10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must have for any student of Biblical Hebrew, August 18, 2008
This review is from: Hebrew Thought Compared with Greek (Paperback)
First, I would like to state that I have yet to read every last page of this book. Much of the material is condensed, and therefore, it's taking sometime for me to go through all the details and form my opinions. However, I would like to say that I have read most of this book, and so far everything that I have read is definately thought provoking, and insightful.
It has been well established by people like Max Muller that there is a petrified philosophy within language. Each people or nation has their own unique social psyche, and this will be reflected in the language(s) of their culture. The ancient Hebrews who wrote the Old Testament were no exception to this.
Bowman attempts in this book to analyze the Hebrew psyche, and understand how the ancient Hebrews understood both time, as well as action, and how they relates to one another. He quotes from numerous scholars in the field of Biblical Hebrew, and quotes numerous examples from the Old Testament to prove his points. He also attemps to explain and demonstrate how the Hebraic mindset is completely different from our own modern-western mindset.
One of the greatest examples in his book is his analysis of time. He demonstrates that the Greeks and other European peoples view time as being something linear, where as the Hebrews appeared to view time as being cyclical. His explanation on the time concept is VERY in-depth, and thought provoking. It will provide much insight for anyone who is willing to take the time to go through the material on the subject.
Im my honest opinion, I do not see how anyone can consider theirself to be an educated student of God's word, and more specifically an educated student of Biblical languages, and not understand the concepts and material presented in this book. I highly recommend it.
PS. I noted that someone stated in another review that Bowman calls Greek thought "static" and Hebraic thought "dynamic", and that this viewpoint is simplistic in the extreme. I would like to state that Bowman does state this at the very beginning of the first chapter, but goes in-depth to prove his points through out the rest of the book. Furthermore, Bowman also stipulated that Greek though only appears to be static, harmonious, and prudent in comparison to Hebrew though, which by comparison appears to be dynamic, vigorous, passionate and explosive in kind. Furthermore, Bowman stated that he regreted using the terms "dynamic" and "static" to label Hebrew and Greek thought since these are terms commonly used in the real of physics and mechanics, but he stated he used them because of how well their meanings are engrained into our psyche and langauge. Therefore, Bowman was not trying to label Greek thought with an insultive label, but rather only explaning things from a comparitive stand point, and if you read the book you will realize that Bowman does not attempt to insult the Greek psyche, but rather feels that the Greek/European mindset forms a complementary unity with Hebraic thought.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Academic Dean, May 9, 2010
This review is from: Hebrew Thought Compared with Greek (Paperback)
Originally published more than 50 years ago, Boman's analysis remains one of the most insightful and deepest. It is mandatory reading for anyone who wishes to really understand the biblical text behind contemporary translations. Most Christians have no idea just how radically different the Hebrew worldview is when compared to our Greek-based culture, and therefore they do not appreciate the Jewishness of Jesus nor the Hebraic perspective of the prophets. Boman's work is a major step toward correcting that ignorance.
Skip Moen, D. Phil. (Oxford)
Academic Dean
Master's International Divinity School
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
19 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very applicable work, excellently done., June 10, 1999
This review is from: Hebrew Thought Compared with Greek (Paperback)
The author does an outstanding job of bringing to light many common misperceptions that can arise when interpreting the work of one culture from the framework of another. His insights are very applicable and add significant depth and understanding to ancient Hebrew literature. This is an essential book for anyone seeking to understand the context and meaning of ancient Hebrew works.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
