The Tiberian Pronunciation Tradition of Biblical Hebrew. Volume II
|Hidāyat al-Qāriʾ
Hidāyat al-Qāriʾ (Short Version)
Texte intégral
II.S.0.0. Introduction
1GAP
II.S.0.1.
- 1 Literally: the book of the lifeblood.
2This is the book of the abbreviated version of The Guide for the Reader, known as The Book of Essential Requirements.1
II.S.0.2.
3Its author begins and says: You, may God support you, asked me to abbreviate for you The Book of Rules, which is generally known as The Guide for the Reader, in which I mention its essential requirements. So, I am here responding to this request of yours, asking God to grant me success in this, possibly including where necessary what was not mentioned in The Guide for the Reader. From Him, may He be exalted, I seek help.
II.S.0.3.
If somebody were to ask what the need is for knowledge of the rules of biblical recitation, the response should be: because the accents change meanings, for example‘Arise! Shine! ’ (Isa. 60.1), which are two feminine singular imperatives, since the accent is on the first letter, but
‘for the day when I arise as a witness’ (Zeph. 3.8),
‘The Lord is my light and my salvation’ (Psa. 27.1), which are two masculine nouns, since the accent is at the end and not the beginning of the word. Other examples are
‘They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers’ (Jer. 11.10), which denotes ‘returning’ since the accent is on the first letter, but
‘they captured and made their prey’ (Gen. 34.29), which denotes ‘capturing’ since the accent is placed not on the beginning of the word but on its end.
II.S.0.4.
4A further reason is that this reading, which is now current in the Land of Israel, is the reading of Ezra, peace be upon him, and his generation, because the nation was not cut off from the Land of Israel from the time of Ezra, peace be upon him, in the Second Temple, until now, except from Jerusalem during the reign of Edom over the land. Israel taught this reading to their children until now, generation after generation. Another reason is that if somebody were to read the twenty-one books with the accents of the three books or the three books with the accents of the twenty-one books, this would be rejected. Likewise, if somebody read merkha in place of darga or darga in place of merkha, the congregation would declare him to be in error in this regard.
II.S.0.5.
5So, if there are rules for the accents, there is a need to know them.
II.S.1.0. Section concerning the place of articulation of the letters
II.S.1.1.
The letters consist of twenty-two basic letters. They fall into five groups in five places of articulation, namely, ̇
,
,
II.S.1.2.
Take note that the place of articulation ofis the root of the tongue and the place of swallowing, that is the throat and the base of the tongue. For this reason they are the lightest of the letters and never take dagesh. It may be thought that he and ʾalef take dagesh, but this is not the case. This is because the dot in the he at the end of a word indicates the (consonantal) property of the he. Surely you see that the property of the he at the beginning and in the middle of a word appears without a dot. As for (the dot in) ʾalef in the four places (where it is found), namely
‘and they brought him’ (Gen. 43.26),
‘you shall bring’ (Lev. 23.17),
‘and they brought to us’ (Ezra 8.18),
‘were not seen’ (Job 33.21), this reflects a strong effort to pronounce the letter by the reader and is not dagesh.
II.S.1.3.
The place of articulation ofis the middle of the tongue, in its wide part. The place of articulation of
pronounced rafe is the third of the tongue adjacent ot the throat.
II.S.1.4.
The place of articulation ofis the extremity of the tongue in combination with the flesh of the teeth. When the letters
are pronounced rafe, the extremity of the tongue is pressed gently onto the flesh of the teeth.
II.S.1.5.
The place of articulation ofis the teeth.
II.S.1.6.
The place of articulation ofis the lips. When
are rafe, the lips are closed gently while they are pronounced.
II.S.1.7.
It is said that the letters interchange with one another, as in‘he scattered’ (Psa. 68.31) and
‘he has distributed’ (Psa. 112.9),
‘he will (not) rejoice’ (Job 20.18),
‘it exults’ (1 Chron. 16.32), and similar forms. There are cases of enhancement and reduction. It is preferable, however, not to call it ‘interchanging’, for it is possible that this takes place for a reason, either to express multiplicity or paucity, or for some other reason. They give the form bet to express one sense and for another sense they give it pe. Likewise with
, when the joy has a particular sense, they give it samekh and for another sense they give it zayin, and so forth concerning what I initially said were cases of interchange and inversion.
