Psalm 55 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 55:9, 55:20, 55:21, 55:22
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 55
The wound of a companion's betrayal
Verse 55:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:1] For the director. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:1] For the end. Among hymns. Of understanding, of David.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The musical heading differs.
Verse 55:2 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:2] Give ear, God, to my prayer,
and do not hide Yourself from my plea.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:2] Give ear, God, to my prayer,
and do not overlook my petition.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The request for attention agrees.
Verse 55:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:3] Attend to me and answer me;
I lament in my complaint and moan,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:3] Attend to me and hear me.
I was grieved in my meditation and troubled
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew lamenting and moaning become Greek grief and disturbance.
Verse 55:4 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:4] because of the enemy's voice, because of the wicked one's pressure;
for they heap wrongdoing upon me
and hate me in anger.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:4] by an enemy's voice and a sinner's affliction,
for they turned lawlessness upon me
and harbored anger against me.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both describe hostile pressure and attributed wrongdoing.
Verse 55:5 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:5] My heart writhes within me,
and terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:5] My heart was troubled within me,
and dread of death fell upon me.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The inward fear agrees.
Verse 55:6 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:6] Fear and trembling enter me,
and horror covers me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:6] Fear and trembling came upon me,
and darkness covered me.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew horror becomes Greek darkness.
Verse 55:7 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:7] I said, “Who will give me a wing like a dove's?
I would fly away and settle down.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:7] I said, “Who will give me wings like a dove's,
so that I may fly away and rest?”
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The wish to escape agrees, with singular Hebrew wing and plural Greek wings.
Verse 55:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:8] Look, I would wander far away;
I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:8] Look, I went far away in flight
and lodged in the wilderness. Diapsalma.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew continues the contemplated flight; Greek narrates past flight.
Verse 55:9 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:9] I would hasten to a refuge for myself
from the sweeping wind, from the storm.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:9] I waited for the one saving me
from faintheartedness and tempest.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew hastening to shelter from wind becomes Greek waiting for a savior from inward weakness and storm. Reception: Rashi explains the sweeping wind as uprooting trees (RASHI-PS55, 8–9).
Verse 55:10 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:10] Destroy, Lord; divide their tongue,
for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:10] Drown them, Lord, and divide their tongues,
for I saw lawlessness and contradiction in the city.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek specifies drowning and plural tongues.
Verse 55:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:11] Day and night they circle it upon its walls;
wrongdoing and trouble are within it.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:11] Day and night it will circle it upon its walls;
lawlessness and toil are within it, and injustice,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew circling is plural; Greek singular. Greek injustice is attached here, whereas Hebrew destruction begins the next unit.
Verse 55:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:12] Destruction is within it;
blows and deceit do not leave its square.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:12] and interest-taking and deceit did not depart from its squares.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew tokh follows Rashi's blows; Greek tokos specifies lending interest. The preceding Greek unit contains the additional evil within the city. Reception: Rashi's lexical explanation is directly read (RASHI-PS55, 12).
Verse 55:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:13] For it is no enemy who reproaches me, so that I should bear it;
no hater of mine magnifies himself against me, so that I should hide from him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:13] For if an enemy had reproached me, I would have endured it;
and if the one hating me had boasted against me, I would have hidden from him.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew negative statements become explicit Greek counterfactual conditions. Reception: Rashi discusses Dunash's explanation that a friend's betrayal wounds more deeply and is harder to evade (RASHI-PS55, 13–14).
Verse 55:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:14] But you, a man my equal,
my chief and my esteemed companion,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:14] But you, a man of like soul,
my leader and my acquaintance,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew equal rank and esteem become Greek like-mindedness and acquaintance.
Verse 55:15 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:15] with whom we made counsel sweet together,
walking in God's house among the throng!
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:15] you who made food sweet together with me:
in God's house we walked in concord.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew sweet counsel and a throng become Greek sweet food and concord. Category basis: Counsel versus food and throng versus concord are meaningful companionship details, but both remember shared sweetness and walking together in God's house; a major consequence is not demonstrated.
Verse 55:16 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:16] May He stir death against them;
may they descend alive to Sheol,
for evils are in their dwelling, within them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:16] Let death come upon them,
and let them descend alive into Hades,
for wicked things are in their sojournings, within them.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew follows the separate read words yashi maveth, verified against the written joined form. Reception: Rashi understands God inciting death; Greek simply commands death to come (RASHI-PS55, 16).
Verse 55:17 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:17] As for me, I will call to God,
and YHWH will save me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:17] But I cried to God,
and the Lord heard me.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Future Hebrew calling and salvation become past Greek crying and hearing.
Verse 55:18 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:18] Evening, morning and noon I will complain and moan,
and He heard my voice.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:18] Evening, morning and noon I will recount;
I will proclaim, and He will hear my voice.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew complaint and past hearing differ from Greek proclamation and future hearing. Reception: Rashi connects the three times with evening, morning and afternoon prayer (RASHI-PS55, 18).
Verse 55:19 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:19] He redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me,
for many were with me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:19] He will redeem my soul in peace from those drawing near me,
for among many they were with me.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew past rescue from battle becomes Greek future rescue from approaching people. Reception: Rashi understands the many as supporters praying for David (RASHI-PS55, 19).
Verse 55:20 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:20] May God hear and answer them,
He who sits enthroned from of old. Selah.
Those who have no change do not fear God.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:20] God will hear and humble them,
He who exists before the ages. Diapsalma.
For they have no exchange,
and they did not fear God.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew answering, following Rashi's reference to supporters, becomes Greek humbling. The difficult closing words concern unchanged enemies in Rashi but lack of an exchange in Greek. Reception: Rashi interprets the enemies as heedless of their eventual passing (RASHI-PS55, 20).
Verse 55:21 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:21] He stretched out his hands against those at peace with him;
he profaned his covenant.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:21] He stretched out his hand in making repayment;
they profaned his covenant.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew attacks peaceful associates and makes the same singular figure profane the covenant; Greek has repayment and plural covenant-breakers. Greek pronoun identification remains open. Category basis: Violence against peaceful associates by a singular covenant-breaker becomes repayment followed by plural covenant-breakers. This materially changes the action and assignment of covenant guilt; pronoun uncertainty remains.
Verse 55:22 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:22] The buttery words of his mouth were smooth, but his heart was at war;
his words were softer than oil, yet they were curses.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:22] They were divided by the anger of his face,
and his heart drew near;
his words became softer than oil,
yet they are missiles.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew smooth butter and inward war become Greek division through anger and a heart drawing near. Hebrew final curses follows Rashi, who also records the sword interpretation; Greek has missiles (RASHI-PS55, 22).
Verse 55:23 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:23] Cast your burden upon YHWH, and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:23] Cast your care upon the Lord, and He will nourish you;
He will never give the righteous a shaking.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Burden becomes care, with shared sustaining assurance. Reception: 1 Peter 5:6–7 connects humility under God's hand with casting every care upon Him because He cares for the faithful (SBL-1PET-PS).
Verse 55:24 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[55:24] But You, God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction;
men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in You.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[54:24] But You, God, will bring them down into a well of corruption;
men of bloodshed and deceit shall certainly not live out half their days.
But I will hope in You, Lord.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The judgment agrees; Greek adds the final Lord.