Genesis 40 — Hebrew and Greek compared
↠Genesis 39 compared · Reading text of Genesis 40 · Genesis: all chapters · Genesis 41 compared →
Same 9 Similar 6 Different 8 Divergent 0 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.
The Divine Appointment
40:1 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:1 After these things, the king of Egypt’s cupbearer and baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.
Greek · Saints priority
40:1 After these things, the king of Egypt’s chief cupbearer and chief baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.
The consulted Greek gives both officers the chief title already in this verse [G40].
40:2 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
Greek · Saints priority
40:2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two eunuchs—with the chief cupbearer and with the chief baker.
Officers/eunuchs repeats the court-title issue at 37:36 [G40].
40:3 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:3 He put them in custody in the captain of the guard’s house, in the prison where Joseph was confined.
Greek · Saints priority
40:3 He put them in custody under the jailer, in the prison, in the place where Joseph had been taken.
Hebrew names the captain of the guard’s house; Greek names the jailer and prison. Rahlfs–Hanhart has jailer here and chief jailer in 40:4; the titles are distinguished. [G40]
40:4 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:4 The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to them, and he served them. They remained in custody for some time.
Greek · Saints priority
40:4 The chief jailer entrusted them to Joseph, and he attended them. They remained in custody for some time.
The officer-title difference continues; attending describes Joseph’s service [G40].
40:5 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:5 Both dreamed a dream that same night, each his own dream with its own interpretation: the king of Egypt’s cupbearer and baker, who were confined in prison.
Greek · Saints priority
40:5 Both saw a dream that same night, each his own dream and its vision: the king of Egypt’s chief cupbearer and chief baker, who were in prison.
Greek has vision where the Hebrew specifies interpretation, and repeats the chief titles [G40].
40:6 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:6 Joseph came to them in the morning and saw that they were troubled.
Greek · Saints priority
40:6 Joseph came to them in the morning and saw that they were troubled.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
40:7 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:7 So he questioned Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, saying, “Why are your faces so gloomy today?â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:7 So he questioned Pharaoh’s eunuchs who were with him in custody in his master’s house, saying, “Why are your faces so gloomy today?â€
Officers/eunuchs repeats verse 2 [G40].
40:8 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:8 They said to him, “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.†Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell me.â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:8 They said to him, “We have seen a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.†Joseph said to them, “Does not their explanation come through God? Tell me, then.â€
Both attribute the understanding of dreams to God [G40].
The Interpretation of Dreams
40:9 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:9 Then the chief cupbearer recounted his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, behold, a vine was before me,â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:9 Then the chief cupbearer recounted his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, behold, a vine was before me,â€
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
40:10 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:10 “and on the vine were three branches. It was blooming, and it shot forth shoots, and its clusters of grapes became ripe.â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:10 “and on the vine were three branches. It was blooming, and it shot forth shoots, and its clusters of grapes became ripe.â€
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
40:11 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:11 “And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup into Pharaoh’s hands.â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:11 “And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup into Pharaoh’s hands.â€
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
40:12 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:12 And Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: The three branches are three days.â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:12 And Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: The three branches are three days.â€
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
40:13 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:13 “Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as you did before, when you were his cupbearer.â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:13 “Within three days Pharaoh will remember your office and restore you to your cupbearing. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as in your former office, when you were his cupbearer.â€
Greek interprets the head-lifting idiom as remembering his office; V1’s former judgment is corrected [G40].
40:14 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:14 “Remember me when it goes well with you. Please show me kindness, mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:14 “Remember me yourself when it goes well with you. Show me mercy, mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this fortress.â€
House/fortress differs in specificity; the awkward through yourself is smoothed [G40].
40:15 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:15 “I was indeed stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing to deserve being put in this pit.â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:15 “I was indeed stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here I have done nothing, yet they put me in this pit.â€
Both use pit language for the confinement; the Greek closing construction is adversative [G40].
40:16 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:16 The chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable and said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: there were three baskets of white bread on my head.â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:16 The chief baker saw that he had interpreted correctly and said to Joseph, “I too saw a dream, and I seemed to be carrying three baskets of coarse bread on my head.â€
Favorable/correct differs in emphasis. The Hebrew basket-or-bread expression is uncertain; white bread is provisional. Greek describes coarse bread, not simply loose grain [G40].
40:17 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:17 “In the top basket were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating it from the basket on my head.â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:17 “In the top basket were all kinds of food that King Pharaoh eats, a baker’s work, and the birds of heaven were eating it from the basket on my head.â€
Greek explicitly gives Pharaoh the king title and describes birds of heaven [G40].
40:18 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: The three baskets are three days.â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: The three baskets are three days.â€
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
40:19 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:19 “Within three days Pharaoh will lift your head from you and hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh from you.â€
Greek · Saints priority
40:19 “Within three days, Pharaoh shall take away your head from you and hang you upon a tree; and the birds of the heavens shall eat your flesh from off you.â€
Hebrew repeats lift the head with a fatal turn, from you; Greek states removal directly. The wordplay links verses 13 and 19 [G40].
The Fulfilled and the Forgotten
40:20 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:20 On the third day, Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and chief baker among his servants.
Greek · Saints priority
40:20 On the third day, Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a drinking feast for all his servants and remembered the offices of the chief cupbearer and chief baker among his servants.
The head/office wording repeats verse 13; the Greek feast term emphasizes drinking [G40].
40:21 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:21 And he restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he placed the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.
Greek · Saints priority
40:21 And he restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he placed the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
40:22 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:22 But he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted for them.
Greek · Saints priority
40:22 But he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted for them.
V1’s Greek literal commanded is corrected: the consulted verb means interpreted [G40].
40:23 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
40:23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Greek · Saints priority
40:23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
The corresponding meaning and content agree.
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Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.