Many of you may be familiar with this resource, but I know some people are still unaware of it, so I am posting about it again (and will add it to my Hebrew Resources page). Charles Grebe, (Briercrest Seminary, Saskatchewan, Canada) has created an “animated” comic of the book of Jonah. The book of Jonah is often taught in first year Biblical Hebrew classes, so this is an especially relevant resource.
My recent Boulders2Bits contest asked readers to submit suggestions for vocabulary resources. Here’s the second (of two) posts giving an annotated list of the suggestions (Part One can be found here). I’m apologizing up front for all the screen captures. I know it makes the post look cluttered, but I think it helps to visualize the programs.
My recent Boulders2Bits contest asked readers to submit suggestions for vocabulary resources. Here’s the first (of two) posts giving an annotated list of the suggestions.
I have used this program in conjunction with Landes: Building Your Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary Learning Words by Frequency and Cognate: http://home.earthlink.net/~vikn/hebrew.htm These two resources work well together.
Here’s my entry: http://home.earthlink.net/~vikn/hebrew.htm
It does Hebrew and Greek, has options for flashcards, multiple-choice, fill in the blank, or a combo of those. And the kicker? Totally free!
I like this resource and will continue to use it. It has a very easy user interface, well organized word lists (for beginner through advanced based on word category and frequency), and a variety of tools (drill, flashcards, quiz).
Continue reading
Fred Putnam (who is currently on faculty at Philadelphia Biblical University) is one of the most energetic teachers I have ever known. I think he maintains his slender physique by the vast amount of energy exerted from his very animated (literally) teaching style. He obviously loves what he studies and teaches and that enthusiasm leaps out of him. He is also quite generous with sharing his work. Check his website www.fredputnam.org for some very beneficial resources.
For Hebrew, he has made available PDF chapters of the Hebrew textbook he has written. He also has study notes for the books of Jonah and Ruth.
Other categories of material on his site include:
* Translation & Interpretation
* Biblical Theology
* Publications
* Biblical Studies
* Fiction and Poetry
Fred is one of the most well-read people I know. His musings on literature always inspire me to add yet another book to my reading list. Oh, and he loves to play with Ankerstein blocks. What more could you ask for?
Need something to keep the ol’ Hebrew grammar exciting?
Show this animation: Shewa Fight by Chris Huff!
Note: I could not embed his flash video.
The links lead to his website, just click the “play” button there.
The objective of the video is to show (dramatically) that when two shewas are found at the beginning of a word, the first shewa becomes a hireq.
Just about now, Hebrew students start to complain that Hebrew is so hard. The vocalizations in real text don’t match up with what they memorized on their vocabulary cards. Hebrew just doesn’t “behave” right. So, I give them a little context. I tell them, “If you think Hebrew is hard… try ENGLISH!!”
When they complain about difficulty in pronouncing Hebrew correctly because “the words aren’t following the rules,” I write this on the board:
Cough; Through; Bough; Though; Rough; Bought
(now, think how a non-native English speaker looks at this!)
Then I give them this list:
21 Reasons why the English language is so hard to learn
(I really don’t know the originator of this list, but if you do, please let me know!)
1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
2. The farm was used to produce produce.
3. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4. We must polish the Polish furniture.
5. He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10. I did not object to the object.
11. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13. They were too close to the door to close it.
14. The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18. After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
Disclaimer: Except for the links to the free online GKC, the rest of this post assumes you own a Mac (don’t you?) and you are using Accordance.
Indeed, why bother? Isn’t it an old book in the public domain? Isn’t GKC available online?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I think it is wonderful to be able to access Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar for free online instead of having to buy a hard copy. You can read it in German here (online, or download as a PDF). You can access it in English here.
So, why pay Accordance for the GKC module (currently on sale until Oct 11th for $55)?
Quite simply, these features (as described on the Accordance website):
- quick lookup via the familiar section-letter reference scheme (e.g. 75h), and additionally permits searches for scripture references, Hebrew and Greek content, and even transliteration,
- useful typographical features: the type size distinction between primary and secondary discussion has been preserved, scripture references have been reformatted (e.g. Ec I17 becomes Ec 1:17), and the occasional Arabic or Syriac script citations have been transliterated,
- scans of numerous passages whose accuracy depends on exact reproduction of the typeset page: for example, occurrences of Babylonian punctuation (the footnote to § 8g), the table of vowel classes (§ 9t), and the verbal paradigms (AQ),
- the useful Table of Alphabets script chart and facsimile of the Siloam Inscription, carefully scanned,
- the Index of Subjects, with corrections, and
- support for highlighting
To start with, the Accordance version is magnificently readable. It is not just a page scan (like the online versions).
You can easily copy and paste information for quotes.
But for me, the most useful aspect is being able to (accurately and completely) search for English Titles, Hebrew Titles, English Content, Scripture, Hebrew Content, Greek Content or Transliteration. The online English version does allow some limited English word search capability (Hebrew does not work), but nothing like what can be done within Accordance.
Also, by hovering over the Accordance GKC module hyperlinks, the linked material can be displayed in the Instant Details window. So, you don’t need to navigate to another section in the book or to another text in order to read a section reference or a scripture example.
