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Bible Encyclopedias
Sebirin
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (סבירין ), or imaginary readings, is a technical term of the Masorites to denote that words in the Bible ought to be read so and so, but they are not. This expression is derived from sabar, סבר, "to believe, think;" thus we read in Daniel 7:25 ויסבר , and he thought, and in the Chaldee paraphrase on Proverbs 14:12, "there is a way which is right in the view of man," we read "there is a way which man imagines" (דסברין ), etc. Now there are a number of such imaginary or supposed readings to be found in the Hebrew text of the Old Test. as the following examples will prove. Thus we read: האל, these, is said to stand eight times for האלה, as in Genesis 19:25; Genesis 26:3; Leviticus 18:29, etc.
אלפי , thousand, is said to stand four times for אלפים as in Exodus 32:28; Judges 4:10, etc.
וימר , and he said, is said to stand twelve times for ויאמרו, "and they said," as in Exodus 14:25; Numbers 32:25, etc.
ארצ , into the land, is said to stand five times for
ארצה, as in Genesis 45:25, etc.
אשׁח , a wife, stands three times for לאשׁח, "for a wife," as in 2 Chronicles 21:6; Ezra 2:61; Nehemiah 7:63.
אשׁר , which, stands four times for אשׁר, "as which," Exodus 14:13; Leviticus 7:36; Leviticus 7:38; Numbers 4:49.
אתה , as which, stands ten times for עתה, "which," Deuteronomy 16:10; Deuteronomy 24:8, Joshua 2:7; Joshua 13:8; Joshua 14:2; Jeremiah 23:27 : Isaiah 51:13; Hosea 7:12; Jonah 1:14; Haggai 1:12.
אתה , thou, stands three times for עתה, "now," as 1 Kings 1:18; 1 Kings 1:20.
ממנו , from it, stands six times for ממנה, "from her," as Leviticus 6:8; Leviticus 26:9; Joshua 1:7; Judges 11:34; 2 Kings 4:39; 1 Kings 22:43.
על , upon, stands nine times for עד, "until," as Genesis 49:13; Joshua 2:7; Joshua 13:16; Judges 7:29,
על , upon, stands twice for עם, "with," as Genesis 30:40; 1 Samuel 20:8.
Without enlarging Upon this list, we will remark for those interested in that subject that these סבירין are given in alphabetical order by Frensdorff in his Massora Magna; the first part is entitled Massoretisches Whr-terbuch, p. 369 sq. See Buxtorf, Tiberias, p. 257 sq.; Levita, Massoreth Ha- Massoreth (ed. Ginsburg), p. 225 sq. (B. P.)
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Sebirin'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/s/sebirin.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
