Textual variants in the Numbers concerns textual variants in the Hebrew Bible found in the Book of Numbers.
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.
Numbers 22:1
{{Script/Hebrew|בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣ות מֹואָ֔ב – WLC[1] [2]
{{Script/Hebrew|בערבת מואב – SP
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἐπὶ δυσμῶν Μωὰβ||on the west of Moab{{sfn|Brenton|1879|p=206 – LXX[3] LXX Brenton ABP[4]
The words arabah/aravá ("steppe", "desert", "plain"), érev ("evening", "sunset") and ma'aráv ("west") are all etymologically related to each other, and maybe also cognates of words such as "Europe" (see Europe § Name) and "Arab" (see Etymology of Arab).[5] See also Numbers 31:12.
Numbers 31:12
{{Script/Hebrew|עַֽרְבֹ֣ת מוֹאָ֔ב – WLC
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἀραβὼθ Μωάβ,||Araboth Moab,{{r|Swete-num31 – LXX Brenton
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: αραβώθ Μωάβ||[the] wilderness of Moab{{r|ABP-num31 – ABP
It is unclear whether the Hebrew original meant a general geographical feature ('plains/desert/wilderness') or a specific toponym (probably the region now known as "Arabah"),[6] or whether Greek translators failed to translate ‘ar-ḇōṯ as a general geographical feature and turned it into a specific toponym, and hence the Arabah region got its name from this toponymisation. See also Numbers 22:1.
Numbers 31:15
{{Script/Hebrew|וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מֹשֶׁ֑ה הַֽחִיִּיתֶ֖ם כָּל־נְקֵבָֽה׃ – MT[7] [8]
{{Script/Hebrew|וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מֹשֶׁ֑ה למה הַֽחִיִּיתֶ֖ם כָּל־נְקֵבָֽה׃ – SP
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς Ἵνα τί ἐζωγρήσατε πᾶν θῆλυ;||And Moses said to them: 'Why did you take/catch/save alive every female?|label=none – LXX[9]
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς ινατί ἐζωγρήσατε πᾶν θῆλυ||And Moses said to them: 'Why did you take/catch/save alive every female?|label=none – ABP[10] Brenton
Numbers 31:16
{{Script/Hebrew|לִמְסָר־מַ֥עַל בַּיהוָ֖ה – MT[11]
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: τοῦ ἀποστῆσαι καὶ ὑπεριδεῖν τὸ ῥῆμα Κυρίου||of their leaving / moving away from and disgarding the word of the Lord|label=none – LXX ABP Brenton. ἀποστῆσαι is a cognate of the English word "apostasy".
See also Numbers 31 § Tabernacle desecration hypothesis.
Numbers 31:16
{{Script/Hebrew|עַל־דְּבַר־פְּעֹ֑ור – MT
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἕνεκεν Φογώρ||because of Phogor|label=none – LXX ABP Brenton
Numbers 31:17
{{Script/Hebrew|וְעַתָּ֕ה הִרְג֥וּ כָל־זָכָ֖ר בַּטָּ֑ף – MT[12]
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: καὶ νῦν ἀποκτείνατε πᾶν ἀρσενικὸν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ ἀπαρτίᾳ||And now kill every male among all the spoils/captivity/chattel<ref name="Brenton Numbers 31">{{Cite web |url=https://biblehub.com/sep/numbers/31.htm |title=Numbers 31 Brenton's Septuagint Translation |author=[[Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton]] |work=Biblehub.com |date=1851 |access-date=13 May 2022 – LXX ABP Brenton
Numbers 31:17
{{Script/Hebrew|וְכָל־אִשָּׁ֗ה יֹדַ֥עַת אִ֛ישׁ לְמִשְׁכַּ֥ב זָכָ֖ר הֲרֹֽגוּ׃ – MT
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: καὶ πᾶσαν γυναῖκα ἥτις ἔγνωκεν κοίτην ἄρσενος ἀποκτείνατε·||And every woman who knew [the] marriage-bed of a man, kill!{{r|ABP-num31 – LXX ABP
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: πᾶσαν γυναῖκα, ἥτις ἔγνωκεν κοίτην ἄρσενος, ἀποκτείνατε.||slay every woman, who has known the lying with man.{{r|Brenton Numbers 31 – Brenton
Compare Judges 21:11.
Numbers 31:18
{{Script/Hebrew|וְכֹל֙ הַטַּ֣ף בַּנָּשִׁ֔ים – WLC
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: πᾶσαν τὴν ἀπαρτίαν τῶν γυναικῶν||All the spoils/captivity/chattel of the women|label=none – LXX
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀπαρτίαν τῶν γυναικῶν,||And [as for] all the captivity of women{{r|Brenton Numbers 31 – Brenton
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: και πάσαν την απαρτίαν των γυναικών||And all the chattel of the women{{r|ABP-num31 – ABP
Numbers 31:18
{{Script/Hebrew|אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יָדְע֖וּ מִשְׁכַּ֣ב זָכָ֑ר – WLC
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἥτις οὐκ οἶδεν κοίτην ἄρσενος,||who have not known a/the male bed,|label=none– LXX
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἥτις οὐκ οἶδε κοίτην ἄρσενος,||who have not known the lying with man,{{r|Brenton Numbers 31 – Brenton ABP
Numbers 31:18
{{Script/Hebrew|הַחֲי֖וּ לָכֶֽם׃ – WLC
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ζωγρήσατε αὐτάς.||save ye them alive / take/capture them alive / for life!|label=none– LXX Brenton ABP
Compare Judges 21:11
Numbers 32:1
{{Script/Hebrew|גָ֖ד – MT[13] [14]
{{Script/Hebrew|גד ולחצי שבט המנשה – [4QNum<sup>b</sup>] SP
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Γαδ||Gad|label=none – LXX[15] ABP[16] Brenton[17]
Compare Numbers 32:33
Numbers 32:2
{{Script/Hebrew|בְנֵֽי־גָ֖ד וּבְנֵ֣י רְאוּבֵ֑ן – MT[18]
{{Script/Hebrew|בני גד ובני ראובן וחצי שבט המנשה – SP
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: οἱ υἱοὶ Ρουβην καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Γαδ||the sons of Rouben and the sons of Gad|label=none – LXX ABP Brenton
Numbers 32:3
{{Script/Hebrew|וְנִמְרָ֔ה – MT SP[19]
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: καὶ Ναμβρα||and Nambra|label=none – LXX Brenton
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: και Ναμβρών||and Nambron|label=none – ABP
Numbers 32:4
{{Script/Hebrew|הִ֑וא – MT,[20] see also
{{Script/Hebrew|היא – SP, see also
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἐστίν||is|label=none – LXX
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: εστί||is|label=none – ABP Brenton
Numbers 32:6
{{Script/Hebrew|לִבְנֵי־גָ֖ד וְלִבְנֵ֣י רְאוּבֵ֑ן – MT[21]
{{Script/Hebrew|לבני ראובן ולבני גד ולחצי שבט המנשה – [4QNum{{sup|b}}] SP
Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: τοῖς υἱοῖς Γαδ καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς Ρουβην||to the sons of Gad and (to) the sons of Rouben|label=none – LXX ABP Brenton