Etnachta

etnahta
אֶתְנַחְתָּ֑א ֑ ט֑וֹב
cantillation
Sof passuk ׃   paseq ׀
etnakhta/atnakh ֑   segol ֒
shalshelet ֓   zaqef qaton ֔
zaqef gadol ֕   tifcha/tarkha ֖
rivia/ravia’ ֗   zarqa ֘
pashta ֙   yetiv ֚
tevir ֛   geresh/gerish ֜
geresh muqdam ֝   gershayim/shenei gerishin ֞
karnei pharah ֟   telisha gedola/talsha ֠
pazer (gadol) ֡   atnah hafukh ֢
munakh/shofar holekh ֣   mahapakh/shofar mehupakh ֤
merkha/ma’arikh ֥   merkha kefula/terei ta’amei ֦
darga ֧   qadma ֨
telisha qetana/tarsa ֩   yerah ben yomo ֪
ole ֫   illuy ֬
dehi ֭   zinor ֮

Etnachta (Hebrew: אֶתְנַחְתָּא‎, with variant English spellings) is one of the most common cantillation marks in the Torah and Haftarah. It is the anchor for the Etnachta group, which in full consists of four different trope sounds, not all of which are always present. These are Mercha, Tipcha, Munach, and its namesake Etnachta.

The Etnachta group marks the end of the first segment of a verse.[1] Therefore, it never occurs more than once in a single verse.

An example is in the first verse of the Book of Genesis, the statement that God created is marked with an Etnachta, showing the completion of God’s creation.[2]

The Hebrew word אֶתְנַחְתָּא translates into English as pause. This name is given because of its central location within a verse.

  1. ^ Chanting the Hebrew Bible By Joshua R. Jacobson, page 167
  2. ^ Aspects of Jewish Metarational Thought By Martin Sicker, page 61

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