This list provides examples of known textual variants, and contains the following parameters: Hebrew texts written right to left, the Hebrew text romanised left to right, an approximate English translation, and which Hebrew manuscripts or critical editions of the Hebrew Bible this textual variant can be found in. Greek (Septuagint) and Latin (Vulgate) texts are written left to right, and not romanised. Sometimes additional translation or interpretation notes are added, with references to similar verses elsewhere, or in-depth articles on the topic in question.
Tischendorf's 1880 edition of the Septuagint, with Judges 1:18 stating that Judah did not 'inherit' Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron nor Ashdod[note 1]
According to the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT) of Judges 1:18, "Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof." (King James Version).[note 2] However, the Greek Septuagint (LXX) renders Judges 1:18 as: "But Judas did not inherit Gaza nor her coasts, nor Ascalon nor her coasts, nor Accaron nor her coasts, nor Azotus nor the lands around it.' (Brenton's Septuagint Translation).[3][note 1]
This contradiction has puzzled scholars, as not only does the Greek text add Ashdod (Azotus) to the list of cities, but it specifically denies that the Judahites conquered (literally "inherited") these cities, while the Hebrew text asserts that they did.[5][6] Although English Bible translations have generally followed the Masoretic Text in saying the Judahites took the three cities,[7] some scholars claim that the Greek version should be regarded as superior if the inhabitants of these four coastal cities are to be equated with "the people of the plains" in the next verse, who repelled the Judahites thanks to their iron chariots.[8] The Septuagint may therefore 'correct' the Hebrew text, as other textual evidence also seems to indicate the towns did not fall to the Israelites until much later.[5][9]Charles Ellicott noted that Josephus had a different solution, claiming in Antiquities of the Jews (volume 2, paragraph 4) that 'Askelon and Ashdod were taken in the war, but that Gaza and Ekron escaped, because their situation in the plains enabled them to use their chariots; yet in 3, § 1, he says that the Canaanites re-conquered Askelon and Ekron.'[5]
Judges 15
Judges 15:5
וַיַּבְעֶר־אֵשׁ֙ בַּלַּפִּידִ֔ים, way-yaḇ-‘er-’êš bal-lap-pî-ḏîm,, 'And [when he] had burnt fire on the torches / set the torches on fire' – WLC[10]
καὶ ἐξέκαυσεν πῦρ ἐν ταῖς λαμπάσιν, 'and he inflamed/kindled fire in the torches/lamps' – LXXSwete[11] APB[12]
Judges 18
Judges 18:7
מִצִּ֣דֹנִ֔ים וְדָבָ֥ר אֵין־ לָהֶ֖ם עִם־ אָדָֽם׃, miṣ·ṣi·ḏō·nîm, wə·ḏā·ḇār ’ên-lā·hem ‘im-’ā·ḏām., 'from the Sidonians, and [there were] no ties/dealings/word with anyone / any man.' – WLC[13][14]
Σιδωνίων, καὶ λόγον οὐκ ἔχουσιν πρὸς ἄνθρωπον., 'of the Sidonians, and no word was had/held to anyone / any man' – B[15] LXXSwete[16] LXXRahlfs[15] Brenton (ἔχουσι)[17]
Σιδωνιων και..., 'from the Sidonians and had no relationship with the Arameans' – LXXmss[18]
από Σιδώνος και λόγος ουκ ην αυτοίς μετά Συρίας, '[away] from Sidon, and there was no word to them with Syria' – A[19] APB[20]
et procul a Sidone atque a cunctis hominibus separatum., 'and far away from Sidon and separated from all men/people.' VgColunga&Turrado[21]
וִ֠יהֹונָתָן בֶּן־ גֵּרְשֹׁ֨ם בֶּן־ מְשֶּׁ֜ה, wî-hō-w-nā-ṯān ben-gê-rə-šōm ben-mō-šeh, 'and Jonathan the son of Gershom the son of Moses' – 'many Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate'.[18]
וִ֠יהֹונָתָן בֶּן־ גֵּרְשֹׁ֨ם בֶּן־ מְנַשֶּׁ֜ה, wî-hō-w-nā-ṯān ben-gê-rə-šōm ben-mə-naš-šeh, 'and Jonathan the son of Gershom the son of Manasseh' – 'many other Hebrew manuscripts and some other Septuagint manuscripts'[18]
καὶ Ἰωναθὰμ υἱὸς Γηρσὸμ υἱὸς Μανασσή, 'and Jonatham, son Gersom, son Manasse' – LXXSwete[16]
