Prinsloo, Gert Thomas Marthinus2023-07-282023-07-282022-10-17Prinsloo, G.T.M., 2022, ‘Diplomatic or eclectic critical editions of the Hebrew Bible? Considering a third alternative’, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 78(1), a7813. https://DOI.org/10.4102/hts.v78i1.7813.0259-9422 (print)2072-8050 (online)10.4102/hts.v78i1.7813http://hdl.handle.net/2263/91676Ever since the publication of the third edition of Rudolph Kittel's Biblia Hebraica (BHK3) to the present gradual production of the Biblia Hebraica Quinta (BHQ) so-called editiones criticae minores of the Hebrew Bible are diplomatic editions. The Codex Leningradensis, dating from 1008/9 CE, is used as the base text, and the Biblia Hebraica text editors note significant variants in other Hebrew manuscripts and/or the ancient versions in eclectic fashion in a text-critical apparatus. The Hebrew University Bible Project (HUPB) also publishes a diplomatic text based on the Codex Aleppo but with a more detailed text-critical apparatus. The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition (HBCE) follows a different route, traditionally more familiar in the production of critical editions of the Septuagint and New Testament, namely to publish an eclectic edition. The text editors produce a theoretical, reconstructed text of what they regard as the 'correct' reading after careful consideration and weighing of variants in all available textual witnesses. I argue that critical editions of the Hebrew at the disposal of Hebrew Bible scholars, whether based on a diplomatic or eclectic text, have two inherent weaknesses, namely eclecticism and lack of context. Taken together, these shortcomings might be classified as subjectivism. I propose at least considering the alternative of a synoptic text-critical approach beyond the diplomatic-eclectic dichotomy. CONTRIBUTION : This research critically reviews the current diplomatic/eclectic approaches in the production of scholarly Hebrew Bibles and proposes at least considering a third alternative, namely a synoptic approach.en© 2022. The Author. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.Textual criticismMasoretic textDiplomatic editionEclectic editionSynoptic editionText-critical apparatusBiblia Hebraica StuttgartensiaHebrew University Bible projectHebrew BibleBiblia Hebraica Quinta (BHQ)Rudolph Kittel's Biblia Hebraica (BHK3)Humanities articles SDG-04SDG-04: Quality educationArticle