The Masoretes: “What is Read and What is Written” or, Changing 1326 Words and adding 1,362,195 Marks

The Masoretes, Jewish scribes and scholars active from the 6th to the 10th centuries AD, are often credited with developing a system aimed at preserving the pronunciation, interpretation, and accurate transmission of the Hebrew Bible. Their efforts altered the course of Bible history. While their intentions may have been well-meaning, their work has ultimately perpetuated centuries of incorrect readings, interpretation, and conjecture. The rigid standardization imposed by the Masoretes stifled the language and led to a static, dead understanding of the text. Additionally, the Qere and Ketiv system, intended to maintain the “oral tradition,” only introduced ambiguity and confusion, ultimately hindering rather than aiding accurate translation.

Qere and Ketiv System

Ketiv (what is written) refers to the consonantal text as it appears in the Hebrew Bible.
Qere (what is read) refers to the marginal notes indicating the “correct” reading or pronunciation of the text.

Why did they do this?

1. Preservation of assumed pronunciations
   The Hebrew Scriptures are written without vowels. Over time, pronunciations and meanings of words became “lost”. The Masoretes had the idea of “Qere Notes” to preserve what they thought was the traditional, proper oral readings. They put these additions/changes beside the text.
2. Correction of assumed errors
   Instead of altering the text (Ketiv) because it was held to be sacred, the Masoretes would note the correct form or pronunciation (Qere) in the margins. Apparently a “scribal error” was also considered sacred.
3. Harmonization of Spelling Variants
   Different manuscripts sometimes had variations in spelling. The Qere and Ketiv system allowed the Masoretes to standardize these variations by providing a consistent reading while preserving the written form.
4. Grammatical and Linguistic Difficulties
   Many words and phrases are ambiguous or unclear in their written form. The Masoretes “solved” these difficulties by simply adding in words with different syntax or spelling.

In some cases, the written text contains words or expressions that were considered inappropriate to read aloud in the synagogue. The Qere provided a nicer watered down reading that was more “acceptable” for public recitation.

In those days, people could not read or study the Bible on their own. They could generally only listen to it being read to them in the synagogue. Thus the importance of the “oral tradition” over the “written.” When the text was read aloud in the synagogue, readers would pronounce the Qere instead of the Ketiv.

How much was added?

The Masoretes developed various mnemonic devices and accents (cantillation marks) to aid in the correct pronunciation and chanting of the text, further aiding in memorization and recitation. We used a simple Python algorithm to count all characters that were not the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet using the data provided by Eep Talstra Center’s BHSA datagraph of the Hebrew Bible. The “oral tradition” was so deeply embedded that over those few centuries the scribes added some 1,362,195 marks for “vowels,” “accents,” and “cantillation.”

Probably the most well known example of Qere and Ketiv is the Tetragrammaton (YHWH). The Ketiv is יהוה (YHWH), but the Qere is אֲדֹנָי (Adonai). Readers would see the written form YHWH but pronounce it as Adonai out of fear.

In conclusion, the Qere and Ketiv system reflects mass manipulation and crafty rewriting of the Hebrew texts, at best. The Masoretes’ dedication to preserving the Hebrew Bible ended up being a complete defacing of it. Their meticulous work ensured that no one would ever hear 1326 true words spoken until they could read it for themselves, and for the next 1000 years scholars and grammarians would rely on their work.

Verses where words were changed