Introduction to BHS

Summary of A Simplified Guide to BHS by William R. Scott, pp. 1-15

1
Signs and Simbols in BHS

1. Sop Pasuq [] : the end of a verse
The end of a verse may or may not be the end of a sentence.

2. Paragraph Markings : Petuha [e] and Setuma [:]

Open paragraph: one starting on a new line
Closed paragraph: one starting on the same line as the preceding paragraph with a short
space separating the two
a e [Petuha] or : [Setuma] was put in front of each paragraph to preserve the distinction.
The entire Hebrew Bible (except for Psalms) is so divided.

3. Seder [:]
[SEDER ( ; "order," "arrangement").]


This sign divides the Hebrew Bible into 452 lessons.
These divisions are associated with the Palestinian tradition.
The Sederim were used as weekly liturgical readings or lessons which would cover the entire
Pentateuch in about three years.

The pericopes of the Bible according to the triennial cycle. These divisions are called
sedarim, hence the Aramaic form sidra, popularly but wrongly used, particularly in Yiddish
(sedra) for the weekly portion (instead of parashah).


4. Parashah [:e]

These abbreviation divides the Pentateuch into 54 lessons.
They are associated with the Babylonian tradition.
They appear only in the Pentateuch and provide for a one year liturgical cycle.

5. Special Points (Puncta Extraordinaria)

Special points over words or letters probably indicate that doctrinal or textual reservations
were held by the scribes.
Gen 16:5; 18:9; 19:33; 33:34; 37:12;
Num 3:39; 9:10; 21:30; 29:15; Deut 29:28;
2 Sam 19:20; Isa 44:9; Ezek 41:20; 46:22; Psa 27:13

6. Inverted Nun

An upside down Nun with a dot over it was used to express doubt as to the correct sequence
of the text. Num 10:34, 36; Psalm 107:21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 40. It does not occur elsewhere
in the Hebrew Bible.

Introduction to BHS
Summary of A Simplified Guide to BHS by William R. Scott, pp. 1-15
2
7. Large Letters

Different manuscripts would occasionally use enlarged letters for a variety of purposes.
The first word of the book or section would be enlarged.
The large letters may draw attention to statistical points, such as the large Waw in Lev
11:42 which marks the mid-point of the Torah in letters.
The large ayin and dalet in Deut 6:4 probably call attention to an important passage or
warn that the reading must be precise.
The large final Nun in Num 27:5

8. Small Letters
Small letters were used apparently for purposes similar to the large letters.
BHS contains only three, all final Nuns, in Isa 44:14; Jer 39:13; Prov 16:28.

9. Raised Letters :
Four letters in the Bible are written above the normal line.
Nun in Judg 18:30; Ayins in Psalm 80:14 and Job 38:13, 15.
Nun in Judg 18:30 : :: changed :.: in order to avoid mentioning Moses in
connection with descendants of one who became idol priests.
Ayin in Psalm 80:14 : The raised Ayin marks the middle letter of the Book of Psalms.

10. Paseq (or pasiq)
Paseq (or pasiq) is a vertical stroke which separates two words. It signifies that a pause
should be made in the reading.
According to Gesenius, paseq is often used :
(1) An identical letter occurs at the end of the preceding word and the beginning of the
following word.
(2) The two words are identical or very similar.
(3) The two words are absolutely contradictory.
(4) The two words are liable to be wrongly connected.
(5) The two words are heterogeneous terms (i.e. Eleazor, the high priest.)

11. Maqqep []
Maqqep binds two words together into a single accentual unit.
It most commonly follows short monosyllabic prepositions and conjunctions.
A noun in the construct state may be followed by maqqep or it may have a conjunctive
accent instead.

12. Metheg [ ] :
Metheg is a short vertical stroke under a word.
In BHS it is simply put to the right or left of the vowel as it appears in Codex Leningradensis
without supplementation by the editors.

