Psalm 102 — The afflicted voice and the enduring Lord — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 102:9, 102:24
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 102 — The afflicted voice and the enduring Lord
Verse 102:1 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:1] A prayer of an afflicted person when he grows faint and pours out his complaint before YHWH.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:1] A prayer of a poor person when he becomes despondent and pours out his petition before the Lord.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The numbered superscription corresponds, with affliction/faintness and poverty/despondency nuances retained.
Verse 102:2 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:2] YHWH, hear my prayer,
and let my cry for help come to You.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:2] Hear my prayer, Lord,
and let my cry come to You.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The hearing petition corresponds.
Verse 102:3 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:3] Do not hide Your face from me on the day of my distress.
Incline Your ear to me;
on the day I call, answer me quickly.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:3] Do not turn Your face away from me.
On whatever day I am afflicted, incline Your ear to me;
on whatever day I call upon You, hear me quickly.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek turning away and hearing differs slightly from Hebrew hiding and answering; Greek attaches the day of affliction to inclining the ear.
Verse 102:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:4] For my days vanish in smoke,
and my bones are charred like a hearth.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:4] For my days vanished like smoke,
and my bones were scorched like kindling.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew in smoke differs from Greek like smoke. Hearth and kindling are provisional renderings of the difficult heating images; neither claims exact identification of an ancient implement.
Verse 102:5 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:5] My heart is struck and withers like grass,
for I have forgotten to eat my bread.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:5] My heart was struck like grass and dried up,
for I forgot to eat my bread.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The withered heart and forgotten food correspond.
Verse 102:6 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:6] From the sound of my groaning,
my bone clings to my flesh.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:6] From the sound of my groaning,
my bone clung to my flesh.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The bodily image retains bone and flesh in both, without replacing flesh with skin.
Verse 102:7 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:7] I resemble a pelican of the wilderness;
I have become like an owl of ruined places.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:7] I became like a wilderness pelican;
I became like a night raven on a house site.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek house site differs from Hebrew ruins; pelican/owl/night raven are conventional, provisional bird names rather than secure zoological identifications.
Verse 102:8 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:8] I lie awake and have become
like a bird alone on a roof.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:8] I stayed awake and became
like a little bird alone on a roof.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The wakeful solitary bird image corresponds.
Verse 102:9 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:9] All day my enemies reproach me;
those raging against me swear by me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:9] All day my enemies reproached me,
and those praising me swore against me.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek those praising me differs from Hebrew those raging against me; Greek against me differs from Hebrew by me, which may use the sufferer's plight as an oath or curse example. The Hebrew participle remains provisional.
Verse 102:10 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:10] For I have eaten ashes like bread
and mixed my drink with weeping,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:10] For I ate ashes like bread
and mixed my drink with weeping,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The mourning-as-food image corresponds.
Verse 102:11 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:11] because of Your indignation and wrath,
for You lifted me up and cast me away.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:11] because of Your anger and wrath,
for after lifting me up You dashed me down.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The divine lifting and casting down correspond; Greek the forceful dashing verb is retained.
Verse 102:12 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:12] My days are like a lengthening shadow,
and I wither like grass.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:12] My days bent like a shadow,
and I dried up like grass.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The failing shadow and grass images correspond, with nominal Hebrew comparison and Greek past action.
Verse 102:13 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:13] But You, YHWH, sit enthroned forever,
and Your remembrance is from generation to generation.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:13] But You, Lord, remain forever,
and Your memorial is from generation to generation.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew sitting/dwelling is rendered enthroned in the divine setting; Greek explicitly remaining does not repeat that throne implication.
Verse 102:14 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:14] You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to favor her; the appointed time has come.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:14] You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to have compassion on her; the time has come.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The appointed compassion corresponds; Hebrew favor and appointed time are more differentiated.
Verse 102:15 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:15] For Your servants delight in her stones
and show favor to her dust.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:15] For Your servants took pleasure in her stones
and will have compassion on her dust.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The servants' attachment to Zion's material remains corresponds.
