Repetition & Redundancy in the Scriptures

Recently my thoughts have returned to the phenomena of repetition, duplication, and redundancy in the Bible.

This occurs on several levels: entire passages running many verses of one book that are repeated word-for-word either in same book or different book (people are often surprised by this!); sometimes there are partial verses or lengthy phrases that reappear again and again; individual words are repeated (like "Holy, Holy, Holy"); and of course, more broadly there are similar pericopae & teachings that found in several places (thus the title we use for Deuteronomy).

Some scholars have suggested that the redundancy in the scriptures was part of God's plan for the preservation of His words. Redundancy is not necessarily a bad thing (ask an IT person).

I have personally explored the first two levels above in minor ways, and I began to keep a list virtually verbatim passages and verses. But I know there must be many more that I haven't noticed, so I am seeking assistance: if you are familar with what are essentially duplicate verses from the canonical books of the Protestant Bible would you please include the references in a post in this thread. Let's exclude the obvious: material shared among the synoptic gospels in the NT, and the parallels between Kings-Samuel-Chronicles in the OT.

Thanks!

 

I'll get us started. Here is an example of some nearly identical verses from Psalm 42 & Psalm 43 (KJV) --

42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and [why] art thou disquieted in me?
hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him [for] the help of his countenance.

42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God:
for I shall yet praise him, [who is] the health of my countenance, and my God.

43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God:
for I shall yet praise him, [who is] the health of my countenance, and my God. ​

Because psalms are poetic it is not uncommon to find parallel lines. You might take notice of the similarities and differences. The appearance of the same words in Psalm 43 may indicate that it might have been at one time included with what we call Psalm 42.
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Psalm 14 above & Psalm 53 below are an example of two psalms almost wholly the same (KJV) --

The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God.
They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, [there is] none that doeth good.
The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand,
[and] seek God.
They are all gone aside, they are [all] together become filthy: [there is] none that doeth good, no, not one.
Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people [as] they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
There were they in great fear: for God [is] in the generation of the righteous.
Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD [is] his refuge.
Oh that the salvation of Israel [were come] out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people,
Jacob shall rejoice, [and] Israel shall be glad. ​

The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God.
Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: [there is] none that doeth good.
God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were [any] that did understand,
that did seek God.
Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; [there is] none that doeth good, no, not one.
Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people [as] they eat bread: they have not called upon God.
There were they in great fear, [where] no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth [against] thee: thou hast put [them] to shame, because God hath despised them.
Oh that the salvation of Israel [were come] out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people,
Jacob shall rejoice, [and] Israel shall be glad.
​

 

Here are a few lengthy passages (including entire chapters): II Kings 18:13-20:11 & Isaiah 36:1-22:8,
and II Kings 24:18-25:30 & Jeremiah 52.

(too long, you'll have to look them up yourself)

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II Chronicles 36:22-23 above & Ezra 1:1-3 below (KJV) --

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD [spoken] by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and [put it] also in writing, saying,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah. Who [is there] among you of all his people? The LORD his God [be] with him, and let him go up. ​

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom,
and [put it] also in writing, saying,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah.
Who [is there] among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he [is] the God,) which [is] in Jerusalem. ​

An in-depth analysis between these two passages can be seen here:
http://www.baptistboard.com/showthread.php?t=58720

 

Psalm 40:13-17 & Psalm 70
Psalms 57:7-11 + 60:5-12 & Psalm 108

Notice that in the alike pairs of Psalms, they each appear in a different 'book'.

 

Proverbs 19:25 & Proverb 21:11 doesn't really qualify; but it is still interesting --

Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware:
and reprove one that hath understanding,
[and] he will understand knowledge.

When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise:
and when the wise is instructed,
he receiveth knowledge. ​

 

1 Chronicles 16:14-22 & Pslam 105:7-15
http://www.baptistboard.com/showthread.php?t=62236

Isaiah 2:2-4 & Micah 4:1-3
http://www.baptistboard.com/showthread.php?t=57806

 

I know there is a Psalm that repeats the same verse several times within itself, but I can't find it just now. Ironically, a new one to me just leapt off the pages at 106 & 107! After a quick computer search, I found more matching verses --

1Ch 16:34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever.
Psa 106:1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.
Psa 107: 1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.
Psa 118: 1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: because his mercy [endureth] for ever.
Psa 118:29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.
Psa 136: 1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever. ​

If you memorize one, you've memorized them all!

 

I should also suggest that it is unnecessary to provide NT quotations of the Old Testament. Those are already well documented.

 

Found it! It was Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31 (KJV) --

Oh that [men] would praise the LORD [for] his goodness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men!
Oh that [men] would praise the LORD [for] his goodness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men!
Oh that [men] would praise the LORD [for] his goodness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men!
Oh that [men] would praise the LORD [for] his goodness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men! ​

Perhaps some one would like to check their own different translation to see if these verses are also rendered identically within it.

 

Duplicate proverbs are Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25 (KJV) --

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.
There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death. ​

I copy all the verses independantly so that I capture any differences, including punctuation, italicizing, or capitalization. Notice here that one translation has "which" while the other has "that".

