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Bible Encyclopedias
Tikkun Sopherim
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (תיקון סופרים ), 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 י ח מלין, are as follows, according to the order of the Hebrew Bible, Genesis 18:22, where, for the original reading, עודני עמד לפני אברה ויהוה, "and Jehovah still stood before Abraham," is now substituted, by the decree of the scribes =Tikkû n Sopherima, ואברהם עודנו עמד לפני יהוה, "and Abraham still stood before Jehovah," because it appeared offensive to say that the Deity stood before Abraham.
2. Numbers 11:15, where Moses addresses God, "Kill me, I pray thee... that I may not see thy evil" (ברעתֶךָ ), i.e. the punishment wherewith thou visitest Israel, is altered to "that I may not see my evil" (ברעתי ), because it might seem as if evil were ascribed to the Deity.
3, 4. Numbers 12:12, where the original reading, "Let her not be as one dead who proceeded from the womb of our mother (אמנו ), and half of our flesh (בשרנו ) be consumed," is changed to "Let her not be as one dead- born, which when it proceeds from the womb of its mother (אמו ) has half of its flesh (בשרו ) consumed."
5. 1 Samuel 3, 13, where the original, "for his sons cursed God" (אלהים ) — the Sept. has it still θεόν is altered to "for his sons cursed themselves" (להם ), because it was too offensive to say that Eli's sons cursed God without being reprimanded by their father.
6. 2 Samuel 16:12,where "will God see with his eye" (בעיני ) is made to read "will God look at my affliction" (בעוני ). The Seventy probably read בעניי, for they translate ἐν τῇ ταπεινσώει μου.
7. 1 Kings 12:16, where "to his God (לאלהיי ), O Israel... and Israel went to their God" (לאלהיו )is given "to your tents (לאהליִ) ... to their tents" ( לאהליו ), 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. 2 Chronicles 10:16 concerns the parallel passage, which is similarly altered for the same reason.
9. Jeremiah 2:11, where "my glory" (כבודי ) reads "their glory" (כבודו ), because it was too offensive to say that God's glory was changed for an idol.
10. Ezekiel 8:17,where "my nose" ( אפי ) is changed into "their nose" (אפם );
11. Hosea 4:7, where the same change is made as in Hosea 9:12. Habakkuk 1:12, where "thou diest not" ( לא תמות ) is converted into "we shall not die" (לא נמות ).
13. Zechariah 2:12, where "mine eye" ( עיני ) is varied by his eye" (עינו ), to avoid too gross an anthropomorphism.
14. Malachi 1:13, where "you make me" (עיתי ) is changed to "you make it" (אותי ); reason as in 13.
15. Psalms 106:20, where the same alteration is made as in 9 and 11.
16. Job 7:20, where "a burden to thee" (עליִ) is changed to" to myself" (עלי ). That עלי wִ as the Original reading we see also from the Sept. εἰμὶ δὲ ἐπὶ σοὶ φορ τίον.
17. Job 32:3, where "they condemned God" (אלהי את ) is altered to they "condemned Job" (את איוב ).
18. Lamentations 3:19, where "and thy soul will mourn over me" (ותשיח עלי נִפְשֶךָ ) reads "and my soul is humbled within me" (ותשוּח עלי נִפְשַי ), 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 Psalms 106:20; they are also given in the book Ochlah ve-Ochath, p. 37, 113 (ed. Frensdorff, Hanover, 1864). The whole question on these Tikkû n 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.)
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Tikkun Sopherim'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/t/tikkun-sopherim.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
