Vocalization in Deuteronomy 4:26

[Chayim Bar Tov]

Hello, I am writing this post because I have the following curiosity. In the version found on Sefaria of Deuteronomy 4:26 at the link

https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.4.2 ... i&aliyot=0

there is a very strange vocalization of the words:

השמ׳ם , השמד , תשמדון

Instead of the sign of kamets under the shin, which is omitted, there is a dot between the shin and the mem in all the three cases.
Does someone have any idea of this strange vocalization?
I have looked for such a writing in some hebrew grammars, but I could find anything about it.
Thank you very very much for your help in advance.

[Jason Hare]

Notice the difference between yod (י) and apostrophe/geresh (׳). You have typed השמ׳ם instead of השמים.

I see nothing strange about the pointing of any of those words in the verse on Sefaria. We have הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם (regular vocalization with the munach accent), הִשָּׁמֵ֖ד (regular vocalization with the tipcha accent), and תִּשָּׁמֵדֽוּן (pausal vocalization with sof-pasuk accent). There’s nothing unusual or unexpected in these vocalizations.

Which kamats are you expecting? הַשָּׁמַ֫יִם becomes הַשָּׁמָ֫יִם when it sits in pause. It doesn’t normally bear a kamats, but rather a patach. הִשָּׁמֵד is the regular vocalization for an infinitive absolute. Similarly, we would expect תִּשָּׁמֵדוּן or תִּשָּׁמֵ֫דוּ when the form is in pause (out of pause, the tsere reduces and the stress is placed on the end, either as תִּשָּׁמְדוּ or as תִּשָּׁמְדוּן). There’s no kamats expected in any of these latter forms either, so I’m not sure what you’re asking about.

[Chayim Bar Tov]

Dear Jason, first of all thank you very very much for having kindly replied to my post. I apologize for having typed the geresh instead of the yod: my mistake was due to my lack of experience with the hebrew keayboard.
As for my question, from your answer I infer that the problem is simply an error arising from my computer, which for some strange reason transforms the first kamats in the three words הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם , הִשָּׁמֵ֖ד , תִּשָּׁמֵדֽוּן in a strange point placed between the shin and the mem (which is not a diacritic in Hebrew at all!). You have dispelled what constitued for me a big mystery!
Thank you very very very much again.
Best regards,
Maurizio

[Jason Hare]

Dear Jason, first of all thank you very very much for having kindly replied to my post. I apologize for having typed the geresh instead of the yod: my mistake was due to my lack of experience with the hebrew keayboard.
As for my question, from your answer I infer that the problem is simply an error arising from my computer, which for some strange reason transforms the first kamats in the three words הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם , הִשָּׁמֵ֖ד , תִּשָּׁמֵדֽוּן in a strange point placed between the shin and the mem (which is not a diacritic in Hebrew at all!). You have dispelled what constitued for me a big mystery!
Thank you very very very much again.
Best regards,
Maurizio

It might be that the site is defaulting for you to a font that doesn’t really support Hebrew. So, it might be causing spacing issues when the points are added. I’m not sure. Wish I could see how it is displaying on your end!