Textual variants in the Hebrew Bible


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 has included study of its textual variants.
Although the Masoretic Text 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. These include the Greek Septuagint, the Syriac language Peshitta 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. 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. However, such an Urtext has never been found, and which of the three commonly known versions is closest to the Urtext is debated.

List

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 and Latin 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.

[Book of Joshua]

[Joshua 1]

Joshua 1:1

[Books of Samuel]

[2 [Samuel 8]]

2 Samuel 8:12
2 Samuel 8:12
2 Samuel 8:13
2 Samuel 8:13
2 Samuel 8:18

[Books of Kings]

[1 Kings 16]

1 Kings 16:15
1 Kings 16:15
1 Kings 16:15
1 Kings 16:15
1 Kings 16:16
1 Kings 16:16
1 Kings 16:16
1 Kings 16:16
1 Kings 16:17
1 Kings 16:18
1 Kings 16:19
1 Kings 16:19
1 Kings 16:20
1 Kings 16:21
1 Kings 16:21
1 Kings 16:22
1 Kings 16:22
1 Kings 16:28
1 Kings 16:28a
1 Kings 16:28b
1 Kings 16:28c
1 Kings 16:28d
1 Kings 16:28e
1 Kings 16:28f
1 Kings 16:28g
1 Kings 16:28h
1 Kings 16:29
1 Kings 16:30
1 Kings 16:31
1 Kings 16:32
1 Kings 16:33
1 Kings 16:33
1 Kings 16:34
1 Kings 16:34

[Song of Songs]

[Song of Songs 1]

Songs 1:1
Songs 1:3
Songs 1:5
Songs 1:5
Songs 1:6
Songs 1:13
Songs 1:14
Songs 1:16
Songs 1:17

[Song of Songs 2]

Songs 2:3
Songs 2:6
Songs 2:7
Songs 2:8
Songs 2:9
Songs 2:17

[Song of Songs 3]

Songs 3:3
Songs 3:7
Songs 3:8
Songs 3:9
Songs 3:10
Songs 3:11

[Book of Isaiah]

Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 29:13
Isaiah 40:3
Isaiah 42:19
Isaiah 53:10
Isaiah 53:11