Finally, as with all my Accordance modules, I have my library with me wherever I go (even when I am not online). I love books (I have too many of them), but digital reference tools like the GKC Module in Accordance are prime examples of technology put to very good use.
For students translating (or studying) Amos who may not have access to programs like BibleWorks, Accordance, or Logos, Tim Bulkeley has made available a nice (free) online resource (he also has a blog).
In his own words:
I teach Old Testament/Hebrew Bible at the University of Auckland and at Carey Baptist College, I prepared the Amos commentary and the associated Bible Dictionary material, as a prototype of a much more ambitious project to eventually produce a multi-author commentary/dictionary that covers the whole Bible.
You can check it out here. If you like it, but prefer to access the material offline, you can order a CD with the same material.
The text is viewable in English or Hebrew. If you click on a Hebrew word, you can read some lexical info in one of the boxes. A nice feature is that you can also hear each verse in English or Hebrew.
Jim also has some notes on Ruth and Jonah (which I have not had the time to look through yet).
It’s about that time in the semester for new Hebrew students to begin to encounter pronouns. So, we’ll post this oft-repeated (but worthy) tribute to confused Hebrew students everywhere.
Abbott & Costello Learn Hebrew
Aka “Who’s On First“…
© Rabbi Jack Moline
ABBOTT: I see you’re here for your Hebrew lesson.
COSTELLO: I’m ready to learn.
A: Now, the first thing you must understand is that Hebrew and English have many words which sound alike, but they do not mean the same thing.
C: Sure, I understand.
A: Now, don’t be too quick to say that.
C: How stupid do you think I am – don’t answer that. It’s simple – some words in Hebrew sound like words in English, but they don’t mean the same.
A: Precisely.
C: We have that word in English, too. What does it mean in Hebrew?
A: No, no. Precisely is an English word.
C: I didn’t come here to learn English, I came to learn Hebrew. So make with the Hebrew.
A: Fine. Let’s start with mee.
C: You.
A: No, mee.
C: Fine, we’ll start with you.
A: No, we’ll start with mee.
C: Okay, have it your way.
A: Now, mee is who.
C: You is Abbott.
A: No, no, no. Mee is who.
C: You is Abbott.
A: You don’t understand.
C: I don’t understand? Did you just say me is who?
A: Yes I did. Mee is who.
C: You is Abbott.
A: No, you misunderstand what I am saying. Tell me about mee.
C: Well, you’re a nice enough guy.
A: No, no. Tell me about mee!
C: Who?
A: Precisely.
C: Precisely what?
A: Precisely who.
C: It’s precisely whom!
A: No, mee is who.
C: Don’t start that again – go on to something else.
A: All right. Hu is he.
C: Who is he?
A: Yes.
C: I don’t know. Who is he?
A: Sure you do. You just said it.
C: I just said what?
A: Hu is he.
C: Who is he?
A: Precisely.
C: Again with the precisely! Precisely who?
A: No, precisely he.
C: Precisely he? Who is he?
A: Precisely!
C: And what about me?
A: Who.
C: me, me, me!
A: Who, who, who!
C: What are you, an owl? Me! Who is me?
A: No, hu is he!
C: I don’t know, maybe he is me!
A: No, hee is she!
C: (STARE AT ABBOTT) Do his parents know about this?
A: About what?
C: About her!
A: What about her?
C: That she is he!
A: No, you’ve got it wrong – hee is she!
C: Then who is he?
A: Precisely!
C: Who?
A: He!
C: Me?
A: Who!
C: He?
A: She!
C: Who is she?
A: No, hu is he.
C: I don’t care who is he, I want to know who is she?
A: No, that’s not right.
C: How can it not be right? I said it. I was standing here when I said it, and I know me.
A: Who.
C: Who?
A: Precisely!
C: Me! Me is that he you are talking about! He is me!
A: No, hee is she!
C: Wait a Minute, wait a minute! I’m trying to learn a little Hebrew, and now I can’t even speak English. Let me review.
A: Go ahead.
C: Now first You want to know me is who.
A: Correct.
C: And then you say who is he.
A: Absolutely.
C: And then you tell me he is she.
A & C: Precisely!
C: Now look at this logically. If me is who, and who is he, and he is she, don’t it stand to reason that me is she?
A: Who?
C: She!
A: That is he!
C: Who is he?
A & C: Precisely!
C: I have just about had it. You have me confused I want to go home. You know what I want? Ma!
A: What.
C: I said Ma.
A: What.
C: What are you, deaf? I want Ma!
A: What!
C: Not what, who!
A: He!
C: Not he! Ma is not he!
A: Of course not! Hu is he!
C: I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t care. I don’t care who is he, he is she, me is who, ma is what. I just want to go home now and play with my dog.
A: Fish.
C: Fish?
A: Dag is fish.
C: That’s all, I’m outa here.
UPDATE: We have a winner, Ken Brown. Congratulations!
I’m inspired by some fellow bloggers to get a contest going on this blog (and no, Ros, I haven’t forgotten that you won the prize for posting the first comment on the “new” blog. I’ve got your surprise ready for SBL). I’ve had several people comment or contact me about the Hebrew letter magnets for the ‘fridge. So, I’ve decided that I will offer one set of these magnets as a prize. Since this is the first time I’ve done this, I’ll run the contest for 2 weeks (ending October 10th).
