Hebrew Accent Revia

It separates a phrase from the next and cues its chant.

In the standard Twenty-One system, Revia marks a break below stronger accents such as Zaqef, Tipeha, and Segolta. These signs show how the verse is grouped and guide its chant; Revia is not a word to translate.

Psalms, Proverbs, and most of Job use a separate Three system. There, Revia has a different structural role, so the mark alone does not tell you how the passage is grouped.

Where did Revia come from?

Revia developed within the Masoretic system for marking biblical Hebrew.

The Masoretes were Jewish scholars who added written vowel and chant marks around biblical Hebrew consonants. Their pointing tradition took shape across the seventh and eighth centuries; the Tiberian Masoretic school continued into the tenth century, and early biblical manuscripts preserve its notation.

Palestinian and Babylonian notation are related regional traditions; Tiberian notation became standard in printed Hebrew Bibles. As of 2026, Italian, Yemenite, and German Jewish traditions can chant the same passage to different melodies.

Why does Revia look detached?

It attaches to a Hebrew consonant, and fonts position it differently.

֗ is a combining mark, so it sits with a Hebrew letter rather than standing alone. When vowels or other marks share that letter, a font may shift Revia sideways; in isolation, it can look detached.