BLA 521/221 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew
Cincinnati Christian University
3 credit hours, Monday 3:20-6:00
Spring semester 2012
Professor: Sara Fudge
Office: President’s Hall
(513) 244-8445 office
sara.fudge@ccuniversity.edu
Syllabus
Required Texts
BHS Hebrew Bible
Holladay, William. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan; Eerdmans
Publishing Co.
Webster, Brian L. The Cambridge Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. New York: Cambridge University Press. 2009.
Course Description
This is the second semester of a one year-course that introduces the beginning Hebrew student to the basic
grammatical principles and vocabulary of Biblical Hebrew. Much of the emphasis will be on the Hebrew verbal
system.
Course Objectives
The course objective of Intermediate Hebrew is to meet the bible program’s competency stating that students will
be able to translate selected Hebrew Biblical texts.
The student who satisfactorily completes the second semester of this course should [These objectives support
bible outcome #1]:
1.
be able to fluently vocalize the Hebrew text.
2.
be able to reproduce the strong verb and recognize the weak verb.
3.
have an increased working vocabulary from first semester to translate biblical Hebrew.
4.
recognize some of the more advanced grammatical principles.
Course Requirements
1.
2.
3.
4.
Weekly Assignments - Weekly assignments will be given for regular review and better retention. These will
be assigned in class for the next week.
Quizzes - Quizzes will be given each week on vocabulary and selected points of grammar.
Exams - There will be a midterm and a final exam. Preparation for these exams will merely be review if
regular study has been consistent throughout the semester. Exams or quizzes taken late may carry a 10%
penalty.
Attendance - Regular attendance is required.
Study hint: The demands of a language study require regular attention. It is more beneficial for your understanding
and retention of the material to spread out your study-time into smaller segments throughout the week.
Class Procedure
Ideally the class will work to the following schedule. This may be altered depending on the progress and needs of
the class. Class will begin with a quiz and then time will be given to review the previous week’s assignment and
answer any questions from the previous week. The next section(s) will be introduced with exercises to illustrate
the new material. Class participation is very important.
Grading
Homework and class participation (reading) . . 20%
Quizzes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%
Mid-term Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%
Final Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30%
Late Work
Please do your best to get all work completed on time. If for some reason you have an excused absence you need to
contact the professor and make up the late work within one week. You may not make up work after one week.
Course Agenda (subject to revision)
Lesson Date
Topics for discussion
Webster Chapter
1
1-23
Qal Imperfect and Preterite: Strong Verbs
12
2
1-30
Qal Imperfect and Preterite: Weak Verbs
13
3
2-6
Qal Volitional Forms (Cohortative, Jussive, Imperative); Inf. Abs
14
4
2-13
Pronominal Suffixes on Verbs
15
5
2-20
Derived Stems
16
6
2-27
Derived Stems: Infinitives and Participles
16
3-5
No Class Spring Break
7
3-12
Midterm Vocabulary: Imperfects: Weak
8
3-19
Midterm Exam
9
3-26
Imperfects: Weak
18
10
4-2
Imperfects: Weak
19
11
4-9
A-class Imperfects: Pual, Hophal
20
12
4-16
Derived Stems: Perfects Strong, R3 Weak
21
13
4-23
Derived Stems: Perfects: Weak, Rare Stems
22
14
5-30
review
5-7
Final Exam
17
The professor reserves the right to alter the schedule including homework assignments, exams, quizzes, and
lecture topics at her discretion.
Bibliography for Hebrew
Hebrew Bible
BH Biblia Hebraica. 3rd ed. Eds. R. Kittel, et. al. Stuttgart: Privilegierte Wurttembergische Bibelanstalt, 1937.
BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Eds. K. Elliger and W. Rudoplh. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft,
1967.
Interlinear Bibles
Fisch, Harold, ed. (English text) The Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem: Koren Publishers, 1992.
Green, J. P., ed. The Interlinear Bible: Hebrew/English. 3 vols. Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1976.
Kohlenberger III, J. R. , ed. The NIV Interlinear Hebrew-English Old Testament. 4 vols. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1987.
Grammars
Chisholm, Robert B. A Workbook for Intermediate Hebrew: Grammar, Exegesis, and Commentary on Jonah and
Ruth. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2006.