II.S.2.0. Section concerning א̇ו̇י̇ה̇ and ב̇ג̇ד̇כ̇פ̇ת̇
II.S.2.1.
When one of these four letters, I mean, is at the end of a word and the word is conjoined to what follows it by a (conjunctive) accent, and when the second word begins with one these six letters, I mean
, this letter is pronounced rafe, for example
‘for in their anger they have slain’ (Gen. 49.6),
‘and the word of the Lord was’ (1 Kings 17.2, etc.), in
‘and I shall fetch a morsel of bread’ (Gen. 18.5), and similar cases.
II.S.2.2.
6There are nine types of cases that break the rule I have just mentioned. These are ʾOghera, di-fsiq, di-dhḥiq, ʾathe me-raḥiq, mappiq he, mappiq vav, mappiq yod, two identical letters, bet and pe.
II.S.2.3.
As for ʾOghera, this is the ‘collection’ of only seven words. Four of these are in the song(Exod. 14.30, ‘the Song of the Sea’). These are
‘he has triumphed gloriously’ (Exod. 15.1) and the other case of this (Exod. 15.21),
‘they are as still as a stone’ (Exod. 15.16),
‘Who is like you, majestic in holiness?’ (Exod. 15.11). In the book of Isaiah there is
‘and I shall make (your pinnacles) of agate’ (Isa. 54.12). In the book of Jeremiah there is
‘and I am weary of holding it in and I cannot’ (Jer. 20.9). In the book of Daniel there is
‘and wisdom like wisdom of the gods’ (Dan. 5.11). I do not know any disagreements concerning these seven. In other cases, concerning which there are disagreements, the reader should choose which of the variants he wants to read in his reading and nobody can reject this.
II.S.2.4.
As for di-fsiq, whenever paseq comes between one of the lettersand the letters
, the letters
have no influence, for example,
‘May the Lord add to his people (a hundred times as many) as them’ (1 Chron. 21.3),
‘they have done completely’ (Gen. 18.21), and similar cases. There is no exception to this type of case that breaks the rule.
II.S.2.5.
Di-dhḥiq: The meaning of di-dhḥiq (literally: what is compressed) is that between the accent that is in the word containing one of theletters and a
letter there is a vowel and this vowel is not dwelt upon or prolonged in pronunciation. On account of this compressed vowel the rule of the
is broken, as in
‘that I may call to witness against them’ (Deut. 31.28),
‘you shall meditate on’ (Josh. 1.8) and similar cases. The compression may occur in a word that does not have an accent but is a small word, as in
‘whatever your soul says’ (1 Sam. 20.4),
‘This is my son that is alive’ (1 Kings 3.23), and other similar cases in which the vowel is pronounced compressed. Surely you see in
‘through which you let us down’ (Josh. 2.18), in which the vowel after the accent is pronounced long with exhalation of breath, the same, or approximately the same, as other (long) vowels, the bet of ב ֔ וֹ does not have dagesh. If you examine this closely, you will discern the difference.
II.S.2.6.
ʾAthe me-raḥiq is the opposite of the previous type of case that breaks the rule, because this one (i.e. ʾathe me-raḥiq) is on account of what is far and that one (i.e. di-dhḥiq) is on account of what is near. This (i.e. ʾathe me-raḥiq) arises from the fact that due to the distance of the accent (from the preceding conjunctive accent), one comes upon it (the accent) like a ballista and so theletters are pronounced with dagesh, as in
‘He will build a house for my name’ (2 Sam. 7.13),
‘Do you work wonders for the dead?’ (Psa. 88.11),
‘Turn aside, sit here’ (Ruth 4.1). Also (included in this category) are cases in which there is no (conjunctive) accent, so (such cases must be considered) to have a virtual (conjunctive) accent before them in order to conform to (cases such as)
, as in
‘that I may go to her and inquire of her’ (1 Sam. 28.7), and similar cases.
II.S.2.7.
