## Tractate Soferim Chapter 8

###### Tractate Soferim 8:1
[Tractate Soferim 8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Soferim/r/8:1)

אלו הן חלופי שירות תהלים בשירות שמואל וידבר ומפלטי לי אלי צורי משגבי ומנוסי ומאויבי כי אפפוני משברי נחלי סבבוני אקרא וישמע ויתגעש מוסדות השמים. וירא. וישת סוכות. חשרת. בערו גחלי. ירעם מן שמים חצים ויהום אפיקי מים ויגלו בגערת אפו משנאי משען ויוצא אותי בצדקתי אסור ממנה ואהיה לו ואשתמרה כצדקתי כבורי גבור תתבר תתפל ואת ועיניך על רמים תשפיל ואלדי באלדי. מי אל מבלעדי. מעוזי. ויתר ונחת וענותך תחתני. ארדפה. ואשמידם. ואכלם ואמחצם. יקומון ויפלו. ותזרני. תחתני. משנאי ואצמיתם ישעו. אל ה׳. כעפר ארץ. אדיקם ארקעם ותפלטני. עמי (תשימני) [תשמרני] יתכחשו לי. לשמוע. ויחגרו (ממסגרותיהם) [ממסגרותם] צור. ומוריד. תחתני. ומוציאי. ומקמי. חמסים. ה׳ ראשון. אומר מגדול:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
Variants¹ between the poem² of Psalm [XVIII] and Samuel³ are the following: *and … spoke;*⁴, etc. *and my deliverer;*⁵ by a suffix and pronoun; Ps. 3 omits the pronoun. *my God, my rock;*⁶. *my high tower, and my refuge;*⁷. *from mine enemies;*⁸ is the prefix *mem*, in Ps. 4 the preposition *min*. *for … compassed me;*⁹ is wanting. *the waves of;*¹⁰. *the floods of;*¹¹. *compassed me;*¹², in Ps. 6 *sebabuni*. The meaning is the same. *I called;*¹³. *and … He heard;*¹⁴. *then … did shake;*¹⁵ in Ps. 8 *wattig‘ash*. The meaning is practically the same. *the foundations of heaven;*¹⁶. *yea, He was seen;*¹⁷. *and He made;*¹⁸. *pavilions;*¹⁹. *gathering of:*²⁰. *coals of fire flamed forth;*²¹. *thundered from heaven;*²². *arrows;*²³. *and discomfited them;*²⁴ (*ḳerë*), but the *kethib* is the same as in Ps. 15 *wayyehummem*. *the channels of waters;*²⁵. *and … were laid bare;*²⁶ is wanting. *by the rebuke of the Lord;*²⁷. *His nostrils;*²⁸. *from them that hated me;*²⁹. *a stay;*³⁰ in Ps. 19 *lemish‘an*. The sense is the same. *He brought me forth also;*³¹ *according*³² *to my righteousness;*³³, in Ps. 21 *keẓidḳi*. The nouns are practically synonymous. *I did not depart from them;*³⁴. *and I was;*³⁵ Ps. 24 *wa’ehi* is a shortened form of the same verb. *toward Him;*³⁶. *and I kept myself;*³⁷ at the end. *according to my righteousness;*³⁸ Ps. 25 *keẓidḳi*. *according to my cleanness;*³⁹. *man;*⁴⁰ (lit. mighty man), in Ps. 26 *gebar* (*man*). *Thou dost show Thyself pure;*⁴¹, in Ps. 27 *tithbarar*. *Thou dost show Thyself subtle;*⁴² in Ps. 27 *tithpattal*. *and … Thou dost save;*⁴³. *but Thine eyes are upon the haughty, that Thou mayest humble them;*⁴⁴. *and the Lord;*⁴⁵. *by my God;*⁴⁶. *who is God;*⁴⁷, Ps. 32 *’elo’ah*. *save;*⁴⁸. A different preposition is used. V *ba‘adi* is an error for *mibbal‘adë*. *my … fortress;*⁴⁹. *who letteth … go forth;*⁵⁰. The former reads *wayyater*, the latter *wayyitten*. *do bend;*⁵¹, Ps. 