B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

First off, I have the small hard-back version of BHS. I know there are also large hard-back versions and paperback versions.

My print BHS does not have a maqqef between עשה and פרי in Genesis 1:12. However, every other print or electronic Hebrew Bible I can find does have the maqqef. Furthermore, my electronic BHS does have the maqqef unlike my print BHS. In the versions that do have a maqqef, there is a metheg underneath the first syllable of עשה. Without the maqqef, my print BHS has a merekhah. Merekhah tevir is not a strange sequence of accents, but darga merekha tevir is unheard of as far as I'm aware (ועץ עשה פרי). Usually, if not always, the darga is immediately followed by the tevir.

This seems like an error. Any thoughts? Any explanations? Anyone have access to Codex Leningradensis? Also, how would I contact the editors to report the error?

P.S. The darga tevir sequence of accents has a call/response melody. If another accent interrupts that call/response...well, it would just be odd and I have no idea how to do it.

-Andrew Hodge

Andrew,

The first thing to note is that the printed edition of BHS has gone through a number of printings over the years, and with each printing there have been corrections to the text. If someone has access to BHQ Genesis, could they check what they do here, maqqef or no?

Here's an image of the problem text. Note the horizontal line above the he. That's the issue: is it a maqqef? I think the scribe ran out of room, and this was his solution. The earlier editors of BHS interpreted this differently. They ignored this clear mark. If not a maqqef, then what? Not a rafe.

My opinion: it's a maqqef.

It looks like there's even some small line underneath the top part of the ה that could be the scribe's first attempt at a maqqef. Perhaps it was unsatisfactory, so he put the line up on top.

Also, considering the vertical nature of the tevir under פרי, I can understand why the metheg might be mistaken for merekha.