by Caleb Lenz
Posted November 10, 2017
A “ketiv reading” is an actual word (or words) in the text of the Hebrew Bible, which has a note in the margin (called a “qere reading”) providing a different spelling, or in some cases a different word entirely. In a liturgical setting Jews have traditionally approached the ketiv readings by reading aloud the word in the margin rather than the word in the text (what oftentimes is a very bizarre word or spelling). This tradition is for a liturgical setting, and the very nature of its telling assumes there is a bizarre spelling that we see when we study the text on our own in a non-liturgical setting. The truth is that words spelled in unexpected or bizarre ways appear all over the Hebrew Bible, and the Masora (the notes, to speak generally, of the Hebrew Bible) just highlights some of them. In Genesis 1:12 לְמִינֵהוּ is missing a yod; it should be spelled לְמִינֵיהוּ. In Genesis 4:18 וּמְחִיּיָאֵל has a bogus chireq vowel (ִ) and a yod-shureq vowel in place of the normal vav-shureq (the yod-shureq is common in ketiv readings); the word should be spelled וּמְחוּיָאֵל. By “should be spelled” I don’t mean that there’s an error here. I assume it’s supposed to be spelled in the strange manner as it is and that there is a didactic purpose for the strange spelling. There are multitudes of strange spellings in the Hebrew Bible, and their existence brings a kind of normalcy to the strange ketiv readings—they’re really not that strange in the overall strangeness of the literature. The Hebrew reader who doesn’t know that the text is strange isn’t paying attention to how words are spelled.
The ketiv readings, in truth, can be seen as a kind of tutor, teaching us to see the strange spellings in the text. When we pay attention to them, we develop an eye which sees them where they are not marked. By taking away the ketiv readings, digital editors (and even those of the Qoren text, the Hebrew Bible commonly used in Israel) have taken away our tutor in the strange spellings of the Hebrew Bible—and yet all those other strange spellings are still there. When we grasp these other strange spellings, we need to ask, “Why did you take the ketivs away?”—“Why did you take away our tutor?” The tradition is to “read aloud”—not to “rewrite”. It is a tradition for the voice—not the eye. I think you should read aloud וּמְחִיּיָאֵל as וּמְחוּיָאֵל—that doesn’t mean you should change what the text reads.
This is a list of the first 95 ketiv readings (there are over 1,200 of them scattered throughout the Hebrew Bible). The hard copy Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) is the only place I know of where you can see the ketiv readings—everyone else has removed them. (The Interlinear NIV Hebrew-English Old Testament, edited by John R. Kohlenberger III, uses the BHS and therefore has the ketiv readings. There could be many sources like that with which I am not familiar, sources using the BHS and which therefore show the ketiv readings.) In the Westminster Leningrad Codex and (in general—there are exceptions) on Mechon-Mamre.org the ketivs are shown as letters only; this follows in the pattern of the Qoren text. In both the Logos Bible Software edition of the BHS and the Anderson-Forbes Analyzed Text in Logos, the vowels have routinely been changed.
The Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC) here is from version 4.18 (this list is actually anchored in the WLC; this is the first 95 qere readings in the WLC). The BHS is my own transcription from the hard copy 4th edition. (I have modified from the Leningrad Codex both the WLC and BHS for Exodus 16:7; I show here what I think is a better reading.)
