The system of Qerê and Kethîb in the Hebrew Bible reflects a scribal tradition that preserves both the written text (Kethîb, “what is written”) and the preferred oral reading (Qerê, “what is read”). In such cases, the consonants of the Kethîb remain in the text, while the vowels of the Qerê are superimposed, with the full Qerê form noted in the margin. Special categories include Kethîb velo Qerê (written but not read) and Qerê velo Kethîb (read but not written). Some readings, known as Qerê perpetuum, are so common they are assumed without marginal notes (e.g., יְהֹוָה read as אֲדֹנָי). The Masora, the scribal apparatus accompanying the biblical text, is divided into the Masora marginalis (notes in the margins) and the Masora finalis (notes at the end of books), preserving textual traditions and statistics. These notes often use a system of abbreviations (e.g., חָסֵר for “defective,” מָלֵא for “plene,” ק׳ for Qerê) to track orthographic, grammatical, and accentual features. Together, the Qerê/Kethîb system and the Masoretic annotations reflect the meticulous care with which scribes preserved both the textual integrity and oral tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures.
1. Qerê and Kethîb Explained
The margins of biblical manuscripts often contain early textual variants called Qerê (קְרֵי, “to be read”), which Jewish tradition considered preferable to the Kethîb (כְּתִיב, “what is written”).
To reflect this, the consonants of the Kethîb remain in the text, but the vowels of the Qerê are superimposed. Example:
- Text (Kethîb): אֲנַוְּ
- Margin (Qerê): אֲנַ֫חְנוּ (Jeremiah 42)
A small circle or asterisk indicates the presence of a Qerê in the margin.
2. Special Cases of Qerê and Kethîb
- Kethîb velo Qerê (כְּתִיב וְלֹא קְרֵי): A word is written but not read (unpointed). E.g., אֵת (Jer. 38), אִם (Jer. 39), יִדְרֹךְ (Jer. 51).
- Qerê velo Kethîb (קְרֵי וְלֹא כְּתִיב): A word is read although not written. E.g., 2 Samuel 8; Jeremiah 31.
See further: Strack, Prolegomena Critica; Dikduke ha-ṭamim; Blau, Masoretische Untersuchungen.
3. Qerê Perpetuum
For certain very common words, the Qerê is always intended even without being written in the margin. These are called Qerê perpetuum. Examples include:
- הוּא (Kethîb), read as הִיא (feminine) – Pentateuch
- נַֽעֲרָ (Kethîb נער) always read as נַֽעֲרָה, except Deut. 22
- יִשָּׂשכָר (Kethîb), read as יִשָּׂכָר – Genesis 30
- יְרֽוּשָׁלַ͏ִם (Kethîb), read as יְרֽוּשָׁלַ֫יִם
- יְהֹוָה (Kethîb), read as אֲדֹנָי, or יֱהֹוִה after אֲדֹנָי
These reflect scribal conventions where the final vowel was defectively written.
4. Masoretic Annotations
The Masoretic apparatus is divided into:
- Masora marginalis:
- Magna: top and bottom margins
- Parva: side margins (right and left of columns)
- Masora finalis: Appears at the end of each book
See Ginsburg, Introduction, esp. pp. 423, 983–1000 for examples and full listings from codices such as the Aleppo Codex (A.D. 1009).
5. Masoretic Abbreviations and Terms
- אוֹת – letter
- אֶמְצַע – middle
- אס״ף – אַתְנַח סוֹף פָּסוּק (without Athnaḥ or Sillûq)
- ב׳ – numeral “two”, e.g. ב׳ טְעָמִים
- בנ״א – alternate version: בְּנוּסְחָא אַֽחֲרֵינָא
- בס״א – בִּסְפָרִים אֲחֵרִים – “in other books”
- דָּגּוּשׁ – with Dageš
- זְעֵיר – small (Aramaic)
- חָסֵר – defective, e.g. missing letters
- טַ֫עַם – accent; טָעַם (Hiphil): to chant an accent
- כַּאן – here
- מָלֵא – full form (plene spelling)
- מְנוּזָּרוֹת – isolated (e.g., reversed nuns in Ps. 107)
- מִקְצָת – part
- נָח – quiescent
- נֶעְלָם – hidden (written, not read)
- נָקוּד – pointed (with vowels)
- סִימָן – sign or mnemonic
- פָּסוּק – masoretic verse
- פִּסְקָא – a space, esp. mid-verse (e.g. Gen. 35)
- ק׳ – abbreviation for Qerê
- רַבְּתָא – large (Aramaic)
- תֵּיבָה – word (esp. longer than one letter)
- תְּלוּיָה – suspended (e.g. unusual placement of letters)
- תְּרֵי – two (Aramaic)
For full usage and examples, consult appendices to Baer, Delitzsch, or Ginsburg.
