Elementary Biblical Hebrew: An Introduction to the Language and its History

by Chet Roden

" Elementary Biblical An Introduction to the Language and its History gives students a general overview of the language and focuses on its main characteristics. While many standard textbooks assume that students plan to study the language academically and in-depth, Elementary Biblical Hebrew avoids a heavy-handed academic approach and instead emphasizes the basics of general understanding. Students are exposed to commentaries and word studies that provide a strong linguistic foundation while introducing Biblical Hebrew's primary components. Chapters include strategies and hints for learning the language, as well as activities and exercises that allow for application. Elementary Biblical Hebrew takes an ancient language and places it in an engaging, relevant context to make it come alive. The text is enriched with charts, illustrations, and full-color photography. Elementary Biblical Hebrew is an excellent choice for courses in the language, as well as introductory or survey courses on the Old Testament. Chet Roden holds a Ph.D. in Biblical studies and the Old Testament from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Roden is now an associate professor and chair of the Department of Biblical Studies at Liberty University School of Divinity. His writing has appeared in the Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin , the Midwestern Journal of Theology , and the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society . In 2015 and 2016, Dr. Roden participated in archaeological field work, excavating water systems and exploring Iron Age gates and fortifications systems, at the Tel Gezer archaeological site in Israel."

102 pages, Paperback

Published July 15, 2016

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the simplest introduction to biblical Hebrew of which I am aware. It's used by the author and other professors at Liberty University to teach a "Tools" based approach to learning biblical Hebrew over 8 weeks, which is meant to be far simpler than what is taught in more traditional Hebrew courses. Of course, this also means that students learn much less.

Describing the book, Roden writes in the preface, "It is not designed to be an ultimate, end-all Hebrew textbook. In my correspondence to students, I explain this book is a 'beginners’ level,' 'baby-step-by-baby-step' approach to the language. The ultimate goal is that the readers will be able to complete a simple Hebrew word study to use in their presentations at church or similar venues." (v) A big goal of the book is "to help students move beyond their fear of biblical Hebrew." (vi)

Any Christian who wants to learn the basics of what Hebrew is and how it works could profit from this book. Those preparing for pastoral ministry should get more advanced training in biblical Hebrew than this textbook can offer.

[Johnathan Nazarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book appears easy at first, judging by its size (98 pages). However, it is fairly heavy if you want to actually learn its contents. After reading this book as the sole book for my Elementary Biblical Hebrew class, I feel that it was written in such a way to truly grasp the main concepts of the Hebrew language. Roden breaks down the language in such a way that each chapter builds upon the last. I can't say that I enjoyed this book, as Hebrew has proven to be the most challenging language I have attempted to learn. I can, however, say that I am thankful this book was written, as I can imagine much more complicated books that I could have been required to read in its place. I give five stars for its clarity and simplicity (if you can use that word when talking about Biblical Hebrew).

[Daniel Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for beginners with Biblical Hebrew!