Adapted, by permission, from Israel Yeivin, Introduction to the Tiberian Masorah, translated and edited by E. J. Revell. Copyright © 1980 by the Society of Biblical Literature.
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# Pashṭa is the only accent sign in standard Tiberian manuscripts which is regularly repeated on a penultimate stress syllable. In standard printed editions, the pashṭa sign is repeated on every word in which the stressed vowel is not the last (i.e. every word with penultimate stress, including words with pataḥ “furtive”). Most early manuscripts — for instance μL and μC — follow the same system, but some manuscripts show a different convention.
In μA, μS, and some other manuscripts, the sign is only repeated where at least one letter stands between the two letters to be marked with the signs, as הִשְׁמִ֙יעַ֙ and לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙. Where this is not the case, the pashṭa sign is not repeated, as מִזְבֵּחַ֙, הֱטִיבֹתָ֙, יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם֙, and וְשַׁתִּהָ֙. This system of marking pashṭa is mentioned in some treatises, such as Qimḥi’s ʿEt Sofer, p. 31b:
When the two letters (on which the pashṭa signs would be marked) are separated only by one vowel, with no vowel letter, there is a difference of opinion. Some read two pashṭa signs, others only one, as in הָרִ֤ימִי בַכֹּחַ֙.
In μB, μS1, and some other manuscripts, pashṭa is not repeated not only where two letters on which it would be marked are not separated by a third, but also in other situations as well, as לַחֹדֶשׁ֙ (μB) and מִשְׁפַּחַת֙ (μB). This usage is not consistent, however, as pashṭa sometimes is repeated on such words.
In μL2, pashṭa is never repeated. Thus תָּבוֹאתָה֙ and זְבָחֵימוֹ֙.
In some cases, where the position of the word stress might be in doubt, the pashṭa sign is repeated on a stressed final syllable, as שׁוּבִ֙י֙ (μC, μS1), שָׁב֙וּ֙ (μS1), and וְכוֹבַ֙ע֙ (μS1).
In many manuscripts pointed in the expanded Tiberian system, pashṭa is repeated on every word in which the last letter does not represent the first consonant of the stress syllable, as בָּֽרְבִיעִ֙י֙, כְּכַ֙ף֙, and גָּד֙וֹל֙.
Biblical references in this section: הִשְׁמִ֙יעַ֙ Is 62:11, לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ Is 58:8, מִזְבֵּחַ֙ Is 19:19, הֱטִיבֹתָ֙ 2K 10:30, יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם֙ 2K 52:1, וְשַׁתִּהָ֙ Ho 2:5, הָרִ֤ימִי בַכֹּחַ֙ Is 40:9, לַחֹדֶשׁ֙ Ex 12:18, מִשְׁפַּחַת֙ Nu 3:33, תָּבוֹאתָה֙ Dt 33:16, זְבָחֵימוֹ֙ Dt 32:38, שׁוּבִ֙י֙ Jer 31:19 in some editions; others have it as 31:18, שָׁב֙וּ֙ 2C 25:12, וְכוֹבַ֙ע֙ Ez 27:10, בָּֽרְבִיעִ֙י֙ Ez 1:1, כְּכַ֙ף֙ Ez 1:7, גָּד֙וֹל֙ Ez 1:4.
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