Psalm 59 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 59:10, 59:12, 59:13
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 59
Protection from those watching the house
Verse 59:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:1] For the director. “Do not destroy.” Of David. A Miktam, when Saul sent men and they watched the house to kill him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:1] For the end. Do not destroy. Of David, for an inscription on a pillar, when Saul sent and watched his house to put him to death.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew watchers are plural; Greek watching is singular, following Saul, and adds his house.
Verse 59:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:2] Rescue me from my enemies, my God;
set me high above those rising against me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:2] Take me out from my enemies, God,
and redeem me from those rising against me.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew my God and setting high become Greek God and redemption.
Verse 59:3 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:3] Rescue me from those working wrongdoing;
save me from men of bloodshed.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:3] Deliver me from those working lawlessness,
and save me from men of bloodshed.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The rescue agrees.
Verse 59:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:4] For look, they lie in wait for my soul;
strong men lodge against me—
not for my rebellion or my sin, YHWH.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:4] For look, they hunted my soul;
powerful men attacked me.
Neither my lawlessness nor my sin, Lord—
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew lodging in ambush becomes Greek hunting and attack.
Verse 59:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:5] Without guilt of mine they run and prepare themselves.
Awake to meet me, and see!
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:5] without lawlessness they ran and made straight.
Awake to meet me, and see!
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew preparedness becomes Greek making straight, whose object is unexpressed. The innocence statement continues from the preceding unit.
Verse 59:6 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:6] You, YHWH, God of hosts, God of Israel,
awake to visit all the nations;
show no grace to any treacherous workers of wrongdoing. Selah.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:6] And You, Lord, God of powers, God of Israel,
attend to visiting all the nations;
have no compassion on any who work lawlessness. Diapsalma.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek omits the explicit treachery description and asks attention rather than awakening.
Verse 59:7 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:7] They return at evening, growling like a dog,
and circle the city.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:7] They will return toward evening, hunger like a dog,
and circle a city.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew growling becomes Greek hunger.
Verse 59:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:8] Look, they pour forth with their mouths;
swords are on their lips,
for they say, “Who hears?”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:8] Look, they will speak out with their mouths,
and a sword is on their lips;
for who has heard?
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek has a singular sword and a past hearing question. Hebrew they say makes the implied thought explicit.
Verse 59:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:9] But You, YHWH, laugh at them;
You mock all nations.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:9] And You, Lord, will laugh them to scorn;
You will reduce all nations to nothing.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew mockery becomes Greek nullification.
Verse 59:10 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:10] Because of his strength, I will watch for You,
for God is my stronghold.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:10] My strength—I will keep watch toward You,
for You, God, are my supporter.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew his strength is the enemy's with Rashi; Greek my strength directly addresses God and replaces stronghold with supporter (RASHI-PS59, 10). Category basis: The enemy's strength as the reason for watching for God becomes God Himself addressed as the speaker's strength. The opposed possessor/identity materially changes the opening's force.
Verse 59:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:11] The God of my steadfast love will meet me first;
God will let me look upon those watching for me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:11] My God—His mercy will reach me first;
God will show me what concerns my enemies.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew follows read my love, distinguished from written his love by Chabad; Greek makes His mercy the subject. Neither rendering specifies an unexpressed outcome for the enemies (RASHI-PS59, 11).
Verse 59:12 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:12] Do not kill them, lest my people forget;
make them wander by Your power and bring them down,
our shield, Lord.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:12] Do not kill them, lest they forget my people;
scatter them by Your power and bring them down,
Lord, my defender.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew my people is the subject of forgetting; Greek my people its object. Hebrew our shield becomes Greek my defender. Category basis: The reason for sparing enemies changes from preventing the speaker's people from forgetting to preventing enemies from forgetting that people. This reverses the memory clause's agency and object.
Verse 59:13 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:13] The sin of their mouth is the word of their lips;
the poor are trapped through their arrogance,
and through the curse and falsehood they recount.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:13] The sin of their mouth, the word of their lips—
let them be caught in their arrogance;
and from curse and falsehood consummations will be announced
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew the poor is an explicit contextual subject supplied from Rashi, who identifies the trapped as persecuted victims; an enemy-subject reading is possible. Greek asks that the arrogant themselves be caught, then introduces consummations continuing into the next unit (RASHI-PS59, 13). Category basis: Under the explicitly attributed Hebrew construal, persecuted poor people are trapped; Greek calls for the arrogant themselves to be trapped. The reversal of who suffers governs, with the cross-verse continuation secondary and the Hebrew alternative retained.
Verse 59:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:14] Consume in wrath, consume until they are no more,
that they may know God rules in Jacob
to the ends of the earth. Selah.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:14] in the anger of consummation, and they shall certainly not exist;
and they will know that God rules Jacob and the ends of the earth. Diapsalma.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew repeated commands become a Greek continuation about consummation and nonexistence. Greek gives Jacob and earth's ends as objects of rule.
Verse 59:15 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:15] They return at evening, growling like a dog,
and circle the city.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:15] They will return toward evening, hunger like a dog,
and circle a city.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The refrain again distinguishes growling from hunger.
Verse 59:16 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:16] They roam for food;
if they are not satisfied, they stay the night.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:16] They will be scattered in search of food;
and if they are not filled, they will grumble.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew lodging becomes Greek grumbling. The Hebrew read roaming form is explicitly verified against the written form in Chabad (RASHI-PS59, 16).
Verse 59:17 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:17] But I will sing of Your strength;
in the morning I will shout joyfully of Your steadfast love,
for You have been my stronghold
and a refuge in the day of my trouble.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:17] But I will sing to Your power
and exult in Your mercy in the morning,
for You became my supporter
and a refuge in the day of my affliction.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Stronghold becomes supporter, with shared morning praise.
Verse 59:18 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[59:18] My strength, I will make music to You,
for God is my stronghold,
the God of my steadfast love.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[58:18] My helper, I will make music to You,
for You, God, are my supporter,
my God, my mercy.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Strength, stronghold and God of my love become helper, supporter and my God, my mercy.