35 *weniḥathah*, with the same sense. *and Thy condescension;*⁵² Ps. 36 *we‘anwatheka*. *under me;*⁵³, Ps. 37 *taḥtai*. *I have pursued;*⁵⁴, Ps. 38 *’erdof*. *and destroyed them;*⁵⁵. *and I have consumed them;*⁵⁶ *and smitten them;*⁵⁷. *that they cannot arise;*⁵⁸. *yea, they are fallen;*⁵⁹. *for Thou hast girded me;*⁶⁰ from the verb. *under me;*⁶¹, Ps. 40 *taḥtai*. *yea, them that hate me, that I might cut them off;*⁶². *they looked;*⁶³. *even unto the Lord;*⁶⁴ is *’el*, in Ps. 42 *‘al*. *as the dust of the earth;*⁶⁵. *I did stamp them … I did tread them down;*⁶⁶. *Thou also hast delivered me … my people. Thou hast kept me;*⁶⁷. *dwindle away … as soon as they hear of me;*⁶⁸. In Sam. the Heb. for *hear* and *dwindle away* is *lishmoa‘* and *yithkaḥashu*, in Ps. *leshema‘* and *yekaḥashu*. *and come halting out of their close places;*⁶⁹. The Heb. for *out of their close places* is *mimmisgerotham* in Sam. and *mimmisgerothehem* in Ps. There is no difference in the Heb. verb despite the different translation. *my Rock of salvation;*⁷⁰ in the second part of the verse. *and bringeth down … under me;*⁷¹. There is also a difference in the Heb. for *under me* as in verses 37, 40. *and that bringeth me forth … yea … above them that rise up against me … violent;*⁷². The Heb. for *above me* and *violent* in Sam. is *umiḳḳamai* and *ḥamasim;* in Ps. *min ḳammai* and *ḥamas*. the Tetragrammaton is placed first;⁷³, in Ps. 50 it follows it. *I will sing praises;*⁷⁴, in Ps. 50 *’azammerah*. ‘Omer’ in V is a printer’s error. *a tower of salvation*.⁷⁵. The Heb. in the former is *migdol*, in the latter *magdil*.

footnotes:
¹ In words, letters or vowels.
² So H. V has the plural.
³ 2 Sam. 22.
⁴ Sam. 1; in Ps. 1 this is replaced by For the Leader
⁵ Sam. 2 represents my
⁶ Ps. 3; Sam. 3, the God who is my rock
⁷ Sam. 3; Ps. 3 omits and my refuge
⁸ In Sam. 4 the Heb. for from
⁹ Sam. 5; in Ps. 5 for
¹⁰ Sam. 5; Ps. 5 the cords of
¹¹ Sam. 5; Ps. 5 and the floods of
¹² In Sam. 6 the Heb. is sabbuni
¹³ Sam. 7; Ps. 7 I cried
¹⁴ Sam. 7; Ps. 7 omits and
¹⁵ The Heb. in Sam. 8 is wayyithga‘ash,
¹⁶ Sam. 8; Ps. 8 the foundations of the mountains
¹⁷ Sam. 11; Ps. 11 yea, He did swoop
¹⁸ Sam. 12; Ps. 12 omits and
¹⁹ Sam. 12; Ps. 12 His pavilion
²⁰ Sam. 12; Ps. 12 darkness of
²¹ Sam. 13; Ps. 13 hailstones and coals of fire
²² Sam. 14; Ps. 14 thundered in the heavens
²³ Sam. 15; Ps. 15 His arrows
²⁴ In Sam. 15 the Heb. is wayyahom
²⁵ Ps. 16; Sam. 16 the channels of the sea
²⁶ Ps. 16; in Sam. 16 and
²⁷ Sam. 16; Ps. 16 at Thy rebuke, O Lord
²⁸ Sam. 16; Ps. 16 Thy nostrils
²⁹ Sam. 18; Ps. 18 adds and
³⁰ In Sam. 19 mish‘an;
³¹ The Heb. in Sam. 20 has a verb and pronoun; in Ps. 20 a verb with a pronominal suffix. There is no difference in meaning.
³² V prints ‘in’ for ‘according’ in error.
