John C. Beckman

Chapter 40The Hebrew Bible

Accents, Pausal Forms, Hebrew Bibles, Masoretic Notes,

& How to Prepare a Passage for Class

2017.04.03

Reading Biblical Hebrew

2RoadmapSof PasuqAccentsPausal FormsHebrew BiblesMasoretic NotesHow to Prepare a Passage

3

Sof Pasuq

4Sof Pasuq (סוק Groups Words into Verses׃ (סוף פSof Pasuq (סוק (סוף פ• Looks like a large colon ׃• The dots are diamond-shaped in many fonts

Occurs immediately after the last word of every verse in the Bible• Groups all preceding words (since the last ׃) into a verse• Make sense out of the preceding words

as a group before moving on.

Not part of the original text• Missing in all Dead Sea scrolls, etc.• Present in vocalized Hebrew manuscripts

5Sof Pasuq (סוק Groups Words into Verses׃ (סוף פ

רץ׃ 1 א ת ה א ים ו מ ת הש ים א א אלה ר ית ב ראש רץ 2ב א ה וים וח אלה ר ום ו ה י ת נ שך על־פ ח הו ו ב הו ו ה ת ת י ה

ים׃ ני המ פת על־פ רח ור 3מ י א ה ים י וי אמר אלהור׃ הי־א י דל 4ו וב ויב ור כי־ט א ים את־ה א אלה וי ר

שך׃ ין הח ור וב א ין ה ים ב ום 5אלה אור י ים׀ ל א אלה ר ויקד׃ פ קר יום אח הי־ב י הי־ערב ו י ה ו ל י א ל ר שך ק לח ו

6

Accents

7Placement of Hebrew AccentsAlmost every word has an accent• A word followed by maqqaf lacks an accent

• E.g., no accent on כי in וב כי־טUsually with first consonant of accented syllable• Over רץ א ה ו• Under ה ת י ה• Some accents at the beginning (רץ א אור ) or the end (ה of a word (ל

Accented syllable• Usually the last syllable of a word ית ראש ב• Sometimes the penult שך ח ו

8Secondary AccentsAlmost every word has an accent

Words with 3 or more syllables might have additional accents• The additional accents are called secondary accents• The additional accents help with pronunciation and sometimes parsing• They do NOT indicate the pitch or the relationships between words• ‘Accents’ in this lecture does not include secondary accents

Meteg תגמ ( ) is the most common secondary accent

9Functions of AccentsAccents indicate pitch for chanting the text in unison• Called ‘cantillation marks’• Each accent indicates a series of pitches for the word• Multiple musical systems exist

Most accents tell us the accented syllable• Pronunciation• Sometimes helps with parsing ה מ ק vs. ה מ ק

Accents indicate relationships between words• Tell us which words belong together

• Group words into phrases and clauses• Indicate poetic lines

10Two Systems of Accents in the Hebrew Bible‘Poetic system’ of 19 accents• Psalms, Proverbs, and Job 3:3–42:6

Main system of 26 accents• The rest of the Bible• This lecture will discuss the main system

The two systems are very similar• Both have a set of disjunctive accents that operate in a hierarchy• Both have a set of conjunctive accents without hierarchy• Most of accents exist in both systems with the same meaning• A few accents are in one system but not the other

11Accent Hierarchy 0: Sof Pasuq סוק סוף פ ׃0. Sof Pasuq סוק׃ סוף פ groups words into verses

ור׃ 3 הי־א י ור ו י א ה ים י ור 4וי אמר אלה א ים את־ה א אלה וי רשך׃ ין הח ור וב א ין ה ים ב דל אלה וב ויב כי־ט

• Sof pasuq comes after the last word of each verse• Sof pasuq is not an accent• Sof pasuq groups words as if it were the top-level accent

• Disjunctive accents create a hierarchy of subgroups within the verse• Group extends from the accented word to the right

12Accent Hierarchy 1: Silluq וק סל and Atnaḥח נ אתDisjunctive accents group words up to the preceding same-level accent

