Jeremiah 20 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 20:3, 20:4
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 20
Jeremiah 20
Hebrew source: BHS20 • chapter 20
Greek source: LXX20 • chapter 20
Verse 20:1 Same
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:1] Pashhur son of Immer, the priest who was chief officer in YHWH's house, heard Jeremiah prophesying these words.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:1] And Pashhur son of Immer, the priest who had been appointed leader of the Lord's house, heard Jeremiah prophesying these words.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both identify the officer who hears the prophecy.
Verse 20:2 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:2] Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate in YHWH's house.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:2] And he struck him and put him into the trap, which was at the gate of the separated upper house that was in the Lord's house.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek katarraktes is provisionally trap or confined pit and lacks the Benjamin name; its difficult architectural description is retained rather than replaced from Hebrew. Hebrew stocks represents the restraining device mahpekhet.
Verse 20:3 Disparate
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:3] The next day Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Jeremiah said to him: YHWH has named you not Pashhur but Terror All Around.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:3] And Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the trap, and Jeremiah said to him: The Lord has called your name not Pashhur but Migrant.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek Metoikon means migrant or resident alien rather than Hebrew Magor-missabib, Terror All Around; Greek also lacks next day. The Greek migration motif continues in 20:4.
Verse 20:4 Disparate
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:4] For thus says YHWH: Look, I am making you a terror to yourself and all your friends. They will fall by their enemies' sword while your eyes watch. I will give all Judah into the hand of Babylon's king, who will exile them to Babylon and strike them with the sword.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:4] Because thus says the Lord: Look, I am giving you to migration with all your friends. They will fall by their enemies' sword, and your eyes will see. I will give you and all Judah into the hands of Babylon's king, and they will deport them and cut them down with swords.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek migration differs from Hebrew terror and explicitly adds you to Judah; its deporting agents are plural rather than the king's singular Hebrew action.
Verse 20:5 Divergent
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:5] I will give all this city's wealth, all its earnings, all its precious things, and all the treasures of Judah's kings into their enemies' hands. They will plunder them, take them, and bring them to Babylon.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:5] And I will give all this city's strength, all its labors, and all the treasures of Judah's king into his enemies' hands, and they will bring them to Babylon.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek lacks precious things and the explicit plundering and taking clauses, and has singular king.
Verse 20:6 Divergent
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:6] You, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house will go into captivity. You will come to Babylon, and there you will die and be buried—you and all your friends to whom you prophesied falsely.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:6] And you and all who dwell in your house will go into captivity. In Babylon you will die and there be buried—you and all your friends to whom you prophesied false things.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek lacks the repeated name and the separate coming-to-Babylon clause.
Verse 20:7 Similar
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:7] You deceived me, YHWH, and I was deceived. You overpowered me and prevailed. I became a laughingstock all day; everyone mocks me.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:7] You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived. You took hold and prevailed. I became a laughingstock; all day I continued being mocked.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both preserve the prophet's direct accusation of divine deception; Hebrew patah can also describe enticement, but Greek apatao explicitly supports deceived here. The lament is not softened into willing persuasion.
Verse 20:8 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:8] For whenever I speak, I cry out; I proclaim violence and destruction. For YHWH's word has become a reproach and a mockery to me all day.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:8] Because I will laugh with my bitter word; I will call upon rejection and misery, because the Lord's word became a reproach and a derision to me all my day.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek first-person gelasomai, I will laugh, differs from Hebrew I cry out; the bitter word and invocation are retained provisionally, without making the verb passive from contextual expectation.
Verse 20:9 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:9] I said: I will not mention Him or speak in His name again. But it was in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones. I grew weary of holding it in, and I could not.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:9] And I said: I will certainly not name the Lord's name or speak in His name again. And it became like a burning fire blazing in my bones; I am weakened on every side and cannot bear it.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek names the Lord explicitly and lacks in my heart; its being weakened differs from Hebrew weariness of holding in the word.
Verse 20:10 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:10] For I heard many whispering: Terror all around! Report him, and we will report him! All my trusted companions watch for my stumbling: Perhaps he can be deceived, and we can prevail against him and take our revenge on him.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:10] Because I heard the reproach of many gathering all around: Rise against him, and let us rise against him, all you men who are his friends! Watch his purpose, to see whether he will be deceived and we can prevail against him and take our revenge on him.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek has gathering, rising against him, and watching his purpose; Hebrew repeats the terror designation and has reporting and watching his stumble. Greek moves the friends inside the quoted exhortation.
Verse 20:11 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:11] But YHWH is with me like a fearsome warrior. Therefore my pursuers will stumble and not prevail. They will be greatly shamed because they did not succeed—everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:11] And the Lord is with me like a strong fighter. Therefore they pursued and could not understand; they were greatly shamed, because they did not understand their dishonors, which will never be forgotten.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek inability to understand differs from Hebrew inability to prevail; the Greek dishonors are construed as the object of understand, unlike the Hebrew succeeding and subsequent disgrace.
Verse 20:12 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:12] YHWH of hosts, testing the righteous, seeing kidneys and heart: Let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You I have disclosed my case.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:12] Lord, testing righteous things, understanding kidneys and hearts: May I see the vengeance from You among them, because to You I disclosed my defenses.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek tests righteous things rather than a righteous person and uses plural inner organs and defenses; Hebrew of hosts is absent. Kidneys retains the ancient image of inward motives.
Verse 20:13 Same
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:13] Sing to YHWH; praise YHWH, for He delivered the needy person's life from evildoers' hands.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:13] Sing to the Lord; praise Him, because He rescued a poor person's life from the hand of those doing evil.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both break into praise for deliverance.
Verse 20:14 Similar
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:14] Cursed be the day on which I was born! Let the day my mother bore me not be blessed!
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:14] Accursed be the day on which I was born! Let the day my mother bore me not be a day to pray for!
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek epeukte can mean wished or prayed for, contrasting with Hebrew blessed. The abrupt return to lament is preserved.
Verse 20:15 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:15] Cursed be the man who brought my father news, saying, A son, a male, has been born to you!—making him very glad.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:15] Accursed be the man who brought my father good news, saying, A male has been born to you!—rejoicing.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek makes the messenger rejoice rather than explicitly making the father glad.
Verse 20:16 Similar
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:16] Let that man be like the cities YHWH overthrew without relenting. Let him hear a cry in the morning and an alarm at noon,
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:16] Let that man be like the cities the Lord overthrew in fury without changing His mind. Let him hear a cry in the morning and a battle shout at noon,
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek adds in fury; both continue the imprecation against the birth messenger.
Verse 20:17 Similar
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:17] because he did not kill me from the womb, so that my mother would have been my grave and her womb pregnant forever.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:17] because he did not kill me in my mother's womb, so that my mother would have become my tomb and the womb one of everlasting conception.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both voice the lament's wish never to have lived; Greek in the womb differs from Hebrew from the womb. The implied counterfactual relation is made explicit for English coherence.
Verse 20:18 Similar
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[20:18] Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and have my days end in shame?
Greek–English Saints Priority
[20:18] Why did I come out from the womb to see labors and pains, and have my days continue in shame?
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew days are consumed or ended; Greek days continue or pass in shame.