Nahum 1 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 1:6, 1:9, 1:12
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 1
The judgment and refuge of YHWH
Verse 1:1 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:1 An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:1 An oracle concerning Nineveh; the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both give the oracle's object, literary form and named visionary.
Verse 1:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:2 YHWH is a jealous and avenging God; YHWH avenges and is master of wrath. YHWH avenges His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God, the Lord avenging with fury, the Lord avenging Himself on His adversaries, and He Himself removes His enemies.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew nōṭēr describes retaining hostility; Greek exairōn describes removing enemies. The threefold avenging language remains visible.
Verse 1:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:3 YHWH is slow to anger and great in power, yet He certainly will not acquit. YHWH's way is in whirlwind and storm; clouds are the dust of His feet.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:3 The Lord is patient, and His strength is great; the Lord certainly will not acquit. His way is in consummation and shaking; clouds are the dust of His feet.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew whirlwind/storm becomes Greek consummation/shaking. Both join patience, power, non-acquittal and the cloud image.
Verse 1:4 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers dry. Bashan and Carmel wither, and Lebanon's blossom withers.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:4 He threatens the sea and dries it up, and makes all the rivers desolate. Bashan and Carmel have dwindled, and Lebanon's flowering things have failed.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The same waters and fertile regions fail under divine action; Greek uses dwindling and failure rather than repeated withering.
Verse 1:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:5 Mountains quake before Him and hills melt; the earth heaves before Him, the world and all who dwell in it.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:5 Mountains shook before Him and hills were shaken; the whole earth recoiled before Him, and all who dwell in it.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew hills melt and earth heaves; Greek hills shake and earth recoils. The cosmic scope corresponds.
Verse 1:6 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:6 Who can stand before His indignation? Who can rise before His burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and rocks are shattered before Him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:6 Who will stand before His anger? Who will resist His furious wrath? His fury melts rulers, and rocks were crushed before Him.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew depicts wrath poured out like fire; Greek says it melts archas, here rulers/authorities. The object and force of the central judgment image change. The precise force of archas remains uncertain; rulers is a provisional contextual rendering, not an apparatus finding.
Verse 1:7 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:7 YHWH is good, a stronghold on a day of distress; He knows those who take refuge in Him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:7 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him on a day of affliction, and He knows those who revere Him.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew's stronghold and refuge imagery becomes Greek waiting and reverence. Rabbinic: Rashi on 1:7 teaches that divine mercy toward those who fear Him continues even during judgment; this is interpretation of the juxtaposition [RASHI-NAH].
Verse 1:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:8 With an overwhelming flood He will make a complete end of her place, and darkness will pursue His enemies.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:8 With an advancing flood He will make a complete end of those who rise up, and darkness will pursue His enemies.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew names “her place”; Greek names those rising in opposition. Both preserve the flood and pursuing darkness.
Verse 1:9 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:9 What do you devise against YHWH? He is making a complete end; distress will not rise twice.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:9 What do you devise against the Lord? He will make a complete end; He will not exact vengeance twice upon the same thing in affliction.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew denies a second rising of distress; Greek explicitly limits repeated divine vengeance upon the same object. Agency and the scope of the assertion differ.
Verse 1:10 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:10 Though they are like tangled thorns and drunk with their drink, they will be consumed like fully dry stubble.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:10 For it will be laid waste to their foundation, consumed like an entwining thorn-vine and like stubble full of dryness.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek introduces devastation to the foundation and lacks Hebrew's intoxicated drinkers. Both retain entangling vegetation and dry stubble; the difficult Hebrew opening remains provisional.
Verse 1:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:11 From you came one devising evil against YHWH, a counselor of wickedness.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:11 From you will come a scheme, devising evil things in opposition to the Lord.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew names a scheming person and counselor; Greek makes a scheme the grammatical subject and uses future emergence.
Verse 1:12 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:12 Thus says YHWH: Though they are intact and numerous, even so they will be cut down and he will pass away. Though I afflicted you, I will afflict you no more.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:12 Thus says the Lord who rules many waters: Even so they will be separated, and your report will no longer be heard.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek's Lord ruling waters replaces the intact numerous adversaries, and silence of a report replaces the promise of no further affliction. Both sentence content and promised consequence differ substantially. Hebrew shifts from plural they will be cut down to singular he will pass away; the latter subject is not explicitly named.
Verse 1:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:13 And now I will break his yoke from upon you and tear apart your bonds.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:13 And now I will crush his rod away from you and tear apart your bonds.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew môṭeh is the yoke/bar of oppression here; Greek rhabdos is a rod. Release from bonds agrees.
Verse 1:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
1:14 YHWH has commanded concerning you: No more of your name will be sown. From the house of your god I will cut off carved and cast images. I will make your grave, for you are contemptible.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
1:14 The Lord will command concerning you: No more will be sown from your name. From the house of your god I will destroy carved and cast images. I will make your burial, for they are swift.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew's closing contempt contrasts with Greek tacheis, “swift,” whose plural may anticipate the feet in 2:1. Greek syntax and attachment are uncertain; no unnamed speed-bearing agent is invented. Saints: For Augustine’s interpretation of the connected 1:14–2:2 passage, see the note at 2:1 [AUG-NAH].