COURSE DESCRIPTION

The fundamental elements of Hebrew Grammar are studied with attention to the alphabet and writing system, basic vocabulary and syntax, and special attention to the strong verb in its main conjugation. (The second semester continuation of the course is OT 552 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew.)

COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of the semester, the student should be able to:

1. Translate unfamiliar passages of moderate difficulty from the Hebrew Old Testament with only limited vocabulary hints;

2. Read aloud from the Hebrew text, showing a mastery of Hebrew script and pronunciation;

3. Identify and translate basic vocabulary words, beginning with those occurring most often in the Hebrew Bible;

4. Identify and translate the roots or stems of Hebrew words, thus displaying recognition of the changes in and additions to the roots found in various forms;

5. Reproduce from memory representative paradigms of Hebrew verbal and nominal forms; and

6. Correctly translate selected sentences and sentence fragments, thereby demonstrating understanding of the syntactic use of the various elements.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Attendance and class participation based on daily assignments (see policies below).
Readings and daily assignments from Fuller and Choi as assigned in the schedule below. The Handbook should only be used after completion of the assignments from the grammar. The students should make corrections based upon the handbook in a different color ink, or in some other identifiable way.

Daily work is the key to learning Hebrew. The student must work daily on the material. Falling behind can, and usually will, be fatal to the learning process!

Vocabulary Quizzes—These will be given at each class meeting during the semester, with the exception of the dates of the mid-term and final exams. The lowest quiz grade of the semester will be dropped when computing the final average. All missed quizzes must be made up within two weeks of an absence, unless the student chooses to drop the grade from the missed quiz. Vocabulary quiz assignments are found in each chapter of the grammar.
Exams—A mid-term and final exam will be administered during the assigned class periods. The exams will cover the essential paradigms and forms necessary for proper translation of the Hebrew Bible into English.

GRADING SYSTEM

Final grades will be calculating according to the following system.

Daily Assignments 50%

Vocabulary Quizzes 25%

Mid-term & Final Exams 25% (Averaged)

POLICIES

1. Attendance is required at scheduled classes. Two or three excused absences will not affect the student’s grade. In order to learn Hebrew, however, the student must be in class and complete the required daily work.

Work is expected on the due date. Late work will receive a letter grade reduction until it is one week late. Between one and two weeks late, the assignment will receive a two-letter grade reduction. After two weeks, the assignment will not be accepted and a zero will be entered as the grade for the assignment unless the student has made prior arrangements with the instructor.

The student should turn off all pagers and cell phones, unless extenuating circumstances require them to be left on. In the latter circumstance, the student should communicate that need with the professor.

Incompletes:

a. “In case of extenuating circumstances (e.g. personal illness requiring hospitalization) where a student has not completed all required assignments before the end of the semester, an instructor may grant the student a grade of ‘I’ (Incomplete) and an extension of time within which to complete the work. This extension may not exceed (30) calendar days from the end of the term” (HGST Catalog, 2006).

b. Granting an “I” grade is at the sole discretion of the instructor. Such a granting will be a rare occurrence, made on a case-by-case basis, based on true student circumstances and need.

c. If the instructor agrees to the grade of “I,” the student is responsible for completing a “Request for Extension/Grade Change” form “available from the Registrar. The form must be signed by the student, instructor, and the Registrar, and returned to the Registrar’s Office along with a fee of $25.00 before the deadline for extensions” (December , 2006).

d. If the student has not completed the work by January , 2007, the grade of “I” will be replaced by “F,” this will be figured into computing the student’s grade point average. Any further extensions are the exclusive right of the Dean of the Faculty. The instructor has no authority after the first 30 day extension.

Plagiarism - Plagiarism in any form is not acceptable and severe penalties will be applied to any student who chooses to do so.

a. Plagiarism is defined as representing the work (written, thought, or conclusion) of another as your own. Any phrase longer than three words obtained from the work of another must be attributed to its original author. Please use proper citations and credit the original author when necessary. Internet plagiarism is rampant in some schools. As a seminary, HGST holds its students to the highest standard and expects them to avoid temptation. Please do not “Cut and Paste” portions of documents from the Internet into your paper without proper citation. Papers will be checked online for plagiarism.

b. If a portion of a paper is plagiarized from the work of another the student will receive a grade of zero (F) for the paper or assignment. A penalty of one (1) letter grade on the semester grade will be assessed along with a conference with the professor. Blatant plagiarism of large portions a paper/ assignment, or a second offence of plagiarism will result in failing the course and a conference with the Dean of the Faculty to determine if dismissal from HGST is warranted.

Use of the Handbook

The Handbook is designed as a tool for this course. Using the textbook to complete the assigned exercises for daily work is cheating. If the instructor believes that a student is not doing the work, but is using the handbook to provide the answers, he will discuss the matter with the student, and remedial action will be taken as warranted. The student’s work should be apparent. If an incorrect answer is given, the student should correct the answer using the handbook, including searching to understand why the question was answered incorrectly.

GRADING SCALE

The following grading system will be used for this class.