| WLC | BHS | |
| Gen 8:17 | הוצא הַיְצֵ֣א | הַוְצֵ֣א |
| Gen 13:3 | אהלה אָֽהֳלוֹ֙ | אָֽהֳלֹה֙ |
| Gen 14:2 | צביים צְבוֹיִ֔ים | צְביֹיִ֔ם |
| Gen 14:8 | צביים צְבוֹיִ֔ם | צְביֹיִ֔ם |
| Gen 24:33 | ויישם וַיּוּשַׂ֤ם | וַיֻּישַׂ֤ם |
| Gen 25:23 | גיים גוֹיִם֙ | גיֹיִם֙ |
| Gen 27:3 | צידה צָֽיִד | צָֽיִדה |
| Gen 27:29 | וישתחו וְיִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֤וּ | וְיִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֻ֤ |
| Gen 30:11 | בגד בָּ֣א גָ֑ד | בָּ֣גָ֑ד |
| Gen 36:5 | יעיש יְע֥וּשׁ | יְע֥יּשׁ |
| Gen 36:14 | יעיש יְע֥וּשׁ | יְע֥יּשׁ |
| Gen 39:20 | אסורי אֲסִירֵ֥י | אֲסִורֵ֥י |
| Gen 43:28 | וישתחו וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ | וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֻּֽ |
| Gen 49:10 | שילה שִׁיל֔וֹ | שִׁילֹ֔ה |
| Gen 49:11 | עירה עִיר֔וֹ | עִירֹ֔ה |
| Gen 49:11 | סותה סוּתֽוֹ | סוּתֹֽה |
| Exod 4:2 | מזה מַה־זֶּ֣ה | מַזֶּ֣ה |
| Exod 16:2 | וילינו וַיִּלּ֜וֹנוּ | וַיִּלֹּ֜ינוּ |
| Exod 16:7 | תלינו תַּלּ֖וֹנוּ | תַלִּ֖ינוּ |
| Exod 21:8 | לא ל֥וֹ | לֹ֥א |
| Exod 22:4 | בעירה בְּעִיר֔וֹ | בְּעִירֹ֔ה |
| Exod 22:26 | כסותה כְסוּתוֹ֙ | כְסוּתֹה֙ |
| Exod 27:11 | ועמדו וְעַמּוּדָ֣יו | וְעַמֻּדָ֣ו |
| Exod 28:28 | מטבעתו מִֽטַּבְּעֹתָ֞יו | מִֽטַּבְּעֹתָ֞ו |
| Exod 32:19 | מידו מִיָּדָיו֙ | מִיָּדָו֙ |
| Exod 37:8 | קצוותו קְצוֹתָֽיו | קְצוֹותָֽו |
| Exod 39:4 | קצוותו קְצוֹתָ֖יו | קְצווֹתָ֖ו |
| Exod 39:33 | בריחו בְּרִיחָ֖יו | בְּרִיחָ֖ו |
| Lev 9:22 | ידו יָדָ֛יו | יָדָ֛ו |
| Lev 11:21 | לא ל֤וֹ | לֹ֤א |
| Lev 16:21 | ידו יָדָ֗יו | יָדָ֗ו |
| Lev 21:5 | יקרחה יִקְרְח֤וּ | יִקְרְחֻ֤ה |
| Lev 25:30 | לא ל֣וֹ | לֹ֣א |
| Num 1:16 | קריאי קְרוּאֵ֣י | קְריּאֵ֣י |
| Num 12:3 | ענו עָנָ֣יו | עָנָ֣ו |
| Num 14:36 | וילונו וַיַּלִּ֤ינוּ | וַיַּלִּ֤ונוּ |
| Num 16:11 | תלונו תַלִּ֖ינוּ | תַלִּ֖ונוּ |
| Num 21:32 | ויירש וַיּ֖וֹרֶשׁ | וַיֹּ֖ירֶשׁ |
| Num 23:13 | לך־לְכָה־ | לְךָ־ |
| Num 26:9 | קרואי קְרִיאֵ֣י | קְרִואֵ֣י |
| Num 32:7 | תנואון תְנִיא֔וּן | תְנִוא֔וּן |
| Num 34:4 | והיה וְהָיוּ֙ | וְהָיֻה֙ |
| Deut 2:33 | בנו בָּנָ֖יו | בָּנָ֖ו |
| Deut 5:10 | מצותו מִצְוֺתָֽי | מִצְוֺתָֽו |
| Deut 7:9 | מצותו מִצְוֺתָ֖יו | מִצְוֺתָ֖ו |
| Deut 8:2 | מצותו מִצְוֺתָ֖יו | מִצְוֺתָ֖ו |
| Deut 13:16 | ההוא הַהִ֖יא | הַהִ֖וא |
| Deut 21:7 | שפכה שָֽׁפְכוּ֙ | שָֽׁפְכֻה֙ |
| Deut 22:15 | הנער הַֽנַּעֲרָ֖ה | הַֽנַּעֲרָ֖ |
| Deut 22:15 | הנער הַֽנַּעֲרָ֛ה | הַֽנַּעֲרָ֛ |
| Deut 22:16 | הנער הַֽנַּעַרָ֖ה | הַֽנַּעֲרָ֖ |
| Deut 22:20 | לנער לַֽנַּעֲרָֽה | לַֽנַּעֲרָֽ |
