GRAMMATICAL CONCEPTS 101 FOR BIBLICAL HEBREW: LEARNING BIBLICAL HEBREW GRAMMATICAL CONCEPTS THROUGH ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Written by Garry A. Long Reviewed By Mark Bredin

This book is designed to complement teaching grammars and assist the first year student of Biblical Hebrew. The author believes that consideration of English is essential for learning Biblical Hebrew. The book is therefore written for the learner who has had little or no formal instruction in English grammar.

The book is divided into three parts. In Part I the author looks at linguistic hierarchies, sound production, the syllable in English and then in Biblical Hebrew and he finally deals with the process of translation. Part II looks at what the author calls the ‘building blocks’. In this part, like ordinary grammars, the student is instructed in key grammatical concepts, firstly in English and then in Hebrew. Part III introduces the student to clauses, briefly to semantics, and in some detail to discourse analysis.

The book is well laid out and has helpful headers making the navigation process much easier. There is also a good index of topics. Difficult concepts are explained well and illustrated with helpful diagrams. The author gives some very helpful tips to the student regarding how best to memorise concepts, vocabulary and the importance of keeping up with assignments. The author suggests that the student uses vocabulary cards and he points out how to use them most productively. These seem obvious points, but are helpful for students who are beginning Hebrew and have very little experience in the best way to learn a language.

To whom would I recommend this book? Much depends on the structure of the course the student is taking. Intensive learning of Hebrew in one semester would demand instruction in only the basics of the language. However, even in this situation I would recommend that the instructor refer to this book, in particular on tense, infinitives and participles. I also think the short section on translation is very helpful. Too often students are instructed in biblical languages in a way that leads them to see the translation process being that of substituting one word for another. The author urges the student to strive, ultimately, for a meaning-orientated translation.

The book addresses the lack of instruction in English grammar with which Hebrew textbooks do not specifically deal. However, with the desire of students to read real texts quickly, students will not wish to spend too much time mastering the intricacies of English grammar. I suspect only the linguists will wish to supplement their initial studies in Hebrew with this book. The author introduces many technical terms and this will not be popular with students wishing only to gain a basic knowledge of Hebrew—enough to find their way around a Hebrew Bible. Grammar is not an easy or popular subject and students often feel that they can get through a basic language course with little grammar. This book, however, will be helpful for the instructor of Hebrew when teaching certain Hebrew concepts when reference to English grammar will help.

On the whole, I welcome this book for instructors of Hebrew. It will help in teaching Hebrew concepts through consideration of English grammar. Learning to read a language is not easy, and learning more about the grammar of one’s own language seems an important and logical step in gaining competency in second language reading.


Mark Bredin

Cambridge