The aim of this article is to find out whether English Bible translations are consistent with or in conflict with the understanding predicated by biblical accents. Twenty-one translations were chosen to focus on seven verses from the three poetical books, Psalms, Job, and Proverbs. Those verses can illuminate different aspects of the rules of verse division and the rules of the Ta‘amei Emet accentuation system. The few examples provide evidence that Bible translators, even of Jewish translations, did not pay great attention to the biblical accents.
BreuerMordechai. 2003. “Hanosach u-mekorotav.” Pages 31-59 in Psalms with the Daʿat Mikra Commentary. Edited by AmosHakham. Vol. 1. Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook, 2003.
4.
CohenMenahem ed. 1992-. Mikraɔot Gedolot “Haketer.” Revised and augmented scientific edition of “Mikraɔot Gedolot” based on the Aleppo Codex and early Medieval MSS. Ramat-Gan: Bar-Ilan University.
5.
Cohen, MilesB.1972. “Masoretic Accents as a Biblical Commentary.”Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society4(1): 2–11.
6.
DotanA.1972. “Masorah.” Cols 1401–82 in vol. 16 of Encyclopedia Judaica. Edited by RothCecil. Jerusalem: Keter.
7.
Dresher BezalelElan. 1994. “The Prosodic Basis of the Tiberian Hebrew System of Accents.”Language70(1): 1–52.
8.
FrischAmos. 2002. “The Conveyance of the Leitwort in English Translations of the Bible.” [Hebrew] Pages 235–51 in Studies in Bible and Exegesis, Y.O. Komlosh—in Memoriam. Edited by KasherRimonZiporMoshe. Ramat-Gan: Bar-Ilan University.
9.
GinsburgC. D.1926. The Writings: Diligently Revised according to the Massorah and the Early Editions with the Various Readings from Manuscripts and the Ancient Versions. London: British and Foreign Bible Society.
GreensteinEdward L.1989. Essays on Biblical Method and Translation. Atlanta: Scholars Press.
12.
HimmelfarbLea. 2001. “The Commentary by Nechama Leibowitz on the Bible and Its Relation to Taʿamei Hamiqra.” [Hebrew] Pages 53–69 in Pirkei Nechama—Prof. Nechama Leibowitz Memorial Volume. Edited by ArendM.CohenG.Ben-MeirR.Jerusalem: ha-Sokhnut ha-Yehudit le-Erets Yisrael.
13.
HimmelfarbLea. 2007. “The Status of Biblical Accentuation in the Daʿat Mikra Commentary on the Torah.” [Hebrew] Beit Mikra52(1): 103–16.
14.
KogutSimcha. 1994. Correlations between Biblical Accentuation and Traditional Jewish Exegesis: Linguistic and Contextual Studies. [Hebrew] Jerusalem: Magnes Press.
15.
KugelJames L.1981. The Idea of Biblical Poetry: Parallelism and Its History. New Haven and London: Yale University.
16.
LoeweRaphaelFoxEverett. 2007. “Bible—Modern Versions.” Pages 606–27 in vol. 3 of Encyclopaedia Judaica. 2nd ed. Edited by Fred SkolnikFredBerenbaumMichael. Jerusalem: Keter.
17.
PerlmanMichael. 1973–1975. Hug le-taʿamei ha-miqra. Tel Aviv: Zimrat.
18.
PerlmanMichael. 1984. The Introduction to the Book of Joshua according to the Biblical Accentuation. [Hebrew] Tel-Aviv: Zimrat.
19.
RabinChaim. 1982. “Tanakh–Targumim.” [Hebrew] Pages 863–70 in vol. 8 of Encyclopaedia Biblica. Jerusalem: Bialik.
20.
SamuelLeonora. 2005. “Accentuation: A Tool for Interpreting the Text of the Hebrew Bible.”Jewish Bible Quarterly33(3): 174–83.
21.
SpanierArthur. 1927. Die massoretischen Akzente: Eine Darlegung ihres Systems nebst Beiträgen zum Verständnis ihrer Entwicklung. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag.
22.
WickesWilliam. 1970. Two Treatises on the Accentuation of the Old Testament. New York: Ktav.
23.
YeivinIsrael. 2003. The Biblical Masorah. [Hebrew] Studies in Language 3. Jerusalem: Academy of the Hebrew Language.
