Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar

I used this book and had the pleasure of being taught by Dr. Pratico at GCTS. The diagnostic system is, despite some criticisms, the best way for first year students to master basic Biblical Hebrew. The primary strength of this book (and Dr. Pratico's overall pedagogy) is to give students exactly what they need to know when they need to know it. There is virtually no information on the historical development of the language. This is perfectly suited to the first year English-speaking student, who has enough trouble making his or her way through what looks like a bunch of dots and scratches on a page. Diachronic philology, though interesting for the intermediate and advanced student, is almost completely irrelevant and off-putting to most beginners like myself. A good example of the "need to know" philosophy of the book is that the book sometimes does not present all aspects of a particular point of grammar, simply because to do so would overwhelm students. When vowels are learned, no mention is made of _why_ they are called changeable long, unchangeable long, etc.; all the student need know is which is which. The significance of that distinction is raised in subsequent chapters. Also, it could be pointed out in early chapters that many substantives (e.g. cohen) are simply participial forms. But when I learned the word for priest in chapter 4 (?) that piece of information was totally useless and would only have served to aid in my forgetting of the vocabulary word.I highly recommend Basics of Biblical Hebrew and the accompanying workbook.

I've studied several languages since high school, and this is by far the best of all the books I've used. It does an excellent job of introducing the Hebrew language at a rate that can be used in a class or as self-study. The grammar charts on the cd were handy for study and review. The flashcard program was helpful in demonstrating proper pronounciation for the vocab terms, though I wish it had included the alphabet (an audio file of whih is avaliable on the BBH website). I would suggest this to anyone with an interest in Hebrew language or culture, though I would also suggest coupling this with some modern Hebrew, as the spoken language is just as important as the written.***Personal Study Tip***Complex languages like Hebrew and Greek can be really frustrating when you spend a lot of time learning the very basics. Once you have the alphabet and vowel system down, augment your studies with sections from later in the book. While you probably do not want to make a full study of the Qal stem at the same time as nouns, being able to compose simple phrases and sentences really helps to gain a sense of the language and it makes you feel as if you've done something useful.

When I saw Basics of Biblical Hebrew sitting on the shelf at the local Christian bookstore, I jumped with tingling excitement. I was used to the classic (and reliable) Weingreen, which was not conducive to amiable learning, to say the least. I noticed that the new grammar by Pratico and Van Pelt was fashioned after the style of Mounces' Basics of Biblical Greek, and after perusing its pages, I knew this was a must have. First, the Hebrew font is very easy on the eye, and the highlighted particles and vowel changes in the verb paradigms make the differences in verbal forms easy to recognize and commit to memory. Secondly, the margins on the pages are neat and orderly, which make for friendly reading. Thirdly, the exegetical notes at the end of each chapter draw excellent applications of knowing the original languages. And this important, for not a few seminary students have wondered in frustration whether or not if "it's really worth it." But Pratico and Van Pelt have shown students of the Bible that it really is worth the effort, and they make it easier than their predecessors have. Some additional bonuses for example, are the number and size of the chapters. With thirty-six in all, students of Hebrew should be able to get through most if not all of the book within one school year, working through an average of one chapter per week. The chapters are reasonably sized and not too laborious. In addition, the table of contents sets forth the layout of the grammar simply and understandably as it goes systematically through all of the parts of speech, following through with a concise, detailed account of the different verb forms from the Qal to the Hithpael. Review sections at the end of the chapters give excellent summaries and the vocabulary lists are not too lengthy but retain an adequacy that is appropriate. With the addition of the CD-Rom and Workbook, this grammar should be the hallmark for all seminaries and Bible institutions for years to come. One point of concern my Hebrew professor explained to me after I excitedly told him about the new grammar was if it would take the student through all of the necessary components of biblical Hebrew in one year--and that he was going to have to study it further before making the switch. However, I think Basics of Biblical Hebrew does take the beginner through the necessary components of the language in a timely fashion, while encouraging and enabling the student for further studies. After showing the book to some of my fellow students, a number of them who had all but given up on Hebrew because of the rather difficult Weingreen told me they were planning on purchasing Basics of Biblical Hebrew because of its readability, exegetical notes and overall easiness on the eye. This is an excellent grammar, and I am grateful for the hard work of Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt.

In terms of vocabulary, chapters 3-35 in the grammar have vocabulary lists at the end of each chapter, containing all words (except proper names) that occur 70 times or more in the Hebrew Bible. There is also a Hebrew lexicon located in the back of the grammar containing every word used in both the grammar and corresponding workbook. The exercises are located in a separate workbook volume entitled Basics of Biblical Hebrew Workbook. The workbook alone consists of over 300 pages and provides exercises for each chapter in the grammar. The workbook is so large, in fact, that most instructors will need to limit the assignments. A full answer key to the workbook is also provided on the CD included with the grammar.