13. Rapeh []
The Rapeh is a horizontal line over a letter. It is opposite of daghesh (lene or forte) and
mappiq. 2 Sam 11:1 ::s: :
Introduction to BHS
Summary of A Simplified Guide to BHS by William R. Scott, pp. 1-15
3
Masora

1. The Masoretes

Sometime around 500 A.D. a new type of Henrew biblical scholar began to assume the
responsibility for preserving and transmitting the biblical text. In this role these scholars
supplanted the scribes.

The new scholars incorporated vowel points and accent marks on their manuscripts. They
also developed a system of notations in the margins of the text which provided both
exegetical and text critical information. These notations were called the Massorah (Masora).
1


The term Sopherim (those who count) came to applied to those who wrote the
consonantal text.
2
Those who provided the vowel points and accents were called
Nakdanim (pointers).
3


Modern scholars often refer to all three functions under the general title Masorete.

The work of the Masoretes included comparison of manuscripts, debates concerning the
pointing of the text, and solutions to the difficulties with the consonantal text.
By the end of the Masoretic period there was a virtual textus receptus agreed upon within
the Western tradition.

Two Masoretic Tradions:

Eastern tradition: Associated with Babylon, centered at Nehardea, Sura nad Pumbedita
Western tradition: Associated with Palestine, centered at Tiberias. It was often called the
Tiberian tradition and its Masorets are referred to as the Tiberian Masoretes.

Over the course of these centuries, the Western tradition became the spiritual leader of the
Judaism. By the time of the Middle Ages, the Eastern tradition was all but forgotten.

The Ben Asher family

One of the most important families of the Tiberian Masoretes. Another is the Ben Naphtali
family. One of Aaron ben Ashers manuscripts was claimed to be the exemplar for the
manuscript that is reproduced in BHS.

1
The possible origin of Massorah is the root :s to bind or :: to hand down. [: : ]
vb. si vera l. deliver up, offer -- Qal offer. Niph. delivered over to, assigned to (of warriors).
If "Masorah," then, is to be derived from msar "to deliver," it is that which is handed down
from generation to generation: the text of the Bible. Others have suggested that Masorah is
from the root sar "to bind," i.e. something which is bound and gathered: the detailed
instructions for reading affixed to the text. Still a third suggestion is that Masorah is built off
the verb msar but with the primary meaning of "to count" (Ben-Hayyim).
2
e::107 vb. count, Pi. recount, relate; e:, e: n.m.: enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe.
3
:. ( ? of foll.; NH :. point, furnish with points; cf. Syr. <*> (very rare) PS:2453; n. <*> but also <*>
point, mark; vbs. perh. denom.; Ar. <*> point or dot (letter, word, etc.), II. make specks, spots, on garment, etc.,
prob. loan-word Fr?195; Di:Lex. 648 cp. Eth. <*> be decayed, worm-eaten (of wood, bread, etc.)).
Introduction to BHS
Summary of A Simplified Guide to BHS by William R. Scott, pp. 1-15
4

Masora

(1) Masora Finalis

It is Masoretic lists which follow each book of the Hebrew Bible.
It appears at the end of the Ben Chayim Rabbinic Bible. It does not appear in the manuscripts.
These lists are usually merely a count of the verses of the book. The entries were a form of
quality control for the scribes who could check to ensure that a new manuscript conformed to
the counts. See an example at the end of Deuteronomy, p. 353 BHS.

(2) Masora Marginalis

These were notes that the Masoretes put in the margins around the text. The notes contained
comments about the text, words or combinations, identified the mid-point of the books or
larger sections, pointed out other statistical information and contained concordance-like lists.

The Masora in the side margins have come to be called the Masora parva [Mp] (the small
Masora). The Masora at the top and bottom of the page have come to be called the Masora
magna [Mm] (the large Masora).

