GUIDE TO THE USE OFBIBLIA HEBRAICA STUTTGARTENSIAB ETHEL SEMINARYCENTER FOR BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONSPAUL W. FERRIS JR., PH.D1 Background1.1 The Masoretic Text (abbrev. MT) is the Hebrew Bibleequivalent of the textus receptus. The consonantal texthad been carefully standardized by the Sopherimbetween 400 B.C. and 200 A.D. Referring to Jewishveneration of their Scriptures, Josephus Flavius wrote,“for although such long ages have now passed, no onehas ventured to either add, or to remove, or to alter asyllable; and it is an instinct with every Jew, from theday of his birth, to regard them as the decrees of God,to abide by them, and, if need be, cheerfully to die forthem.” (Contra Apionem, I.42) The Sopherim wereordained theologians and Bible scholars who served asearly Judaism's “United Bible Society” -- thecustodians of the text of Scripture. 1.2 The Masoretes (hfrOsfmah y¢la(ab, "lords of the [oral]tradition") preserved in writing the traditional way ofpronouncing and reading the text during the period c.500 A.D. and 1000 A.D. They devised a system ofmarking vocalization, accentuation, cantilation andpunctuation, thereby also standardizing grammaticalforms. The resulting "masoretic" text serves as thebasis for all modern critical editions of the HebrewBible. W. F. Albright concluded "we may rest assuredthat the consonantal text of the Hebrew Bible, thoughnot infallible, has been preserved with an accuracyperhaps unparalleled in any other Near Easternliterature."1.3 The modern critical edition of the Hebrew Bible wasfirst published in 1906 by Rudolph Kittel (BHK) andwas based on the second Bomberg Edition (1525-6) ofthe ;&-&$# ;&!98/ – the Jacob ben Chayim text withNOTES:Masora and rabbinical notations. Kittel published asecond edition in 1913. Kittel’s first two editions didnot include Masoretic notes. Kittel completed his thirdedition in 1937; this one based on the oldest completemanuscript of the Hebrew Bible.1.4 In 1977, the German Bible Society unveiled the fourthedition edited by K. Elliger and W. Rudolph– BibliaHebraic Stuttgartensia (BHS). 1.5 A fifth edition, Biblia Hebraica Quinta (BHQ), is inprocess with the first fascicle (Megilloth) appearing in2004, a second, Ezra-Nehemiah, in 2006, and a third,Deuteronomy, in 2007.2 Exercise:2.1 Read the English (or German, French, Spanish or Latin)Forward, pp XI - XVIII of the Prolegomena of BHS,looking especially for answers to the followingquestions:2.2 What manuscript (MS) serves as the basis for the BHS,and how old is this MS? Why was this MS selected?2.3 What are the notations in the margins of the MT/BHScalled and what do they tell you?2.4 What are the notations in the first register of footnotescalled and what do they tell you?3 KETHIV/QERE3.1 The Masoretes exercised tremendous care in theirdealing with the text of Scripture. Even when theycame across what seemed to be an error, they wouldnot correct the consonantal text. Rather, they devised asystem whereby they would write in the margin theconsonants of what they believed to be the correctspelling and mark it with a q (abbreviating )rq,“read”), and leaving the written form (btk, abbreviatedas k) as is in the text but marking it with a superscriptcircle ( ° ) or asterisk and vocalizing it as the )rq wordor spelling.4 EXERCISE4.1 Look up Jere. 42:6 and find the relative clause, NOTES:wyfl¢) !:to) {yix:lo$ :UanA) re$A) 4.1.1 The form :UanA) is grammatically impossible. TheMasoretes thought so too and marked it with a °.4.1.2 Write out the problem word without vowels4.1.3 Look up a table of independent personalpronouns (e.g. Seow’s on p.52; Dobson’s on p. 46or 368) and find the form that comes closest tothese consonants and write it out. What does thisword mean?4.1.4 Now write out the q form you find in the masorahparva and fill in the vowel points the Masoretessupplied with the k form of the word in the text.A post-biblical form crept into the ancient textand the Masoretes caught it. However, themeaning did not really change.4.2 Look up Isa 28:15 and find the first colon in line 3.You’ll see a ° (the third one actually) over the wordrobA(a . Is the vocalized form grammatically feasible?The masorah parva suggests the q (the third from theright, corresponding with the third ° from the right inthe text)4.2.1 Write out the q and fill in the masoreticvocalization supplied with the k. The resultchanges the grammar. Now how would youparse this form? And how would this change themeaning?4.2.2 Which reading did the translators follow in thetranslation you use?5 CRITICAL APPARATUS5.1 For our purposes, the bottom register of footnotes, thecritical apparatus, is more important. The sigla used inthe apparatus are explained in the Prolegomenabeginning on p. XLIV. Although the explanations areall in Latin, most are easily understood. See the Guideto the Use of the BHS Critical Apparatus online. AnEnglish key is available to use with your BHS: H.P.Ruger, An English Key to Latin Words and Abbreviationsand the Symbols of the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.Stuttgart: Biblia Druck,