So far four types of cases that break the rule have been discussed. The fifth type of case that breaks the rule is mappiq he. The meaning of the term mappiq he is the (consonantal) pronunciation of the he and its appearance. It is derived from‘and the decree went forth’ (Dan. 2.13), that is
. This is because when the he is pronounced at the end of a word, the rule of the
letters is broken, as in
‘half of it in the morning’ (Lev. 6.13),
‘she and all those who are with her in the house’ (Josh. 6.17),
‘and it has four wings’ (Dan. 7.6), and similar cases. There are no exceptions to this breaking of the rule at all.
II.S.2.8.
The sixth type of case that breaks the rule is mappiq vav. This is because every vav at the end of a word is pronounced according to the view of the Palestinians as a bet rafe, which breaks the rule of the א ̇ ו ̇ י ̇̇ ה , as in‘ (enter) his courts with praise’ (Psa. 100.4),
‘I cried aloud to him’ (Psa. 66.17), and similar cases. There are only two words that are exceptions to this breaking of the rule, namely
‘He will stretch the line of confusion over it’ (Isa. 34.11),
‘The sound of a carefree multitude was with her’ (Ezek. 23.42).
II.S.2.9.
The seventh type of case that breaks the rule is mappiq yod. This is that whenever yod occurs at the end of a word and the next word begins with one of theletters, and ḥireq or ṣere, I mean a dot or two dots, occur under the letter before the yod, then the rule of
is observed, as in
‘Libni his son’ (1 Chron. 6.14),
‘for they have stripped them’ (Nahum 2.3),
‘the princes of the Philistines’ (1 Sam. 18.30), and similar cases. If vowels that are different from the aforementioned occur under the aforementioned letter, the yod is strengthened and the rule of
is not observed, as in
‘perhaps you may inspire terror’ (Isa. 47.12),
‘Jeatherai his son’ (1 Chron. 6.6),
‘for what great nation’ (Deut. 4.7), and similar cases. One word is an exception to this breaking of the rule.
II.S.2.10.
The eighth type of case that breaks the rule is the succession of two letters. If two bets or kafs, but not the remaining letters, I mean, succeed one another and under the first of them there is a shewa, then the rule of
is broken, as in
‘and when she came’ (Josh. 15.18),
‘and she caught him by his garment’ (Gen. 39.12),
‘Is it not like Carchemish?’ (Isa. 10.9), and other cases. If a vowel occurs under the first of the two instead of shewa, the rule of
is observed, as in
‘And he (shall take) a wife in her virginity’ (Lev. 21.13),
‘They went in haste to the Jews’ (Ezra 4.23), and similar cases.
II.S.2.11.
The ninth type of case that breaks the rule is bet and pe. The statement concerning them is similar to the statement regarding the preceding type of case that breaks the rule, without there being any disagreement. This is that when bet is followed by pe and shewa is below the bet, the rule ofis broken, as in
‘and I will get glory over Pharaoh’ (Exod. 14.4),
‘and my words which I have put in your mouth’ (Isa. 59.21), and similar cases. If a vowel occurs instead of shewa, then the rule of
is observed, as in
‘He will not look upon the rivers, the streams’ (Job 20.17).
II.S.2.12.
- 2 The fuller citation וַיְהִ֙י כַאֲשֶׁר־֜תַּמּוּ as opposed to simply וַיְהִ֙י כַאֲשֶׁר in the text of Hid (...)
Take note that seven cases of kaf afterare the subject of disagreement, some pronounce them with dagesh and others pronounce them with rafe, namely
‘when his master heard’ (Gen. 39.19),
‘and when he heard’ (Gen. 39.15),
‘and when he saw’ (Jud. 11.35),
‘and when (the king) saw’ (Esther 5.2),
‘and when they brought (them) out’ (Gen. 18.17),
‘when he became king’ (1 Kings 15.29),
‘and when they perished’ (Deut. 2.16).2 The reader makes a choice: if he wants, he strengthens them (with dagesh), and if he wants, he pronounces them with rafe.
II.S.2.13.