(A) Masora Parva [Mp]:

Mp is found in the outside margins of BHS.
It is written mostly in Aramaic and has been considerably supplemented beyond those found
in Codex Leningradensis which is the manuscript whose text is reproduced in BHS.

(a) small circle

The small circle above the words in the text identify the portion of the text which it is
addressed by the Mp alongside that line.

A single circle above a word near center indicates that one or more notes in the margin refer
to that word. If there is more than one word on the line with a circle above it, periods are used
to separate the marginal notes for the different words.

If the note applies to a phrase rather than a single word, there will be a circle spaced
between each consecutive word in the phrase, but there will be only the one marginal note.

Two circles between adjacent words:

There is an additional note which refers to part of that phrase. The first note refers to the
entire phrase and the second note refers to the sub-phrase which starts at the double circles
and usually extends to the end of the larger phrase.

The small raised numbers following the Mp notes are related to the Mm.



Introduction to BHS
Summary of A Simplified Guide to BHS by William R. Scott, pp. 1-15
5
(b) Qere and Kethib

In instances where the consonantal text was felt to be unsatisfactory or where textual variants
were deemed to be worthy of preservation, the Masoretes (who are bound not to alter the
consonantal text) provided the consonants of the word to be read in the margin. The vowel
points for the word tobe read were then placed under the consonants written in the text.

The traditional consonantal form is called Kethib (written) and the form in the margin is
called Qere (to be read). Mp for Qere is a distinctive two-tiered arrangement that
enhances recognition. A Qop with a dot above it () will be below the word(s) to be read in
the margin.
The vowel points in the text are for the Qere, not the Kethib.

Kethib Qere
.: s
:s
s s
:: ::
::: ::

(c) Unique word s or Phrases

Kethib Qere

Forms (or groups) of words occur only once in the Hebrew Bible.
- -s s meaning there is no (other)
:
Forms (or groups) of words occur only twice in the Hebrew Bible.
.
Forms (or groups) of words occur only three times in the Hebrew
Bible.

(d) Hebrew Numbers

A dot above a Hebrew letter in Mp indicates that the letter is either an abbreviation or a
numeral. [If there is no word above the , it is a numeral. by itself always indicates a
unique occurrence.]
Ex. : = 45; e - = 487; exception: 15 = instead of ; 30 = = : instead of

(e) Translating Mp

(f) Seberin

The Mp note :: (supposed or expected) precedes a correction in the margin of an
unusal form forund in the text.
Gen 19:23
Introduction to BHS
Summary of A Simplified Guide to BHS by William R. Scott, pp. 1-15
6
The Seberin indicates corrections which have been proposed but which the Masoretes
considered to be incorrect. The text, not the Mp, would contain the approved reading of the
Masoretes.

(g) Tiqqune Sopherim

The Masoretes believed that early in the textual history some changes were made in the text
in order to avoid disrespect to the deity, and attributed eighteen such changes tot heearly
scribes. They called these Tiqqune Sopherim (scribal corrections).

(h) Itture Sopherim (scribal omissions)

There are a few places in the Bible in which the conjunction Waw is expected but does not
appear. These instances are known by scholars as itture sopherim. In BHS, they are
identified as such, but the Waw is suggested by the critical apparatus. :s in Gen 18:5.

There are a great many places in the Bible in which the conjunction Waw might have been
unnecessarily added to a word, and a great many in which various manuscripts differ in using
or not using Waw.

(B) Masora magna [Mm]:

The Masora at the top and bottom of the page have come to be called the Masora magna
[Mm] (the large Masora).

The Masora magna are not included in the same volume as the BHS text, but are published
in a separate volume titled the Masorah Gedolah. Entry to the Mn from the text is through
the Mp.

A circle over a word directs you to the Mp. At the end of the Mp note, if there is a small
raised numeral, it directs you to the appropriate note below the page of the text. This note
usually directs you to a particular list in Massorah Gedolah.
Ex. Gen 1:5