Masora, Part 29 – Part 49
XXIX.
Eſra and Nehemiah, aſſociated to themſelvs others of the prime Men of the people, and the wiſeſt, ſo that the whole Council completed the number of 120. Men; which Council is of moſt worthy memory, frequently in the Writings of the Hebrews. Hence in the Chronicle Juchaſin, fol. 13. It is read of this Counſell, When Constitutions are named abſolutely, they are from Eſra. And the houſe of Judgement of Eſra, is that which is called the great Synagogue or the great Council, which reſtored the Crown unto the antient eſtate. The Hebrews had three Crowns of the Law, the Prieſthood and the Kingdome. The Crown of the Law, i. the Study of Wiſdom, and the knowledge of the Divine Law, was the greateſt of all, according to that Prov. 8. 15. By me (i. Wiſdome) Kings Raign. This Crown Eſra which his Colleagues reduced to the Primitive Condition, i. e. He reformed the Eccleſiaſtical Commonwealth from the filth, and pollutions of Babylon, and reduced it to the old integrity, and purged the Holy Scripture from the deceitfull Books of the falſe Prophets, and from all corruptions. Therefore in the Jeruſalem Talmud, in the Book Megilla, c. 4. in fine: When the men of the great Synagogue aroſe, they reſtored magnificence, i. The Crown of the Law, then whoſe magnificence, none is greater. Don Iſaac Abarbinel in the preface to his foreign Commemorates the principal men of this Council, moſt of whom came from Babylon and Jeruſalem with Zorobabel: The Catalogue, ſaith he, of the men of the great Council are Hagaeus the Prophets, Zacharias the Prophet, Malachias the Prophet, Zorobabel the ſon of Schealtiel, Mordecai, Bilſohan; Ezra the Prieſt and Scribe, Jehoſua the Son of Johotzedek the Prieſt, Seraja, Realja, Miſpar Bigaeus, Rachum, Bana, Nehemiah the Son of Chacilja. Theſe are the twelve prime Men, &c. The laſt man (ſaith Rabbi Moſes ben M…jomen,) in whom the Council ended, was foreign Simeon the just, he who went forth to meet the great Alexander, in bis Prieſtly habit, and inclined him to ſhew Clemency toward the City; which ſtory is famous among the Hebrews. It happened, according to their account, in the fourth year after the building of the ſecond Temple; whence we gather, that the men of this Synod ſupervived beyond forty years. All this is to ſhew, that the Hebrews eſteemed this Synod of very great Authority. Cap. 10.
XXX.
The head and Preſident of this Synod, Ezra was, above all the reſt, furniſhed with ſingular gifts of God for theſe affairs: chiefly was he expert in the Divine Law, in the interpretation and deſcription of the Sacred Scripture moſt exerciſed; for which he is commended Eſr. 7. 6. He was a ready Scribe in the Law of Moſes, foreign; A Scribe he is called, not ſo much à Scribendo, from writing, as from declaring and explaining the things contained in the Holy Scriptures. For foreign is a Book, foreign an interpreter of Books, a Doctor, a Scribe. And by no Book was gotten greater praiſe, then by the Book of the Law: whence foreign a Lawyer, who taught and interpreted the Law of God. So in the New Teſtament they are ſometimes ſtiled foreign Scribes, who inſtructed the people, ſometimes foreign Skilfull of the Law. Yet properly was he called foreign a Scribe, who did write Letters, Inſtruments, Books, Contracts and ſuch like, as in Pſa. 45. 2. My Tongue is the Pen of a ready Scribe, foreign; But Eſra was excellent both-wayes, being at once a Learned expounder of the Law, and a ready Writer of it: For Ezra had prepared his heart to ſeek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Iſrael Statutes and Judgments, Ez. 7. 10. foreign Hence alſo they compare him to Moſes for the excellency of his Dignity, as we may read in both Talmuds; and he was juſtly named Ezra, for foreign is help; St. Jerom renders it Adjutor, a Helper.
XXXI.
Ezra therefore being ſollicitous to help a decayed Church, and to reform it, diſtributed Offices Eccleſiaſtical, inſtituted Sacrifices, conſecrated Veſſels appointed for Divine uſes, celebrated Solemn Feaſts, proclaimed Faſts and Repentance, cleanſed the people from the Wedlock of Strangers, and endeavoured to order and compoſe all things after the Preſcript of Divine Law; but that the Law it ſelf, and the whole Sacred Scripture might be extant amongſt the people of God in the genuine and pure Integrity; and that there might be a difference between the Writings of many falſe Prophets, and the Books of the true, and whatſoever ſpot by reaſon of the incommodities of their long Captivity had blemiſhed the holy Letters, might be ſtripped off; there was great need of mature Advice, of the provident care of Learned men, exerciſed perfectly in the reading of the Sacred Scripture, and of the vigorous aid of many Aſſiſtants. To this purpoſe he had with him Divine Collegues, endued with a prophetick Spirit; Haggaeus, Malachias, Nehemias, whoſe fervent and moſt ardent affection is teſtified openly by their Holy Sermons; He had with him that moſt valiant Leader Zorobabel, whoſe Stock and Vertue is ennobled by the Genealogy of our Saviour Chriſt: He had with him the High Prieſt Jeſchua, and other Chief Prieſts and Levites, the companions of Zorobabel their Leader out of Babylon, and he had alſo all that were Pillars of Piety among all the people. Theſe were the men deſigned for the Settlement of Religion, not only for the preſent time, but for the eternal benefit of Poſterity, from whom they knew the gift of Prophecy was now departing. Cap. 10.
XXXII.
In this Synod they thought it not ſufficient to have delivered the Sacred authentick books unto the Church, but the manner alſo how to read them cleerly, and expound them, was moſt prudently preſcribed. It appeareth by the learned Hebrews expoſition of that place in Nehemiah, chap. 8. verſ. 8. (So they read in the Book in the ſight of all the people, and gave the ſenſe, and cauſed them t… underſtand the reading) that in the publick Synagogue they read firſt the Text of the Book of the Law, in Hebrew, diſtinctly and underſtandingly, according to the pauſes, and then explained it in the Chaldee, which was now the vulgar Tongue of the people, brought from Babylon. This Reformation of the Sacred Scripture by Ezra was not unknown to Tertullian, a moſt grave Writer of the firſt Antiquity in the Chriſtian Church; for in his Book De Hab. Mul. he ſaith, After the overthrow of Jeruſalem by the Babylonians, it is certain that all the Instruments of the Judaic Literature were, reſtored by Ezra. Chryſoſtome alſo aſcribeth unto Ezra the ſame work, where he writeth, Attend and Learn Gods mercy to us of old; He inſpired Moſes, and he wrote the Tables of Stone; He determined him forty days in the Mount, and again ſo many days, that he might give him the Law. In after times he ſent Prophets who ſuffered innumerable wrongs; War ruſhed in, it conſumed all ſorts of men, the Books were burnt in the Fire. But again he inſpired another man, that he might repair thoſe admirable Scriptures, I mean Ezra, and enabled him to compoſe the Law anew out of their Reliques, &c. Hom. 8. in Epiſt. ad Hebr. Cap. 11.
XXXIII.
Now and henceforth were the Foundations of the Maſora laid; the work was begun in the partition of the Sacred Books, in the diſtinction of the Text into greater Sections, and into Verſes, and in the dinumeration of them, as alſo of the Letters, leaſt one Prick or Tittle might afterward be changed or loſt. For firſt, having conſtituted the number of Canonical Books, and reduced them into one body of Scripture, they divided it into three principal parts, viz. foreign, the Law, foreign, the Prophets, and foreign, the holy Writings or Hagiographa. This Diviſion was taken notice of by our Saviour, and declared in that ſaying of his; All things muſt be fulfilled which were written in the Law, and in the Prophets and in the Pſalmes concerning me, Luc. 24. 44. where the Pſalmes are put for all the Books in that part entitled Hagiographa, out of which alſo ſome things are cited in the new Teſtament as fulfilled. Elſewhere he named only two parts: The Law and the Prophets were until John, Luc. 16. 16. And in another place a whole part of Scripture is ſet for one Book of that part, as, It is written in the Prophets, Mark. 1. 2. Jo. 6. 45. That is, in that part of Scripture which contains the Prophets in that Volumne of the Prophets. For that which was cited, was not written in all the Prophets, but in one of them, the firſt in Mal. 3. 1. the other in Iſa. 54. 13. Thus, is this diviſion uſuall in the moſt antient writings of the Hebrews. In the Maſora, when any word is found only thrice, and that in the three parts of Scripture, then they ſay: We meet with it three times, once in the Law, once in the Prophets, once in the Hagiographia. In the Talmudists, one binds up the Law, the Prophets and the Hagiographa into one Book. Again, They brought unto us the Law, the Prophets, the Hagiographa bound into one. Barabathra fol. 13. 2. Elias Levita in the third preface to his Maſoreth, where he ſpeaks of the men of the great Synagogue, and their labour in reſtoring of the Scripture, writes thus: For all the twenty four Books were not bound up together, but they (the Men of the great Synagogue) conjoyned them, and made three parts of them, the Law; the Prophets, and the Hagiographa, foreign Cap. 11.