TEXTBOOKS

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:

Fuller, Russell T., and Kyoungwon Choi. Invitation to Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Grammar. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2006. ISBN 0-8254-2650-2, $49.99.

. Invitation to Biblical Hebrew Workbook. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2006. . ISBN 0-8254-2652-9. $29.99.

RECOMMENDED TEXTS: (Each of these resources will help the student. A Lexicon will be required for the second semester of Hebrew Grammar.)

Fuller, Russell T., and Kyoungwon Choi. Invitation to Biblical Hebrew DVDs. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2006. 0-8254-2651-0. $49.99. These are instructional DVDs with lectures from the Dr. Russell, one of the authors of the text.

Van Pelt, Miles V. Old Testament Hebrew Vocabulary Cards (ZONDERVAN VOCABULARY BUILDER SERIES). Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004. ISBN 031025986X. $17.95. This resource or the following one would aid the student in learning vocabulary.

Dillard, Raymond. Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary Cards. Springfield, OH: Visual Education Association, 1981. (Available at http://www.vis-ed.com/catalog/009-1.html) ISBN# 1-55637-009-1. $12.95.

Ellinger, K, and W. Rudolph, ed. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS). Fifth Rev. Ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelstiftung Stuttgart, 1969, 1977, 1997. ISBN 3-438-05222-9, $29.95. (The student may choose to purchase the larger version of BHS, but it is expensive. This text will be required for the second semester.)

Holladay, William. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971. This is a good brief lexicon, but the student may want Brown, Driver, & Briggs (see below) as well as, or in place of, this resource.

Brown, Francis, C. Briggs, S. Driver. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996. (This is the standard Hebrew-English lexicon. This will be required in the second semester.)

Hebrew Tutor. Parsons Technology. This CD-based program will enhance all that the student is learning in class. This product is available for mail order or in some local bookstores.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Aug. 31 Class Introduction

Sept. 7 Chapter 1, All questions and drills

Chapter 2, Questions 1-7 (omit milel & milra in #7); Drills 4-5

Sept. 14 Chapter 3, All questions & drills; 1^st column vocabulary

Chapter 4, All questions & drills; 2^nd column vocabulary

Sept. 21 Chapter 5, All questions & drills; 1^st column vocabulary

Chapter 6, All questions (ignore Proto-Hebrew); drill 4; 2^nd col. vocabulary

Sept. 28 Chapter 7, All questions; Drill 6:1-7; 1^st column vocabulary

Chapter 8, All questions; Drill 5:1-7; 2^nd col. vocabulary

Chapter 9, All questions; Drills 1, 4, 5:13

Oct. 5 Chapter 10, Questions 1, 2, 6, 7, 8; Drills 3:1-5, 4:1-2, 8; 1^st column vocabulary

Chapter 11, Questions 1, 2, 5-8; Drills 1, 4:1-3; 1^st column vocabulary

Oct. 12 Chapter 12, Questions 3, 4; Drills 3:1-3, 3:6-8, 4:2, 5; 1^st column vocab.

Chapter 13, Question 4; Drills 3, 4:1-3, 4:6-8, 5:2-4; 2^nd column vocab.

Oct. 19 Chapter 14, Question 1; Drills 5:1-5, 6:1; 1^st column vocab.

Chapter 15, Questions 1-2, 4; Drills 4:3-5, 6:1, 4; 1^st column vocab.

Chapter 16, Question 1; Drill 6:1, 3; 1^st column vocab.

Oct. 26 **Mid-term Quiz**

Chapter 17, Questions 1, 3, 6, 8; Drills 6:1-2; all vocabulary

Nov. 2 Chapter 18, Questions 3-8; Drills 1, 6, 7:1, 3; no vocab.

Chapter 19, Questions 2, 4-5; Drills 6, 7:1, 6; all vocab.

Nov. 9 Chapter 20, Questions 1-6; 2^nd column vocab.

Chapter 21, Questions 1, 3, 5, 8; Drill 6, 7:1; 1^st column vocab.

Chapter 22, Questions 1-4; 6-7; Drill 7; 1^st column vocab.

Nov. 16 Chapter 23, Questions 1, 4-6; Drill 6:2, 7:1-2; all vocab.

Chapter 24, Questions 1-2, 4, 6-7; Drill 6:2, 7:1; no vocab.

Nov. 23 HOLIDAY—Thanksgiving

Nov. 30 Chapter 25, Questions 1-3; Drills 1, 6:2, 7:1-2; all vocab.

Chapter 26, Questions 1-8; Drill 6:2, 7:7; 2^nd column vocab.

Dec. 7 Chapter 27, Questions 5-7, 10, 12; Drill 8, 9:3; 2^nd column vocab.

Chapter 28, Questions 2, 4-5, 12-14; Drills 11, 12:2; all vocab.

Dec. 14 **Final Exam**

Mid-Term Quiz

Review Sheet

I. Vocabulary (see syllabus)

II. Brief Questions

--Write the alphabet.

--Write the letter B with each vowel.

