Understanding Kethibh and Qere in the Hebrew Bible

Kethibh (כתיב) is the written form of a word or phrase in Hebrew, as opposed to qere (קרא), which is the reading or pronunciation of the word or phrase. In other words, kethibh refers to the written text of the Hebrew Bible, while qere refers to the way the text is read and pronounced.

The difference between kethibh and qere is important because the written text of the Hebrew Bible has been transmitted through generations, and over time, changes in pronunciation and spelling have occurred. As a result, the written text may not always match the way the text is read and pronounced today.

For example, in the Hebrew Bible, the word "shalom" (שלום) is written with the letters shin, lamed, vav, and mem. However, when the word is read aloud, the vav is pronounced as a waw, so the word is pronounced "shalom" instead of "shin-lamed-vav-mem." In this case, the kethibh is the written form of the word, while the qere is the way the word is pronounced.

Understanding the difference between kethibh and qere is important for studying the Hebrew Bible and its history, as well as for understanding the nuances of the text itself.