Customer Reviews

A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English (Hebrew Edition)

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It's a pity that this book is out of print because it is an invaluable tool for speakers of English who are studying Hebrew. The entries are arranged alphabetically in Hebrew, but the description for each entry is written in English, and the words derived from each root are included. I have found copies of the book available using out-of-print book searches, and I would recommend to anyone interested in knowing Hebrew in depth to take a few minutes to register with an out-of-print search facility to get a copy.

I cannot agree highly enough with other reviewers - this is THE dictionary for those who wish to study the Hebrew language or understand Hebrew works in depth. The awesome breadth of Dr. Klein's scholarship, mentioned by Amazon reviewers of his CEDEL - "Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language" - is also reflected here in his tracing of the words back through so many tongues. Also, while not strictly needed in a work of Hebrew etymology, the CEDHLRE entries often include forward references, showing how the Hebrew words themselves became the roots of later languages, especially English; any lover of language will be charmed.

Also helpful to the lay student is that Dr. Klein assumes no other linguistics background. Unlike other etymologies such as Jastrow, only knowledge of the Hebrew and English alphabets is assumed, and references to languages such as Persian and Egyptian are given in English transliteration.

Finally, Dr. Klein was not afraid to let his personal charm show through in his writing. Throughout there are entries that include such phrases as "generally considered ... but I believe ...." or "I disagree with those who say ...." It is clear that the CEDHLRE is a personal work, the product of one scholar's love for his field.

My one complaint about this work is its unfortunate scarcity. While the CEDEL is fairly available (including here on Amazon) the CEDHLRE has been kept in undeserved obscurity. In my first copy, I luckily found early on that a folio had been misbound so that one set of pages appeared twice and the next was missing; I was able to replace it while the bookseller still had volumes in stock. But as my second copy became worn in my years at seminary, where it was a daily reference, I began looking to replace it. Sadly, I have retired that second copy but have been unable to find a third.

If you can find a copy, I urge you to either buy it yourself, or let me know about it. :-) Thanks.

The work referred to herein is the 1987 MacMillan publication. It has 721 pages (+ xix), printed 3 columns to the page, the volume is sturdy and is smyth sewn. A fine work, physically.

The work is done by one man, and thus has a consistent flavor. The definitions are brief, usually prefaced with the gender and number of the term. The words reflect various periods of the Hebrew language: Biblical Hebrew to New Hebrew (with loan words). Though his definitions and etymologies are brief, they often put to shame much more expensive dictionaries.

Klein is an expert in this field, and this volume is VERY useful for the accurate study of Hebrew. I do wish that the basic Hebrew font could have been a little clearer, and that the other languages could have been written in their native scripts (transliterations are used). The price varies from 50 to 100 dollars, but get it if you can, at any price it is a bargain!! Gary S. Dykes

when i began studying in preparation for conversion to reform Judaism, i wanted to learn what the Hebrew words meant that i was saying in the prayers. i looked for a book of word-by-word translation, but there was none. so i started studying Hebrew and i saw references to Rabbi Klein's etymologic dictionary. i checked with b&n and found it was out of print. then i checked with the local used bookstore, and they had a copy on the shelf--(which i bought)---it took me a year to find another one by book-search. this book has been the source of 90% of the work that i have just finished after 3 years of work. since this dictionary goes to the derivation of the Hebrew word, it is more in line with the original meaning in most of the prayers and psalms. i wish it would be reprinted. the most awesome thing is Rabbi Klein himself, who had a Ph.D. from the University of Vienna, and then was put into Auschwitz. He was almost the only one of his family to survive. It helps one realize the terrible waste of knowledge and potential in the human life which was lost in the Holocaust. The connections of one word with others which Klein explains in this book make the study of Hebrew even more interesting. Pamela Coyle, M.D.

I purchased my copy of Klein's masterpiece about 15 years ago, and it has remained a true and trusty friend over the years. I view it as a standard reference which falls somewhere between Reuben Alcalay's straightforward _Complete Hebrew-English Dictionary_, and Wilhelm Gesenius's technical _Hebrew and English Lexicon_. Klein usually compares Semetic roots or terms (primarily Akkadian, Aramaic and Arabic), although he will sometimes turn to Egyptian and/or Greek. Each page is comprised of three columns of text, and the layout is very clear and easy to use with very legible type.

I purchased this book at the recommendation of Brad Scott of Wildbranch Ministries. It is an excellant book having most biblical words that one would look up. Most words also have the 3 letter root derivative and the root defined. It is a great book for those that do not know how to extract the 3 letter hebrew root from a word (like me), I use it in conjunction with the programs Dvar3, InterLinear Scripture Analyzer 2 and E-sword all freeware and the Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew by Matityahu Clark which only contains hebrew roots. Rick

Felix Klein's masterpiece of scholarship is an unmatched resource for connecting Hebrew words to each other and to sources in other languages. I have found no other dictionary, either in Hebrew or English, of comparable scope and quality. Particularly useful to me has been Klein's coverage of words with Greek origins, something that has helped me find surprising links between Hebrew and English. Hebrew-Aramaic connections have also helped improve my Aramaic. I've used Klein to lock in vocabulary found everywhere from classical rabbinic commentaries to Hebrew editions of Harry Potter. Because the dictionary is printed overseas, for years it was available new only through relatively obscure specialty sources (if you could find it at all) or as a used book for hundreds of dollars. I am glad to find it in the Amazon catalog. The book isn't cheap, but you get much more than you pay for.

This is a must-have book alongside Reuben Alcalay's dictionary and Matityahu Clark's Etymological dictionary of Biblical Hebrew. With these three dictionaries, I consider my collection of Hebrew dictionaries complete.

Whilst chugging along in Tanach, one encounters nouns and verbs that are unique to that particular section of scripture. The understanding of these words will emerge when one refers to Ernest Klein.
This book is more helpful to me than Jastrow, because I read Tanach, not Gemora. They are both, of course, wonderful reference books.

As an intermediate level student of biblical Hebrew, I am so far very pleased with this dictionary. It may seem expensive, but for the those delving into the very roots of the 'lashon kadosh', holy tongue, it will immediately find its niche in the resource library. It is rather large and not easily portable if you generally carry several books when traveling. In which case a CD or software program would be nice. I would definitely recommend this dictionary.