--Section 5.7, identification and characteristics of the guttural letters.

--Section 7.2, forms of the article

III. Paradigms

--Section 14.2, 14.4

--Sections 12.4

Final Exam

Review Sheet

I. Paradigms

--Verb chart, p. 298, reproduce column 1, Qal Perfect & Qal Imperfect of lf'q;.

--Selected forms to parse from pp. 298-299.

II. Translation

--Any translation assignment from Exercise 18-28.

Bibliography

Grammars

Cowley, A.E., and E. Kautzsch (eds.). Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar. 2d Eng. edition. Oxford, 1910. Traditionally the best of the reference grammars. Later editions are available.

Declaisse-Walford, Nancy L. Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Textbook. St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2002.

Garrett, Duane. A Modern Grammar for Biblical Hebrew. Nashville: Broadman Holman, 2002.

Jouon, Paul. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Translated and revised by T. Muraoka. Rome: Editrice Pontificio Instituto Biblico, 1991.

Kelley, Page. Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Grammar. Eerdmans, 1992. Continues and updates the Weingreen approach to learning Hebrew.

Lambdin, Thomas O. Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1971.

Pratico, Gary D., & Miles V. Van Pelt. Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001.

Ross, Allen. Introducing Biblical Hebrew. Grand Rapids: Baker/Revell, 2000.

Seow, C. L. A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew. Revised edition. Abingdon, 1995. Continues and updates the Lambdin approach to learning Hebrew.

Van der Merwe, C. H. J. A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar. New York: Continuum, 1999.

Weingreen, J. A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew. 2d ed. Oxford: Clarendon, 1959.

Critical Editions of the Hebrew Bible

Elliger, K., and W. Rudolph, eds. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS). Stuttgart: Deutsche
Bibelgesellschaft, 1983. This is the standard critical text of the Hebrew Bible.

Goshen-Gottstein, Moshe, ed. Hebrew University Bible. Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1965-.

Kelley, Page. The Masorah of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: Introduction and Annotated Glossary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998. This type of work is helpful for understanding the Masoretic notes in the Hebrew text.

Kittel, R. Biblia Hebraica, 3rd ed. Stuttgart: Privileg Wurtt Bibelanstalt, 1937.

Lexicons

Brown, F., S.R. Driver, and C.A. Briggs. Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Hendrickson, 1979. The best of the older lexicons, still considered the standard Hebrew lexicon in English. Often abbreviated BDB.

Clines, David J. A. (ed.). The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. 8 vols. Sheffield Academic Press, 1993-. Four volumes have appeared. Designed for a contextual and usage approach to understanding the meaning of words.

Davidson, Benjamin. The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1981. Every word in the Hebrew Bible is parsed alphabetically.

Einspahr, Bruce. Index to Brown, Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon. Chicago: Moody Press, 1976. This text assists the reader to overcome some of the difficulties of BDB, particularly ascertaining the root of difficult forms.

Holladay, W.L. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971. Useful, quick reference, especially for newer students of Hebrew.

Koehler, L., and W. Baumgartner et al. (eds.). The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. 3rd ed. 4 vols. Brill, 1994-1998. A translation of the most complete Hebrew German lexicon. This resource is the most complete Biblical Hebrew lexicon available.

Syntax and Advanced Helps

Accordance 4.2 on CD-ROM. Gramcord, 2000. The most comprehensive computer concordance for Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and English versions. Available for PC and Macintosh.

Even-Shoshan, E. A New Concordance of the Old Testament Using the Hebrew and Aramaic Text. 2nd edition. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989. The best concordance for the Hebrew text of the Old Testament.

Lisowsky, Gerhard. Konkordanz zum hebraischen Alten Testament. Stuttgart: Wurttembergische Bibelanstalt, 1958.

Van der Merwe, C. H. J., J.A. Naude, J.H. Kroeze. A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar. Continuum, 1999.

Waltke, B.K., and M. O’Connor. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1990. An integration of modern linguistic approaches.

Williams, Ronald J. Hebrew Syntax: An Outline. 2d edition. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1976.

Textual Criticism

Brotzman, E. Old Testament Textual Criticism: A Practical Introduction. Baker, 1994. Good Evangelical introduction for the beginner. Special guides for using BHS.

Klein, Ralph W. Textual Criticism of the Old Testament: From the Septuagint to Qumran. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1974. Excellent brief introduction to the topic out of print.

McCarter, P. Kyle. Textual Criticism: Recovering the Text of the Hebrew Bible. In Guides to Biblical Scholarship, ed. Gene M. Tucker. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1986.

Tov, Emmanuel. The Text-Critical Use of the Septuagint in Biblical Research. Revised edition. Jerusalem Biblical Studies volume 8. Jerusalem: Simor, 1997.

. Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001. The best introduction to the subject.

Wegner, Paul D. Textual Criticism of the Bible. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2004.

Würthwein, Ernst. The Text of the Old Testament. 2nd edition. Eerdmans, 1995. Classic discussion of the Hebrew texts and the versions.