XXXIV.
Theſe three parts were afterward divided into others. The Law, according to the diverſity of the matter and the Hiſtory, was ſubdivided into five Books, which are entitled by us, Geneſis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuternomy. The Prophets were ſubdivided into foreign the former Prophets, and foreign the latter Prophets. The former are four in number, which are named under the title of the Books of Joſhua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, or ſo called becauſe in theſe Books it is treated of the firſt Prophets. In theſe, Samuel was reckoned at firſt for one Book, and the Kings likewiſe for one; which afterwards were diſtinguiſhed into two. Hence Samuel is called a Prophet, as in that, He gave them Judges until Samuel the Prophet, Act. 13. 20. The latter Prophets are alſo four▪ Iſaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Twelve Leſſer. Theſe laſt were united in one Book, that they might not be in danger by their ſmalneſſe to be loſt. Hence is that to be taken, Act. 7. 42. As it is written in the Book of the Prophets, that is, of the leſſer Prophets, to wit, Amos 5. 25. and hence alſo we read in the Hebrew Doctors, Thoſe eight Prophets were bound in one, Barabathra fol. 13. 2. to wit, the four former and ſo many latter before mentioned, as the Commentator there explains. The reſt of the Books are the Hagiographa, and they were ſtiled in the Hebrew foreign Writings by a Synecdoche, in aſmuch as they were written by the Holy Spirit, foreign, that is by immediate inſtinct of the Holy Ghoſt, and not by a Prophetick ſpirit, or by Prophecy properly ſo called. So Daniel and Eſra are accounted as it were Hiſtorical, compoſing the Hiſtory of the Church by divine inſtinct; whither alſo pertain the Paralipomena or Chronicles, whoſe Author Eſra is ſuppoſed to have been. David and Salomon have written, moſt part, things belonging unto piety, and manners, and Doctrin in adverſity and proſperity; albeit they have Prophetical matters, David eminently, often times intermixed. The five ſmall Books, which they call foreign are likewiſe judged as Didactical and hiſtorical. The Hagiographa therefore at firſt were accounted nine Books, Pſalmes, Proverbs, Job, Canticles, Eccleſiaſtes, Eſther, Daniel, Eſra, Chronicles: where Eſra comprehends alſo Nehemiah, and the two Books of Chronicles are taken for one. The Book of Ruth was referred to the Book of Judges, for the continuation of the Hiſtory; and the Lamentations to Jeremy for the ſame Authors ſake. According to this diſtinction, the Books of the Bible in all were computed two and twenty, agreeable to the number of the Hebrew Letters. Cap. 11.
XXXV.
