Psalm 79 — Hebrew and Greek compared
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 79
Jerusalem laid waste and the plea for mercy
Verse 79:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:1] A psalm of Asaph.
God, nations have entered Your inheritance;
they have defiled Your holy temple;
they have made Jerusalem into heaps.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:1] A psalm for Asaph.
God, nations entered Your inheritance;
they defiled Your holy temple;
they made Jerusalem into a fruit-watchman's hut.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The ruined city's image is heaps in Hebrew, an orchard guard's hut in Greek (opōrophylakion). Rabbinic: Rashi on 79:1 explains the designation “psalm” through God's spending His wrath on the sanctuary rather than annihilating His children; this is an interpretation of the title, not an added clause (RASHI-PS79).
Verse 79:2 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:2] They have given the corpses of Your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of Your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:2] They made the dead bodies of Your servants
food for the birds of heaven,
the flesh of Your holy ones for the beasts of the earth.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The same desecration of the dead is described; Hebrew ḥasidim emphasizes fidelity, Greek hosioi holiness or devotion.
Verse 79:3 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:3] They poured out their blood like water
around Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:3] They poured out their blood like water
around Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Blood poured out around Jerusalem and the absence of a burier correspond.
Verse 79:4 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:4] We have become a reproach to our neighbors,
mockery and derision to those around us.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:4] We became a reproach to our neighbors,
sneering and ridicule to those around us.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both describe the community's humiliation among its neighbors.
Verse 79:5 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:5] How long, YHWH? Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy burn like fire?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:5] How long, Lord? Will You be angry to the end?
Will Your jealousy blaze like fire?
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The question about enduring wrath and burning jealousy corresponds; Greek eis telos is rendered “to the end.”
Verse 79:6 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:6] Pour out Your wrath upon the nations that do not know You,
and upon kingdoms that have not called on Your name.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:6] Pour out Your wrath upon nations that do not know You,
and upon kingdoms that did not call on Your name,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The objects of the plea are nations and kingdoms that do not acknowledge God.
Verse 79:7 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:7] For he has devoured Jacob,
and they have devastated his dwelling.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:7] for they devoured Jacob
and made his place desolate.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew begins with a singular verb, “he devoured,” before the plural devastation; Greek has plural agents in both clauses. The Hebrew singular is not silently regularized.
Verse 79:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:8] Do not remember against us the iniquities of those before us;
let Your mercies quickly meet us,
for we have become very low.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:8] Do not remember our ancient acts of lawlessness;
let Your compassions swiftly reach us first,
for we became very poor.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew “iniquities of former ones” is provisionally understood of predecessors; Greek explicitly speaks of our ancient lawlessness. The Hebrew construction also permits a temporal understanding of earlier sins; inherited versus personal guilt should not be asserted as a settled theological opposition.
Verse 79:9 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:9] Help us, God of our salvation,
for the glory of Your name;
rescue us and atone for our sins
for Your name's sake.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:9] Help us, God our Savior.
For the glory of Your name, Lord, rescue us,
and be propitious toward our sins
for Your name's sake,
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek includes the additional address “Lord” and attaches the glory-of-the-name phrase to rescue. Hebrew kipper and Greek hilaskomai retain their related atonement and propitiation language.
Verse 79:10 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:10] Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Let vengeance for the poured-out blood of Your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:10] lest the nations say, “Where is their God?”
And let vengeance for the poured-out blood of Your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew asks why the nations should speak; Greek makes preventing that speech the purpose of the preceding plea. Both retain vengeance before the speakers' eyes. Chabad displays a written/read spelling difference in “among the nations,” without a change of meaning (RASHI-PS79).
Verse 79:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:11] Let the prisoner's groaning come before You;
according to the greatness of Your arm,
release the sons of death.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:11] Let the groaning of those in bonds enter before You;
according to the greatness of Your arm,
preserve the sons of those put to death.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew has a singular prisoner and the compressed “sons of death”; Greek has bound persons and explicitly children of people killed. Rabbinic: Rashi on 79:11 takes hoter as freeing prisoners and connects the children with one slain for God. His familial interpretation is noted without replacing the Hebrew's compressed expression (RASHI-PS79). The idiom's precise scope remains open.
Verse 79:12 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:12] Return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom
the reproach with which they reproached You, Lord.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:12] Repay our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom
their insult with which they insulted You, Lord.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both ask sevenfold repayment for the insult to God; Hebrew here has Adonai rather than the tetragrammaton.
Verse 79:13 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[79:13] But we, Your people and the sheep of Your pasture,
will thank You forever;
from generation to generation we will recount Your praise.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[78:13] But we, Your people and the sheep of Your pasture,
will give You thanks forever;
from generation to generation we will proclaim Your praise.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The people promise perpetual thanksgiving as God's flock.