Textual variants in the Hebrew Bible manuscripts arise when a copyist makes deliberate or inadvertent alterations to the text that is being reproduced. Textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) has included study of its textual variants.
Although the Masoretic Text (MT) counts as the authoritative form of the Hebrew Bible according to Rabbinic Judaism, modern scholars seeking to understand the history of the Hebrew Bible use a range of sources.[1] These include the Greek Septuagint (LXX), the Syriac languagePeshitta translation, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Dead Sea Scrolls collection, and quotations from rabbinic manuscripts. These sources may be older than the Masoretic Text in some cases, and often differ from it.[2] These differences have given rise to the theory that yet another text, an Urtext of the Hebrew Bible, once existed and is the source of the versions extant today.[3] However, such an Urtext has never been found, and which of the three commonly known versions (Septuagint, Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch) is closest to the Urtext is debated.[4]
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.
in valle Salinarum, 'in [the] valley of (the) Salts' – VgColunga&Turrado[17]
2 Samuel 8:18
כֹּהֲנִ֥ים, kō-hă-nîm, 'priests' – WLC[11]. This noun is the origin of the surname Cohen.
αὐλάρχαι, 'chiefs/rulers/princes of the palace/court' – LXXSwete[13] LXXRahlfs[14] Brenton[15] ABP[16]. This noun is a compound of αὐλή ("court(yard)" or "hall/chamber/house") and ἀρχή ("authority"), related to archon ("ruler" or "chief magistrate").
sacerdotes, 'priests' – VgColunga&Turrado[17]. Origin of the modern term sacerdotalism.
Books of Kings
1 Kings 16
1 Kings 16:15
בִּשְׁנַת֩ עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וָשֶׁ֜בַע שָׁנָ֗ה לְאָסָא֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֔ה מָלַ֥ךְ זִמְרִ֛י, 'in the year twenty and seven year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned' – WLC[18]
צָבָ֧א, ṣā-ḇā, 'of the army or of the war' – WLC[18]
τῆς στρατείας, 'of the campaign/expedition' – LXXSwete[19]
τῆς στρατίας, 'of the army' – LXXRahlfs[20] Brenton[21] ABP[22]
militiae, 'of the army or of the war/campaign' – VgColunga&Turrado[23]
1 Kings 16:17
עָמְרִ֛י וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל עִמֹּ֖ו מִֽגִּבְּתֹ֑ון, 'ā-mə-rî wə-ḵāl yiś-rā-'êl 'im-mōw mig-gib-bə-ṯō-wn, 'Omri and all Israel with him from Gibbethon' – WLC[18]
Ζαμβρεὶ καὶ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐν Γαβαθὼν, 'Zambreì and all Israel with him in Gabathòn' – LXXSwete[19]
Αμβρι καὶ πᾶς Ισραηλ μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐκ Γαβαθων, 'Ambri and all Israel with him out of Gabathon' – LXXRahlfs[20] Brenton[21]
Αμβρί εκ Γαβαθών και πας Ισραήλ μετ' αυτού, 'Ambrí out of Gabathón and all Israel with him' – ABP[22]
Amri, et omnis Israel cum eo, de Gebbethon,, 'Amri, and all Israel with him, from Gebbethon' – VgColunga&Turrado[23]
1 Kings 16:18
וַיָּבֹ֖א אֶל־אַרְמֹ֣ון בֵּית־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיִּשְׂרֹ֨ף עָלָ֧יו אֶת־בֵּֽית־מֶ֛לֶךְ בָּאֵ֖שׁ וַיָּמֹֽת׃, way-yā-ḇō 'el- 'ar-mō-wn bêṯ- ham-me-leḵ way-yiś-rōp̄ 'ā-lāw 'eṯ- bêṯ- me-leḵ bā-'êš way-yā-mōṯ., 'and [he] went into the citadel of the house of the king and burnt [down] the house [of the] king upon himself with fire and died.' – WLC[18]
ἐνεπύρισεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν τὸν οἶκον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἀπέθανεν·, 'the king himself set fire to the house of the king, and died;' – LXXSwete[19]
εἰσπορεύεται εἰς ἄντρον τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἐνεπύρισεν ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὸν οἶκον τοῦ βασιλέως ἐν πυρὶ και απέθανεν, '[he] entered into [the] inner room of the house of the king and [he] set fire to the house of the king over himself with fire and died' – LXXRahlfs[20] ABP[22]
πορεύεται εἰς άντρον του οίκου του βασιλέως, και ενεπύρισεν επ' αυτόν τον οίκον του βασιλέως, και απέθανεν, '[he] went into [the] inner room of the house of the king, and [he] set fire to the house of the king over himself, and died' – Brenton[21]
ingressus est palatium, et succendit se cum domo regia: et mortuus est, '[he] entered [the] palace, and burnt himself with [the] royal house: and [he] died' – VgColunga&Turrado[23]
וַיֶּחֱזַ֤ק הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַחֲרֵ֣י עָמְרִ֔י אֶת־הָעָ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַחֲרֵ֖י תִּבְנִ֣י בֶן־גִּינַ֑ת, way-ye-ḥĕ-zaq hā-'ām 'ă-šer 'a-ḥă-rê 'ā-mə-rî, 'eṯ- hā-'ām 'ă-šer 'a-ḥă-rê tiḇ-nî ḇen- gî-naṯ;, 'And/but the people who followed Omri prevailed against the people who followed Tibni son of Ginath' – WLC[18]
καὶ ἡττήθη ὁ λαὸς ὁ ὢν ὀπίσω Θαμνεὶ υἱοῦ Γωνάθ·, 'And defeated was the people being after Thamneì son of Gōnàth:' – LXX.Swete[19] ἡττάομαι is an Attic variation of the verb ἡσσάομαι ("to be less/weaker than, to be defeated")
Ὁ λαὸς ὁ ὢν ὀπίσω Ἀμβρί υπερεκράτησε τον λαόν τον οπίσω Θαμνὶ υἱοῦ Γωνὰθ·, 'The people being after Ambri prevailed over the people being after Thamnì son of Gōnàth' – LXXRahlfs[20] Brenton[21]
και ο λαός ο ων οπίσω Αμβρί υπερεκράτησε τον λαόν τον οπίσω Θαβνί υιόυ Γινήθ, 'And the people being after Ambri prevailed over the people being after Thabní son of Ginḗth' – ABP[22]
Praevaluit autem populus qui erat cum Amri, populo qui sequebatur Thebni filium Gineth:, 'But the people who were with Amri prevailed, over the people who followed Thebni son of Gineth:' – VgColunga&Turrado[23]
καὶ ἀπέθανεν Θαμνεὶ καὶ Ἰωρὰμ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν Ζαμβρεὶ μετὰ Θαμνεί., 'And Thamneì and Joram the brother of him died at that time, and Zambrei ruled after Thamneì.' – LXXSwete[19]
καὶ ἀπέθανεν Θαμνι καὶ Ιωραμ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν Αμβρι μετὰ Θαμνι., 'And Thamni and Joram the brother of him died at that time, and Ambri ruled after Thamni.' – LXXRahlfs[20]
καὶ ἀπέθανε Θαμνὶ καὶ Ἰωρὰμ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἀμβρί μετὰ Θαμνί., 'And Thamnì and Joram the brother of him died at that time, and Ambri ruled after Thamnì.' – Brenton[21]
και απέθανε Θαβνί και εβασίλευσεν Αμβρί., 'And Thabní died and Ambri reigned.' – ABP[22]
mortuusque est Thebni, et regnavit Amri., 'and Thebni died, and Amri reigned.' – VgColunga&Turrado[23]
