Psalm 27 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 27:12
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.
Psalm 27
Seek the face of YHWH
Verse 27:1 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:1] Of David.
YHWH is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?
YHWH is the stronghold of my life; whom should I dread?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:1] Of David, before being anointed.
The Lord is my illumination and my Savior; whom will I fear?
The Lord is the protector of my life; of whom will I be afraid?
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek adds before being anointed to the attribution. Light and salvation correspond to illumination and Savior; stronghold differs from protector.
Verse 27:2 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:2] When evildoers approached me to devour my flesh,
my adversaries and enemies against me,
they stumbled and fell.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:2] When those doing evil approached me to eat my flesh,
those who afflict me and my enemies,
they grew weak and fell.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The predatory approach and fall agree; Hebrew stumbling differs from Greek weakness.
Verse 27:3 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:3] Though an army camp against me, my heart will not fear;
though war rise against me, in this I trust.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:3] Even if an army draws up against me, my heart will not fear;
even if war rises against me, in this I hope.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both express confidence despite encircling military force.
Verse 27:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:4] One thing I asked of YHWH; this I will seek:
to dwell in YHWH’s house all the days of my life,
to behold YHWH’s pleasantness
and inquire in His temple.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:4] One thing I asked from the Lord; this I will seek:
that I may dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of my life,
that I may behold the Lord’s delightfulness
and visit His temple.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew’s baqqer is provisionally inquire or contemplate; Greek explicitly visits. Rabbinic: Rashi on 27:4 reports Dunash’s morning-visit interpretation and Menachem’s inquiry interpretation; neither is presented as a directly consulted work beyond Rashi’s report. [RASHI-PS27]
Verse 27:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:5] For He will conceal me in His shelter in the day of trouble;
He will hide me in the hiding place of His tent;
He will raise me upon a rock.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:5] For He hid me in a tent in the day of my troubles;
He sheltered me in the hiding place of His tent;
He raised me upon a rock.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew anticipates protection; Greek recounts it. The first Hebrew shelter follows the read possessive His, explicitly displayed beside the written form by Chabad. [RASHI-PS27]
Verse 27:6 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:6] And now my head will rise above the enemies around me;
I will sacrifice in His tent sacrifices of joyful shouting;
I will sing and make music to YHWH.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:6] And now, look, He raised my head above my enemies;
I went around and sacrificed in His tent a sacrifice of shouting;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew’s surrounding describes the enemies; Greek makes going around an action of the speaker. Hebrew anticipates raised head and plural sacrifices, while Greek recounts them and names a singular sacrifice.
Verse 27:7 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:7] Hear my voice, YHWH, when I call;
be gracious to me and answer me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:7] Hear, Lord, my voice with which I cried;
have mercy on me and hear me.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both appeal for a merciful hearing; Hebrew’s final answer differs from Greek’s repeated hear.
Verse 27:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:8] On Your behalf my heart said, “Seek My face.”
Your face, YHWH, I will seek.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:8] My heart said to You, “My face sought You.”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew gives a plural command seek My face; Greek a past third-person verb, provisionally with my face as subject and You supplied from the direct address. Both end with the speaker’s resolve. Rabbinic: Rashi on 27:8 understands the heart as conveying God’s summons to Israel and the speaker as obeying it. [RASHI-PS27]
Verse 27:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:9] Do not hide Your face from me;
do not turn Your servant away in anger.
You have been my help;
do not cast me off or abandon me, God of my salvation.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:9] Do not turn Your face away from me;
do not turn aside in anger from Your servant.
Become my helper; do not reject me
or abandon me, God my Savior.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew asks that the servant not be turned away and recalls prior help; Greek asks God not to turn away from the servant and petitions Him to become helper.
Verse 27:10 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:10] For my father and my mother have abandoned me,
but YHWH will gather me in.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:10] For my father and my mother abandoned me,
but the Lord took me to Himself.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The parental abandonment and divine welcome agree, with anticipated gathering in Hebrew and completed reception in Greek.
Verse 27:11 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:11] Instruct me in Your way, YHWH,
and lead me on a level path because of those watching me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:11] Give me instruction in Your way, Lord,
and guide me on an upright path because of my enemies.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew’s watchers are adversarial in context; Greek names enemies. Both seek safe, straight guidance.
Verse 27:12 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:12] Do not hand me over to my adversaries’ appetite,
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and one who breathes violence.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:12] Do not hand me over to the souls of those who afflict me,
for unjust witnesses rose against me,
and injustice lied to itself.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew ends with a person breathing violence; Greek personifies injustice as deceiving itself. Hebrew’s appetite and Greek souls preserve different expressions for the opponents’ desires.
Verse 27:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:13] Had I not believed that I would see YHWH’s goodness
in the land of the living—!
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:13] I believe that I will see the Lord’s good things in the land of the living.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew retains the counterfactual unless, marked with extraordinary dots in the publisher display, and leaves the consequence unexpressed; Greek gives a direct positive declaration. Rabbinic: Rashi on 27:13 supplies destruction by false witnesses as the unstated consequence and reports a homily on the dotted word concerning uncertainty over one’s share in future reward. [RASHI-PS27] Category basis: The counterfactual with an unexpressed consequence and the direct positive declaration differ rhetorically, while both presuppose or assert belief in seeing divine goodness. No contradiction of that belief is established.
Verse 27:14 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[27:14] Wait for YHWH; be strong, and let your heart be courageous;
wait for YHWH.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[26:14] Wait for the Lord;
act courageously, and let your heart be strong,
and wait for the Lord.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The repeated summons to patient courage agrees. Rabbinic: Rashi on 27:14 urges renewed hope when prayer has not yet been accepted. [RASHI-PS27]