Q: What are manuscript variations between the Massoretic text and other versions vs. the Samaritan Pentateuch?
A: Here are some of them. The verse references in bold are where we are uncertain of the correct reading. The ones not in bold are almost certainly where the Samaritan Pentateuch is incorrect. There are many other variants not listed here where the Samaritan Pentateuch is almost certainly incorrect too.
Gen 4:8 "Abel" vs. "Abel, Let us go out to the field" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Neophyti I targum, Syriac, compare Vulgate)
The genealogical tables in Genesis 5 and 11:10-26 are a little different in the Samaritan Pentateuch (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5)
Gen 10:4 "Dodanim" vs. "Rodanim" (some Hebrew, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint)
Gen 22:19 "Ram behind [him]" (most Massoretic texts) vs. "Ram" (some Massoretic texts, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syriac)
Gen 30:36 absent vs. "that an angel appeared to Jacob in a dream revealing his portion in Laban’s herds" (Samaritan Pentateuch)
Gen 31:49 "Mizpah" vs. "pillar witnesses" (Septuagint) vs. "the pillar of Mizpah" (Samaritan Pentateuch)
Gen 36:3 "Basemath" (Massoretic texts, Septuagint) vs. "Mahalath" (Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary p.195)
Gen 36:16 "Korah/Core" (Massoretic texts and Septuagint) vs. (absent) (Samaritan Pentateuch, 1 Chronicles 1:36)
Gen 36:39 "Hadar" (most Massoretic texts) vs. "Barad" (Septuagint) vs. "Hadad" (some Massoretic texts, Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac)
Gen 37:36 "Medanites" vs. "Midianites" (Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch, Vulgate, Syriac)
Gen 41:48 "food of the seven years which were in the land" vs. "food of the seven years, in which was the plenty in the land " (Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch)
Gen 46:13 "Puah" vs. "Phua" (Septuagint) vs. "Puvah" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac, 1 Chronicles 7:1)
Gen 46:13 "Iob" vs. "Jashub" (some Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch)
Gen 46:16 "Ziphion" vs. "Zephon" (Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch, Numbers 26:15)
Gen 47:21 "he removed them to the cities" vs. "he made slaves of them" (Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch)
Gen 49:7 "their anger is cursed" vs. "their anger is beautiful" (Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5)
Gen 50:23 "upon the knees of Joseph vs. "in the days of Joseph" (4 letters) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5)
Ex 1:22 "born" vs. "born to Hebrews" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, and Targums)
Ex 4:22 "my first-born son" vs. "My own people" (Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5)
Ex 12:16 "all work" vs. "any kind of servile work" (Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5)
Ex 12:40 "children of Israel lived in Egypt" (Massoretic) vs. "children of Israel lived in Egypt and Canaan" in (Septuagint) vs. "children of Israel and their fathers lived in Egypt and Canaan" (Samaritan Pentateuch). Josephus writing about 93-94 A.D. in Antiquities of the Jews2.15.2 also says they were in Egypt 215 years which is consistent with the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Septuagint. Josephus said it was 430 years after Abraham came into Canaan. See Pharaohs and Kings : A Biblical Quest p.330-331 for more info. The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 says, "in the land of Canaan".
Ex 15:8 "breath from your nostrils" vs. "breath from you" (Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5)
Ex 20:17 is immediately followed by Dt 11:29-30 and 27:2b-3a,407, telling the Israelites to build the temple on Mt. Gerizim in the Samaritan Pentateuch. (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.937)
Ex 20:24 "in the placed where I have caused my name" vs. "in every place where I will cause my name" (Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5)
Ex 22:8 "Elohim" to "El" (Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5)
Lev 11:13-19, vulture" (21 birds) vs. absent (20 birds) Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch
Lev 26:31 "your sanctuary" vs. "your sanctuaries" (Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5)
Num 2:14 the name "Reuel" vs. "Deuel" in the Samaritan Pentateuch, Vulgate, and many Massoretic manuscripts. The Hebrew letters for "r" and "d" are very similar, and this is similar to "Rodanim vs. Dodanim in Genesis 10:4. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary vol.2 p.715 says that Deuel is probably the superior reading.
Num 3:12 "I have taken the Levites … instead of every firstborn" (Massoretic text and 4Q23 vs. "I have taken the Levites … they will be the ones redeemed instead of every firstborn" (Samaritan Pentateuch
Num 3:39 "and Aaron" with special dots over the word (many Massoretic texts) vs. "and Aaron" (Septuagint) vs. absent in numerous Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, and the Samaritan Pentateuch. Scribes would do this to express doubt about the verse. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary vol.2 p.728 says, "The presence of these dots over a questionable word the scribes were loath to drop shows the level of care and concern for the minutia of the text by the Jewish scholars through the ages."