[2] καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ Ἀσὰ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐξέκλινεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς τοῦ ποιεῖν τὸ εὐθὲς ἐνώπιον Κυρίου· πλὴν τῶν ὑψηλῶν οὐκ ἐξῆραν, ἔθυον ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς καὶ ἐθυμίων., 'And he went in the way of Asa his father, and he did not deviate from it to do what is right before the Lord; only they did not remove [any] of the high places, they sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.' – LXXSwete[19] LXXRahlfs[20] Brenton[26]
[3] καὶ ἃ συνέθετο Ἰωσαφάθ, καὶ πᾶσα δυναστεία ἣν ἐποίησεν, καὶ οὓς ἐπολέμησεν, οὐκ ἰδοὺ ταῦτα γεγραμμένα ἐν βιβλίῳ λόγων τῶν ἡμερῶν τῶν βασιλέων Ἰούδα;, 'And what Josaphat composed, and all dynasty which he made, and those who fought, are these [things] not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Judah?' – LXXSwete[19]
[8] καὶ ἐκοιμήθη Ἰωσαφὰθ μετὰ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ ἐν πόλει Δαυείδ· καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἰωρὰμ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἀντ᾽ αὐτοῦ., 'And Josaphàth slept with his fathers in the city of Daveíd: and Joram his son reigned instead of him.' – LXXSwete[19]
καὶ ἐκοιμήθη Ιωσαφατ μετὰ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ καὶ θάπτεται μετὰ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ ἐν πόλει Δαυιδ,..., 'And Josaphàt slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David,...' – LXXRahlfs[20]
וְאַחְאָ֣ב בֶּן־עָמְרִ֗י מָלַךְ֙ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּשְׁנַ֨ת שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וּשְׁמֹנֶה֙ שָׁנָ֔ה לְאָסָ֖א מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַ֠יִּמְלֹךְ אַחְאָ֨ב בֶּן־עָמְרִ֤י עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּשֹׁ֣מְרֹ֔ון עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁתַּ֖יִם שָׁנָֽה׃, 'And Ahab son of Omri [became] king over Israel in the year thirty and eight years of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.' – WLC[18]
Ἐν ἔτει δευτέρῳ τῷ Ἰωσαφὰθ βασιλεύει Ἀχαὰβ υἱὸς Ζαμβρεί· ἐβασίλευσεν ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ εἴκοσι καὶ δύο ἔτη., 'In the second year of Josaphath reigned Achaáb son of Zambreí; [he] reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years' – LXXSwete[19]
Ἐν ἔτει δευτέρῳ τῷ Ιωσαφατ βασιλεύει Αχααβ υἱὸς Αμβρι· ἐβασίλευσεν ἐπὶ Ισραηλ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ εἴκοσι καὶ δύο ἔτη., 'In the second year of Josaphat reigned Achaab son of Ambri: [he] reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.' – LXXRahlfs[20]
Ἐν ἔτει δευτέρῳ τοῦ Ἰωσαφὰτ βασιλέως Ἰούδα, Ἀχαὰβ υἱὸς Ἀμβρὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ εἴκοσι καὶ δύο ἔτη., 'In the second year of Josaphat king of Judah, Achaáb son of Ambrì reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.' – Brenton[26]
ο δε Αχαάβ υιός Αμβρί εβασίλευσεν επί Ισραήλ εν έτει τριακοστώ και ογδόω του Ασά βασιλέως Ιούδα βασιλεύει δε Αχαάβ υιός Αμβρί επί Ισραήλ εν Σαμαρεία είκοσι και δύο έτη, 'But Achaáb the son of Ambrí reigned over Israel in the thirtieth and eighth year of Asa king of Judah. And Achaáb the son of Ambrí reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty and two years.' – ABP[22]