Claisse-Walford, Nancy de. Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Textbook. St. Louis, Missouri: Chalice Press,
2002.
Davidson, A. B. An Introductory Hebrew Grammar with Progressive Exercises in Reading, Writing and Pointing.
26th rev. ed. By Mauchline. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1966.
Ellis, Robert Ray. Learning to Read Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Grammar. Waco, TX: Baylor University
Press, 2006.
Fuller, Russell T. & Kyoungwon Choi. Invitation to Biblical Hebrew: A Beginning Grammar. Grand Rapids:
Kregel, 2006.
Garrett, Duane A., Jason S. DeRouchie. A Modern Grammar for Biblical Hebrew. B & H Publishing Group,
2009.
Gesenius, F. W.; Kautzsch, E.; Cowley, A. E. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammer. 2nd English ed. Oxford: Clarendon,
1910, Reprinted 1983.
**This may be old but is very useful (once you figure out how to use it).
Greenburg, M. Introduction to Hebrew. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. 1965.
Jouon, P. Paul. Grammaire de l’Hebreu Biblique. 2nd ed. Institut Biblique Pontifical.
**CCU Library has an English translation of this grammar. 1947.
Kelley, Page H. Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Grammar. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1992.
Lambdin, Thomas O. Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. New York: Scribner’s, 1971.
**This grammar goes into more detail than Weingreen to explain some of the more difficult
points of grammar.
Mansoor, Menahem. Biblical Hebrew Step by Step. vol. 1, 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Book
House, 10th printing, 1991.
Pratico, G.D. & M.V. Van Pelt. Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001.
________. Basics of Biblical Hebrew; Workbook. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001.
Ross, Allen. Introducing Biblical Hebrew. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2001.
Seow, C. L. A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1990.
Webster, Brian L. The Cambridge Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Weingreen, J. A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1959.
Zvi, Ehud Ben, Maxine Hancock & Richard Beinert. Readings in Biblical Hebrew: An Intermediate Textbook.
London: Yale University Press, 1993.
Hebrew Syntax
Chisholm, Robert B. From Exegesis to Exposition: A practical Guide to Using Biblical Hebrew. Grand Rapids:
Baker Books, 1998.
Davidson, A. B. Hebrew Syntax. 3rd ed. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1985.
Driver, S. R. A Treatise on the Use of the Tenses in Hebrew. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 1892.
Fields, Lee. Hebrew for the Rest of Us. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008.
Waltke, Bruce K. and O’Conner, M. Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, IN. Eisenbrauns,
1990.
**This work is good for expanded answers to questions on grammar and syntax.
Williams, Ronald J. Hebrew Syntax: An Outline. 2nd ed. Toronto: University of Toronto, 1976.
**This user- friendly summary is very helpful and easy to read.
Lexicons
Brown, F.; Driver, S. R.; and Briggs, C. A., eds. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament with an
Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1979.
**A bit bulky to use but very useful.
Davidson, Benjamin. The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers,1990.
Halladay, William L. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971.
**Easy to use giving the forms of the verb to help identify your form.
Koehler, Ludwig, and Walter Baumgartner. The Hebrew Aramaic of the Old Testament. Brill, 1994.
Vocabularies
Landes, George M. A Student’s Vocabulary of Biblical Hebrew: Listed According to Frequency and Cognate.
New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1961.
_____________ Building Your Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary, 2001.
Mitchel, Larry A. A Student’s Vocabulary for Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.
Concordances
Evan-Shoshan, Abraham. A New Concordance of the Old Testament Using the Hebrew and Aramaic Text.
Jerusalem: Kiryat Sefer Publishing House, 1985.
Wigram, George V. The Englishman’s Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970.
Analytical Helps & Misc.
Davidson, B. The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon. 2nd ed. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1990.
Owens, J. J. Analytical Key to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1989.
**For an extensive bibliography on Hebrew, Aramaic, and other Semitic languages see the
bibliography at the end of the Waltke and O’Conner book referred to above (Introduction to
Biblical Hebrew Syntax).
Murphy, Todd J. Pocket Dictionary: For the Study of Biblical Hebrew. Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press,
2003.