³³ In Sam. 21 the Heb. is keẓidḳathi
³⁴ Sam. 23; Ps. 23 I put not away … from me
³⁵ In Sam. 24 the Heb. is wa’ehyeh;
³⁶ Sam. 24; Ps. 24 with Him
³⁷ Both Sam. 24 and Ps. 24 have the same verb, but the former adds a he
³⁸ Sam. 25 keẓidḳathi;
³⁹ Sam. 25; Ps. 25 according to the cleanness of my hands
⁴⁰ In Sam. 26 the noun is gibbor
⁴¹ There is a difference in the form of the verb; in Sam. 27 tittabar
⁴² Another difference in the form of the verb; in Sam. 27 tittappal,
⁴³ Sam. 28; Ps. 28 for Thou dost save
⁴⁴ Sam. 28; Ps. 28 but the haughty eyes Thou dost humble
⁴⁵ Sam. 29; Ps. 29 the Lord my God
⁴⁶ Sam. 30; Ps. 30 and by my God
⁴⁷ Sam. 32 reads ’el
⁴⁸ Sam. 32; Ps. 32 except
⁴⁹ Sam. 33; Ps. 33 that girdeth me
⁵⁰ Sam. 33; Ps. 33 and maketh
⁵¹ Sam. 35 weniḥath
⁵² Sam. 36 wa‘anotheka,
⁵³ Sam. 37 taḥteni
⁵⁴ Sam. 38 ’erdefah
⁵⁵ Sam. 38; Ps. 38 and overtaken them
⁵⁶ Sam. 39; wanting in Ps. 39.
⁵⁷ Sam. 39; Ps. 39 omits and
⁵⁸ Sam. 39, lit. ‘that they will not arise’; Ps. 39 that they are not able to rise
⁵⁹ Sam. 39; Ps. 39 they are fallen
⁶⁰ Sam. 40 omits the alef
⁶¹ Sam. 40 taḥteni
⁶² Sam. 41; Ps. 41 and I did cut off them that hate me
⁶³ Sam. 42; Ps. 42 they cried
⁶⁴ In Sam. 42 the Heb. for unto
⁶⁵ Sam. 43; Ps. 43 as the dust before the wind
⁶⁶ Sam. 43; Ps. 43 I did cast them out
⁶⁷ Sam. 44; Ps. 44 Thou hast delivered me … the people; Thou hast made me
⁶⁸ Sam. 45; Ps. 45 as soon as they hear of me … dwindle away
⁶⁹ Sam. 46; Ps. 46 and come trembling out of their close places
⁷⁰ Sam. 47 Ps. 47 lacks my rock
⁷¹ Sam. 48; Ps. 48 and subdueth … under me
⁷² Sam. 49; Ps. 49 he delivereth me … yea … above them that rise up against me … violent
⁷³ In Sam. 50 it precedes among the nations
⁷⁴ The Heb. in Sam. 50 is ’azammer
⁷⁵ Sam. 51; Ps. 51 great salvation giveth He


###### Tractate Soferim 8:2
[Tractate Soferim 8:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Soferim/r/8:2)

אלו הם חלופי ישעיה (הקוראים) במלכים ובארבע חזקיה רב סריס אל המלך ירושלים [ויעלו] ויבואו [ירושלים] ויעלו [ויבואו] ויעמדו (ירושלים) ויקראו (אלהים) [אל המלך] אלהם אמרת עתה לך תאמרון בירושלים את מלך עתה על המקום [הזה] להשחיתו על הארץ בן חלקיהו עמנו אליהם העל וידבר דבר ואל תשמעו כי יסית (ההיכל הנענועה) [ההצל הצילו הנע ועוה] כי הצילו הארצות והחרישו העם דברי רבשקה ושבנא הנביא קדמיית' את כל דברי להם ישעיה לארצו אל תרהקה הנה יצא (יצא) וישב את אשר ה׳ אלהי שמעתי (אמר לקדוש) [אל קדוש] מלאכיך מבחור ואבואה מלון זרים למימי להשות (ויחבישו) [ויבשו] ושדפה סחיש יבא אל העיר ויהי בלילה [ההוא] ויך שמונים את פניו לאמר אנא ובלבב שוב נגיד עמי רופא לך והספתי למעני קחו ויקחו וישימו ויהי אל ישעיהו כי ירפא זה לך כי יעשה את הדבר הלך (בארץ) [בראדך] כי שמע חזקיהו וישמע את כל שמן בית כליו באו דבר ה׳ בבלה הלא אם :

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
The following are variants between Isaiah⁷⁶ and the text of Kings:⁷⁷ *Now in the four*[*teenth*];⁷⁸[*teenth*]. *Hezekiah;*⁷⁹ 14-16 the name is spelt *Ḥizḳiyyah* instead of *Ḥizḳiyyahu*. *Rab-saris … to king Hezehiah … unto Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by*.⁸⁰ is lacking, the order of the words is *to Jerusalem unto the king*. The clause *and they went up … they came* is lacking, and *stood* is in the singular but the plural in Kings. *And when they had called to the king … unto them*.