Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Harold Holmyard <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

Dear James,

> I've been working with a digital copy of the aleppo codex and noticed that 
> many verses have a pe after them (enclosed in {} in the electronic version). 
> So I looked in the WLC and noticed that it too had them. Now I tried to cast 
> my mind back to the hebrew classroom and seem to remember somebody explaining 
> something about what they are for but I can't for the life of me remember. 
> Can somebody remind me what they are for?
>  

They mark short paragraphs into which the entire Bible (except psalms) 
was divided. The paragraphs were either "open" or "closed." An open 
paragraph was marked by the P  (for "petuchah" = open), set between two 
verses. (The closed paragraph was marked by a S for "setumah"= closed.) 
In handwritten texts an open paragraph commenced at the beginning of a 
new line,with the preceding line left partly or completely blank. 
Printed texts have changed matters, but the printed P or S marks the 
original divisions.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard

> Thanks
>
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