After that they had defined and diſtributed the Canonica… Books, the Men of the great Synagogue further conſidered of the conformity of the Text, and the verity and variety of the reading. Here firſt of all the Text was diſtinguiſhed into Verſes, Notes of diſtinction being added, which they called foreign becauſe there was the end of every Verſe. For the Hebrews conceive, that all the Scripture-text before was but as it were one Verſe, without any notes of diſtinction; even as it is this day, all their Books, except very ſeldome, and almoſt only in the greater Sections and Parts, do not uſe diſtinctive Points, but ſignifie a new Part, Section or matter of diſcourſe, by larger Writing of the firſt Word. And that till the time of this Council or great Synagogue the Text of Scripture was without Notes of diſtinction of the Verſes, the Jews prove out of the Sacred Book of the Law, writen after the antient manner, into a great form rouled up, kept in their Synagogues in a Sacred Cheſt for publick ſolemn Readings on Sabbath dayes and other Feſtivals; which is ſtill to be ſeen without thoſe Notes of Verſes, and without the Points of Vowels and Accents, according to the form of the firſt exemplar written by Moſes, and given to the people of Iſrael, as themſelves affirm. But that the whole Law was written without any diſtinction of words, without any ſpace interpoſed, that the whole Text was as it were one Verſe or one Word; is a vain fiction of the Kabbaliſts. Now, if the Hebrew Text was diſtinguiſhed into Verſes by the Men of the great Synagogue, why have not the lxx. Greek Interpreters, prudent Elders, born Jews, the chiefeſt learned Men, moſt obſervant of their Law, retained that diſtinction in their Traſlation? The Anſwer is, that the difference of Verſes, as alſo of innumerous other places in that verſion, is not from thoſe firſt Interpreters, but from the Tranſcribers▪ who ſometimes conjoyned, ſometimes divided the ſentences, as their Pen ran, and their mind was either more or leſſe intent; which in great and long works uſually happens. Beſides, who can certainly affirm, or believe, that the preſent Greek verſion is altogether the ſame, which thoſe firſt interpreters with ſo great labour ftamed? What made ſome of the moſt pious and moſt learned Fathers in the Primitive Chriſtian Church ſo often to complain of that Tranſlation? What moved them to ſet forth ſo many new ones in the Greek? Why did ſome ſo religiouſly embrace, and ſo much commend the verity of the Hebrew Text? Cap. 11.
XXXVI.
After the diſtinction of the Verſes by the men of the Great Synagogue, they took into conſideration the ſingle Words, and therein they had a double care; one reſpected the writing of them by naked Conſonants, the other the reading of them and pronunciation by the Letters and Vowels jointly. In the writing of the Words by the Letters, they conſulted with the Authentick Copies of the firſt Authors, as many as were then extant in their hands, or elſe followed the fidelity of other Copies moſt approved, and moſt in number; whether the Words were Written according to the Native propriety of their Origination; what words with what quieſcent Letters were written fully, and what defectively; what Letters and Words were written abundantly, and not read; or on the contrary, what were read; and not written in the Text; or what were written in this manner, and read in another; as the Church had obſerved it continually from the time of Moſes. Of all which particulars, the learned and skilfull then were able to give account, and there were myſtical reaſons, known to them; but among the poſterity, through the moſt grievous calamities of after-times, forgotten. Now, if this part of Critical learning belongs to the Maſora, and thence by all they are ſtiled Maſoreths who were the Authors of it, then none can deny but the firſt Maſoreths were the Men of the great Synagogue? Cap. 11.
XXXVII.
A Second care of theſe Maſoreths, was about the reading and pronouncing of the Words, together with the Vowels and Accents: of them alſo particularly were written Maſoretic Notes. But whether the men of the great Synagogue here firſt invented the Points of Vowels and Accents, or perfected them being invented by other, or being neglected or diſuſed, reſtored them, and took care that a Maſora ſhould be alſo written of them, this cannot eaſily be ſaid nor proved. Laſtly, theſe men not content with all this, numbred the Letters, Words and Verſes in every Book, that it might be known, what Letter, what Word, what Verſe was in the midſt of every one; what Word did but once occur, and therefore did eaſily admi… ſome error or corruption; what words more often, and how many times they were read under this or that form; and infinite other things of like nature, touching the explication of the Holy Text, did they deliver; that ſo they might fence it about, as it were, and preſerve it from corruption. And from this part of their Office, whith was employed in numbring of the Words, they were alſo called Sopherim, i. e. Numerators, from foreign to number; and to celebrate their Antiquity and their Excellency the Talmudiſts call them the Antients and the Firſt, uſing this of thoſe admirable men: The Elogy heart of the Antients was like the Gate of the Porch to the Temple; but the heart of the Latter, like the eye of a Needle, Lib. 119. Eribbim. Cap. 5. Cap. 11.
XXXVIII.
