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Suicer, Johann Caspar

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(סוּגַין, from סוּג ), or pairs, is a Masoretic term to denote groups of words which occur in one section several times, once in this connection and once in another connection. These instances having been noticed by the Masorites, they arranged them into סוגין, or pairs. Thus the Massora Finalis gives under the letter He (p. 216, Colossians 1) "eleven pairs, each one of which pair alternately occurs with an audible He (=Mappik) and with a quiescent He (=Raphe)" e.g. מכּרתּ (Proverbs 31:10) and מכרה (Genesis 25:31); ושערהּ (Leviticus 13:20) and ושערה (Leviticus 13:4). Or the Masorites tell us of twenty-two words beginning and ending with Vav, each one of which occurs twice: once, Milra, or with Vav conjunctive, and once Milel, or with Vav conversive, as ויצברו (Genesis 41:35) and וִיצברו (Exodus 8:10); וְירכסו (Exodus 28, 28) and וִירכסו (Exodus 39:21). They tell us that "there are four groups of words, each of which occurs twice in the same book; once with a, word less and a letter more, and once with a word more and a letter less." The first of such a pair is "Jehovah, thy God, thou shalt fear, and him thou shalt serve" (Deuteronomy 6:13); the second, "Jehovah, thy God, thou shalt fear, him thou shalt serve, and to him" (Deuteronomy 10:20), which will be best illustrated by the Hebrew, viz.: את יהוה אלהי ִתירא ואתו תעבד (Deuteronomy 6:13). את והוה אלהי ִתירא אתו תעבד ובו (Deuteronomy 10:20). They enumerate instances in which four words occur twice in the same sentence, once with the negative particle לא and once, without it, as לא אדני (Genesis 23:11) and אדני (Genesis 23:15), or לא הפ (ִ Leviticus 13:4) and הפ :ִ (Leviticus 13:20). They mention five pairs of words Which respectively occur once with the Vav conjunctive and once without it, as עין רמון (Joshua 19:7) and ועין רמין (Joshua 15:32); יששכר זבולן (Exodus 1:3) and ויששכר וזבולן (Genesis 35:23). Without increasing the number the reader is referred to Frensdorff (Massora Magna, p. 339 sq.), where, under the heading זוגין, these pairs are given in alphabetical order. A complete list of the above-quoted instances is given by Frensdorff in his Ochla-ve-Ochla, p. 14,52, § 42; p. 14,52 sq., § 45; p. 133, § 232; p. 138,§ 250; p. 138, § 251; and in Levita, Massoreth Heammasoreth (ed. Ginsb.), p. 178, 207, 212, 223, 229. (B. P.)