Num 4:3 "from 30 years old" (Massoretic text, 4Q23, Samaritan Pentateuch) vs. "from 25 years old) (Septuagint)
Num 9:3 "in the evening" (Massoretic text, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint) vs. "in the day" (4Q23)
Num 10:11 is immediately preceded by Dt 1:6-8 in the Samaritan Pentateuch. (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.937)
Num 14:41 is immediately preceded by Dt 1:20-23 in the Samaritan Pentateuch. (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.937)
Num 20:13 is immediately followed by Dt 3:24-28 in the Samaritan Pentateuch. (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.937)
Num 20:13b is immediately followed by Dt 2:2-6 in the Samaritan Pentateuch. (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.937)
Num 21:11 is immediately followed by Dt 2:9 in the Samaritan Pentateuch. (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.937)
Num 21:12 is immediately followed by Dt 2:17-19 in the Samaritan Pentateuch. (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.937)
Num 21:20 is immediately followed by Dt 2:24-29,31 in the Samaritan Pentateuch. (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.937)
Num 22:20; 23:4,5,16 "God" vs. "an angel of God" Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5)
Num 24:17 (uncertain) vs. "the skulls" in the Samaritan Pentateuch
Num 26:17 "Arod" vs. "Arodi" in the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Syriac
Num 26:23 "through Puvah/Puwah/Puwwah, the Punite" (many Hebrew manuscripts) vs. "through "Pu’ah, the Puite" in the Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch, Vulgate, and Syriac.
Num 26:39 "Shephupham" vs. "Shupham" in the Samaritan Pentateuch, Vulgate, Syriac, Septuagint, and some Massoretic manuscripts
Num 26:40 absent vs. "through Ard" in the Samaritan Pentateuch and Vulgate
Num 27:23 the Samaritan Pentateuch adds "and said to him and then adds Deuteronomy 3:21-22.) The Expositor’s Bible Commentaryvol.2 p.94
Num 32:29,31,33 "Gad … Reuben" 3 times ( Massoretic, 4Q23) vs. "Reuben … Gad" 3 times (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint)
Num 33:8 "from before Hahiroth" vs. "Pi Hahiroth" in the Samaritan Pentateuch, Vulgate, and many Massoretic manuscripts
Dt 1:8 "The Lord" vs. "I" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint)
Dt 2:8 and 10:6-7 are based on Num 20:17-18 and Num 33:31-38a in the Samaritan Pentateuch. (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.937)
Dt 5:5 "word" vs. "words" (Dead Sea Scrolls, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum)
Dt 5:21 is immediately followed by Dt 27:2-7 in the Samaritan Pentateuch. (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.937)
Dt 9:24 "I have known" vs. "he has known" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint)
Dt 9:28 "Lest the land" vs. "Lest the people of the land" (Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch)
Dt 11:14 "I" vs. "he" (Samaritan Pentateuch, some Septuagint, Vulgate, a mezuzah quotation from the Dead Sea Scrolls)
Dt 12:5 "place where the LORD your God will choose" (Massoretic) vs. "place where the LORD has chosen" (Samaritan Pentateuch)
Dt 20:8 "lest the heart of his brothers faint" (Massoretic, Targum) vs. "lest he make his brother’s heart faint" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate)
Dt 25:1 "his private parts" vs. "his flesh" (Samaritan Pentateuch)
Dt 27:4 "Mount Ebal" vs. "Mount Gerizim" (Samaritan Pentateuch and Old Latin) [The Samaritans likely changed this to improve their claim that Gerizim, not Jerusalem, was the mountain where they should worship.]
Dt 28:30 changes "grabbed his private parts" (sgl) to "grabbed his flesh" (yshbn)
Dt 28:11 "cattle … ground" (Massoretic, some Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch) vs. "g[round, … c[attle]" (4QDeut( c ), some Septuagint)
Dt 30:9 "cattle … ground" (Massoretic) vs. "ground … cattle" (4Deut(b), Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint) The Dead Sea Scrolls Biblep.187
Dt 31:7 "You will go" vs. "You will bring" (Some Massoretic text, Samaritan Pentateuch, Vulgate)
Dt 32:6 "he repented" vs. "he forgave" (Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5)
Dt 32:10 "found him" vs. "sustained him" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint)
Dt 32:15 "Jeshurun" vs. "Jacob ate his fill; Jeshurun" (Dead Sea scrolls, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint)
Dt 32:43 "cleans his land his people" vs. "cleans the land for his people") Dead Sea Scrolls, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate)
Dt 32:44 "Hoshea" (Massoretic) vs. "Joshua" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate) Hosea was Joshua’s name prior to Moses renaming him.
Dt 33:2 "He came from Ribebot-kodesh" vs. "with him were myriads of holy ones" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate)
Dt 33:12 "will dwell securely upon him" (Massoretic) vs. "will dwell securely" (Samaritan Pentateuch) vs. "upon God" (Septuagint, Dead Sea scroll 4Q35)
Dt 34:10 "there arose not again a prophet like Moses in Israel vs. "there will not arise again" (Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5)
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The
first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the
Yahuah thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk, that one
doing this as sacrifice forgets and enrages God of Jacob (Exodus 23:19
Samaritan Torah)
"Bring
the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.
"Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk. (Exodus 23:19 Masoretic
Torah)
Notice how the prohibition
in the Samaritan has an edition to it, “that
one doing this as sacrifice forgets and enrages God of Jacob”. This is
left out from the Masoretic?
You shall no add or
subtract!
And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat
sons and daughters. And they were all days of Shem six hundred years and he
is dying. (Genesis 11:11 Samaritan Torah)
----------------------
And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad
500 years and had other sons and daughters. (Genesis 11:11 Masoretic
Torah)
|
You shall not add or subtract
|
|
And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah three hundred and three years
(303), and begat sons and daughters. And they were all days of Arphaxad eight
and thirty years and four hundred years (438) and he is dying. (Genesis 11:13
Samaritan Torah)
---------------------
And after he became the father of Shelah,
Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. (Genesis
11:13 Masoretic Torah)
|
|
You shall not add or
subtract
And
lived Salah thirty years and one hundred years (130), and begat Eber:And Salah lived after he begat Eber three hundred and three years, and
begat sons and daughters. And they were all days of Salah three and thirty
years and four hundred years (433), and he is dying. (Genesis 11:14-15 Samaritan Torah)
---------------
When
Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. And after he became
the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
(Genesis 11:14-15 Masoretic Torah)
You shall not add or
subtract
When
Eber was 34 years old, he became the father of Peleg. And after he
became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and
daughters. (Genesis 11:16-17 Masoretic Torah)
----------
And
Eber lived four and thirty and hundred years (130), and begat Peleg: And
Eber lived after he begat Peleg two hundred and seventy years, and begat sons
and daughters. And they were all days of Eber four years and four hundred years
(404), and he is dying. (Genesis 11:16-17 Samaritan Torah)
You
shall not add or subtract
And
Nahor lived nine and seventy years (79), and begat Terah: And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an sixty and nine years (69), and
begat sons and daughters. And they were all days of Nahor eight and forty years
and hundred years (148), and he is dying (Genesis
11:24-25 Samaritan Torah)
---------------
When
Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. And after he
became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and
daughters. (Genesis 11:24-25 Masoretic Torah)
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And
also of the son of this maid I will make a” GREAT NATION” , because he is your
descendent. (Genesis 21:13 Samaritan Torah)
Compare with
And
also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. (Genesis 21:13 Masoretic Torah)
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Notice
how the Masoretic Torah left out the word “GREAT” and just used nation, whereas
the Samaritan Torah explicitly says “GREAT NATION” together. A similar
alteration of the text regarding Ishmael is found in Genesis 16:12
He will be a FRUITFUL MAN; his hand will be with everyone and
everyone's hand will be with him, and he will live among all his
brothers."(Genesis 16:12 Samaritan text)
Compare with
He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and
everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his
brothers." (Genesis 16:12 Masoretic text)
Makes
you wonder why did the Masoretic Torah hide those text which are found in the
Samaritan Torah? What were they trying to achieve my making Ishmael look less
important than Isaac his brother? It’s obvious the Jews knew something special
about Ismael which they tried to hide
but failed.
--------------------------------
Samaritan or
Masoretic?
And Maryaam and
Aahrron spoke about Mooshe because of THE BEAUTIFUL woman whom he had married.
For he had married A BEAUTIFUL woman, (Numbers 12:1 Samaritan Torah)
compare with
And Miriam and Aaron
spoke AGAINST Moses because of THE CUSHITE woman whom he had married; for he
had married A CUSHITE woman. (Numbers
12:1 Masoretic Torah)
WHICH VERSION IS
CORRECT?
--------------------
Christians claim they have answers to questions posed by Muslims. If that's the case, Christians should be able to answer this simple question with ease.
Which version is correct?
when He [God] separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God. (Deuteronomy 32:8 Septuagint Torah)
-----------------------
when He [God] divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. (Deuteronomy 32:8 Masoretic Torah)
-----------------------------------
a) angels of God
b) sons of Israel
if A is correct, then B is wrong, or vice versa. this would mean a tampering has taken place between the two, the question is which one?
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The
traditional view that Moses was the author of the Torah came under increasing
and detailed scrutiny in the 17th century. In 1651 Thomas Hobbes, in chapter 33
of Leviathan, cited several passages, such as Deuteronomy 34:6 ("no man
knoweth of his sepulchre to this day", implying an author living long
after Moses' death); Numbers 21:14 (referring to a previous book of Moses'
deeds) and Genesis 12:6 ("and the Canaanite was then in the land",
implying an author living in a time when the Canaanite was no longer in the
land); and concluded that none of these could be by Moses. Others, including
Isaac de la Peyrère, Baruch Spinoza, Richard Simon, and John Hampden came to
the same conclusion, but their works were condemned, several of them were
imprisoned and forced to recant, and an attempt was made on Spinoza's life
