Psalm 132 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 132:18
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 132
David’s oath and Zion’s promised rest
Verse 132:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:1] A song of the ascents.
Remember for David, YHWH,
all his affliction,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:1] A song of the ascents.
Remember David, Lord,
and all his gentleness,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew asks remembrance for David of his affliction or humbling; Greek directly remembers David and his gentleness. The differing personal quality or experience is retained.
Verse 132:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:2] how he swore to YHWH,
vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:2] how he swore to the Lord,
vowed to the God of Jacob:
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew the Mighty One of Jacob differs from Greek the God of Jacob; both introduce the vow.
Verse 132:3 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:3] “I will not enter the tent of my house,
nor climb onto my bed’s couch;
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:3] “I will not enter the dwelling of my house,
nor climb onto my bed’s couch;
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both use oath-form if clauses to express a solemn refusal; the idiomatic negative rendering does not add an explicit curse absent from the sources.
Verse 132:4 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:4] I will not give sleep to my eyes,
slumber to my eyelids,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:4] I will not give sleep to my eyes,
slumber to my eyelids,
or rest to my temples,
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek adds the third bodily phrase, rest to my temples, without a Hebrew counterpart here.
Verse 132:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:5] until I find a place for YHWH,
dwelling places for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:5] until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling for the God of Jacob.”
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew plural dwelling places and Mighty One differs from Greek singular dwelling and God. The vow’s boundary is supplied editorial punctuation.
Verse 132:6 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:6] Look, we heard of her in Ephrathah;
we found her in the fields of the wood.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:6] Look, we heard of her in Ephrathah;
we found her in the plains of the forest.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both use a feminine object without naming it here; her is preserved, commonly related to the ark introduced later, but the antecedent remains a question. The woodland location is not silently converted to a specific town name.
Verse 132:7 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:7] Let us enter His dwelling places;
let us bow at His footstool.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:7] We will enter His dwelling places;
we will bow toward the place where His feet stood.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek expands the footstool to the place where His feet stood. Hebrew exhortation and Greek future declaration differ in verbal form.
Verse 132:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:8] Rise, YHWH, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:8] Rise, Lord, to Your rest,
You and the ark of Your holiness.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew strength differs from Greek holiness or holy thing. The Greek genitive is provisionally Your holiness; sanctuary is another contextual possibility, not silently substituted.
Verse 132:9 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:9] May Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and may Your faithful ones shout for joy.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:9] Your priests will clothe themselves in righteousness,
and Your holy ones will exult.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The same clothing and joy images appear as Hebrew petition and Greek future statement; faithful ones/holy ones follows each source’s term.
Verse 132:10 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:10] For the sake of David Your servant,
do not turn away the face of Your anointed.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:10] For the sake of David Your slave,
do not turn away the face of Your anointed.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The royal petition corresponds; Greek doulos is kept as slave. Anointed remains a designation in the base, with later messianic identification reserved for attributed reception.
Verse 132:11 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:11] YHWH swore truth to David;
He will not turn back from it:
“From the fruit of your body I will set one on your throne.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:11] The Lord swore truth to David, and He will certainly not annul it:
“From the fruit of your belly I will set one on your throne.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek annul is stronger than Hebrew turn back. One supplies the implicit object of enthronement; the bodily descent language is not replaced by a named later descendant.
Verse 132:12 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:12] If your sons keep My covenant
and My testimony that I will teach them,
their sons too will sit forever on your throne.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:12] If your sons keep My covenant
and these testimonies of Mine that I will teach them,
their sons too will sit forever on your throne.”
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly says these testimonies of Mine. Hebrew testimony is retained collectively here; the precise pointed form and number require review. Both preserve the condition on the sons’ covenant keeping.
Verse 132:13 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:13] For YHWH chose Zion;
He desired her as His dwelling:
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:13] For the Lord chose Zion;
He selected her as His dwelling:
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew desire and Greek selection retain slightly different emphases in the election of Zion.
Verse 132:14 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:14] “This is My resting place forever;
here I will dwell, for I have desired her.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:14] “This is My rest for age upon age;
here I will dwell, for I selected her.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The permanent divine dwelling corresponds, with Hebrew desire and Greek choice repeated. Divine first-person speech begins here by editorial punctuation.
Verse 132:15 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:15] I will surely bless her provisions;
I will satisfy her needy with bread.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:15] I will surely bless her game;
I will satisfy her poor with loaves.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew provisions or food supply and Greek thera, game or hunted food, differ in lexical scope. Both promise food for the poor, with emphatic blessing retained.
Verse 132:16 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:16] I will clothe her priests with salvation,
and her faithful ones will surely shout for joy.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:16] I will clothe her priests with salvation,
and her holy ones will surely exult.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The divine promise answers the clothing-and-joy petition; faithful ones/holy ones and the joy verbs follow each column.
Verse 132:17 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:17] There I will make a horn sprout for David;
I have prepared a lamp for My anointed.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:17] There I will make a horn spring up for David;
I have prepared a lamp for My anointed.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The royal horn and lamp images correspond and remain metaphors rather than being replaced by an unprinted ruler’s name.
Verse 132:18 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[132:18] I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but upon him his crown will blossom.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[131:18] I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but upon him My holy sign will blossom.”
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew his crown differs from Greek My hagiasma. Holy sign is provisional for a consecrated object or emblem; Greek sanctuary/holiness alternatives require review. Both the noun and the possessor change and are preserved.