Take note that the criterion of the (rule of) theletters and the
letters should be based on pronunciation and not on writing. For example in
‘and Balak saw’ (Num. 22.2) the bet is pronounced with dagesh, because the last letter heard when you read
is resh. An opposite case is
‘and you will make poles of acacia wood’ (Exod. 25.23). The last letter heard when you read the word
is ʾalef or he, and therefore the bet of
is pronounced rafe. This is the principle throughout the reading of Scripture.
II.S.3.0. TAV
Take note that tav in three places is strengthened with dagesh to a greater degree than (other) cases of tav with dagesh. These are‘He made it an eternal heap of ruins’ (Josh. 8.28),
‘and its houses and its treasuries’ (1 Chron. 28.11),
‘and these three men’ (Dan. 3.23). Note that there is disagreement concerning every tav in the form
except in
(1 Chron. 28.11). Whoever wishes to pronounce it with the normal dagesh of tav, may do so and whoever wishes to pronounce it with the heaviness of the tav of
(1 Chron. 28.11), may do so, on condition that this is when there is a conjunctive accent and a disjunctive accent in the word without an intervening letter.
II.S.4.0. Section concerning the vowels
II.S.4.1.
7What is to be said concerning the vowels is manifest and clear, and not obscure, because it is through them that the purpose of a speaker is understood, and without them speech would be nonsense. A letter can be without a vowel, but a vowel cannot be without a letter.
II.S.4.2.
- 3 Literally: the three (points).
- 4 Literally: the point above.
- 5 Literally: the two points.
- 6 Literally: the point below.
- 7 Literally: the arrowhead.
- 8 Literally: the point in the heart of the vav.
The total number of vowels is seven:,
,
,
,
, ֹ
and
. From within these seven vowels the letters ו , ה , א , and י are pronounced. From qameṣ, pataḥ and segol3 ʾalef and he are pronounced, as in
and
. If the he (in
) were elided, the segol (by itself) would indicate its existence, just as the qameṣ in
indicates the existence of ʾalef or he in full orthography. Likewise
and
—the pataḥ indicates the existence of ʾalef. Ḥolem4 indicates the existence of vav, as in
and the like. Ṣere5 and ḥireq6 indicate the existence of yod, as in
, since the yod is frequently written defectively but these two vowels indicate its existence. Qibbuṣ7 and shureq8 indicate the existence of vav as in וּמוּק . So what is pronounced from within the seven vowels are the letters ו , ה , א , and י .
II.S.5.0. Section concerning the Shewa
II.S.5.1.
The shewa is to be classified into two categories: quiescent and mobile. The distinctive feature of the quiescent shewa is that it makes quiescent the letter under which it is present and puts it in the group (of letters) that precedes it, as in‘Israel’,
‘Jehdeiah’,
‘Zimri’,
‘for cleansing’ (Ezek. 16.4),
‘my graven image and my molten image’ (Isa. 48.5). So the letter under which it is present has become quiescent, and has been separated from what follows it and conjoined to what is before it. It is also distinctive of its nature that it divides a word into (units that have) the status of words. This is because every letter at the end of word that is without a vowel and quiescent becomes the stopping point of the word and its place of division, like the tav in
‘in the beginning’ and like the resh in רוֹא ‘light’. Likewise (a quiescent letter) in the middle (of a word) has the status of a stopping point, as in
‘those who chirp’ (Isa. 8.19),
‘they (fpl.) ride’,
‘they (fpl.) send’. Each one of these words has the status of three words on account of the quiescent shewa. If it were absent, such a division would not be correct.
II.S.5.2.
The distinctive feature of the mobile (shewa) is that when it is under a letter, the letter is not static or at rest, as, for example, the zayin inand the shin in
, and similar cases. Just as a quiescent letter groups with what comes before it, a mobile letter groups with what is after it, the opposite (of what is the case) with a quiescent letter, as in
‘your (pl.) king’, in which the lamed is quiescent with a quiescent shewa and groups with the mem, whereas the kaf is mobile with a mobile shewa and groups with the next kaf. The same applies to
‘and they lay down’,
‘and they buried’, and similar cases.
II.S.5.3.
