Psalm 45 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 45:7
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 45
The king and the royal bride
Verse 45:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:1] For the director. According to Lilies. Of the sons of Korah.
A Maskil. A song of loves.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:1] For the end, concerning those who will be changed.
Of the sons of Korah, for understanding. A song concerning the beloved.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek interprets the performance term as people being changed and makes the beloved singular. Reception: Rashi reads the lilies and love song in honor of Torah scholars and their teaching (RASHI-PS45, 45:1).
Verse 45:2 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:2] My heart stirs with a good word;
I speak my composition for a king;
my tongue is the pen of a skilled scribe.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:2] My heart poured forth a good word;
I speak my works to the king;
my tongue is the reed of a swiftly writing scribe.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The poet's overflowing speech agrees; Hebrew skill and Greek speed characterize the scribe differently.
Verse 45:3 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:3] You are more beautiful than the children of humankind;
graciousness is poured upon your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:3] Fair in beauty beyond the sons of humankind,
grace was poured upon your lips;
therefore God blessed you forever.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both praise the royal figure's beauty, speech and divine blessing.
Verse 45:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:4] Gird your sword upon your thigh, mighty one,
your majesty and your splendor.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:4] Gird your sword upon your thigh, mighty one,
in your fairness and your beauty,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew emphasizes royal majesty; Greek beauty.
Verse 45:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:5] In your splendor advance and ride
for the sake of truth and righteous humility;
let your right hand teach you awesome deeds.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:5] and stretch forth, prosper and reign
for the sake of truth and meekness and righteousness;
your right hand will guide you wondrously.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew riding and teaching awesome deeds become Greek reigning and wondrous guidance. The Hebrew humility-righteousness construction is kept together; Greek lists three virtues.
Verse 45:6 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:6] Your arrows are sharp—peoples fall beneath you—
in the heart of the king's enemies.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:6] Your arrows are sharpened, mighty one—peoples will fall beneath you—
in the heart of the king's enemies.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek adds mighty one. Both retain the interrupted syntax of arrows reaching the enemies' heart.
Verse 45:7 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:7] Your throne, judge, is forever and ever;
a scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:7] Your throne, God, is for age upon age;
a rod of uprightness is the rod of Your kingdom.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew elohim is rendered judge following Rashi's address to a ruler exercising true judgment; God is another grammatical reading. Greek retains the address God. Reception: Hebrews 1:8–9 applies this throne-and-anointing passage to the Son (RASHI-PS45, 45:7; SBL-HEB-PS).
Verse 45:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:8] You loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, anointed you
with the oil of joy beyond your companions.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:8] You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
therefore God, Your God, anointed You
with the oil of exultation beyond Your companions.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The actions agree; the antecedent is a judge in the adopted Hebrew reading and the one addressed as God in Greek. This interpretive difference is inherited from the preceding verse.
Verse 45:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:9] Myrrh, aloes and cassia scent all your garments;
more than ivory palaces, those from Me gladden you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:9] Myrrh, stacte and cassia come from your garments,
from ivory palaces, from which they gladdened you.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The second Hebrew line follows Rashi's difficult comparative reading, with palaces from God understood elliptically; strings from ivory palaces is an alternative interpretation. Greek retains from ivory palaces and differs in its second aromatic substance (RASHI-PS45, 45:9).
Verse 45:10 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:10] Kings' daughters are among your visitors;
the queen stands at your right in gold of Ophir.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:10] Daughters of kings are in your honor;
the queen stood at your right in clothing woven with gold,
arrayed in varied embroidery.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Visitors follows Rashi's Hebrew reading; honored women is an alternative. Greek lacks Ophir and expands the description of the queen's clothing (RASHI-PS45, 45:10).
Verse 45:11 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:11] Listen, daughter, look and incline your ear;
forget your people and your father's house.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:11] Listen, daughter, look and incline your ear,
and forget your people and your father's house,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The address and commands agree.
Verse 45:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:12] Then the king will desire your beauty,
for he is your lord; bow down to him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:12] because the king desired your beauty,
because he is your lord.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew commands the daughter to bow; Greek places bowing in the next verse with the daughters of Tyre as subject.
Verse 45:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:13] The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
the rich of the people will seek your favor.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:13] And daughters of Tyre will bow down to him with gifts;
the rich of the people will entreat your favor.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek has plural daughters and makes them the bowing subjects. The bowing clause corresponds across the Hebrew 45:12–13 boundary rather than disappearing.
Verse 45:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:14] All glorious is the king's daughter within;
her clothing is worked with gold.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:14] All her glory, the king's daughter's, is within;
she is arrayed in gold-fringed, varied embroidery.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek speaks explicitly of inward glory and expands the clothing description; both retain the inside/interior language.
Verse 45:15 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:15] In embroidery she is led to the king;
virgins follow her, her companions, brought to you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:15] Virgins behind her will be brought to the king;
her companions will be brought to you.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Only Hebrew explicitly depicts the principal woman's procession in this verse; Greek begins with her attendant virgins.
Verse 45:16 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:16] They are led with gladness and exultation;
they enter the king's palace.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:16] They will be brought with gladness and exultation;
they will be led into the king's sanctuary.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew names a palace; Greek uses naos, sanctuary or temple, retaining its distinct architectural term.
Verse 45:17 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:17] In place of your fathers will be your sons;
you will set them as princes throughout the earth.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:17] In place of your fathers, sons were born to you;
you will establish them as rulers over all the earth.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew anticipates succession; Greek reports sons already given.
Verse 45:18 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[45:18] I will make your name remembered in every generation;
therefore peoples will thank you forever and ever.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[44:18] They will remember your name in every generation;
therefore peoples will thank you
forever and for age upon age.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew has I will commemorate; Greek they will remember. The pronouns remain with the poetic addressee rather than importing a single allegorical identification throughout.