| Deut 22:21 | הנער הַֽנַּעֲרָ֜ה | הַֽנַּעֲרָ֜ |
| Deut 22:23 | נער נַעֲרָ֣ה | נַעֲרָ֣ |
| Deut 22:24 | הנער הַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ה | הַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ |
| Deut 22:25 | הנער הַֽנַּעֲרָה֙ | הַֽנַּעֲרָ֙ |
| Deut 22:26 | ולנער וְלַֽנַּעֲרָה֙ | וְלַנַּֽעֲרָ֙ |
| Deut 22:26 | לנער לַֽנַּעֲרָ֖ה | לַֽנַּעֲרָ֖ |
| Deut 22:27 | הנער הַֽנַּעֲרָה֙ | הַֽנַּעֲרָ֙ |
| Deut 22:28 | נער נַעֲרָ֤ה | נַעֲרָ֤ |
| Deut 22:29 | הנער הַֽנַּעֲרָ֖ה | הַֽנַּעֲרָ֖ |
| Deut 28:27 | ובעפלים וּבַטְּחֹרִ֔ים | וּבַעְפֹלִ֔ים |
| Deut 28:30 | ישגלנה יִשְׁכָּבֶ֔נָּה | יִשְׁגָּלֶ֔נָּה |
| Deut 29:22 | וצביים וּצְבוֹיִ֔ם | וּצְבֹייִ֔ם |
| Deut 32:13 | במותי בָּ֣מֳתֵי | בָּ֣מֳותֵי |
| Deut 33:2 | אשדת אֵ֥שׁ דָּ֖ת | אֵ֥שׁדָּ֖ת |
| Deut 33:9 | בנו בָּנָ֖יו | בָּנָ֖ו |
| Josh 2:13 | אחותי אַחְיוֹתַ֔י | אַחְוֺתַ֔י |
| Josh 3:4 | ובינו וּבֵינָ֔יו | וּבֵינָ֔ו |
| Josh 3:16 | באדם מֵֽאָדָ֤ם | בֵֽאָדָ֤ם |
| Josh 4:18 | בעלות כַּעֲל֨וֹת | בַּעֲל֨וֹת |
| Josh 5:1 | עברנו עָבְרָ֑ם | עָבְרָ֑נו |
| Josh 6:5 | בשמעכם כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶם֙ | בְּשָׁמְעֲכֶם֙ |
| Josh 6:7 | ויאמרו וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ו |
| Josh 6:9 | תקעו תֹּקְעֵ֖י | תֹּקְעֵ֖ו |
| Josh 6:13 | הולך הָל֖וֹךְ | הָולֹ֖ךְ |
| Josh 7:21 | ואראה וָאֵ֣רֶא | וָאֵ֣רֶאה |
| Josh 8:11 | בינו בֵּינָ֥יו | בֵּינָ֥ו |
| Josh 8:16 | בעיר בָּעַ֔י | בָּעַ֔יר |
| Josh 9:7 | ויאמרו וַיֹּ֥אמֶר | וַיֹּ֥אמֶרו |
| Josh 9:7 | אכרות־אֶֽכְרָת־ | אֶֽכְרָות־ |
| Josh 15:4 | והיה וְהָי֛וּ | וְהָיֻ֛ה |
| Josh 15:47 | הגבול הַגָּד֖וֹל | הַגָּב֖וֹל |
| Josh 15:53 | וינים וְיָנ֥וּם | וְיָנ֥יּם |
| Josh 15:63 | יוכלו יָכְל֥וּ | יָוכְל֥וּ |
| Josh 16:3 | תצאתו תֹצְאֹתָ֖יו | תֹצְאֹתָ֖ו |
| Josh 18:12 | והיה וְהָיוּ֙ | וְהָיֻה֙ |
| Josh 18:14 | והיה וְהָי֣וּ | וְהָיֻ֣ה |
| Josh 18:19 | והיה וְהָי֣וּ | וְהָיֻ֣ה |
| Josh 18:19 | תצאותיו תֹּצְא֣וֹת | תֹּצְא֣וֹתיו |
| Josh 18:24 | העמני הָֽעַמֹּנָ֛ה | הָֽעַמֹּנָ֛י |
| Josh 19:22 | ושחצומה וְשַׁחֲצִ֙ימָה֙ | וְשַׁחֲצִ֙ומָה֙ |
| Josh 19:29 | ויהיו וְהָי֧וּ | וְיהָי֧וּ |
| Josh 20:8 | גלון גּוֹלָ֥ן | גֹּלָ֥ון |
| Josh 21:27 | גלון גּוֹלָ֤ן | גֹּלָ֤ון |
My usage of the BHS here (a copyrighted text) is for non-commercial, educational purposes. I don’t see how this list will interfere with BHS sales. I therefore assume my usage here constitutes fair usage. The WLC is a public domain text.
This information is in the public domain. (www.caleblenz.org)