Jeremiah 3 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 3:1, 3:3, 3:19, 3:22
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 3
Jeremiah 3
Hebrew source: BHS3 • chapter 3
Greek source: LXX3 • chapter 3
Verse 3:1 Disparate
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:1] Saying: If a man sends his wife away, and she leaves him and becomes another man's, will he return to her again? Would not that land be utterly polluted? Yet you have prostituted yourself with many lovers—and return to Me?—YHWH's declaration.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:1] If a man sends his wife away, and she leaves him and becomes another man's, will she return to him again? Would not that woman be utterly polluted? And you prostituted yourself with many shepherds—and were you returning to Me? says the Lord.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek reverses who returns, names the woman rather than land as polluted, and has shepherds instead of lovers. Hebrew's final return is a compressed infinitive, rendered as a question; an invitation to return is another possible construal. The marriage analogy is not turned into independent current legal guidance.
Verse 3:2 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:2] Lift your eyes to the bare heights and see: where have you not been lain with? You sat for them beside the roads like an Arab in the wilderness. You polluted the land with your prostitution and your evil.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:2] Lift your eyes straight ahead and see: where have you not been defiled? You sat for them on the roads like a solitary crow, and polluted the land with your prostitution and your evils.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek straight ahead and solitary crow differ from Hebrew bare heights and an Arab in the wilderness. The comparative image is retained as ancient rhetoric, not generalized about any contemporary group.
Verse 3:3 Disparate
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:3] The showers were withheld, and there was no latter rain. Yet you had a prostitute's forehead; you refused to be ashamed.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:3] You had many shepherds as a stumbling block for yourself. You had a prostitute's appearance; you were shameless toward everyone.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek shepherds and stumbling replace the Hebrew drought statement. The personification continues to accuse communal infidelity.
Verse 3:4 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:4] Have you not just now called to Me, My Father, You are the companion of my youth?
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:4] Did you not call Me a household, a father and the leader of your virginity?
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek includes household and has leader of virginity rather than companion of youth. The exact force of household is difficult and remains provisional.
Verse 3:5 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:5] Will He keep anger forever? Will He preserve it always? Look, you have spoken, yet you have done evil and prevailed.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:5] Will He remain forever, or will it be guarded always? Look, you spoke and did these evil things and were able.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Anger is supplied as the Hebrew context's understood object. Greek's unexpressed subjects and objects are retained, with the relationship of its questions left for review.
Verse 3:6 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:6] YHWH said to me in the days of King Josiah, Have you seen what apostate Israel did? She went upon every high mountain and beneath every leafy tree and prostituted herself there.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:6] The Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah, You saw what the dwelling of Israel did to Me. They went upon every high mountain and beneath every wooded tree and prostituted themselves there.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek dwelling replaces Hebrew apostate and shifts from singular collective to plural they. Greek is presented as a statement, following the displayed punctuation.
Verse 3:7 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:7] I said, After she has done all these things, she will return to Me. But she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:7] After she prostituted herself in all these ways, I said, Return to Me. But she did not return, and faithless Judah saw her faithlessness.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek directly commands return and repeats faithlessness; Hebrew anticipates return and calls Judah her sister.
Verse 3:8 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:8] I saw that, because apostate Israel committed adultery, I had sent her away and given her a certificate of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; she too went and prostituted herself.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:8] I saw that, concerning all the things in which the dwelling of Israel was caught committing adultery, I sent her away and gave a certificate of divorce into her hands. Yet faithless Judah did not fear; she too went and prostituted herself.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek adds being caught and into her hands, retains dwelling and lacks sister. The divorce certificate belongs to the prophetic analogy.
Verse 3:9 Divergent
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:9] Through the lightness of her prostitution she polluted the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:9] Her prostitution came to be regarded as nothing, and she committed adultery with wood and stone.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek lacks the land-pollution clause and reverses wood/stone. Regarded as is supplied to express its came-to-nothing phrase in context; its precise sense remains open.
Verse 3:10 Divergent
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:10] Yet despite all this, her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with her whole heart, but only in falsehood—YHWH's declaration.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:10] In all these things faithless Judah did not return to Me with her whole heart, but in falsehood.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek lacks sister and the concluding speech formula.
Verse 3:11 Similar
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:11] YHWH said to me, Apostate Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:11] The Lord said to me, Israel has justified himself in comparison with faithless Judah.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek lacks apostate and uses a masculine collective pronoun. The comparative assessment does not absolve Israel of all wrongdoing.
Verse 3:12 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:12] Go and proclaim these words toward the north: Return, apostate Israel—YHWH's declaration. I will not make My face fall upon you, for I am faithful—YHWH's declaration. I will not keep anger forever.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:12] Go and read these words toward the north: Return to Me, dwelling of Israel, says the Lord. I will not set My face firmly against you, because I am merciful, says the Lord, and I will not be angry with you forever.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek dwelling and mercy differ from Hebrew apostate and faithful covenant kindness. Hebrew's falling face is a difficult anger image, retained with anger supplied only in the final clause.
