The Biblical Hebrew Companion for Bible Software Users

Well laid out resourse - with clear 1-3 page sections for a variety of grammatical and punctuation elements in Biblical Hebrew.

Technology is here to stay. Whether we like it or not, technology is fast changing the way we study the Bible, especially in the way we approach biblical languages. I have heard of seminaries and Bible colleges doing away with the conventional ways of approaching the biblical language. So, armed with all kinds of modern computer platforms and powerful Bible software, users can try to learn all the Hebrew from the technological tools, according to their own pace.

Traditional learning is also not easily done away. Such a method of learning Hebrew includes the rote memorization of word endings, the hours of digging into grammar, the vocabulary, the various rules and unique features of the ancient biblical language. I remember using many flash cards handwritten and placed in my pocket to be revised throughout the day. The art of remembering the Hebrew, combined with the science of analyzing the grammatical structures is part and parcel of learning the semitic language.

Before the invention and easy availability of Bible software, most students have to do it the hard way. With software becoming more powerful and affordable, there are rising calls for a completely new way of learning the language. This is to use technology to supplement the traditional learning of Hebrew. In describing the need to avoid either extremes, Calvin Theological Seminary Professor and Hebrew instructor Michael Williams writes this book to show us how both traditional learning and technological tools can help the student pick up Hebrew well. Williams is convinced that:

"What is needed for more fruitful Old Testament study, therefore, is a resource that occupies the vast and currently vacant middle ground between the traditional, full-blown academic study of biblical Hebrew on the one hand and complete ignorance of biblical Hebrew on the other. The purpose of this book is to helpfully occupy that middle ground."

Whether it is the completely traditional way or the completely technological way, Williams believes in using the best of both in studying Biblical Hebrew. This is what this book is all about. Meant as a tool for students rather than a complete replacement for learning, Williams lets this resource answer the questions that pop up in the minds of a person using the top three most popular Bible software like Accordance, Bible Works, or Logos. It features:
Detailed description of each grammatical term Explanation of what they do Example of "exegetical insight"
User-Friendly placement of information on "facing pages" for easy reference (hard copy)
Help in maximizing the use of the Bible Software Resources for further study Essential tools needed to Arranged in alphabetical order, this is a handbook style reference for Hebrew grammatical terms for readers using English to learn Hebrew. There are explanations about adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, infinitive absolutes, nouns, verbs, participles, definite articles, jussive, and so on. I find the descriptions of each term very concise and easy to understand. Supported by the exegetical insights to bring life to mere words, and examples of how the different words are used, students will find this tool extremely helpful. While not impossible, it will be quite hard for students who have never taken a course on Hebrew before to simply open up a Bible software program and reference the words in this book. The group that would benefit most are people having done at least a year of Hebrew at Bible school, and who needed some kind of a refresher. The appendices at the end of the book will be a wonderful all-in-one reference to revise the basics of Hebrew. For the more advanced Hebrew students, this book can be a useful reference for some of the more challenging grammatical structures.

As a reference book, this resource is an excellent companion for all students, not only those using Bible software. I highly recommend this book.

Rating: 5 stars of 5

conrade This book is provided to me courtesy of Zondervan Academic and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

The Biblical Hebrew Companion

Biblical Hebrew Companion - Cover.jpg

by Michael Williams

A Review

It has been 40+ years since I sat in my first Hebrew language course. Since that time I have learned and used more Fortran, COBOL. Basic, Pascal, Lisp, Assembly Language, etc, than Hebrew. Now 40 years later, I have returned to the pulpit wishing I could remember some of that early Hebrew (and Greek) that I had learned years ago.

This reference book serves part of that purpose. In fact, I wish I had it by my side while learning Hebrew - as it takes each major part of speech, each verbal conjunction, each grammatical construction and gives insight to the reader on its role in the language. The entries try to address three questions:

What does it look like?
What does it do?
How it might effect the exegesis of the passage?

A number of appendices add value as they bring together lists of topics that don’t fit elsewhere: vowels, consonants, Syllables, Pronunciation, ect. Also included are a scripture index and suggested bibliography for further study grouped by topic.

The book will not serve as a Hebrew textbook, but as a great reference tool to set on the desk of the student or pastor working with the original languages. I cannot but hope that a similar volume will be forthcoming from the publisher for the Greek student.
______________ This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinion are mine alone.

Excellent book for users of Biblical Hebrew software and also a good reference for people without such software but with some familiarity with Biblical Hebrew.

For someone who is illiterate on Hebrew yet have access to resources on Logos, I often console myself that these expensively resources are investments that will reap it’s rewards in the future when I finally master the language. This was the case until I found this book.

Michael Williams has written this book to help those who are very new to Hebrew and who has access to resources on bible software. Within the book, Williams explains and teaches some of the grammatical issues of the Hebrew language. As he does it, Williams shows the readers examples of how this affects the exegesis of a passage in the bible. I found this very helpful. This helps the readers to see immediately the importance and application of what they have just learnt.

However, as one who does not know Hebrew, I cannot say that I understood everything within the book. This book does require you to have some basic knowledge of Hebrew. I foresee myself using this as a quick reference guide the next time I’m studying Hebrew. This small and quick guide will surely be helpful to those who at least have some basic understanding of Hebrew and access to great bible study resources.

Rating: 4 / 5

Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Wordpress: http://wp.me/p4izrp-va Blog will be posted on 16 Feb 2016

Super helpful in difficult Hebrew studies!

Description

The Biblical Hebrew Companion for Bible Software Users helps users understand the exegetical significance of Hebrew grammatical terminology identified by the program. This resource provides students who utilize biblical language software the insight they need to make sense of the data provided by the program, giving them deeper insight into the biblical text that they could not get by solely reading an English translation.

The Biblical Hebrew Companion for Bible Software Users is ideally suited for those who have never found the opportunity to learn the paradigms, vocabulary, grammar, and syntax of biblical Hebrew; pastors and other ministry leaders who may have learned biblical Hebrew at one time but have experienced the loss of much of that learning; and college and seminary students who have learned grammatical paradigms and vocabulary lists but have not had the tools to better understand and apply the significance of that data.

My Review The Biblical Hebrew Companion for Bible Software Users by Michael Williams is a valuable reference to anyone who is studying Hebrew. I don't understand Hebrew much but I am beyond amazed at how much of a reference this book is for people who are studying Biblical Hebrew. This book is a deep study of Hebrew grammar and it gives me a desire to learn Hebrew. I highly recommend this book for anyone studying Hebrew.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley book review program. https://www.netgalley.com/ I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”