As afore Num. 6. two Authorities of Aben, Ezra, and Elias Levita, were alledged touching the Authors of the Maſora; ſo likewiſe here ſhall we bring in the Teſtimony of ſome famous Hebrews, to confirm this which is the more current opinion: R. Gedalia in his Catena Kabalae, fol. 21. writes, Behold the men of the great Synagogue have ſet forth many new Constitutions for the good of the whole Captivity, as the diſtinction of Verſes, the diverſity of reading and writing, the full words and the defective; the Sections cloſe and open, the Letters greater and leſs, the Accents and Vowel points; My mind gives me that all were given to Moſes from Mount Sinai, but posterity was forgetful of them; or that they were given indeed to Moſes, not that they ſhould be committed to writing; but theſe Princes (the men of the Great Synagogue) wrote them all down and communicated them to all Iſrael. Don Iſaac Abarbinel, in the Preface to his Nachale Abhoth, writes, Ezra likewiſe taught Iſrael the Points, Accents, and ends of the Verſes, whereby he directed them and freed them from all confuſion and error. Ephodi cap. 7. of his Grammer writes in this manner; That moſt Holy man, who was the Head of the Scribes, Ezra the Prieſt and Scribe, ſhook his Lap, and ſtrained all his Nerves, that he might bring into order what was perverted; ſo did all the Scribes who followed him, and corrected theſe Books with all poſſible care, until they left them moſt perfect, by numbring the Sections, Verſes, Words, and Letters; the full and defective Words, the irregular and regular, and ſo forth (whence they are alſo ſtiled Sophorim, Numberers) and made of theſe the Books of Maſora, Cap. 11.
XXXIX.
This is the common Sentence of the Hebrews, that the Maſora proceeded from the men of the Great Synagogue, and was not unknown to Elias, as in his foreſaid third Preface he acknowledgeth; Lo, it is the opinion of many, that Ezra the Scribe and his Council, namely the men of the great Synagogue, made the Maſora, the Punctation and Accents upon the whole Bibles. So it is: and one ſhall ſcarce find any Hebrew or Jew giving his voice for Elias, but on the contrary his reaſons are refuted by the moſt Learned Rabbins. Thence I ſay, from Ezra had the Maſora its beginning and riſe, and the Vowel-points either their Birth or Renovation; but I confeſs, the Maſora, as a matter of infinite Study, was continued by their Succeſſors many Ages, untill it grew up into a great Book, exceeding for its quantity the Bibles themſelves, as Elias writeth, who ſaw many Books of the Maſora. Well might ſo great a Work and Study, ſo infinite and vaſt a Labor, require both a long time and many hands, and thoſe not vulgarly learned. Now the circumſtance of time, and the holy care and moſt ardent Zeal of Ezra, and the reſt of his Colleagues, toward the Reformation of the Church, favour this work very much: He knew by his Prophetick Spirit, that the laſt of the Prophets in the Jewiſh Church then lived, and therefore nothing was more neceſſary, then that the Sacred Scripture ſhould be conſerved in it uncorrupted. Their prudence and care it was to prevent the corruption by this Critical Labor, whereby the true and conſtant writing and reading of all the words, might remain for ever; and indeed they have effected it, as none can deny who is throughly acquainted with the Secrets of this Study. Thus much of the Original and Authors of the Maſora. Cap. 11.
XL.
The Matter of the Maſora, of which it conſiſteth, are the Critical or Cenſorious Annotations touching the Hebrew Text of Holy Scripture; The Texts are reckoned according to the Verſes, Words, and Letters; the Verſes are numbred firſt entire through the ſeveral Books of the Bible, and in the Pentateuch of Moſes according to the greater Sections too, which are ſhewed by three greater foreign or foreign. And withall through the whole Scripture, the middle Verſe of every Book is named; all which are ſet down after the Text, at the end of every Book; as for Example: Geneſis hath 1534 Verſes, and the middle Verſe is, And by thy Sword ſhalt thou live, Chap. 27. 40. Exodus 1209. the middle Verſe; Speak not evil of the Magistrate, Chap. 22. 28. Leviticus 859. the middle Verſe, He that toucheth the fleſh of him that hath an Iſſue, Chap. 15. 7. Numbers 1288. the middle Verſe, And it ſhall come to paſs that the mans rod whom I ſhall chooſe ſhall bloſſom, Chap. 17. 5. Deuteronomy 955. the middle, And thou ſhalt do aecording to the Sentence, Chap. 17. 10. The Sum of the Verſes (but miſtaken in all the Books) of the whole Pentateuch, 5845. the middle Verſe of the whole Law or Pentateuch, And he put the Breaſt-Plate upon him, Levit. 8. 8. The Verſes of the greater Sections, &c. This Hedge the firſt Maſorets ſet about the Holy Scripture, that the Sacred Body thereof might not be maimed by the loſs even of one Verſe. Cap. 12.
