The Mappîq is a diacritical point placed within certain Hebrew consonants—especially final ה—to indicate that the letter should be pronounced as a full consonant rather than as a vowel letter. Most commonly seen in final ה (e.g., גָּבַהּ gābháh, אַרְצָהּ ʾarṣāh), it distinguishes consonantal usage from vowel-like endings (e.g., אַ֫רְצָה ʾárṣā). Though primarily used with ה, Mappîq also appears in some manuscripts on א, ו, and י to clarify their consonantal function, though this is rare in printed editions. The term מַפִּיק (“bringing out”) reflects its role in enforcing pronunciation, and it shares its graphical form with Dageš due to their common emphasis on phonetic strength. In contrast, Rāphè (meaning “soft”) is a horizontal stroke used in Masoretic manuscripts to indicate the absence of Dageš or Mappîq, especially in the בגדכפת letters. While Rāphè was once consistently used to mark soft pronunciation, it is largely omitted in modern printed texts except where clarification is needed. Together, Mappîq and Rāphè illustrate the Masoretic scribes’ meticulous attention to phonetic precision in preserving the Hebrew text.
1. Mappîq
The Mappîq, like the Dageš, is a point placed within a consonant. Its function is to indicate that certain letters—specifically א, ה, ו, י—are to be read as full consonants rather than as vowel letters.
In most printed editions, Mappîq is applied only to the letter ה at the end of a word, since ה never serves as a vowel letter medially. For example:
- גָּבַהּ (gābháh) – “to be high,” where final ה is consonantal.
- אַרְצָהּ (ʾarṣāh) – “her land,” a 3rd person feminine suffix with Mappîq.
- In contrast: אַ֫רְצָה (ʾárṣā) – “to the land,” where final ה is vowel-like.
Remark 1
The final הּ (with Mappîq) was likely aspirated—much like the Arabic ه (hāʾ)—when ending a syllable. However, in some cases, this final ה lost its consonantal status, becoming a mere vowel letter (hence the disappearance of the Mappîq).
2. Etymology and Function of Mappîq
The name מַפִּיק means “proferens” (“bringing out”), designating it as a mark that forces the letter to be pronounced as a full consonant. The same graphical sign is used for both Mappîq and Dageš because they share the function of indicating strong or emphatic pronunciation. Accordingly, Rāphè (see below) is the opposite of both.
3. Use of Mappîq in Other Letters
In manuscripts—and in some printed editions such as Baer’s—the Mappîq is also found on the letters א, ו, י to emphasize their consonantal nature. Examples include:
- גּוֹיִ (*gôy*) – a Mappîq may clarify that י is consonantal.
- קָוִ (*qāw*) – with Mappîq on ו.
- עֵשָׂוְ – a variant spelling with Mappîq on ו.
The Masoretic tradition varies significantly on these uses. Ginsburg discusses this in detail (see his Introduction, pp. 557, 609, 637, 770), as well as in his article “The Dageshed Alephs in the Karlsruhe MS” (Berliner Orientalisten-Kongress, 1881, p. 136 ff.).
In most printed editions, Mappîq on א appears only in four instances: Genesis 43, Leviticus 23, Ezra 8, and Job 33 (e.g., רֻאּוּ), where it likely functions as an orthophonic sign, not as a Dageš forte (contra König). See also Delitzsch’s commentary on Job (2nd ed., p. 439 ff.).
4. Rāphè
Rāphè (רָפֶה, meaning “soft” or “weak”) is a horizontal stroke placed above a consonant. It serves as the opposite of both types of Dageš (Forte and Lene) and of the Mappîq.
In precise Masoretic manuscripts, every בגדכפת letter either carries a Dageš Lene or a Rāphè. Examples include:
- מֶלֶךְֿ (mèlĕkh)
- תָּפַֿר
- שָׁתָֿה
In modern printed editions, however, Rāphè is usually omitted, except in cases where the absence of a Dageš or Mappîq needs to be explicitly marked. Ginsburg’s first edition is a notable exception in preserving it more consistently.
