The Masoretic Text - Post #8 on Old Testament Manuscripts, Source Texts, and Textual Analysis

The Masoretic Text

If you read through the Preface of several modern English translations, and look at the section that deals with the Old Testament sources and translation approach, you will find a reference to the Masoretic Text (the Biblia Hebraica). It will also clarify that they used other additional sources to help with textual variants, or possible corruptions in the text. These other sources will generally include the Septuagint, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Syriac, the Latin Vulgate, the Targum, and sometimes even Jewish tradition to help with the overall analysis and final translation.

Some Prefaces provide more details than others, but by and large this is the standard.

Why would they use these other sources along with the Masoretic Text, if the Masoretic Text is the Hebrew text? Why not just translate the Hebrew to English and be done with it? Because the Masoretic Text is a reconstructed text that was put together by the work of Jewish scribes (called Masoretes) between the 6th and 10 centuries A.D. Yes, you read that correctly, A.D., not B.C. The Hebrew source text for your English translation is a reconstructed text pieced together in the medieval period. So the other sources (like the Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, etc.) - while they are themselves translations and not in Hebrew - they are much older than the Biblia Hebraica (Masoretic Text).

The Masoretes invented a system of vocalization, punctuation, and cantillation marks for the consonantal Hebrew text (since Hebrew had always been written without vowels). Having no vowels inevitably leads to ambiguities and uncertainties when reading the text, as a particular consonantal word can be read in a variety of ways depending on where one might place the vowels. The Masoretes invented a system of vocalization, known today as the Tiberian system of vocalization, which followed with extreme exactitude the pronunciation of Hebrew that they had received in their tradition. Vowels were indicated using a system of dots, bars, and other marks placed around the consonants known as niqqūd “pointing.” In addition, this system of pointing indicated an elaborate scheme of punctuation as well as a system for noting cantillation for chanting the text in the synagogue.

The Masoretes kept meticulous notes about the Hebrew text in the margins of the manuscripts, indicating, among other things, where they ran into textual variants and possible corruptions, and how they handled it. There are two of these margins, the large and the small, known respectively as the Masorah Magna and the Masorah Parva. These margins also noted the number of times a particular word occurred in the entire Hebrew Bible. For example, if a word occurred only once in the Hebrew Bible (in the proto-Masoretic sources), the Masoretes would place a circle over the word and note in the margin ֹל, which is an Aramaic abbreviation for לא אית or לית lā ˀīṯ or lēṯ meaning “there is not (any more of this word).” Also, the Masoretes even kept track of the number of words and letters in a particular book.

It has long been thought that the Septuagint was likely based on much older manuscripts than the Masoretic Text. Even to this day the Orthodox Church uses the Septuagint as their primary source text for the Old Testament (not the Masoretic Text). However, there is evidence in the Dead Sea Scrolls that there was a proto-Masoretic text that may be based on manuscripts that are just as old as manuscripts used for the Septuagint. Determining which is truly based on older manuscripts is difficult, if not impossible. As such, the Septuagint (as well as the other sources listed) are still consulted in the textual analysis process. There were also other Hebrew and Greek texts floating around in the 2nd Temple period and even the 1st Century, but let’s save that for another post.

Summarizing: Your modern translation’s Old Testament is based primarily on the Masoretic Text put together in the medieval period, but also utilizes other sources in the textual analysis process to help with textual variants and possible errors or corruptions. A lot of work and a lot of scholarship is involved.

—————————————– Some resources:

Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible By Emanuel Tov http://bit.ly/2ills5p http://amzn.to/2ywZAIk

Dr. Rolf Schäfer und Dr. Florian Voss Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft https://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/Intro-ScholarlyEditions-GBS_2.pdf

The Masoretic Text https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-masoretic-text/

The Masoretic Text http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/masoretic-text