XLI.
Again, the Verſes were conſidered according to their various affections in the Words and Letters. One Verſe is noted conſiſting of two and forty words, which have in them Letters one hundred and ſixty. It is read Jer. 21. 7. Two Verſes there are in which there is four times foreign, Gen. 22. 7. 1 Reg. 20. 14. Three Verſes there are, which have each Eighty Letters; one is Num. 36. 8. Three Verſes, in every one is foreign once, and foreign four times, as Num. 11. 19. Three have each foreign thrice, and foreign alſo thrice, as Exod. 29. 5. Three begin and end with the Divine name foreign, which they call foreign the Memorial of Gods eternal eſſence, as Deut. 31. 3. where the Maſora cites the other two. There are four Verſes, in every one whereof foreign is five times, as Exod. 40. 18. Five Verſes, and in every one are five continued words of two Letters, as foreign 1 Reg. 3. 26. where the reſt are cited. Ten Verſes, wherein are foreign as 1 Reg. 7. 20. Ten in the Law, whoſe firſt and laſt word is the ſame, as Levit. 7. 9. Fourteen, which conſiſt only of three words, as Gen. 5. 6. Exod. 28. 13. where the reſt are alledged. There are twenty ſix Verſes, in every of which are extant all the letters of the Alphabet, as Ezek. 38. 13. where the reſt are quoted: among thoſe there is one Verſe, which hath not only all the Alphabet ſimple, but is enriched alſo with the five final Letters, and that is Soph. 3. 8. But let them beware, who have the Venice Editions leſt-they weary themſelves too much in ſeeking for the Verſes; for there are in them ſome falſe Verſes cited, which fault we have amended in our Edition. Innumerous more of this kind have the Maſoreths noted in the examination of the Verſes in the Bible. Cap. 12.
XLII.
In the Words the Maſoreths noted, Firſt the genuine writing and reading of them, where any diverſity did occur. 2ly, Where they were written fully with the quieſcent Letters, or defectively without them. Thirdly, Their ſeat and place in the beginning, middle or end of the Verſe; and what form they had either by themſelves or by reaſon of ſome accent. Fourthly, Their ſtructure and conjunction with other words, or compoſition with ſervile Letters. Fifthly, Their ſignification, where was any ambiguity. Sixthly, They often noted words different in vowels and accents, where any peculiar obſervation or difference ſeemed to require it. And to all theſe they added both the number, how often, and the place where every one was exſtant. Cap. 13.
XLIII.
The Writing and Reading is called by the Maſoreths foreign or foreign when a Word was otherwiſe Written in the Text by Letters, and noted in the Margin to be otherwiſe read by Vowels; or when a Word was Written abundantly in the Text, and omitted in Reading; or on the contrary was not written at all in the Text, and yet was to be read: whence aroſe many and various kinds of this head. As, ſometimes a Letter was wanting in a Word, ſomtimes it abounded; ſomtimes one Letter was changed into another, ſomtimes it was tranſpos'd. Likewiſe, in words now ſome one was wanting in the Text, now it redounded; in this place a word was divided in two, which was to be read as one, and on the other ſide, in that place two written as one, which ought to be read divided, and in ſome places alſo a Word was written in the Text, for which another Word was to be read. Hence Elias Levita ſaith, he obſerved all the Words which are of diverſe writing and reading, to be in number 848. and of them, ſaith he further, 65. are in the Law, 454. in the Prophets, 329. in the Hagiographa. But we have obſerved, that they are many more. Here we ſhall propoſe a few; foreign in thirteen places is deficient at the beginning, in three in the midſt, in twenty nine at the end: So, many other Letters. foreign is twelve times written at the end of words abundantly, &c. Cap. 13.
XLIV.