1. Silluq וק סל and atnaḥח נ את form two subgroups within each verse

רץ׃ א ת ה א ים ו מ ת הש ים א א אלה ר ית ב ראש ב

• Silluq וק סל looks like meteg• Occurs on the last word of every verse

• Atnaḥח נ את looks like an upside-down ‘v’• Some verses lack atnaḥ

• If there is no atnaḥ, then silluq groups the entire verse

13Accent Hierarchy 2: Tifḥa א ח Zaqef ,טפ Qaton ון ט .etc ,זקף ק

2. Tifḥa א ח segolta ,טפ א ת גול zaqef ,ס qaton ון ט ,זקף קand zaqef gadol זקף גדול subdivide the silluq and atnaḥ regions

תי׃ ע א יד י ל כ נ א ה ו ום הז ק ה במ הו ש י כן י אמר א נתו וי ב מש ץ יעק וייק

Below this level of the hierarchy, there are two more levels of embedded regions.

In every level of the hierarchy, there may be words with conjunctive accents that do not start a new embedded region• E.g., the merka accent on א ל and the munaḥ accent on ש י and ץ וייק

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Pausal Forms

15Major Accents May Change Spelling of Their WordA word with a major disjunctive accent may change spelling (pausal form)• Silluq וק סל• Atnaḥח נ את• Zaqef qaton ון ט זקף ק• Pausal forms are rare or non-existent with other accents

Pausal form• Accent may shift ה האת ת א• Vowel may change (with or without an accent shift)

• Often becomes qamats ה האת ת א• This even happens with shva ה ד ב הא ד ב א

16On 4 Words, 2ms Pronominal Suffix in Pause Looks Like 2fs

• ך ל ך ל to you (ms or fs)

• ך ב ך ב in you (ms or fs)

• ך את ך את with you (ms or fs)

• ך ת א ך ת א you (ms or fs)

• If a ‘2fs’ pronominal suffix occurs on those 4 words (תא ,ל ,ב תא , ) with a

major accent, consider the possibility that it is 2ms.

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Hebrew Bibles

18The Leningrad Codex vs. The Aleppo CodexLeningrad Codex• Dated 1008. The oldest complete copy of the Hebrew Bible• Reprinted with critical notes as BHS and BHQ (see next slide)• Used in most Bible software as ‘the Hebrew Bible’

Aleppo Codex• 10th century (so older than Leningrad Codex)• Most authoritative extant manuscript of the Hebrew Bible• About ¼ of it was lost in anti-Jewish riot of 1948

• Almost all of Pentateuch is lost• Basis for the in-progress Hebrew University Bible (where extant)

19BHS and BHQBHS = Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia• The old standard edition of the Hebrew Bible used by pastors and scholars.• The text of the Leningrad codex is reproduced as is• Some very selective, difficult-to-use text-critical notes at the bottom.

BHQ = Biblia Hebraica Quinta• To replace BHS when completed (2020 at the soonest)• The text of the Leningrad codex is reproduced as is• More thorough and readable text critical notes• Explanations of the masoretic notes

20Book Order for BHS = Tanakh ך”תנ ה תור Torah• Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

בי םיא נ . Prophets• Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, <the 12>• The 12 = Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nathum, Habakkuk,

Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

תובי םכ . Writings• Psalms, Job, Proverbs• Ruth, Song of Songs, Qohelet, Lamentations, Esther• Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles

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Masoretic Notes

22Three Kinds of Masoretic NotesMasora Parva = Small Masora• Short notes in the outside margin of the page

Masora Magna = Large Masora• Usually a list of the other occurrences of a word.• BHS: Arabic numbers in the margin point to other numbers at the bottom of

the page, which are the index to the full note in a separate book.• BHQ: Full note given in unpointed Aramaic. Commentary explains the notes.

Masoretic notes at the end of each book• Usually states the number of verses in the book.• Sometimes gives additional information of that sort.

23Reading the Small MasoraCircle over a word Note on that word• E.g., ה ז מח ב in Genesis 15:1

Circle between words Note on the phrase• E.g., ים ר ב להאחר ׀ הד א ה in Genesis 15:1

Go to the outside margin to find the note• Notes are in heavily abbreviated Aramaic.• BHQ translates and discusses the notes.

Multiple notes on a line are separated with .• Ordered right to left

242 Useful Notes in the Small Masorathere are no other occurences =ל of this spelling• E.g., ה ז מח ב in Genesis 15:1• Either a very rare word or a misspelling.• The Leningrad Codex may have a ‘typo’ in this word

Qere =ק • Don’t read the consonants in the text.• Read the vowels in the text

with the consonants above ק in the marginal note.

