Psalm 30 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 30:6, 30:11
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 30
Mourning turned to dancing
Verse 30:1 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:1] A psalm. A song for the dedication of the house. Of David.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:1] For the end. A psalm of a song for the dedication of the house. Of David.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek adds for the end. Both name the dedication of the house without supplying a particular building or later historical event.
Verse 30:2 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:2] I will exalt You, YHWH, for You drew me up
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:2] I will exalt You, Lord, for You took me up
and did not gladden my enemies over me.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both thank God for rescue that prevents enemy celebration.
Verse 30:3 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:3] YHWH my God, I cried to You for help,
and You healed me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:3] Lord my God, I cried out to You,
and You healed me.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The cry and divine healing agree.
Verse 30:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:4] YHWH, You brought my soul up from Sheol;
You kept me alive from descending to the pit.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:4] Lord, You brought my soul up from Hades;
You saved me from those descending into a pit.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew’s read form miyyardi is from my descending; Greek has a plural group of descenders. Mechon-Mamre explicitly separates the written plural-looking form from the read first-person infinitive, resolving the publisher’s flattened display. [MM-PS30]
Verse 30:5 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:5] Sing praise to YHWH, His faithful ones,
and thank Him at the remembrance of His holiness.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:5] Sing praise to the Lord, His holy ones,
and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both call God’s devoted people to praise His holy remembrance.
Verse 30:6 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:6] For His anger is for a moment, His favor for life;
weeping lodges for the evening,
but joyful shouting comes in the morning.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:6] because anger is in His wrath,
and life in His will;
weeping will lodge in the evening,
and exultation comes toward morning.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew contrasts a moment of anger with enduring life in favor; Greek has anger within wrath, without the moment limitation, and life in His will. Both retain the evening-to-morning reversal.
Verse 30:7 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:7] As for me, I said in my ease,
“I will never be shaken.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:7] But I said in my prosperity,
“I will certainly never be shaken.”
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both recall the speaker’s overconfident assurance in prosperity.
Verse 30:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:8] YHWH, by Your favor You made my mountain stand strong;
You hid Your face, and I was terrified.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:8] Lord, in Your will You supplied strength to my beauty;
but You turned Your face away, and I became troubled.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew gives strength to the speaker’s mountain; Greek to his beauty. Both contrast the received stability with distress when the divine face is withdrawn. Category basis: Mountain versus beauty is a meaningful image difference, while divine strengthening and distress at the withdrawn face remain common.
Verse 30:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:9] To You, YHWH, I call,
and to the Lord I plead for favor:
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:9] To You, Lord, I will cry,
and to my God I will petition:
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew moves from YHWH to Adonai, rendered Lord; Greek moves from Lord to my God.
Verse 30:10 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:10] “What gain is there in my blood,
in my descending to the pit?
Will dust thank You?
Will it declare Your truth?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:10] “What benefit is there in my blood,
in my descending into corruption?
Will dust give thanks to You,
or announce Your truth?”
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew names the pit and Greek corruption. Both ask whether the dead dust can offer the praise now at issue; no later account of the afterlife is inserted to replace the rhetoric.
Verse 30:11 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:11] Hear, YHWH, and be gracious to me;
YHWH, be my helper.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:11] The Lord heard and had mercy on me;
the Lord became my helper.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew continues a direct petition; Greek states that it was answered. Editorial quotation marks preserve this difference in the sequence.
Verse 30:12 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:12] You turned my mourning into dancing for me;
You loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:12] You turned my lament into dancing for me;
You tore open my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both reverse grief and its clothing into joyful celebration; Hebrew loosening differs from Greek tearing.
Verse 30:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[30:13] so that glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
YHWH my God, I will thank You forever.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[29:13] so that my glory may sing praise to You,
and I may certainly not be pierced with grief.
Lord my God, I will thank You forever.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew leaves glory without an explicit possessive and denies silence; Greek says my glory and denies the speaker’s being pierced or stung with grief. Perpetual thanks agrees.