If there is doubt in some cases as to whether the shewa is quiescent or mobile, the endowing of heaviness to the letter before the letter with the shewa indicates that it is mobile. This applies toat the beginning of words. When shewa is under the mem and pataḥ is under the he and it (i.e. the pataḥ) is made heavy, then the shewa is mobile.
II.S.5.4.
The mobility of the shewa can also be ascertained by the number of letters of the word. If there are five letters, then the shewa is mobile, as in‘are (you) jealous?’ (Num. 11.29),
‘the one who waits’ (Dan. 12.12),
‘one that cheers’ (Jud. 9.13),
‘the one that speaks’ (Gen. 45.12, etc.), and similar cases, except for one word, namely
‘why did this madman come’ (2 Kings 9.11). The number of letters is five but the shewa is not mobile. The reason for this is that the he has not been made heavy. If words consist of more than five letters and he and mem are at their beginning, the shewa in them is sometimes quiescent and sometimes mobile. The rule concerning this is that if the accent is on the fifth letter, or one after this, then the shewa is quiescent, such as
‘the ones speaking’ (Exod. 6.27, etc.),
(Num. 5.19) ‘those that curse’ (Num. 5.22, etc.),
‘those who chirp’ (Isa. 8.19), apart from the exceptions (to this rule)
(Exod. 4.19) ‘those who seek’,
‘the lepers’ (2 Kings 7.8), and similar cases.
II.S.5.5.
The shewa on successive identical letters in the middle of a word can also give rise to uncertainty, when shewa is on the first of the two, as to whether this is mobile or quiescent. Consideration should be made as to whether there is heaviness in (the vowel of) the letter before them (i.e. the two successive letters). If this occurs, either through a gaʿya, or an accent or the lengthening of a vowel, then the shewa is mobile, as in‘they will plunder those who plundered them’ (Ezek. 39.10),
‘they will despoil those who despoiled them’ (Ezek. 39.10),
‘and to teach them the writing’ (Dan. 1.4), and similar cases, except for six cases, in which heaviness occurs (on the vowel of the preceding letter) but the shewa is not mobile, namely
‘Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me’ (Prov. 1.28),
‘and in their distress they seek me’ (Hos. 5.15),
‘I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me’ (Prov. 8.17), .
‘He who brings thanksgiving as his sacrifice honours me’ (Psa. 50.23).
II.S.5.6.
Take note that a mobile shewa never occurs on a second letter (of a word) that has a silent (following letter), because it (this second letter) is mobile due to the mobility of the first letter with shewa. A (shewa on) the third letter after (an initial mobile) shewa may be quiescent or mobile, as in‘to Israel’,
‘against Jeremiah’ (Jer. 29.27, etc.),
‘to Joshbekashah’ (1 Chron 25.24).
II.S.5.7.
Take note that when a letter has a vowel under it, the letter is mobile and quiescence occurs in the following (letter), for example inand
quiescence occurs on the ʾalef that is pronounced from within the qameṣ and the pataḥ.
II.S.6.0.
8The (discussion of the) mobile shewa should be divided into various subsections.
II.S.6.1. The First Subsection
II.S.6.1.1.
This concerns the influence that it undergoes in connection with the letters ח , ה , א and ע . When these four letters are preceded by a letter that is not one of them and under this letter there is shewa, this shewa is pronounced as a short (vowel) with the pronunciation of the vowel that is under the four letters, unless it is appropriate for gaʿya to be combined with it. If this may appropriately be combined with it, it is pronounced with the pronunciation of the vowel equal (in length), as in‘and if there remains’ (Exod. 29.34),
‘and if thus’ (Num. 11.15),
‘and its surrounding pasture lands’ (1 Chron 6.40, etc.),
‘and his sons’ (Gen. 9.1, etc.). This is a sample of cases with ʾalef.
II.S.6.1.2.
He: When shewa is before he, the shewa is pronounced (with the same pronunciation) as the pointing of the he, for example inthe vav is pronounced with a short qameṣ and in
the shewa is pronounced with long qameṣ on account of the gaʿya.
II.S.6.1.3.
Ḥeth:‘and the skilfully woven band’ (Exod. 28.8, etc.),
‘and the sword will rage’ (Hos. 11.6),
‘because it is far’ (Jdg 18.28).
