Psalm 138 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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 138
Thanksgiving before the heavenly court
Verse 138:1 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[138:1] Of David.
I will thank You with all my heart;
before gods I will make music to You.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[137:1] For David.
I will thank You, Lord, with all my heart,
for You heard the words of my mouth,
and before angels I will make music to You.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek adds Lord and the reason You heard the words of my mouth. Hebrew elohim is provisionally gods, with heavenly beings or judges among contextual alternatives; Greek explicitly says angels. No automatic cross-column substitution is made.
Verse 138:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[138:2] I will bow toward Your holy temple
and thank Your name for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness,
for You have magnified Your utterance above all Your name.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[137:2] I will bow toward Your holy temple
and thank Your name for Your mercy and Your truth,
for You have magnified Your utterance above every name.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew above all Your name is difficult but retained; Greek above every name lacks the possessive on name. The clause is not recast into magnifying both name and word without textual evidence.
Verse 138:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[138:3] On the day I called, You answered me;
You emboldened me with strength in my soul.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[137:3] On whatever day I call You, hear me quickly;
You will greatly attend to me with strength in my soul.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew recalls an answer and emboldening; Greek petitions speedy hearing and promises attentive care. Greek polyoreseis is provisionally greatly attend to; its exact force needs lexical review.
Verse 138:4 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[138:4] Let all earth’s kings thank You, YHWH,
for they have heard the utterances of Your mouth.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[137:4] Let all earth’s kings thank You, Lord,
for they heard all the words of Your mouth.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek adds all before the words heard; the universal royal thanksgiving otherwise corresponds.
Verse 138:5 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[138:5] And let them sing of YHWH’s ways,
for great is YHWH’s glory.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[137:5] And let them sing in the Lord’s ways,
for great is the Lord’s glory.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew singing of the ways and Greek singing in them represent slightly different construals of the prepositional phrase.
Verse 138:6 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[138:6] For YHWH is high, yet He sees the lowly;
the lofty He knows from afar.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[137:6] For the Lord is high and watches the lowly,
and the lofty He knows from afar.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both unite divine height with attention to the lowly; Hebrew adversative yet makes the contextual contrast explicit. Lofty or proud remains open in the second clause.
Verse 138:7 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[138:7] If I walk amid distress, You will keep me alive;
against my enemies’ anger You will stretch out Your hand,
and Your right hand will save me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[137:7] If I walk amid affliction, You will keep me alive;
against my enemies’ anger You stretched out Your hand,
and Your right hand saved me.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek retains a future life-promise followed by completed rescue verbs; Hebrew presents the rescue as future. The tenses are not harmonized.
Verse 138:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[138:8] YHWH will bring it to completion for me.
YHWH, Your steadfast love is forever;
do not abandon the works of Your hands.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[137:8] The Lord will repay on my behalf.
Lord, Your mercy is forever;
do not neglect the works of Your hands.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew completing on the speaker’s behalf differs from Greek repaying for him. Hebrew it supplies the verb’s implicit object, not a named unprinted task.