και Ιωνάθαν υιός Γηρσών υιόυ Μανασσή, 'and Jonathan, son of the Gersoms of the son Manasse' – APB[20]
"Moses" (משה) is thought to be the original reading, which was later changed to "Manasseh" in some manuscripts (but not all) by adding a nun in superscript (מנשה), in order 'to avoid saying that the grandson of Moses became a priest of false gods'.[22]
וַתִּזְנֶ֤ה עָלָיו֙ פִּֽילַגְשֹׁ֔ו wat-tiz-neh ‘ā-lāw pî-laḡ-šōw, (But his concubine was unfaithful to him,[23] or But his concubine played the harlot against him,[23] or But his concubine was angry at him,[23]) – WLC[24]
It is disputed whether the first word is derived from זנה zaná (H2181 "to commit fornication/adultery/harlotry, to be a harlot, to play the harlot, to prostitute"[25]), or זנח zanákh (H2186 "to reject, spurn, be angry with/at, cast away (off), remove far away (off), desert"[26]).[23] Traditionally, translators and interpreters have followed the former verb, but some modern scholars prefer the latter verb because this meaning aligns much better with the Greek texts.[23]
καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἡ παλλακὴ αὐτοῦ (And his concubine departed from him[27]) – LXXSwete[28] Brenton[27]
και ωργίσθη αυτώ η παλλακή αυτού (And his concubine provoked him to anger[29]) – ABP[29]
quæ reliquit eum, 'who left him' – VgClement[30] VgColunga&Turrado[31]
וְנַעֲרֹ֥ו עִמֹּ֖ו וְצֶ֣מֶד חֲמֹרִ֑ים wə-na-‘ă-rōw ‘im-mōw wə-ṣe-meḏ ḥă-mō-rîm; (and [having his] young man/boy/servant with [him] and a pair of donkeys) – WLC[24]
καὶ νεανίας αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ ζεῦγος ὄνων. (And his young man [was] with him and a pair of donkeys or and he had his young man with him, and a pair of asses[34]) – LXXSwete[28] Brenton[34]
και το παιδάριον αυτού μετ᾽ αυτού καὶ ζεύγος υποζυγίων. (And his little boy [was] with him and a pair of beasts of burden) – ABP[29]
habens in comitatu puerum et duos asinos:, 'having a boy and two donkeys in his company:' – VgClement[30] VgColunga&Turrado[31]
καὶ ἥδε εἰσήνεγκεν αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκον (and she brought him into the house) – LXXSwete[28] Brenton.[35] εἰσήνεγκεν = εἰς ("into" or "to(wards)") + φέρω ("to bring") aorist third person singular
και επορεύθη έως οίκου (and he went/travelled unto/until the house) – ABP[29]
quæ suscepit eum, et introduxit in domum patris sui, 'who received him, and introduced [him] into her father's house' – VgClement[30] VgColunga&Turrado[31]
אֹוצִֽיאָה־נָּ֤א אֹותָם֙ וְעַנּ֣וּ אֹותָ֔ם ’ō-w-ṣî-’āh- nā wə-‘an-nū ’ō-w-ṯām, (Let me bring them out now, and you rape/force [sexually]/defile/violate/ravish/mistreat/humble/humiliate[39][40] them) – WLC[24]
ἐξάξω αὐτάς, καὶ ταπεινώσατε αὐτὰς (And I will bring them out, and you humble/humiliate them,) – LXXSwete[28] Brenton[38] ABP[29]
educam eas ad vos, ut humilietis eas, 'I will lead them out to you, so that you humiliate them' – VgClement[30] VgColunga&Turrado[31]
וְלָאִ֤ישׁ הַזֶּה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ דְּבַ֖ר הַנְּבָלָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃ wə-lā-’îš haz-zeh lō ṯa-‘ă-śū, də-ḇar han-nə-ḇā-lāh haz-zōṯ. (but unto this man do not so vile a thing (KJV) or but to this man do not commit this rape/folly/villainy/foolishness or vile/disgraceful act/thing/outrage[41][42]) WLC[24]
καὶ τῷ ἀνδρὶ τούτῳ οὐ ποιήσετε τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς ἀφροσύνης ταύτης. (but to this man you do not do this folly) – LXXSwete[28]
και τω ανδρί τούτω μη ποιήσητε το ρήμα της αφροσύνης ταύτης. (but to this man you should not do the thing of this folly[29] or but to this man do not this folly[38]) – Brenton[38] ABP[29]
ne scelus hoc contra naturam operemini in virum., 'do not work this crime against nature on a man.' – VgClement[30] VgColunga&Turrado[31]
