Tikkun Sopherim
Tikkun Sopherim
( ), or Emendations of the Scribes, refer to eighteen alterations which the scribes decreed should be introduced into the text,. in order to remove anthropomorphisms and other indelicate expressions. These eighteen emendations, or , are as follows, according to the order of the Hebrew Bible, Gen 18:22, where, for the original reading, , and Jehovah still stood before Abraham, is now substituted, by the decree of the scribes =Tikkn Sopherima, , and Abraham still stood before Jehovah, because it appeared offensive to say that the Deity stood before Abraham.
2. Num 11:15, where Moses addresses God, Kill me, I pray thee… that I may not see thy evil (), i.e. the punishment wherewith thou visitest Israel, is altered to that I may not see my evil (), because it might seem as if evil were ascribed to the Deity.
3, 4. Num 12:12, where the original reading, Let her not be as one dead who proceeded from the womb of our mother (), and half of our flesh () be consumed, is changed to Let her not be as one dead- born, which when it proceeds from the womb of its mother () has half of its flesh () consumed.
5. 1 Samuel 3, 13, where the original, for his sons cursed God () the Sept. has it still is altered to for his sons cursed themselves (), because it was too offensive to say that Eli’s sons cursed God without being reprimanded by their father.
6. 2Sa 16:12,where will God see with his eye () is made to read will God look at my affliction (). The Seventy probably read , for they translate .
7. 1Ki 12:16, where to his God (), O Israel… and Israel went to their God ()is given to your tents ()… to their tents ( ), because the separation of Israel from the house of David was regarded as a necessary transition to idolatry; it was looked upon as leaving God and the sanctuary for the worship of idolatry in tents.
8. 2Ch 10:16 concerns the parallel passage, which is similarly altered for the same reason.
9. Jer 2:11, where my glory () reads their glory (), because it was too offensive to say that God’s glory was changed for an idol.
10. Eze 8:17,where my nose ( ) is changed into their nose ();
11. Hos 4:7, where the same change is made as in Hos 9:12. Hab 1:12, where thou diest not ( ) is converted into we shall not die ( ).
13. Zec 2:12, where mine eye ( ) is varied by his eye (), to avoid too gross an anthropomorphism.
14. Mal 1:13, where you make me () is changed to you make it (); reason as in 13.
15. Psa 106:20, where the same alteration is made as in 9 and 11.
16. Job 7:20, where a burden to thee () is changed to to myself (). That was the Original reading we see also from the Sept. .
17. Job 32:3, where they condemned God ( ) is altered to they condemned Job ( ).
18. Lam 3:19, where and thy soul will mourn over me ( ) reads and my soul is humbled within me ( ), because of the remark that God will mourn.
These eighteen decrees of the Sopherim are enumerated in the Massora Magna on Numbers 1, 1, and on Psa 106:20; they are also given in the book Ochlah ve-Ochath, p. 37, 113 (ed. Frensdorff, Hanover, 1864). The whole question on these Tikkn Sopherim is discussed by Pinsker in Kherem Chemed, 9:53 sq. (Berlin, 1856); Geiger, Urschrift und Uebersetzungen der Bibel, p. 308 sq. (Breslau, 1857); Wedell, De Emendationibus a Sopherim in Libris Sacris Veteris Testamenti Propositis (Vratislavise, 1869). SEE OCLAH. (B. P.)