There are numerous places in the NT that quote the OT. Very rarely do they quote it verbatim - the quote is often paraphraistic and sometimes even changes the meaning. Here are some examples:
Example 1:
Isa 40:3-5 - A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity together will see it."
Luke 3:4-6 - as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill made low. The crooked ways shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth. And all humanity will see God’s salvation.'"
Example 2:
Isa 9:1, 2 - Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
Matt 4:15, 16 - Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
Example 3:
Isa 42:4 - He will not grow weak or discouraged before He has established justice on the earth. In His law the islands will put their hope.”
Matt 12:21 - And in His name the Gentiles will hope.
Example 4:
Isa 29:13 - Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.
Matt 15:8, 9 - These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’
Example 5:
Ps 8:2 - From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger.
Matt 21:16 - Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?”
Example 6:
Joel 2:28-32 - And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem.
Acts 2:17-21 - No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.
Example 7:
Ps 16:8-11 - I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
Acts 2:25-28 - David says about Him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell in hope, because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence.’
There are hundreds more.
In all these examples, were see obvious differences and there are at least three reasons for these differences:
- When the NT writers quote the OT they are often (not always) quoting not from the Hebrew Bible but from the common translation then in use - the Greek Septuagint. Thus, they were quoting a translation, not the original text.
- This Septuagint translation had several variants with text added in some places and deleted in other places and reworded in still further places.
- The inspired NT writers often felt free to paraphrase the text rather than quote it verbatim. Since they were inspired, by the same Spirit that inspired the OT writers, they were free to do this.
Thus, it is not surprising they we see variants between the OT text and the quotes in the NT.