⁸¹ is lacking in Isa. 3 which has *unto them* for *unto him*. *Sayest thou*⁸². *now … thou trustest;*⁸³ is lacking, as is also *leka* (lit. thou trusteth for thyself), compared with Kings 21. *ye say … in Jerusalem;*⁸⁴ in Kings 22, Isa. 7 has *thou say* and omits *in Jerusalem*. *with … king;*⁸⁵ is *’eth melek;* in Isa. 8 it is *’eth hammelek*. *now … against this place … against this land and destroy it;*⁸⁶ in Kings 25, Isa. 10 reads *and … now*. In *against this land* the preposition is *‘al* for *’el*. *the son of Hilkiah … with us;*⁸⁷ is lacking, and *to us* occurs instead of *with us*. *unto them … hath … to;*⁸⁸ is omitted, and *hath … to* is *ha‘al* for *ha’el*. *and spoke … the word of;*⁸⁹ is omitted and *word* is in the plural. *and hearken not … when he persuadeth;*⁹⁰ is lacking, and *when* is replaced by *beware lest*. *hath … ever delivered;*⁹¹. *Hena, and Ivvah have they delivered;*⁹² is lacking, and before *have* the conjunction *and* is inserted. *the countries;*⁹³. *but the people held their peace;*⁹⁴ is lacking and *wayyaḥarishu* is read for *weheḥerishu*. *the words of Rab-shakeh*.⁹⁵ while the latter omits *all*.
*And Shebna;*⁹⁶ precedes the name. *the prophet* precedes *the son of Amoz;*⁹⁷ in Isa. *ibid. the prophet* follows. The order in E.V. is the same in both. *all the words of;*⁹⁸ is omitted. *unto them;*⁹⁹ Isa. 6 *’alehem*. *to his own land;*¹⁰⁰, Isa. 7 *’el*. *of Tirhakah;*¹⁰¹, Isa. 9 *‘al*. *behold he is come out … again;*¹⁰² Isa. 9 omits *behold* and for *again* (*wayyashab*) reads *and when he heard* (*wayyishma‘*). *what;*¹⁰³, Isa. 11 *’asher*. *O Lord, the God of;*¹⁰⁴ after *Lord*. *I have heard thee;*¹⁰⁵ *against the Holy One;*¹⁰⁶, Isa. 23 *’el*. *thy messengers;*¹⁰⁷. *the choice;*¹⁰⁸ Isa. 24 *mibḥar*. *and I have entered into his farthest lodge;*¹⁰⁹ in Isa 24 *and I come up to the height of the mountains*. *strange;*¹¹⁰ *in … times*¹¹¹, Isa. 26 *mimë*. *… should be laid waste;*¹¹², in Isa. 26 *lehash’oth*. *and confounded;*¹¹³, Isa. 27 *waboshu*. *and as corn blasted;*¹¹⁴ Isa. 27 *and as a field of corn*. *that which springeth of the same;*¹¹⁵, Isa. 30 *shaḥis*. *he came;*¹¹⁶, Isa. 34 *ba’*. *will defend this city;*¹¹⁷, Isa. 35 *‘al*. *and it came to pass that night;*¹¹⁸ *and smote;*¹¹⁹ the reading is *wayyak*, in Isa. 36 *wayyakeh*. *fourscore*.¹²⁰.
*His face;*¹²¹ Isa. 38, 2 omits *’eth*. *saying;*¹²² lacking in Isa. 2. *I beseech Thee;*¹²³ is inserted before *I*. *heart;*¹²⁴; Isa. *ubeleb*. *return … the princes of My people … I will heal thee;*¹²⁵ *and I will add;*¹²⁶; Isa. 5 *behold, I will add* (*hinneni yosif*). *for Mine own sake and for My servant David’s sake;*¹²⁷; lacking in Isa. 6. *take … and he recovered;*¹²⁸ *and Hezekiah said unto Isaiah … the third day;*¹²⁹ *this;*¹³⁰. *that the Lord;*¹³¹ the Heb. particle is *ki*, in Isa. 7 *’asher*. *will do the thing;*¹³² Isa. 7 *this thing*. *go forward*.¹³³ Isa. 8 *behold, I will cause … to return*. *Berodach*¹³⁴. *… for he had heard;*¹³⁵ the reading is *ki shama‘;* Isa. *ibid. wayyishma‘*. *Hezekiah had been sick;*¹³⁶ Isa. *ibid. that he had been sick, and was recovered*. *hearkened unto them;*¹³⁷. *all his treasure house;*¹³⁸ Isa. *ibid.* omits *all*. *oil*¹³⁹ Isa. *ibid. the … oil*. *… the house of his armour*¹⁴⁰ Isa. *ibid.* inserts *all* before *the house*. *… they are come;*¹⁴¹ *the word of the Lord;*¹⁴² follows *Lord*. *to Babylon;*¹⁴³, in Isa. 6 *Babel*. *is it not so, if*.¹⁴⁴, Isa. 8 *if but* (*ki*). The variants here listed are not complete and there are others which are not included (cf. GRA).