II.S.6.1.4.
ʿAyin:‘blessed be the Lord for ever’ (Psa. 89.53),
‘may his name be for ever’ (Psa. 72.17),
‘in the eyes of God’ (Prov. 3.4),
‘and if it is bad in your eyes’ (Josh. 24.15).
II.S.6.1.5.
Now this rule is applied to shewa with the four letters when the shewa is under a letter that is not one of these four. If it is one of the four letters, the rule does not apply, as in‘let them clap their hands’ (Psa. 98.8, etc.),
‘the God of’ (Dan. 3.28, etc.).
II.S.6.1.6.
Take note that when shewa occurs under vav before a letter of (the verbal prefixes) נ , י , א or ת , it is more suitable (to express) the future than the past. When instead of the shewa a vowel appears under the vav, it is more suitable (to express) the past than the future tense, as in‘and I decorated you with ornaments and I gave’ (Ezek. 16.11),
‘and I rose in the morning’ (1 Kings 3.21). If a shewa had occurred in place of these qameṣ vowels, the verb would have been future. This is one of the functions of the shewa.
II.S.6.2. The Second Subsection
II.S.6.2.1.
When shewa comes before yod, the shewa is always pronounced as ḥireq, irrespective as to what pointing the yod has, as in‘for into the hand of woman’ (Jud. 4.9),
‘on the day he consecrated’ (Lev. 7.35),
‘into dry land’ (Psa. 66.6),
‘of Joram’ (2 Kings 8.16), and similar cases.
II.S.6.2.2.
Take note that when shewa occurs before yod, it generally indicates the indefinite, whereas a vowel before it indicates the definite, as in‘on the day of your sacrifice’ (Lev. 19.6), (which is) indefinite, and
‘on that day, a vineyard’ (Isa. 27.2), (which is) definite, and so forth.
II.S.6.3. The Third Subsection
II.S.6.3.1.
The remainder of the primary letters of Hebrew are seventeen, and to these should be added yod, so they come to eighteen. When shewa is under one of these eighteen at the beginning of a word, or in the middle of a word, where it has the same status (as one at) the beginning (of a word), the shewa is pronounced as a short pataḥ when it is not accompanied by a gaʿya and as a long pataḥ when it is accompanied by a gaʿya, as in‘in a multitude of people’ (Prov. 14.28),
‘your evictions’ (Ezek. 45.9),
‘his ways’,
‘and the head of Oreb’ (Jud. 7.25),
‘remember, oh Lord’ (Psa. 132.1),
‘unclean of name’ (Ezek. 22.5),
‘fear the Lord’ (Jos. 24.14), and other cases with these eighteen letters.
II.S.6.3.2.
9Take note that these eighteen are (pronounced as if) pointed with pataḥ, but it is a feature of this pataḥ that it is only pronounced short. There is no way of (representing) its shortness other than by combining it with shewa. Since, however, the shewa according to their principles does not combine with a vowel under these eighteen letters, they have marked the shewa by itself. They could not have written the pataḥ by itself, since it would have been pronounced with its full length. I have discussed this subject at length in The Guide for the Reader, where you will find the matter explained clearly.
II.S.6.4. The Fourth Subsection
The shewa is never combined with a conjunctive or disjunctive accent on the same letter. This is because an accent cannot combine with a quiescent shewa on account of the incongruity (of their functions), since a letter is made mobile by an accent, whereas a quiescent shewa makes a letter quiescent, and a letter made quiescent by the shewa would have to be made mobile by the accent simultaneously, and this is impossible. Furthermore the mobile shewa gives a letter a mobility that has no endurance, like the bet inand the zayin in ז ְ רוֹכ , whereas a letter is given a stable mobility by an accent and it is given many different melodies, as in
‘and they made haste and went out early’ (Josh. 8.14). So the mobility of an accent cannot be combined with the mobility of the shewa on account of the speed of the mobility of the shewa.
II.S.6.5. The Fifth Subsection
A letter following a mobile shewa is always rafe, as in בּ ְ ב ָֹ א ֣ ם ‘when they enter’ (Exod. 28.43, etc.),‘in every corner’ (cf. 2 Chron. 28.24),
‘on finishing’ (Deut. 31.24, etc.), and similar cases. The reason for this is that the shewa, since it wishes to have movement and speed, requires the lightness of the letter after it, because dagesh introduces a kind of heaviness in the letter.
