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The Masoretic Hebrew text of Exodus 26:3 uses the unusual idiom “a woman to her sister” to describe the joining of tabernacle curtains. The Samaritan Pentateuch replaces this with a more literal expression, removing the idiom.
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Exodus 26:3
Hebrew Bible
1 “The tabernacle itself you are to make with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet; you are to make them with cherubim that are the work of an artistic designer. 2 The length of each curtain is to be 42 feet, and the width of each curtain is to be 6 feet—the same size for each of the curtains. 3 Five curtains are to be joined, a woman to her sister9, and the other five curtains are to be joined, a woman to her sister9. 4 You are to make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and in the same way you are to make loops in the outer edge of the end curtain in the second set. 5 You are to make 50 loops on the one curtain, and you are to make 50 loops on the end curtain which is on the second set, so that the loops are opposite one to another.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Samaritan Exodus 26:3
Samaritan Penteteuch
Samaritan
1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. 2 The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure. 3 And five curtains shall be coupled together one to one; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to one. 4 And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. 5 Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another.
Date: 130-120 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... In the same way it is employed: in addition to its primary meaning “friend,” it may also denote kinsman. The expression occurs sixteen times in the Pentateuch (Genesis 11:3, 7; 15:10; 31:49; 43:33; Exodus 11:2; 18:7, 16; 21:14, 18; 22:6, 9, 13; 32:27; 33:11; Deuteronomy 22:26). In all these instances, the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Masoretic text exhibit the same reading. This is equally true of the 16 occurrences of the term of speech (Genesis 9:5; 13:11; 26:31; 37:19; 42:21, 28; Exodus 10:23; 16:15; 32:27, 29; Leviticus 7:10; 25:46; 26:37; Numbers 14:4; Deuteronomy 1:16; 25:11). As against this, in two cases in which the expression is not applied to human beings, the text of the Samaritan Pentateuch differs from that of the Masoretic text (Exodus 25:20; 26:3; 37:9) ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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Interesting, in this case it looks like the Samaritan bible has removed an idiom from the original Hebrew?