footnotes:
⁷⁶ Chapters XXXVI-XXXIX.
⁷⁷ 2 Kings 18-XX.
⁷⁸ Kings XVIII, 13; Isa. 36, 1 now it came to pass in the four
⁷⁹ In Kings ibid.
⁸⁰ Kings 17. In Isa. 36, 2 Rab-saris
⁸¹ Kings 18; and when they … king
⁸² Kings 20; Isa. 5 I said
⁸³ In Isa. 6 now
⁸⁴ For ye say
⁸⁵ Kings 23, the Heb. for with … king
⁸⁶ For now
⁸⁷ Kings 26; in Isa. 11 the son of Hilkiah
⁸⁸ Kings 27; in Isa. 12 unto them
⁸⁹ Kings 28; in Isa. 13 and spoke
⁹⁰ Kings 32; in Isa. 18 and hearken not
⁹¹ Kings 33; Isa. 18 hath … delivered
⁹² Kings 34; in Isa. 19 Hena and Ivva
⁹³ Kings 35; Isa. 20 these countries
⁹⁴ Kings 36; in Isa. 21 the people
⁹⁵ Kings 27 and Isa. 22 are identical in the Heb. The reference is probably to 2 Kings 19, 4 and Isa. 37, 4 where the former reads all the words of Rab-shakeh
⁹⁶ 2 Kings 19, 2;in Isa. 37, 2 we’eth
⁹⁷ ibid.;
⁹⁸ Kings 4; in Isa. 4 all
⁹⁹ Kings 6 lahem;
¹⁰⁰ Kings 7 has the preposition l
¹⁰¹ Kings 9 has the preposition ’el
¹⁰² ibid.;
¹⁰³ Kings 11 has ’eth ’asher
¹⁰⁴ Kings 15. Isa. 16 inserts of hosts
¹⁰⁵ Kings 20, wanting in Isa. 21.
¹⁰⁶ Kings 22 reads ‘al
¹⁰⁷ Kings 23; Isa. 24 thy servants
¹⁰⁸ Kings 23 reads mibḥor;
¹⁰⁹ ibid.;
¹¹⁰ Kings 24; lacking in Isa. 25.
¹¹¹ Kings 25 reads lemimë
¹¹² In Kings 25 the reading is lahshoth
¹¹³ Kings 26 has wayyeboshu
¹¹⁴ ibid.;
¹¹⁵ Kings 29 reads saḥish
¹¹⁶ Kings 33 reads yabo’
¹¹⁷ Kings 34 has the preposition ’el
¹¹⁸ Kings 35; lacking in Isa. 36.
¹¹⁹ ibid.
¹²⁰ Kings 35; Isa. 36 and fourscore
¹²¹ 2 Kings 20, 2 reads ’eth panaw;
¹²² ibid.;
¹²³ Kings 3; in Isa. 3 and said
¹²⁴ ibid. ubelebab
¹²⁵ Kings 5; lacking in Isa. 5.
¹²⁶ Kings 6 wehosafti
¹²⁷ ibid.
¹²⁸ Kings 7. The whole sentence is lacking in Isa.
¹²⁹ Kings 8. The whole sentence is lacking in Isa.
¹³⁰ Kings 9; Isa. 7 and this
¹³¹ ibid.
¹³² ibid.;
¹³³ ibid.;
¹³⁴ Kings 12; Isa. 39, 1 Merodach
¹³⁵ ibid.
¹³⁶ ibid.;
¹³⁷ Kings 13; Isa. 2 was glad of them
¹³⁸ ibid.;
¹³⁹ ibid.;
¹⁴⁰ ibid.;
¹⁴¹ Kings 14; Isa. 3 adds unto me
¹⁴² Kings 16; in Isa. 5 of hosts
¹⁴³ Kings 17 the reading is Babelah
¹⁴⁴ Kings 19 reads halo ’im