reading; his first uses bodily evacuation, while a bowed captive quickly released is another construction [RASHI51]. Greek has no bread or death clause; its unstated subject is taken as the preceding oppressive anger.
Verse 51:15 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:15 For I am YHWH your God, who wrinkles the sea so its waves roar; YHWH of hosts is His name.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:15 For I am your God, who stirs the sea and makes its waves resound; the Lord Sabaoth is My name.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both identify the sea's mover as Israel's God. Hebrew wrinkles follows Rashi's lexical comparison; stirring is another reading [RASHI51]. Hebrew His name becomes Greek My name.
Verse 51:16 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:16 I put My words in your mouth and covered you in My hand's shadow, to plant heaven, found earth, and say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:16 I will put My words in your mouth and shelter you under My hand's shadow, by which I established heaven and founded earth; and He will say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew creation as purpose becomes Greek completed creation by the sheltering hand; placing and sheltering become future. Greek shifts to He will say, with an unstated subject; Zion as the speaker is grammatically possible because the name is indeclinable. The people declaration is retained.
Verse 51:17 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:17 Awake, awake, rise, Jerusalem, you who drank from YHWH's hand the cup of His fury. You drank and drained the dregs of the cup of weakening.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:17 Awake, awake, rise, Jerusalem, you who drank the cup of anger from the Lord's hand. You drank out and emptied the cup of falling, the bowl of anger.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew dregs and weakening follows Rashi; bowl and staggering are alternative readings [RASHI51]. Greek explicitly names a bowl and falling. Both describe complete consumption of the divine cup.
Verse 51:18 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:18 She has no guide among all the sons she bore, no one to hold her hand among all the sons she raised.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:18 There was no one to comfort you among all your children you bore, and no one to take your hand among all your sons you raised.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek comfort replaces guidance and directly addresses the city rather than speaking of her. Her children supply no supporting hand in either text.
Verse 51:19 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:19 These two have met you—who will grieve with you?—plunder and collapse, famine and sword. Whom can I bring to comfort you?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:19 These two confront you—who will grieve with you?—fall and crushing, famine and sword. Who will comfort you?
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both list four disasters under two, naturally two pairs. Hebrew whom I can bring follows Rashi's first-person construction [RASHI51]; Greek directly asks who will comfort. Greek fall replaces plunder.
Verse 51:20 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:20 Your sons fainted and lie at every street corner like a wild ox in a net, filled with YHWH's fury, your God's rebuke.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:20 Your sons are helpless, sleeping at every way out like a half-boiled beet, full of the Lord's anger, exhausted because of the Lord God.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek a half-boiled beet replaces the trapped wild animal; Hebrew wild ox follows Rashi, with antelope another identification [RASHI51]. Greek exhaustion because of God replaces His rebuke. Both depict incapacitated sons exposed throughout the city.
Verse 51:21 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:21 Therefore hear this, afflicted one, drunk but not from wine.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:21 Therefore listen, humbled one, drunk but not from wine.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The afflicted city's non-wine intoxication agrees.
Verse 51:22 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:22 Thus says your Lord, YHWH, your God who pleads His people's case: ‘Look, I took from your hand the cup of weakening, the dregs of My fury's cup. You will never drink it again.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:22 Thus says the Lord God who judges His people: ‘Look, I have taken from your hand the cup of falling, the bowl of anger. You will not drink it again.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The removed cup and promised end of drinking agree. Hebrew advocacy of the people's case becomes Greek judging the people; the same dregs/bowl and weakening/falling differences recur from seventeen.
Verse 51:23 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
51:23 I will put it in the hand of those who made you wander, who told you, “Bow down, so we may cross over.” You made your back like earth, like a street for passersby.’”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
51:23 I will throw it into the hands of those who wronged and humbled you, who told your soul, “Bend down, so we may pass.” You laid your back level with the earth, outside for passersby.’”
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both transfer the cup to the humiliators who used the city as a road. Hebrew making wander follows Rashi; tormenting is another reading [RASHI51]. Greek specifies wronging and humbling and has outside where Hebrew compares a street.