Verse 3:13 Similar
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:13] Only acknowledge your iniquity: you rebelled against YHWH your God and scattered your ways to strangers beneath every leafy tree, and you did not obey My voice—YHWH's declaration.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:13] Only recognize your injustice: you acted ungodly toward the Lord your God and spread your ways to strangers beneath every wooded tree, but you did not obey My voice, says the Lord.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew shifts to plural you at the final obedience clause; Greek retains singular address. English you cannot display that contrast by itself.
Verse 3:14 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:14] Return, apostate children—YHWH's declaration—for I am your husband. I will take you, one from a city and two from a clan, and bring you to Zion.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:14] Return, children who have withdrawn, says the Lord, because I will rule over you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a clan, and bring you into Zion,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew baal is read as husband within the marriage analogy, with master also possible. Greek explicitly expresses future lordship.
Verse 3:15 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:15] I will give you shepherds according to My heart, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and understanding.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:15] and I will give you shepherds according to My heart, and they will shepherd you, shepherding with knowledge.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek repeats shepherding where Hebrew has the additional understanding term.
Verse 3:16 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:16] When you multiply and become fruitful in the land in those days—YHWH's declaration—they will no longer say, The ark of YHWH's covenant. It will not come to mind; they will not remember it or attend to it, and it will not be made again.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:16] When you multiply and increase upon the land in those days, says the Lord, they will no longer say, The ark of the covenant of the Holy One of Israel. It will not come to mind, be named or be attended to, and it will not be made again.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek uses Holy One of Israel instead of YHWH and naming rather than remembering. Attending to or missing the ark is a contextual question; no replacement object is inserted.
Verse 3:17 Divergent
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:17] At that time they will call Jerusalem YHWH's throne, and all the nations will gather to her, to YHWH's name, to Jerusalem. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil heart.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:17] In those days and at that time they will call Jerusalem the Lord's throne, and all the nations will gather to her. They will no longer follow the thoughts of their evil heart.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek adds in those days but lacks the repeated name/Jerusalem phrase; thoughts differs from Hebrew stubbornness.
Verse 3:18 Divergent
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:18] In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and together they will come from the northern land to the land I gave your fathers as an inheritance.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:18] In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and together they will come from the northern land and from all the regions to the land I gave their fathers as an inheritance.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek adds all the regions and has their fathers rather than your fathers.
Verse 3:19 Disparate
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:19] I said, How I would place you among sons and give you a desirable land, the most splendid inheritance among the nations' hosts! I said, You will call Me My Father and not turn away from following Me.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:19] And I said, May it be, Lord! For I will place you among children and give you a chosen land, an inheritance of God Almighty of nations. I said, You will call Me Father and will not turn away from Me.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek has the response May it be, Lord and a distinct divine-title inheritance phrase. Its changes of voice and the title's syntax remain explicit and provisional; they are not forced into one uninterrupted divine speech.
Verse 3:20 Similar
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:20] Surely, as a wife betrays her companion, so you have betrayed Me, house of Israel—YHWH's declaration.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:20] But as a woman deals faithlessly with the one living with her, so the house of Israel dealt faithlessly with Me, says the Lord.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek reports the collective's action in third person; Hebrew addresses it directly.
Verse 3:21 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:21] A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping and supplications of Israel's children, because they twisted their way and forgot YHWH their God.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:21] A voice was heard from lips, the weeping and supplication of Israel's children, because they acted unjustly in their ways and forgot their holy God.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek lips differs from Hebrew bare heights, and holy God differs from YHWH their God.
Verse 3:22 Disparate
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:22] Return, apostate children; I will heal your apostasies. Here we are, we have come to You, for You are YHWH our God.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:22] Return, returning children, and I will heal your fractures. Look, we will be Your servants, because You are the Lord our God.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek returning children, fractures and future servanthood differ from Hebrew apostasy wordplay and the response of coming to God.
Verse 3:23 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:23] Surely the hills are a delusion, the tumult of the mountains; surely in YHWH our God is Israel's salvation.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:23] Truly the hills and the power of the mountains were false; but through the Lord our God is Israel's salvation.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew's compressed hill-and-tumult phrase remains without an inserted cultic ritual; Greek explicitly has mountain power.
Verse 3:24 Similar
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:24] Shame devoured the toil of our fathers from our youth: their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:24] Shame consumed our fathers' labors from our youth: their sheep and calves, their sons and daughters.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Shame can function as a polemical designation for false worship; the running text retains the image rather than replacing it with a named deity.
Verse 3:25 Different
Hebrew–English Rabbinic Priority
[3:25] Let us lie down in our shame and let our disgrace cover us, for we have sinned against YHWH our God, we and our fathers, from our youth to this day, and we have not obeyed YHWH our God's voice.
Greek–English Saints Priority
[3:25] We lay down in our shame, and our dishonor covered us, because we sinned before our God, we and our fathers, from our youth until this day, and did not obey the voice of the Lord our God.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek reports lying down and covering as past events rather than a Hebrew exhortation and lacks Lord in the first divine title.