Verse 102:16 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:16] Nations will fear YHWH's name,
and all the kings of the earth Your glory.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:16] Nations will fear the Lord's name,
and all the kings of the earth Your glory,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both retain the shift from the divine name to direct address, Your glory.
Verse 102:17 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:17] For YHWH has built Zion;
He has appeared in His glory.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:17] for the Lord will build Zion
and will appear in His glory.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek future building/appearance differs from Hebrew the completed presentation.
Verse 102:18 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:18] He has turned toward the prayer of the destitute
and has not despised their prayer.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:18] He looked upon the prayer of the lowly
and did not treat their petition as nothing.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The destitute/lowly petitioners and accepted prayer correspond.
Verse 102:19 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:19] Let this be written for a later generation,
and a people to be created will praise Yah.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:19] Let this be written for another generation,
and the people being created will praise the Lord,
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The future community and written witness correspond; Greek uses Lord where Hebrew has the short divine name Yah.
Verse 102:20 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:20] For He looked down from His holy height;
YHWH gazed from the heavens to the earth,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:20] for He leaned out from His holy height;
the Lord looked from heaven upon the earth,
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The downward divine regard corresponds, with Greek leaning-out imagery retained.
Verse 102:21 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:21] to hear the prisoner's groaning,
to release those appointed to death,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:21] to hear the groaning of those in bonds,
to release the sons of those put to death,
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek sons of those put to death differs from Hebrew sons of death, contextually those condemned to die. The Greek filial construction is not silently reduced to condemned prisoners.
Verse 102:22 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:22] to recount YHWH's name in Zion
and His praise in Jerusalem,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:22] to announce the Lord's name in Zion
and His praise in Jerusalem,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The public praise in Zion/Jerusalem corresponds.
Verse 102:23 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:23] when peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to serve YHWH.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:23] when peoples are gathered together,
and kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The gathered service corresponds.
Verse 102:24 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:24] He weakened his strength on the way;
He shortened my days.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:24] He answered him in the way of his strength:
Tell me the fewness of my days.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew weakening and shortening differs from Greek answering and a request to declare life's brevity. The displayed Hebrew has his strength; no unaccessed reading correction to my strength is claimed. Greek the identities of he/him/his and the speech transition are left unresolved rather than assigned to Father and Son in the base translation.
Verse 102:25 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:25] I say, My God, do not take me up in the midst of my days;
Your years extend through generations of generations.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:25] Do not take me up at the halfway point of my days;
Your years extend through a generation of generations.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek lacks I say, My God, continuing the previous request. Extend supplies the implicit relation in both nominal years clauses.
Verse 102:26 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:26] Long ago You founded the earth,
and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:26] At the beginning You, Lord, founded the earth,
and the heavens are works of Your hands.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek explicitly adds Lord and has works plural. Its wording is kept distinct from later quotation forms. Reception — Hebrews 1:10–12: This creation-and-endurance passage appears in the sequence addressing the Son. That Christian reuse is kept distinct from the psalm’s own unresolved speaker transitions. [NA28-HEB1-PSROOT]
Verse 102:27 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:27] They will perish, but You will stand;
all of them will wear out like a garment.
Like clothing You will change them, and they will pass away.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:27] They will perish, but You will remain;
all will grow old like a garment.
Like a cloak You will change them, and they will be changed.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek the final passive be changed differs from Hebrew pass/change away; the enduring divine contrast and clothing comparison correspond. The printed Greek verb is change, not roll up. Reception — Hebrews 1:12 uses roll up where this accessed Greek Psalter has change; the wording of the later quotation has not replaced the Psalter reading. [NA28-HEB1-PSROOT]
Verse 102:28 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:28] But You are He,
and Your years will not come to an end.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:28] But You are the same,
and Your years will not fail.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew emphatic You are He and Greek You are the same correspond in the enduring-identity context.
Verse 102:29 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[102:29] The children of Your servants will dwell,
and their offspring will be established before You.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[101:29] The children of Your servants will make their dwelling,
and their offspring will be established forever.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek forever differs from Hebrew before You.