Reading Biblical Hebrew Chapter 40 The Hebrew Bible Accents, Pausal Forms, Hebrew Bibles, Masoretic Notes, & How to Prepare a Passage for Class John C. Beckman 2017.04.03
Sof Pasuq Accents Pausal Forms Hebrew Bibles Masoretic Notes How to Prepare a Passage Roadmap 2
Sof Pasuq 3
Sof Pasuq (ס וף פ ס וק) Groups Words into Verses (ס וף פ ס וק) Sof Pasuq Looks like a large colon The dots are diamond-shaped in many fonts 4 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
Sof Pasuq (ס וף פ ס וק) Groups Words into Verses 5 1 ב ר אש ית ב ר א א לה ים א ת ה ש מ י ם ו א ת ה א ר ץ 2 ה י ת ה ת ה ו ו ב ה ו ו ח ש ך ע ל פ נ י ת ה ום ו ר וח א לה ים מ ר ח פ ת ע ל פ נ י ה מ י ם ו י ה י א ור 3 4 ו י אמ ר א לה ים י ה י א ור ו י ר א א לה ים א ת ה א ור כ י ט וב ו י ב ד ל א לה ים ב ין ה א ור וב ין ה ח ש ך 5 ו ה א ר ץ ו י ק ר א א לה ים ל א ור י ום ו ל ח ש ך ק ר א ל י ל ה ו י ה י ע ר ב ו י ה י ב ק ר י ום א ח ד פ
Accents 6
Placement of Hebrew Accents Almost every word has an accent A word followed by maqqaf lacks an accent כ י ט וב in כ י E.g., no accent on 7 Usually with first consonant of accented syllable ו ה א ר ץ Over ה י ת ה Under Some accents at the beginning א ר ץ) (ה or the end ( א ור (ל of a word Accented syllable Usually the last syllable of a word Sometimes the penult ב ר אש ית ו ח ש ך
Almost every word has an accent Secondary Accents 8 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 מ ( ) is the most common secondary accent ת ג
Functions of Accents Accents 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 Accents indicate relationships between words Tell us which words belong together Group words into phrases and clauses Indicate poetic lines ק מ ה vs. ק מ ה 9
Two Systems of Accents in the Hebrew Bible Poetic system of 19 accents Psalms, Proverbs, and Job 3:3 42:6 10 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
ס וף פ ס וק Accent Hierarchy 0: Sof Pasuq 11 0. Sof Pasuq ס וף פ ס וק groups words into verses ו י אמ ר א לה ים י ה י א ור ו י ה י א ור 4 ו י ר א א לה ים א ת ה א ור 3 כ י ט וב ו י ב ד ל א לה ים ב ין ה א ור וב ין ה ח ש ך 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
א ת נ ח and Atnaḥ ס ל וק Accent Hierarchy :1 Silluq 12 Disjunctive accents group words up to the preceding same-level accent 1. Silluq ס ל וק and atnaḥ א ת נ ח form two subgroups within each verse ב ר אש ית ב ר א א לה ים א ת ה ש מ י ם ו א ת ה א ר ץ Silluq ס ל וק looks like meteg Occurs on the last word of every verse Atnaḥ א ת נ ח looks like an upside-down v Some verses lack atnaḥ If there is no atnaḥ, then silluq groups the entire verse
Accent Hierarchy :2 Tifḥa פ ח א,ט Zaqef Qaton ף ק ט ון,ז ק etc. 13,ז ק ף ק ט ון zaqef qaton,ס ג ול ת א segolta,ט פ ח א.2 Tifḥa and zaqef gadol ז ק ף ג ד ול subdivide the silluq and atnaḥ regions ו י יק ץ י ע קב מ ש נ ת ו ו י אמ ר א כ ן י ש י הו ה ב מ ק ום ה ז ה ו א נכ י ל א י ד ע ת י 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 ו י יק ץ and י ש and the munaḥ accent on ל א E.g., the merka accent on
Pausal Forms 14
Major Accents May Change Spelling of Their Word A word with a major disjunctive accent may change spelling (pausal form) ס ל וק Silluq א ת נ ח Atnaḥ ז ק ף ק ט ון Zaqef qaton Pausal forms are rare or non-existent with other accents 15 Pausal form Accent may shift Vowel may change (with or without an accent shift) Often becomes qamats This even happens with shva א ת ה א ת ה א ת ה א ת ה א ב ד ה א ב ד ה
On 4 Words, 2ms Pronominal Suffix in Pause Looks Like 2fs 16 fs) to you (ms or ל ך ל ך fs) in you (ms or ב ך ב ך fs) with you (ms or א ת ך א ת ך fs) you (ms or את ך את ך If a 2fs pronominal suffix occurs on those 4 words,את,ל,ב) (את with a major accent, consider the possibility that it is 2ms.
