• 2A Extraordinary Points—Puncta extraordinaria
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References

    • 2A Extraordinary Points—Puncta extraordinaria

      In 15 passages in M certain words are stigmatized or dotted. Some Hebrew manuscripts exhibit vertical or horizontal strokes instead of dots, or puncta. The 15 places where the extraordinary points occur are: Ge 16:5; 18:9; 19:33; 33:4; 37:12; Nu 3:39; 9:10; 21:30; 29:15; De 29:29; 2Sa 19:19; Ps 27:13; Isa 44:9; Eze 41:20; 46:22. See our footnotes for a discussion of these passages.

      The exact meaning of the dots is disputed. Some consider them to be marks of erasure. Others think the dots indicate that in some collated manuscripts the words thus stigmatized were missing, so that the reading is doubtful. Still others think the dots are simply a device to aid the reader to remember some explanation that the ancient Hebrews had connected with these words. Also, there are those who argue that the dots were intended to guard against the omission by copyists of elements in the Hebrew text which, at first glance or after comparison with parallel Scripture passages, seemed to be superfluous.

      Concerning the extraordinary points, Gins.Int, pp. 320, 321, says: “It will thus be seen that the points were regarded by the ancient authorities as marking the letters and words in question as spurious and that the Prophet Elias [Elijah], who is to solve all doubts and difficulties, will give his decision on them when he appears. The practice of using dots to stigmatize words as spurious was not restricted to those days. Later scribes continued the example of the ancient Sopherim, as may be seen by the student of Hebrew MSS.”

  • 2B Emendations (Corrections) of the Sopherim—“Tiqqune Sopherim”
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References

    • 2B Emendations (Corrections) of the Sopherim—“Tiqqune Sopherim”

      Eighteen Emendations of the Sopherim

      In the margin of certain Hebrew manuscripts of the Masoretic text there are notations that read: “This is one of the eighteen emendations of the Sopherim,” or similar expressions. These emendations (corrections) were made with good intentions because the original passage appeared to show either irreverence for God or disrespect for his earthly representatives. Following is a list of the Eighteen Emendations of the Sopherim, according to Gins.Int, pp. 347-363: Ge 18:22; Nu 11:15; 12:12; 1Sa 3:13; 2Sa 16:12; 20:1; 1Ki 12:16; 2Ch 10:16; Job 7:20; 32:3; Ps 106:20; Jer 2:11; La 3:20; Eze 8:17; Ho 4:7; Hab 1:12; Zec 2:8; Mal 1:13.

      Other Emendations of the Sopherim

      According to Gins.Int, pp. 362, 363, the St. Petersburg Codex of 916 C.E. registers two more alterations made by the Sopherim, namely, in Mal 1:12; 3:9. In those two places we have restored the text to the original reading. Our footnotes indicate the original reading as well as the actual reading in M.

      Emendations in the Text but Not Recorded in the Masoretic Notes

      According to Gins.Int, p. 363, there are “a few passages into which changes have been introduced by the authorised redactors of the text, but which are not expressly mentioned in the official Lists. Foremost amongst these are instances in which the original reading described blasphemy or cursing God. Such profane phrases were deemed offensive to the ears of the devote[d] worshippers when the Scriptures were read publicly before the congregation.” We have restored the text to the original reading in the following seven places: 2Sa 12:14; 1Ki 21:10, 13; Job 1:5, 11; 2:5, 9. Our footnotes indicate the original reading as well as the actual reading in M.