II.S.6.6. The Sixth Subsection
II.S.6.6.1.
A mobile shewa does not combine with a vowel on any of the Hebrew letters except the four letters ח , ה , א and ע , for example‘I’, אוּה
‘not he?’,
‘and encamp against the city’ (2 Sam. 12.28),
‘go up! ’, and similar cases. If one sees this on other letters in some codices, this is because the scribe inteneded thereby to remove uncertainty, for example ק ֳָ םד ‘before’,
‘before them’,
‘drag her! ’ (Ezek. 32.20),
‘and destroy! ’ (Jer. 49.28). It is not, however, the opinion of all (that this practice is permissible). So you see that everybody combines shewa with a vowel under the four letters but only a few combine a vowel with shewa under the other eighteen letters, there being no consensus as to whether this (practice) be erroneous or not.
II.S.6.6.2.
10Take note that if one wishes to remove a vowel from one of the four letters ח , ה , א or ע , and pronounce the shewa, that would be permissible. It is not permissible, however, to mark the vowel by itself, since a vowel by itself would be pronounced with its full length. So, understand this!
II.S.6.7. The Seventh Subsection
When a shewa is combined with a vowel under a letter, the vowel is prevented from being given its full length, as in‘Ḥorem and Betanath’ (Josh. 19.38),
‘also every sickness’ (Deut. 28.61). Take note that the maintenance of the mobility of the shewa is more important than the maintenance of the full length because if they did not need to shorten the vowel and (read it) quickly, they would not have marked shewa with it.
II.S.6.8. The Eighth Subsection
11Shewa is combined with only three vowels. These are qameṣ, pataḥ and segol. This is because these three may be read with pause and also with speed.
II.S.6.9. The Ninth Subsection
When shewa is at the beginning of a word, it is always mobile, as in‘at the time of (each) day’ (1 Chron. 12.23),
‘the word of whom will stand’ (Jer. 44.28),
‘in the heat of the day’ (Gen. 18.1), and similar cases. This is because it is not permissible to begin (a word) with a quiescent letter. You will find the issues concerning this aspect explained in The Guide for the Reader. God knows best.
II.S.6.10. The Tenth Subsection
A mobile shewa is followed by quiescence in the third letter after it, or one greater (in number than the third), as in,‘to Joshbekashah’ (1 Chron 25.24),
‘to Jokmeam’ (1 Kings 4.12), and the like, and as in cases in which the quiescence is in the third letter and also in what is beyond the third letter, such as
‘God’ and
‘cypresses’.
II.S.6.11. The Eleventh Subsection
12A mobile shewa does not come next to a (mobile) shewa either at the beginning of a word, or in the middle of it, or at its end. This is because a word is mobile (with a vowel) and what attaches to this mobile component when it begins with (a mobile) shewa is of a lesser degree of mobility. A quiescent letter may follow these two. Therefore two mobile (shewas) are not combined together, in the way that two quiescent ones can combine.
II.S.6.12. The Twelfth Subsection
Two quiescent shewas are not combined except at the end of a word, as in‘and he captured’ (Num. 21.1),
‘and you will wash and anoint yourself’ (Ruth 3.3). Take note that when shewa under shin and ṣade is quiescent and bet and tav remain after it, they must obligatorily be made quiescent, because they do not have a letter next to them to which they could move towards.
II.S.6.13. The Thirteenth Subsection
It is not possible to have a succession of two adjacent shewas the first of which is mobile and the second quiescent. Rather the first must be quiescent and the second mobile. Take note that shewa may be construed as a successive sequence (of two) even though only one is written, as in‘from crying’ (1 Sam. 7.8),
‘sacrificing’,
‘playing the pipe’ (1 Kings 1.40, etc.),
‘from being king’ (1 Sam. 8.7, etc.),
‘will it be like?’ (2 Sam. 3.33). The reason for this is that the letter is pronounced as two letters. This is the custom of Hebrew, namely that every letter with strengthening, I mean with dagesh, in the middle of a word, where it does not have the status of beginning (a word or syllable), under which there is shewa, is pronounced as two letters.
