Psalm 142 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 142:8
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 142
A prisoner’s appeal from the cave
Verse 142:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[142:1] A maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[141:1] Of understanding, of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew maskil is retained as a technical title; Greek explicitly renders understanding. This entire Hebrew psalm was translated from the directly read Mechon Mamre Masoretic transcription, not a verified BHS page; the publisher’s BHS text remained inaccessible. The Greek running text was directly read in the publisher’s Rahlfs–Hanhart display.
Verse 142:2 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[142:2] With my voice I cry to YHWH;
with my voice I plead with YHWH.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[141:2] With my voice I cried to the Lord;
with my voice I pleaded with the Lord.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The voiced double appeal agrees; present and completed verbal presentation and divine-name forms follow the sources.
Verse 142:3 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[142:3] I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my distress before Him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[141:3] I will pour out my plea before Him;
I will declare my affliction before Him.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew complaint or meditation and Greek plea differ slightly within the same disclosure of distress.
Verse 142:4 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[142:4] When my spirit grows faint within me,
You know my path.
On this way where I walk, they have hidden a trap for me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[141:4] When my spirit was failing within me,
You knew my paths.
On this way where I was walking, they hid a trap for me.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew path is singular and Greek paths plural, with different verbal presentation. The speaker’s spirit is lower case and the ambushers remain unnamed.
Verse 142:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[142:5] Look to the right and see: no one acknowledges me.
Escape has vanished from me;
no one cares for my soul.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[141:5] I looked to the right and observed, for there was no one recognizing me.
Escape perished from me,
and there is no one seeking my soul.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew commands look and see; Greek recounts I looked and observed. Seeking the soul is rendered in its caregiving context, without replacing the Greek verb or introducing an enemy where the context laments lack of help.
Verse 142:6 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[142:6] I cry to You, YHWH;
I say, You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[141:6] I cried to You, Lord;
I said, You are my hope,
my portion in the land of the living.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew refuge becomes Greek hope. The shared portion remains in the land of the living, not silently relocated to heaven.
Verse 142:7 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[142:7] Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low.
Rescue me from my pursuers,
for they are stronger than I.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[141:7] Attend to my plea, for I was brought very low.
Rescue me from those pursuing me,
for they grew stronger than I.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The lowly supplicant and stronger pursuers agree; cry and plea and verbal aspect differ slightly.
Verse 142:8 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[142:8] Bring my soul out of confinement, that I may thank Your name.
The righteous will gather around me,
for You will deal generously with me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[141:8] Bring my soul out of prison, that I may thank Your name, Lord.
The righteous will wait for me
until You repay me.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew gather around is provisional for yakhtiru, also associated with crowning; Greek has wait for me. Hebrew for and benevolent dealing become Greek until and repayment, changing the righteous people’s relation to deliverance. Greek also adds Lord. Mechon Mamre’s adjacent English is not the translation base, and this line’s lexical question remains open.