DESCRIPTION: This course provides an introduction to the grammar and syntax of
Biblical Hebrew. The mastery of the basics of Hebrew will form a foundation on
which to build and develop skills which can be applied to study in a Hebrew
exegetical class, to further exploration of Semitic languages, or to growth in
personal Bible study.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will (1) be able to read aloud in the language; (2)
be able to differentiate among words in the various parts of speech
and to read and parse those words; (3) be able to identify and parse
strong verb forms in all stems; (4) develop strategies for recognizing and
parsing weak verbs in all stems (5) understand enough grammar and vocabulary to
be able to translate a basic narrative text in the language; (6) develop a
grasp of Hebrew syntax necessary to identify and translate the various
components of a sentence; (7) use a lexicon to amplify their understanding of
words, to find unknown words and to find the semantic range of words; (8)
use a reference grammar to investigate grammatical and syntactical issues they
do not understand; (9) understand the challenges, purposes, and value of
learning this language.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: Anyone who has taught from the Bible will be aware
that different versions of the Bible often give radically different
translations for the same verse and that consulting commentaries can sometimes
increase the confusion. A knowledge of Hebrew can equip a person to make
intelligent choices among the array of options presented by commentators and
translators.
COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet twice weekly for four-hour sessions. The
course will be based on the material in the required texts for the class.
Classes will consist of lecture, reading from the Hebrew Bible, translation
exercises, and daily quizzes. Because of the structure of this class,
attendance at every class session is extremely important.
REQUIRED READING: