KERI and KETHIV (m+ral +ip, plural i",p immvo, so frequently found in the margins and foot-notes of the Ilebrew Bibles, exhibit the most ancient various readings, and constitute the most important portion of the critico-exegetical appa ratus bequeathed to us by the Jews of olden times [MASSORAF1].
I. Signification, classification, and mode of indi cation of the Keri and Kethiv.—The word v-ip may either be the imperative or partici/Me passive of the Chaldee verb Nnp, to call out, to read, and hence may signify Read, or it 2.$ read, e., the word in question : n•rm, is participle passive of the Chab • : dee verb nrim, to zorite, and signifies, It is written, e., the word in question in the text. Those who prefer taking the word +7 as participle, do so on the ground that it is more consonant with its panion Tnn, which is the participle passive. The Rabbins also call the Keri Nnpn, and the Kethiv 7111CC. The different readings exhibited in the Zeri and liethiv may be divided into three general classes : Words read differently to what they are written, arising from the omission, insertion, ex changing, or transposition of a single letter KynD Trim ,ni»), or Variations ; ii. Words read but not written in the text (z+nn r6.1 417), or sertions of entire words ; and iii. Words written in the text, but not read (n7 :,•61 Z'11:), or 0171iSSthnS of entire words.
1. The first general class (z+nn 'iv) comprises the bulk of the various readings, and consists of— a, Corrections of errors arising from mistaking homonyms, e. g., tb, the negative particle, for the similarly sounding the pronoun, of which we have fifteen instances (comp. Exod. xxi. 8 ; Lev.
xi. 21 ; XXV. 30 ; I Sam. ii. 3 ; 2 Sam. xvi. IS ; 2 Kings viii. ro ; Ezra iv. 2 ; J013 Xiii. 15 ; Xli. 4 ; Ps. c. 3 ; cxxxix. 16 ; Prov. xix. 7 ; xxvi. 2 ; IS. iX. 2 ; 1Xiii. 9), and two instances in which the reverse is the case (I Sam. ii. 16 ; xx. 2). Besides being noticed in their respective places, the Mas sorah also enumerates them all on Lev. xi. 15. The Talmud, Sopherim vi., gives three additional ones, viz., Chron. xi. 21 ; JOU Vi. 21 ; IS. xlix. 5.
for ;,.;,„ of which we have four instances (I Sam.
xx. 24 ; Kings i. 33 ; Job vii. ; Is. lxv. 7 ; Ezek. ix. 5).-b, Errors arising from mistaking the letters which resemble each other, e. g., 3 for 7 (comp. Prov. xxi. 29) ; for (Ezek. xxv. 7) ; 1 for 1 (I Sam. iv. 13) ; 1 for 1, of which the Massorah on Prov. xix. 19, and Jer. xxi. 4o, gives four instances (2 Sam. xiii. 37 ; 2 Kings xvi.
6 ; Jer. xxi. 40 ; Prov. xix. r9) ; it for n (Jer. xxviii. ; xxxii. r) ; 11 for C (2 Sam xxiii. 13) ; 11 for n, of which the Massorah on Prov. xx. 21 gives four instances (2 Sam. xiii. 37 ; Prov. xx. 21 ; Song of Songs i. 17; Dan. ix. 24) ; for VI (r Sam.
xiv. 32) ; 4 for 1 in innumerable instances ; for 3 in eleven cases (Josh. iv. 18 ; vi. 5, 15 ; I Sam. xi.
6, 9 ; 2 San]. V. 24 ; 2 24 ; Ezra viii. 14 ; Neh. iii. 20 ; Esth. iii. 4 ; Job xxi. 13) ; for (Is. xxx. 32) ; V for r (2 Kings xx. 4) ; 1 for 1 twice ( Jer. ii. 20 ; Ezra viii. 14) ; 11 for n (Eccl.
xii. 6) ; 11 for (2 Kings xxiv. 14 ; xxv. 17 ; Jer.
2r).-e, Errors arising from exchanging let ters which belong to the same organs of speech, e.g., 1 for n, of which the Keri exhibits one instance (Josh. xxii. 7), and vice versa, of which the Great Alassorah, under letter n, gives six in stances (Josh. iii. 16 ; xxiv. 15 ; 2 Kings v. 12 ; Xii. ; xxiii. 33 ; Dan. xi. 18) ; n for C: (2 Kings xvii. 21) ; y for (I Sam. xx. 24 ; I Kings i.
33 ; Job vii. ; Is. lxv. 7; Ezek. ix. 5); n for n (Is. 1.v. 4).-d, Errors arising from the trans position of letters, which the Massorah designates lf-11N.171 nipin, and of which it gives sixty-two cases, as, for instance, the textual reading or the ICethiv is rit.411, the tent, and the marginal ing or the Xeri, transposing the letters and has r6Nn these (comp. Josh. vi. 13 ; xx. 8 ; xxi. 27 ; Judg. xvi. 26 ; I Sam. xiv. 27 ; xix. 18, 22, 23 (twice) ; xxvii. ; 2 Salla. iii. 25 ; XiV. 30 ; XVii. 16 ; xviii. 8 ; xx. 14 ; xxiv. 16 ; Kings vii. 45 ; 2 Kings xi. 2 ; xiv. 6 ; Chron. i. 46 ; 24 ; xxvii. 29 ; 2 Chron. xvii. 8; xxix. 8 ; Ezra ii. 46 ; iv. 4 ; viii. 17 ; Neh. iv.