וַיֵּדְע֣וּ אֹ֠ותָהּ וַיִּֽתְעַלְּלוּ־בָ֤הּ כָּל־הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ עַד־הַבֹּ֔קֶר way-yê-ḏə-‘ū ’ō-w-ṯāh way-yiṯ-‘al-lə-lū- ḇāh kāl- hal-lay-lāh ‘aḏ- hab-bō-qer, (And they knew / had sexual relations with / raped her,[43][44] and they mocked//abused/dealt severely with her the entire night until morning) – WLC[24]
καὶ ἔγνωσαν αὐτήν, καὶ ἐνέπαιζον ἐν αὐτῇ ὅλην τὴν νύκτα ἕως πρωί (And they knew / had sex with / raped her, and they mocked/ridiculed/abused her the entire night until morning) – LXXSwete[28]
καὶ ἔγνωσαν αὐτήν, καὶ ἐνέπαιζον ἐν αὐτῇ ὅλην τὴν νύκτα ἕως τοπρωί (And they knew / had sex with / raped her, and they mocked/ridiculed/abused her the entire night until the morning) – Brenton[38]
και έγνωσαν αυτήν και ενέπαιξαν αυτή όλην την νύκτα έως τοπρωϊ (And they knew / had sex with / raped her and mocked/ridiculed/abused her the entire night until the morning) – ABP[29]
qua cum tota nocte abusi essent,, 'and when she had been abused all night,' – VgClement[30] VgColunga&Turrado[31]
וְאֵ֣ין עֹנֶ֑ה wə-’ên ‘ō-neh; (But [she] did not answer.) – WLC[24][45]
καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη, ὅτι ἦν νεκρά. (And she did not answer, because she was dead.) – LXXSwete[28][45] Brenton[38]
και ουκ απεκρίθη αυτώ αλλά τεθνήκει (And she did not answer to him, for she had died) – ABP[29] Brenton[38]
Qua nihil respondente, intelligens quod erat mortua, 'As she was responding nothing, understanding that she was dead' – VgClement[30] VgColunga&Turrado[31]
וְאֶת־פִּילַגְשִׁ֥י עִנּ֖וּ וַתָּמֹֽת׃, wə-’eṯ- pî-laḡ-šî ‘in-nū wat-tā-mōṯ., 'and / but instead they raped/[sexually] forced/defiled/violated/ravished/mistreated/humbled/humiliated[39][40] my concubine, and she died' – WLC[46]
καὶ τὴν παλλακήν μου ἐταπείνωσαν, καὶ ἀπέθανεν., 'and they humiliated my concubine, and she died.' – LXXSwete[47]
καὶ τὴν παλλακήν μου ἐταπείνωσαν, καὶ ἀπέθανε., 'and they humiliated my concubine, and she died.' – Brenton[38]
και την παλλακήν μου εταπείνωσαν και ενέπαιξαν αυτή και απέθανεν., 'and they humiliated my concubine, and they mocked/ridiculed/abused her, and she died.' – ABP[48]
et uxorem meam incredibili furore libidinis vexantes, denique mortua est., 'and tormenting my wife with an incredible fury of lust, she (has) finally died.' – VgClement[49] VgColunga&Turrado[50]
כָּל־זָכָ֗ר וְכָל־אִשָּׁ֛ה יֹדַ֥עַת מִשְׁכַּב־זָכָ֖ר תַּחֲרִֽימוּ׃, kāl- zā-ḵār, wə-ḵāl ’iš-šāh yō-ḏa-‘aṯ miš-kaḇ- zā-ḵār ta-ḥă-rî-mū., 'any male and any woman who has known the bed of a male you shall destroy/devote.[56]' – WLC[51]
πᾶν ἄρσεν καὶ πᾶσαν γυναῖκα εἰδυῖαν κοίτην ἄρσενος ἀναθεματιεῖτε,, 'Every male and every female having known the marriage-bed of a man you shall devote [to destruction],' – LXXSwete[54] Brenton[55]
παν αρσενικόν και πάσαν γυναίκα γινώσκουσαν κοίτην άρσενος αναθεματιείτε, 'Every male and every woman knowning the marriage-bed of a man you shall devote to consumption.' – ABP[52]
omne generis masculini, et mulieres quae cognoverunt viros, interficite;, 'every kind of male, and women who have known men, kill;' – VgColunga&Turrado[53]
נַעֲרָ֣ה בְתוּלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יָדְעָ֛ה אִ֖ישׁ לְמִשְׁכַּ֣ב זָכָ֑ר, na-‘ă-rāh ḇə-ṯū-lāh, ’ă-šer lō- yā-ḏə-‘āh ’îš lə-miš-kaḇ zā-ḵār;, 'virgin young woman, who has not known a man on/in the bed of a male;[56]' – WLC[51]
νεάνιδας παρθένους, αἵτινες οὐκ ἔγνωσαν ἄνδρα εἰς κοίτην ἄρσενος,, 'virgin young women, whoever knew not a man, into the marriage-bed of a male.' – LXXSwete[54] Brenton[57]
νεάνιδας παρθένους αι οὐκ έγνωσαν άνδρα εις κοίτην άρσενος, 'virgin young women, the ones [that] knew not a man, in the marriage-bed of a male.' – ABP[52]
virgines, quae nescierunt viri thorum:, 'virgins, who did not know the marriage-bed of a man:' – VgColunga&Turrado[53]
וַיָּ֤שָׁב בִּנְיָמִן֙ בָּעֵ֣ת, way-yā-šāḇ bin-yā-min bā-‘êṯ, 'And Benjamin returned at that time' – WLC[51]
καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν βενιαμεὶν πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, 'And Benjamin returned to the sons of Israel at that time' – LXXSwete[54] Brenton[57] ABP[52]
Veneruntque filii Benjamin in illo tempore, 'And the sons of Benjamin came at that time' – VgColunga&Turrado[53]
הַנָּשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר חִיּ֔וּ מִנְּשֵׁ֖י יָבֵ֣שׁ גִּלְעָ֑ד, han-nā-šîm, ’ă-šer ḥî-yū, min-nə-šê yā-ḇêš gil-‘āḏ;, 'the women, whom they had kept/saved alive, from the women of Jabesh Gilead;' – WLC[51]
τὰς γυναῖκας ἃς ἐζωοποίησαν ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων Ἰαβεὶς Γαλαάδ·, 'the women whom they saved alive from the daughters of Jabeis Galaad' – LXXSwete[54]
τὰς γυναῖκας ἃς ἐζωοποίησαν ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων Ἰαβὶς Γαλαάδ·, 'the women whom they [had] saved alive of the daughters of Jabis Galaad' – Brenton[57]
τας γυναίκας αίτινες ήσαν εκ των γυναικών Ιαβίς Γαλαάδ, 'the women whomever were of the women of Jabis Galaad' – ABP[52]
uxores de filiabus Jabes Galaad:, '(the) wives of/from (the) daughters of Jabes Galaad:' – VgColunga&Turrado[53]
וְלֹֽא־מָצְא֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן׃, wə-lō- mā-ṣə-’ū lā-hem kên., 'but [they] had not found enough for them.' – WLC[51]
καὶ ἤρεσεν αὐτοῖς οὕτως., 'and it pleased them thus[52]' – LXXSwete[54] Brenton[57] ABP[52]
καὶ ἤρεσεν αὐτοῖς οὕτω., 'and they were content[57]' – Brenton[57]
alias autem non repererunt, quas simili modo traderent., 'but [they] did not find others, whom [they] would deliver in (a) similar manner.' – VgColunga&Turrado[53]
חָנּ֣וּנוּ אֹותָ֔ם כִּ֣י לֹ֥א לָקַ֛חְנוּ אִ֥ישׁ אִשְׁתֹּ֖ו בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה, ḥān-nū-nū ’ō-w-ṯām, kî lō lā-qaḥ-nū ’îš ’iš-tōw bam-mil-ḥā-māh;, 'Be kind to them, because we did not take a woman/wife for [each] man in the war' – WLC[51]
Ἔλεος ποιήσατε ἡμῖν αὐτάς, ὅτι οὐκ ἐλάβομεν ἀνὴρ γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ παρατάξει, 'Grant them to us out of mercy, for we have not taken every man a woman/wife for himself in the lines of battle' – LXXSwete[54] Brenton[57]
ελεήσατε αυτούς ότι ουκ έλαβεν ανήρ εαυτώ γυναίκα εν τω πολέμω, 'Show mercy on them! For a man did not take a woman/wife to himself in the war' – ABP[52]
Miseremini eorum: non enim rapuerunt eas jure bellantium atque victorum:, 'Have mercy on them: for [they] did not seize/abduct/rape them by (the) right of warriors and conquerors.' – VgColunga&Turrado[53]
^Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, Volumes 22-24. American Research Center in Egypt. 1985. p. 212. Retrieved 24 May 2021. Judges 1: 18-19 may be an indication, especially if the Septuagint version of Judges 1:18 is taken as superior to the Masoretic text, i.e., that the Israelites were unable to take the valleys and towns, specifically Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, because the Canaanites had chariots of iron.
^ abGeorge Wigram (1843). "6031. עָנָה (anah)". The Englishman's Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance to the Old Testament / Biblehub.com. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
^George Wigram (1843). "5039. נְבָלָה (nebalah)". The Englishman's Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance to the Old Testament / Biblehub.com. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
^George Wigram (1843). "3045. יָדַע (yada)". The Englishman's Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance to the Old Testament / Biblehub.com. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
Wells, Bruce (2020). "On the Beds of a Woman: The Leviticus Texts on Same-Sex Relations Reconsidered". Sexuality and Law in the Torah. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 123–158. ISBN9780567681607. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
