Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Masoretic

Masoretic

1 9.9
About the traditional Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible kept by Jewish scholars
  • adjective
  • /ˌmæsəˈrɛtɪk/
  • Specialized
: masorético
  • Biblical scholars often rely on the Masoretic text to understand the original Hebrew scriptures.

They were discussing which came first, the Hebrew Masoretic text of the Old Testament or the Greek Septuagint?

Examples

  • They were discussing which came first, the Hebrew Masoretic text of the Old Testament or the Greek Septuagint?

    Danny Jones

  • The only modern scholar that I am aware of who has used Masoretic notations in his exegetical work is James A. Sanders, as exemplified in his presidential address to the Society of Biblical Literature over 25 years ago in New Orleans.

    Academic text (2007)

  • This Masoretic interconnection suggests to the reader that Ezra might be considered a second Moses, as indeed Rabbinic tradition perceived him.

    Academic text (2007)

  • It is my belief that many of these Masoretic catchword doublets may be useful in intertextual exegesis.

    Academic text (2007)

  • It is hoped that, by making the biblical field aware of these Masoretic doublet catchwords, biblical scholars will take note of this rich, previously hidden source of intertextual connections in their future research.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The Masoretic tradition plays a crucial role in preserving the authenticity of the Hebrew Bible.

  • Studying the Masoretic annotations can provide valuable insights into ancient Jewish interpretations.

Surface Forms

Masoretic positive

Etymology

Masoretic comes from the Hebrew word masorah, meaning 'tradition', and from the people called the Masoretes. These were scribes who carefully copied the Hebrew Bible and added small vowel marks to fix its 'pronunciation', so Masoretic describes the traditional, carefully fixed form of the Hebrew text.