II.S.6.14. The Fourteenth Subsection
A shewa at the end of a word can only be silent, as inand similar cases.
II.S.7.0. Section on the names of the vowels and their place of articulation
II.S.7.1.
The vowels are seven, namelyֹ א ,,
,
,
,
,
.
II.S.7.2.
13The first is ‘the point above’ (i.e. ḥolem) because it moves along the surface of the whole mouth. Its name is ḥolem. The meaning of this is ‘fullness’, because it fills the whole mouth. They have derived (the name) from one of the languages that they used.
II.S.7.3.
The second is qameṣ, which is derived from‘and the priest will grasp’ (Lev. 5.12, etc.), because it grips the mouth.
II.S.7.4.
The third is pataḥ, which opens the whole mouth, from‘open your mouth, judge righteously’ (Prov. 31.9).
II.S.7.5.
14The fourth is segol, which consists of three dots below, as if they were a bunch of grapes.
II.S.7.6.
15The fifth consists of two dots below in a line. Its name is ṣere, the meaning of which is ‘splitting’, because it splits between the teeth. They have derived it from the languages that they used.
II.S.7.7.
The sixth is one dot below. Its name is ḥireq, from‘and gnashes his teeth against him’ (Psa. 37.12). The meaning of this is that the teeth make a squeaking sound with it.
II.S.7.8.
The seventh consists of three dots (written) obliquely. It may be replaced by one dot in the heart of vav. Its name is shureq, meaning ‘whistling’, from‘to hear the whistlings of the flocks’ (Jud. 5.16), because it gathers the lips together.
II.S.8.0. Discussion concerning their place of articulation
II.S.8.1.
16The place of articulation of ḥolem is the root of the tongue and the place of swallowing, and it moves over the surface of the entire mouth.
II.S.8.2.
17The place of articulation of qameṣ is slightly above the root of the tongue, this being the (first) third of the tongue, and its movement is to above the palate.
II.S.8.3.
18The place of articulation of pataḥ is the surface of the tongue downwards.
II.S.8.4.
19The place of articulation of segol is the contraction of the sides of the mouth and its movement is upon the lower surface of the mouth.
II.S.8.5.
20The place of articulation of ṣere is the teeth, without closure.
II.S.8.6.
21The place of articulation of ḥireq is the closure of the teeth with force.
II.S.8.7.
22The place of articulation of shureq is the lips gathered together (as if for) whistling.
II.S.9.0. Section concerning the Gaʿya
The gaʿya is an exhalation in speech, which conducts the reading along and carries it forward in a beautiful manner, animating the reader and moving him to read more. One reader omits it in some places whereas another reader sustains it. In sum, it has no principle, because it is not an accent, like a disjunctive accent or a conjunctive accent. It is marked on a slant to the right of the reader, similar to the marking of ṭifḥa and mayela. It is said that the gaʿya has no principle. It is never accompanied by maqqef, which is a line that links two words on account of the fact that one word does not have a disjunctive or conjunctive accent. This is because any word that has an accent does not have maqqef, unless a gaʿya can come before the accent, in which case a word may contain an accent and maqqef in some places. There are, however, some places from which gaʿya cannot be omitted, such as‘for they do not sleep’ (Prov. 4.16), which is from ‘sleeping and slumber’. If you were to omit it, it would come to mean ‘repeating’, as in
‘after my word they did not speak’ (Job 29.22), and similar cases where the meaning changes on account of it.
Notes
1 Literally: the book of the lifeblood.
2 The fuller citation וַיְהִ֙י כַאֲשֶׁר־֜תַּמּוּ as opposed to simply וַיְהִ֙י כַאֲשֶׁר in the text of Hidāyat al-Qāriʾ is given in Kitāb al-Khilaf (ed. Lipschütz, 1965, 19).
3 Literally: the three (points).
4 Literally: the point above.
5 Literally: the two points.
6 Literally: the point below.
7 Literally: the arrowhead.
8 Literally: the point in the heart of the vav.
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