Secondly, Words are ſaid to be written fully or defectively, which are written with the Letters foreign or foreign, or without them; and more rarely the ſame is ſaid of foreign and foreign; as foreign Gen. 1. 12. is read in Scripture thrice, twice fully, with foreign in the midſt, as in this place, and once defectively foreign without foreign in the midſt, which the Maſora cites out of Ruth. 2. 8. which yet at this day in the Printed Books is full, againſt the Maſora. Alſo, foreign Gen. 2. 7. is written fully with a double foreign, which they noted expreſly, for in other places it is alwayes foreign. It is a Rule in Elias Levita, in his Maſoreth, Serm. 1. cap. 1. Whenſoever the full words were more then the deficient, then they numbred the deficient: but when the deficient exceeded the number of the full, then the full were numbred. Cap. 13.
XLV.
Thirdly, The place of words in the Verſes was noted; and firſt in the beginning of the Verſe, as at foreign Gen. 1. 2. it was noted to be eight times the beginning of a Verſe, and the places are quoted. foreign Gen. 1. 30. is noted to begin the Verſe four times, and the places alledged at the end of Deuteronomy. So they noted innumerable other, and eſpecially thoſe which do more ſeldom begin the Verſe. And very often have they noted certain Particles undeclin'd, as foreign and the like; which alſo ſomtimes they numbred in the ſingle Books of the Bible, that the beginnings of Verſes might not be changed; ſo foreign is ten times the beginning of the Verſe in Deuteronomy, &c. Cap. 13.
XLVI.
Fourthly, The ſtructure is noted in Verbs, when a Verb is joyned with a peculiar Noun, or with a certain Prepoſition with which it is not wont to be joyned; as the Verb foreign to ſay, with foreign for to ſay unto God, is found nine times joyned, and the places are cited in the great Maſora in the word foreign. So the Verb foreign with foreign for to fear God, is found ſeven times, and the places are reckoned up in the Maſora Gen. 42. 18. The Verb, &c. Cap. 13.
XLVII.
Fifthly, The ſignification is noted in ambiguous words; as Gen. 6. 11. at the Word foreign 'tis noted, ſix are to ſignify tears, for otherwiſe foreign is, Aſcend thou. Gen. 19. 8. at foreign they note, eight are in a profane or common ſignification, when otherwiſe this word ſignifies God. Gen. 30. 24. at foreign the Maſora ſayes, eleven are in the ſignification of adding defective, beſide three full, which are for the diſtinction of the proper name foreign Joſeph, &c. So, infinite more, which are of ſingular uſe. Cap. 13.
XLVIII.
Sixthly, The Vowels and Accents are obſerved by the Maſoreths. In the great Maſora they name only the Vowels Kametz and Tzere; where under Kametz, Pathach alſo, and under Tzere Saegol is comprehended; which the latter Rabbins, who collected the little Maſora out of the great, for diſtinction ſake have called little Kametz and little Tzere. The little Maſora ſometime expreſſeth the name of theſe and certain other Vowels, ſomtime only ſets down the figure. For example, Gen. 16. 13. at foreign It is not extant any more with Catephkamets; becauſe they ſaw it was irregular, that ſuch a Vowel ſhould be put under a Letter not guttural, to which Sheva compounded properly agrees, &c. Cap. 13.
XLIX.
A Letter, though the leaſt part of a Word, yet the Maſoreths thought it not unworthy of their diligent care, that not ſo much as one Letter or Tittle of a Letter might be loſt or changed. They noted firſt the quality of Letters in their Figure, and then the quantity in their number. The Figure of Letters was found in ſome without the common uſe either greater or leſſe, either inverted or pointed extraordinarily. No doubt, the antient wiſe men had juſt and fit cauſes of this diverſity, but ſuch as the various diſperſions and moſt heavy calamities of their poſterity brought into oblivion, or for the moſt part turned into ſeveral fictions and groundleſſe myſteries. It is well, thoſe divers figures, however, are preſerved as Eternal Monuments and Teſtimonies of the antient wiſedom. We will content our ſelves with a taſte, being aſſured that the uſe of this writing alſo is moſt antient, noted in the Maſora long before the time of the Talmud, and not firſt invented by the Tiberians who lived after it: for it is mentioned in the Talmud-tract, De Scribis c. 9. Cap. 14.