Genesis 39 — Hebrew and Greek compared
↠Genesis 38 compared · Reading text of Genesis 39 · Genesis: all chapters · Genesis 40 compared →
Same 4 Similar 10 Different 4 Divergent 5 Disparate 0
Each verse is rendered independently from the Hebrew (Rabbinic reading tradition) and from the Greek (Saints reading tradition). The badge classifies the relationship between the two readings; the note beneath records the source document’s comparison and attributed interpretation. Each column retains its own verse references where numbering differs.
Joseph’s Prosperity
39:1 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:1 Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.
Greek · Saints priority
39:1 Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, Pharaoh’s eunuch, the chief cook, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.
The titles repeat 37:36. Buying renders the acquisition in its sale context [G39].
39:2 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:2 And YHWH was with Joseph, and he was a successful man, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
Greek · Saints priority
39:2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
39:3 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:3 His master saw that YHWH was with him and that YHWH made everything he did prosper in his hands.
Greek · Saints priority
39:3 His master knew that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he did prosper in his hands.
Saw/knew expresses recognition [G39].
39:4 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:4 Joseph found favor in his sight and served him. He appointed Joseph over his household and entrusted everything he owned to him.
Greek · Saints priority
39:4 Joseph found favor before his master and pleased him. He appointed Joseph over his household and entrusted everything he owned to him.
Served/pleased differs without opposing faithful service [G39].
39:5 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:5 And it came to pass after he had appointed him over his house and over all that he owned, that YHWH blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of YHWH was upon all that belonged to him, both in the house and in the field.
Greek · Saints priority
39:5 And it came to pass after he had appointed him over his house and over all that he owned, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that belonged to him, both in the house and in the field.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
39:6 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:6 He left everything he owned in Joseph’s hands and concerned himself with nothing except the bread he ate. Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
Greek · Saints priority
39:6 He entrusted everything he owned to Joseph and concerned himself with nothing except the bread he ate. Joseph was handsome in form and very beautiful in appearance.
Greek intensifies the final description. Its beauty term does not imply supernatural radiance [G39].
Joseph’s Chastity
39:7 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.â€
Greek · Saints priority
39:7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.â€
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
39:8 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:8 He refused and said to his master’s wife, “My master leaves all household matters to me and has entrusted everything he owns to me.â€
Greek · Saints priority
39:8 He would not, and said to his master’s wife, “If my master leaves all household matters to me and has entrusted everything he owns to my hands,â€
Greek opens a conditional construction continued in verse 9; the consulted Greek has my hands, not our hands [G39].
39:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:9 “He is no greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do this great evil and sin against God?â€
Greek · Saints priority
39:9 “and nothing in this house is above me, and nothing has been withheld from me except you, because you are his wife, how could I do this evil thing and sin before God?â€
Hebrew’s opening refers to the master; Greek uses a neuter expression, nothing. Both place the refusal before God [G39].
39:10 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:10 Although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or be with her.
Greek · Saints priority
39:10 Although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not obey her, to sleep with her and have relations with her.
The Greek final expression is rendered in its sexual context [G39].
39:11 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:11 One day he entered the house to do his work, and none of the household men were inside.
Greek · Saints priority
39:11 One day Joseph entered the house to do his work, and none of the household was inside.
Greek names Joseph. The household qualifier is directly verified in the official RH main text; the former NETS-only qualification is resolved. [G39]
39:12 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:12 She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!†He left his garment in her hand and fled outside.
Greek · Saints priority
39:12 She caught him by his clothes, saying, “Sleep with me!†He left his clothes in her hands and fled outside.
The clothing expressions differ in number. The plural in her hands is directly verified in the official RH main text; the former NETS-only qualification is resolved. [G39]
39:13 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside,
Greek · Saints priority
39:13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garments in her hands and had fled outside,
The clothing expression is singular in Hebrew and plural in Greek; this need not imply a different number of removed articles [G39].
39:14 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:14 she called the household men and said to them, “See, he has brought us a Hebrew man to mock us. He came in to lie with me, and I cried out loudly.â€
Greek · Saints priority
39:14 she called those of the household and said to them, “See, he has brought us a Hebrew servant to mock us. He came in saying, ‘Sleep with me,’ and I cried out loudly.â€
Greek puts direct speech in her accusation; pais here describes the servant, without fixing his age [G39].
39:15 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:15 “And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, that he left his garment beside me, and fled and went outside.â€
Greek · Saints priority
39:15 “And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, that he left his garments beside me, and fled and went outside.â€
The clothing expression is singular in Hebrew and plural in Greek; this need not imply a different number of removed articles [G39].
39:16 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:16 So she left his garment beside her until his master came home.
Greek · Saints priority
39:16 So she left his garments beside her until his master came home.
The clothing expression is singular in Hebrew and plural in Greek; this need not imply a different number of removed articles [G39].
39:17 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:17 She told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought us came in to mock me.â€
Greek · Saints priority
39:17 She told him the same story: “The Hebrew servant you brought us came in to mock me and said, ‘I will sleep with you.’â€
The added alleged speech has a future verb, directly verified in the official RH main text; the former NETS-only qualification is resolved. [G39]
39:18 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:18 “But when I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.â€
Greek · Saints priority
39:18 “When he heard that I raised my voice and cried out, he left his clothes beside me and fled outside.â€
Greek explicitly includes when he heard; the clothing-number distinction continues [G39].
39:19 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:19 When his master heard his wife’s account, saying, “This is how your servant treated me,†he became angry.
Greek · Saints priority
39:19 When his master heard his wife’s account, saying, “This is how your servant treated me,†he became angry.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
Joseph’s Favor
39:20 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. He remained there in prison.
Greek · Saints priority
39:20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in the fortress, the place where the king’s prisoners were held in the fortress.
Prison/fortress describes the confinement with different institutional terms. The consulted Greek does not have a separate he remained clause [G39].
39:21 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:21 YHWH was with Joseph, extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the prison keeper.
Greek · Saints priority
39:21 The Lord was with Joseph, poured mercy upon him, and gave him favor before the chief jailer.
Kindness/mercy and the keeper’s titles correspond here [G39].
39:22 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:22 The prison keeper put all the prisoners in Joseph’s charge. Whatever was done there, he was responsible for it.
Greek · Saints priority
39:22 The chief jailer put the prison in Joseph’s charge, together with all those confined there and everything they did there.
The consulted Greek entrusts the institution explicitly and lacks the final he was the doer clause [G39].
39:23 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
39:23 The prison keeper did not inspect anything in Joseph’s charge, because YHWH was with him. Whatever he did, YHWH made it prosper.
Greek · Saints priority
39:23 The chief jailer concerned himself with nothing because of Joseph, for everything was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. Whatever Joseph did, the Lord made it prosper in his hands.
Greek explicitly adds everything was in Joseph’s charge [G39].
↠Genesis 38 compared · Reading text of Genesis 39 · Genesis: all chapters · Genesis 40 compared →
Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.