Hebrew Bibles 17
The Leningrad Codex vs. The Aleppo Codex Leningrad 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 18 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)
BHS and BHQ BHS = 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. 19 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
ת נ ך Book Order for BHS = Tanakh Torah ת ור ה Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy Prophets נ ב י אים. Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, <the 12> The 12 = Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nathum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi Writings כ ת וב ים. Psalms, Job, Proverbs Ruth, Song of Songs, Qohelet, Lamentations, Esther Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles 20
Masoretic Notes 21
Three Kinds of Masoretic Notes Masora Parva = Small Masora Short notes in the outside margin of the page 22 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.
Circle over a word Note on that word E.g., ב מ ח ז ה in Genesis 15:1 Reading the Small Masora Circle between words Note on the phrase E.g., א ח ר ה ד ב ר ים ה א ל 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 23
2 Useful Notes in the Small Masora = there are no other occurences of this spelling ל E.g., ב מ ח ז ה 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. 24
Understanding Ketiv-Qere Ketiv = כ ת יב (Aramaic) = [what is] written The consonants in the text Don t read them. They do NOT go with the vowels. Qere = ק ר י (Aramaic) = [what is] read The consonants in the margin. Read them with the vowels in the text וב א ו Read ובאו + Qere consonants ו vowels יב א ו Text Usually correcting spelling, but sometimes changes parsing! 25 Perpetual Qere So common that there is no circle or note א דנ י = י הו ה E.g.,
Practice Reading Ketiv-Qere Ketib Qere What to Read 26 מ וד ע י ע ש ל ג א ל ו י ר ד ת מודע מיד ע Ruth 2:1 יעש י ע שה Ruth 1:8 לגאל ל ג א ול Ruth 4:6 וירדת ו י ר ד ת י Ruth 3:3 אם Ruth 3:12 ואדעה ו א ד ע Ruth 4:4 שמלתיך ש מ לת ך Ruth 3:3 אלי Ruth 3:6 Nothing ו א ד ע ה ש מ לת י ך א ל י מ מ וכ ן ממוכן מ ומ כ ן Esther 1:16
How to Prepare a Passage 27
What it Means to Prepare a Passage In Hebrew classes, you will be expected to prepare a particular passage 28 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
1. Print the passage 24 point Ezra SIL Triple space Justified both sides Steps 1&2: Create an Interlinear 29 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
3. 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 Step 3: Practice Word-by-Word 30
Step 4: Divide Into Chunks at Major Accents 4. Divide into chunks at major accents Level 1 accents: ( (with sof pasuq ס ל וק Silluq א ת נ ח Atnaḥ Level 2 accents ט פ ח א Tifḥa ס ג ול ת א Segolta ז ק ף ק ט ון Zaqef qaton ז ק ף ג ד ול Zaqef gadol 31
Steps 5&6: Practice Chunk-By-Chunk 5. Practice chunk-by-chunk using your interlinear with the level 1 and level 2 accents marked Pronounce, Translate, & Parse Use a 3x5 card as usual 6. Practice chunk-by-chunk using an unmarked Hebrew Bible Pronounce, Translate, & Parse No need for a 3x5 card, because there are no notes to cover up 32
Summary 33
Summary: Accents 34 Disjunctive 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 ס וף פ ס וק groups words into verses א ת נ ח and atnaḥ ס ל וק.1 Silluq,ז ק ף ק ט ון zaqef qaton,ס ג ול ת א segolta,ט פ ח א.2 Tifḥa ז ק ף ג ד ול and zaqef gadol
Summary: Pausal Forms Pausal forms May occur at major accents, especially silluq, atnaḥ, and zaqef qaton Accent may shift ultima penult א ת ה א ת ה Vowel may change (with or without an accent shift) Often becomes qamats א ת ה א ת ה This even happens with shva These forms look +2fs but might be +2ms if pausal: (DDO) you את ך you, with א ת ך you, in ב ך you, to ל ך 35 א ב ד ה א ב ד ה
Summary: Hebrew Bible Leningrad 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 36 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 וב א ו Read ובאו + Qere consonants ו has vowels יב א ו E.g., Text Perpetual qere are words so common that qere consonants are not written א דנ י = י הו ה E.g.,