25Understanding Ketiv-QereKetiv תיב = כ (Aramaic) = ‘[what is] written’• The consonants in the text• Don’t read them. They do NOT go with the vowels.

Qere רי = ק (Aramaic) = ‘[what is] read’• The consonants in the margin. Read them with the vowels in the text

• Text ואיב vowels ◌ו + Qere consonants ואוב Read ואוב• Usually correcting spelling, but sometimes changes parsing!

Perpetual Qere• So common that there is no circle or note• E.g., הוה ני =י אד

26Practice Reading Ketiv-QereKetib Qere What to Read

Ruth 2:1 דע מי מודעRuth 1:8 עשה י יעשRuth 4:6 ול א לג לגאלRuth 3:3 י ת רד י ו וירדתRuth 3:12 אםRuth 4:4 ע ד א ו ואדעהRuth 3:3 ך לת שמ שמלתיךRuth 3:6 אליEsther 1:16 ן ומכ מ ממוכן

מודעעש יל א לגת רד י ו

Nothingה ע ד א ו

לתיך שמאלי

ן מוכ מ

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How to Prepare a Passage

28What it Means to ‘Prepare a Passage’In Hebrew classes, you will be expected to ‘prepare’ a particular passage

This means that you will come to class able to do the following, with only the Hebrew text in front of you:• Read it out loud in Hebrew• Parse all the verbs• Translate

The following is a suggested method for preparing to do so

29Steps 1&2: Create an Interlinear1. Print the passage• 24 point Ezra SIL• Triple space• Justified both sides

2. Write these underneath the text• Translate each word• Parse each verb• Dot each non-Qal parsing• Underline non-vocab translations• Skip words that you know on sight

30Step 3: Practice Word-by-Word3. Practice word-by-word

• Pronounce, Parse & Translate• Use a 3x5 card to hide your

interlinear notes• Uncover your notes

word-by word to check yourself as you go along

31Step 4: Divide Into Chunks at Major Accents4. Divide into chunks at major accents

• Level 1 accents:• Silluq וק סל (with sof pasuq ׃)• Atnaḥח נ את

• Level 2 accents• Tifḥa א ח טפ• Segolta א ת גול ס• Zaqef qaton ון ט זקף ק• Zaqef gadol זקף גדול

32Steps 5&6: Practice Chunk-By-Chunk5. Practice chunk-by-chunk

using your interlinear with thelevel 1 and level 2 accents marked• Pronounce, Translate, & Parse• Use a 3x5 card as usual

6. Practice chunk-by-chunkusing an unmarked Hebrew Bible• Pronounce, Translate, & Parse• No need for a 3x5 card,

because there are no notesto cover up

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Summary

34Summary: AccentsDisjunctive accents make subgroups of words within each verse• Accents form a hierarchy of embedded subgroups• Groups all of the preceding words since the last accent of the same or higher level• When you reach a level 1 or 2 accent, stop and make sense of the unit

Hierarchy (marker on the last word of each region)

0. Sof Pasuq סוק׃ סוף פ groups words into verses

1. Silluq וק סל and atnaḥח נ את2. Tifḥa א ח segolta ,טפ א ת גול zaqef ,ס qaton ון ט ,זקף ק

and zaqef gadol זקף גדול

35Summary: Pausal FormsPausal forms• May occur at major accents, especially silluq, atnaḥ, and zaqef qaton• Accent may shift ultima ↔ penult ה האת ת א• Vowel may change (with or without an accent shift)

• Often becomes qamats ה האת ת א• This even happens with shva ה ד ב הא ד ב א

• These forms look +2fs but might be +2ms if pausal:

• ך ל to you, ך ב in you, ך את with you, ך ת א you (DDO)

36Summary: Hebrew BibleLeningrad codex• Oldest complete Hebrew manuscript that is still entact (dated 1008)• Your Hebrew Bibles is probably a copy of this single manuscript• Book order differs from Christian OT book order

Ketiv-Qere• System of text criticism by the scholars who put the vowels in the text• Combine the qere consonants from the margin with the vowels in the text• E.g., Text ואיב has vowels ◌ו + Qere consonants ואוב Read ואוב• ‘Perpetual qere’ are words so common that qere consonants are not written

• E.g., הוה ני =י אד