Question About Blank Parentheses in Electronic Texts of the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS)

If you have ever used a digital version of the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (link) in Bible software, you may have encountered words in parentheses. These often represent the קרי (qere, “read”) in the Qere/Ketiv tradition. Qere/Ketiv records a traditional distinction between what is written in the consonantal text—the כתיב (ketiv, “written”)—and what is to be read aloud. The reasons for these distinctions vary and may involve spelling, grammar, euphemism, traditional pronunciation, or textual correction. Rather than altering the consonantal ketiv, the Masoretic tradition records the qere reading through marginal notation and vocalization. In digital Hebrew texts, qere readings are often displayed in parentheses. Sometimes, however, you may encounter an empty or “blank” qere. In Accordance Bible Software(link), this may be tagged as קק or “qere blank.” Ruth 3:12 provides an example.

Well, what does this mean…

In Ruth 3:12, the issue is a case of ketiv velo qere: a word is written in the consonantal text but is not to be read aloud. The BHS Masora Parva on page 1323 notes that אִם is one of eight such cases. In other words, the Masoretic note is not supplying a replacement qere for אִם; it indicates that the written word is to remain unpronounced.

Here is a picture of the Masorah Parva / Masorah Katana of the BHS on page 1323

It reads:

אִם חד מן ח̇ כת̇ ולא קר̇ — “The word אִם is one of eight words that are written but not read.” Naturally, you may want to know where the other occurrences are. Accordance’s Masorah Thesaurus module(link) lists all eight instances of this “written but not read” phenomenon:

The electronic Logos edition of Gérard E. Weil’s Massorah Gedolah: Manuscrit B. 19a de Léningrad (Rome: Pontificium Institutum Biblicum, 2001) also lists all eight occurrences, although in a different order:

At first sight, Logos’ Massorah Gedolah may look more immediately accessible because English verse references appear alongside the material. Accordance’s Masorah Thesaurus, however, provides additional cross-references and information drawn from a wider range of Masoretic resources. For example, a search for Ruth 3:12 can return several related lists. Weil’s Massorah Gedolah, by contrast, is an edited presentation centered on the Masorah of the Leningrad Codex. The two resources therefore serve somewhat different purposes, and it is useful to have access to both.

Today’s post is a slightly edited version of an answer I wrote earlier this year on a thread in the Accordance Forums see: https://forums.accordancebible.com/topic/35879-qere-blank-in-hebrew/

Thanks for reading!