הַיָּרֵא֙ אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה מֵֽעַבְדֵ֖י פַּרְעֹ֑ה הֵנִ֛יס אֶת־עֲבָדָ֥יו וְאֶת־מִקְנֵ֖הוּ אֶל־הַבָּתִּֽים׃
(Exodus 9:20)
Ὁ φοβούμενος τὸ ῥῆμα Κυρίου τῶν θεραπόντων Φαραω συνήγαγεν τὰ κτήνη αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς οἴκους (Exodus 9:20 LXX)
Narrative Frame
This verse sits within the account of the seventh plague — hail descending upon Mitsrayim. The text highlights a distinction within Pharaoh’s servants: some feared the word of YHWH and acted to protect their lives and livestock. What is striking is how the Hebrew and the Greek frame the action of obedience. In Hebrew, the verb הֵנִיס (“drove away, hurried away”) emphasizes urgency — a decisive, almost panicked response. In the Greek, however, συνήγαγεν (“gathered together”) presents a calmer, more orderly action. Both capture obedience, but the emotional texture differs: the Hebrew suggests alarmed haste, the Greek suggests deliberate precaution.
Grammatical Insights
The Hebrew construction begins with הַיָּרֵא (“the one fearing”), a participial phrase that identifies a class of people by their characteristic — those among Pharaoh’s servants who feared. This participial construction is mirrored in the LXX by ὁ φοβούμενος, a present middle/passive participle, showing continuity in aspect: those habitually or characteristically fearing the word of the Lord. Both languages, though structurally distinct, manage to preserve the sense of ongoing fear.
Yet, divergence occurs in the choice of main verb. Hebrew הֵנִיס (Hiphil perfect, 3rd masculine singular) from the root נוס (“to flee, drive away”) has the nuance of forceful removal. The subject here acts decisively, causing his servants and cattle to take refuge. Greek συνήγαγεν (aorist active indicative, 3rd singular from συνάγω) simply means “gathered together.” The Hebrew portrays urgency, the Greek portrays organization.
Lexical Nuances
The Hebrew noun דְּבַר (“word, matter”) paired with יְהוָה is rendered by the Greek τὸ ῥῆμα κυρίου. While δάβαρ has a wide semantic field in Hebrew, ranging from speech to event, ῥῆμα emphasizes spoken utterance. The Greek translators here chose to highlight the auditory quality of YHWH’s warning.
Additionally, עֲבָדָיו (“his servants”) and מִקְנֵהוּ (“his livestock”) are rendered in Greek with τὰ κτήνη αὐτοῦ (“his possessions, cattle”), and τῶν θεραπόντων Φαραω (“the servants of Pharaoh”). The Greek shifts the possession slightly: instead of Pharaoh’s servants themselves fearing, the Greek stresses “the one fearing among Pharaoh’s servants.” This subtle difference personalizes the obedience in Greek, while Hebrew leaves it broader and collective.
Word Order and Emphasis
The Hebrew structure pushes the divine word forward: הַיָּרֵא אֶת־דְּבַר יְהוָה places the object “the word of YHWH” at the center of the clause. In contrast, the Greek opens with ὁ φοβούμενος τὸ ῥῆμα κυρίου, which more smoothly integrates fear and divine word into a single unit. Both emphasize reverence for God’s speech, but Hebrew dramatizes it by keeping “the word of YHWH” as a weighty direct object.
Morphological Comparison Table
| Hebrew Word | Greek Translation | Grammatical Notes | Translation Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| הַיָּרֵא | ὁ φοβούμενος | Hebrew Qal participle ms; Greek present middle/passive participle. | Direct equivalence in participial form and function. |
| דְּבַר יְהוָה | τὸ ῥῆμα Κυρίου | Hebrew construct “word of YHWH”; Greek accusative phrase. | Lexical choice: δάβαρ → ῥῆμα emphasizes utterance rather than matter. |
| הֵנִיס | συνήγαγεν | Hebrew Hiphil perfect 3ms; Greek aorist active indicative 3sg. | Interpretive shift from “drove out” to “gathered together.” |
| עֲבָדָיו וּמִקְנֵהוּ | τὰ κτήνη αὐτοῦ | Hebrew: servants + livestock; Greek condenses to “cattle.” | Simplification, focusing on property rather than dual elements. |
| אֶל־הַבָּתִּים | εἰς τοὺς οἴκους | Hebrew preposition “to, into”; Greek εἰς + accusative. | Literal equivalence. |
Theological Implications
The translation difference between הֵנִיס and συνήγαγεν subtly reshapes the theology of obedience. In Hebrew, obedience is marked by urgency — those fearing YHWH’s word scramble to safety. In Greek, obedience appears methodical — the faithful gather what is theirs and secure it. Both carry theological weight: Hebrew highlights fear-driven haste, Greek highlights rational preparedness. Together, they portray obedience as both urgent and organized, reflecting a fuller spectrum of what it means to respond to God’s warnings.
The Translator’s Whisper
The Septuagint’s rendering of this verse reminds us that translation is never neutral. The Hebrew draws the reader into the drama of imminent danger and frantic movement. The Greek, by softening the motion into “gathering,” creates an image of thoughtful precaution. In this whisper of difference lies a powerful truth: divine reverence can produce many shapes of obedience — hurried or calm, frantic or composed. What matters is not the tempo but the turning toward God’s word.