Achab vero filius Amri regnavit super Israel anno trigesimo octavo Asa regis Juda. Et regnavit Achab filius Amri super Israel in Samaria viginti et duobus annis., 'Achab [the] real son of Amri reigned over Israel in (the) thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah. And Achab (the) son of Amri reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years.' – VgColunga&Turrado[23]
לְהַכְעִיס֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל, lə-haḵ-'îs 'eṯ- Yah-weh 'ĕ-lō-hê yiś-rā-'êl, 'to provoke the anger of Yahweh [the] god [of] Israel' – WLC[18]
παροργίσαι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, τοῦ ἐξολοθρευθήναι· ἐκακοποίησεν, 'to provoke the anger of his own life, so that he should be annihilated: he did evil' – LXXSwete[19]
παροργίσαι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐξολεθρευθῆναι· ἐκακοποίησεν, 'to provoke the anger of his own life so that he should be destroyed: he did evil' – LXXRahlfs[20]
παροργίσαι τον Κύριον Θεὸν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐξολοθρευθῆναι, ἐκακοποίησεν, 'to provoke the anger of the Lord God of Israel, and of his own life so that he should be destroyed, he did evil' – Brenton[26]
παροργίσαι τον κύριον θεόν του Ισραήλ, 'to provoke the anger of the lord god of Israel' – ABP[22]
irritans Dominum Deum Israel, 'irritating [the] Lord God Israel' – VgColunga&Turrado[23]
1 Kings 16:34
בְּיָמָ֞יו בָּנָ֥ה חִיאֵ֛ל בֵּ֥ית הָאֱלִ֖י אֶת־יְרִיחֹ֑ה, bə-yā-māw bā-nāh ḥî-'êl bêṯ hā-'ĕ-lî 'eṯ- yə-rî-ḥōh, 'In his days Hiel [the] Bethelite built Jericho' – WLC[18]
ᾨκοδόμησεν Ἀχειὴλ ὁ Βαιθηλείτης τὴν Ἰερειχώ·, 'Acheièl the Baithelite built Iereicho:' – LXXSwete[19]
ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ ᾠκοδόμησεν Αχιηλ ὁ Βαιθηλίτης τὴν Ιεριχω·, 'In his days, Achiel the Baithelite built Iericho:' – LXXRahlfs[20]
Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ ᾠκοδόμησεν Αχιὴλ ὁ Βαιθηλίτης τὴν Ἱεριχω·, 'And in his days, Achièl the Baithelite built Hiericho:' – Brenton[26]
εν ταις ημέραις αυτού ωκοδόμησεν Χιήλ ο Βεθελίτης την Ιεριχώ, 'In his days, Chiél the Bethelite built Iericho' – ABP[22]
In diebus ejus aedificavit Hiel de Bethel Jericho:, 'In his days Hiel of Bethel (has) built Jericho:' – VgColunga&Turrado[23]
et in Segub, 'and on Segub' – VgColunga&Turrado[23]
Song of Songs
Song of Songs 1
The word "אחריך", meaning "after you", from Song of Solomon 1:4a in the Leningrad Codex (hand-written) and in the Hebrew Bible print edition of the BHS (which omits the Rafe diacritic)
Songs 1:1
שִׁ֥יר הַשִּׁירִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִשְׁלֹמֹֽה׃, šîr haš-šî-rîm 'ă-šer liš-lō-mōh., '[The] song of songs that [is] of Shalomo' – WLC[27]
ΑΣΜΑ ᾀσμάτων, ὅ ἐστιν τῷ Σαλωμών., 'SONG of songs, which is to Salomon.' – LXXSwete[28]
Ἆισμα ᾀσμάτων, ὅ ἐστιν τῷ Σαλωμων., 'Song of songs, which is to Salomon.' – LXXRahlfs[29]
ΑΣΜΑ ᾀσμάτων, ὅ ἐστι τῷ Σαλωμών., 'SONG of songs, which is to Salomon.' – Brenton[30]
άσμα ασμάτων ο εστι τω Σολομώντι, '[A] song of songs which is to Solomon.' – ABP[31]
omitted – VgColunga&Turrado.[32] Note: because Vg omits the first verse, it has only 16 verses in this chapter; the numbering shifts backwards, so that verse 1:2 in Hebrew and Greek becomes verse 1:1 in Latin etc.