And Proverbs 18:8 & 26:2 (KJV) --

The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. ​

 

How about the two matching verses of Psalm 96:4 & I Chronicles 16:25 (KJV) --

For the LORD [is] great, and greatly to be praised: he [is] to be feared above all gods.
For great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also [is] to be feared above all gods. ​

And another entire psalm found outside the Book of Pslams: Psalm 18 & II Samuel 22.

(sorry, too long to place here)

 

Genealogies tend to be repetitive. For example, Noah's sons are given in the exact sequence of Ham, Shem, and Japeth (KJV) --

Gen 5:32 And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Gen 6:10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Gen 7:13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;

Gen 9:18 And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham [is] the father of Canaan.

Gen 10:1 Now these [are] the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

1Ch 1:4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. ​

There was a movement in the mid-20th century to produce 'Bibles' with as much of the redundancy as possible removed. Some of those versions went by such names as the Dartmouth Bible (1961, an abridgment of the KJV text edited by Roy B. Chamberlin & Herman Feldman), Shorter Bible (1925, by Charles Foster Kent), and Olive Pell Bible (1952, a condensed KJV text), The Holy Bible In Brief (1954, KJV text edited and arranged by James Reeves), Abbreviated Bible (1971, James Leslie McCary & Mark McElhaney were compilers), Compact Bible (1955), and the Reader's Digest Bible (1982, condensed RSV text).

 

Two examples of (virtually) identical verses within the same book are Judges 17:6 & 21:25 (KJV) --

In those days [there was] no king in Israel, [but] every man did [that which was] right in his own eyes.
In those days [there was] no king in Israel: every man did [that which was] right in his own eyes. ​

Same phrase: Ye shall not do after all [the things] that we do here this day, every man whatsoever [is] right in his own eyes. (Deut 12:8)

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and Matthew 11:15 & 13:9 (KJV English/TR Greek) --

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω ​

The TR Greek is actually exactly the same and therefore does not demand any difference in translation.

 

The translational difference of "God" & "LORD" between Psalm 66:1 & 100:1 is justified by the Hebrew, but otherwise the same in English (KJV) --

Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. ​

Sometimes I'll hear a line in a song or a quote of a Bible verse that sounds almost right except for a word difference, and some of those instances can be accounted for by these very similar verses (they actually are accurate, I'm just more familar with the other one)!

 

In a TR-based translation like the KJV, Mark 9:44, 46, 48 are identical --

9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
​

 

Most of Exodus 20:2-17 & Deuteronomy 5:6-21 with major differences in Black (KJV) --

Exd 20:2 ¶ I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Deu 5:6 ¶ I [am] the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Exd 20:3 ¶ Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Deu 5:7 ¶ Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

Exd 20:4 ¶ Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:
Deu 5:8 ¶ Thou shalt not make thee [any] graven image, [or] any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or
that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the waters beneath the earth:

Exd 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;
Deu 5:9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me,

Exd 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Deu 5:10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

Exd 20:7 ¶ Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Deu 5:11 ¶ Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold [him] guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Exd 20:8 ¶ Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Deu 5:12 ¶ Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

Exd 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Deu 5:13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

Exd 20:10 But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that [is] within thy gates:
Deu 5:14 But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

Exd 20:11 For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Deu 5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Exd 20:12 ¶ Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be
long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Deu 5:16 ¶ Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Exd 20:13 ¶ Thou shalt not kill.
Deu 5:17 ¶ Thou shalt not kill.

Exd 20:14 ¶ Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Deu 5:18 ¶ Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

Exd 20:15 ¶ Thou shalt not steal.
Deu 5:19 ¶ Neither shalt thou steal.

Exd 20:16 ¶ Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Deu 5:20 ¶ Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Exd 20:17 ¶ Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his
manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour's.
Deu 5:21 ¶ Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any [thing] that [is] thy neighbour's.
​

 

Identical phrases at the opening of Pauline epistles (KJV) --

2Cr 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy [our] brother, ...
Eph 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, ...
Col 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus [our] brother,
2Ti 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, ...
​

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The exact phrase of "Thus saith the LORD" occurs in over 400 verses.

The exact phrase of "according to the word of the LORD" occurs in 28 verses.

The exact phrase of "as the LORD commanded" occurs in 55 verses.

Also, the exact phrase of "all that the LORD commanded" occurs in 11 verses.

 

Nearly identical verses of Deuteronomy 15:15 & 24:18 (KJV) --

And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.

But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.
​

 

Very similar verses to those posted above are Deuteronomy 16:12 & 24:22 (KJV) --

And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.

And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.
​

 

Virtually identical phrase of they/them/those that go down into the pit (KJV) --

Num 16:30 ... and they go down quick into the pit; ...
Psa 28:1 ... I become like them that go down into the pit.
Psa 88:4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: ...
Psa 143:7 ... lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
Pro 1:12 ... as those that go down into the pit:
Isa 38:18 ... they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Eze 26:20 When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living;

Eze 32:18 ... with them that go down into the pit.
Eze 32:24 ... with them that go down to the pit.

​