בְּנֹ֖ות יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם, bə-nō-wṯ yə-rū-šā-lim, 'O daughters of Jerusalem' – WLC[27]
θυγατέρες Ἰσραήλ, 'O daughters of Israel' – LXXSwete[28]
θυγατέρες Ιερουσαλήμ, 'O daughters of Jerusalem' – LXXRahlfs[29] Brenton[30] ABP[31]
filiae Jerusalem, '(O) daughters of Jerusalem or of/to (the) daughter Jerusalem or Jerusalem of/to [a/the] daughter' – VgColunga&Turrado[32]
Songs 1:5
δέρρις Σαλωμών., '[the] hide/leathern coverings/curtains of Salomon.' – LXXSwete[28]
δέρρεις Σαλωμων., '[the] hide/leathern coverings/curtains of Salomon.' – LXXRahlfs[29] Brenton[30]
δέρρεις Σολομώντος, '[the] hide/leathern coverings/curtains of Solomon.' – ABP[31]
Songs 1:6
אַל־תִּרְא֙וּנִי֙ שֶׁאֲנִ֣י שְׁחַרְחֹ֔רֶת שֶׁשֱּׁזָפַ֖תְנִי הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ, 'al- tir-'ū-nî še-'ă-nî šə-ḥar-ḥō-reṯ, šeš-šĕ-zā-p̄aṯ-nî haš-šā-meš;, 'Do not look at [me], because I [am] blackened/swarthy, because the sun has seen / looked at [me];' – WLC[27]
μὴ βλέψητέ με, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι μεμελανωμένη, ὅτι παρέβλεψέ(ν) με ὁ ἥλιος·, 'Do not look at me, because I am being blackened, because the sun has looked over me;' – LXXSwete[28] LXXRahlfs[29] Brenton[30]
Nolite me considerare quod fusca sim, quia decoloravit me sol., 'Do not think that I am black/brown, because [the] sun has discoloured me.' – VgColunga&Turrado[32]
Songs 1:13
בֵּ֥ין שָׁדַ֖י יָלִֽין׃, bên šā-ḏay yā-lîn., 'between [my] breasts [it] spends the night.' – WLC[27]
ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν μαστῶν μου αὐλισθήσεται·, 'between my breasts [he] shall spend the night;' – LXXRahlfs[29] Brenton[30] ABP[31]
inter ubera mea commorabitur, 'between my breasts [it] will stay' – VgColunga&Turrado[32]
אֶשְׁכֹּ֨ל הַכֹּ֤פֶר ׀ דֹּודִי֙ לִ֔י, 'eš-kōl hak-kō-p̄er dō-w-ḏî lî,, 'A cluster of henna [blooms is] my beloved to me' – WLC[27]
βότρυς τῆς κύπρου ἀδελφιδός μου ἐμοὶ, 'A cluster of henna is my beloved [man]' – LXXRahlfs[29] Brenton[30] ABP[31]. κύπρος is a Semitic loanword identical with Hebrew כֹּפֶר / כּוֺפֶרkōp̱er, meaning "henna". When capitalised, this word is identical to the Greek name of Cyprus, which may or may not have been derived from this word.
Botrus cypri dilectus meus, 'My beloved cluster of henna' – VgColunga&Turrado[32]. cyprus, not to be confused with the island of Cyprus, is the latinisation of κύπρος, and the origin of the English word cypress.
וַתְּהִ֤י יִרְאָתָם֙ אֹתִ֔י מִצְוַ֥ת אֲנָשִׁ֖ים מְלֻמָּדָֽה׃, wat-tə-hî yir-'ā-ṯām 'ō-ṯî, miṣ-waṯ 'ă-nā-šîm mə-lum-mā-ḏāh., 'and their fear towards me is taught by the commandment of men.' – MT
μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με διδάσκοντες ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων καὶ διδασκαλίας., 'and in vain they worship me, teaching [the] precepts and instructions of men.' – LXXSwete,[50] ABP[51]
Compare New Testament quotation:
μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με, διδάσκοντες διδασκαλίας ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων·, 'In vain they now worship me, teaching [as] doctrines [the] precepts of men.' – Mark 7:7