Of Greek and Hebrew, Hebrew strikes the most fear in the heart of the Bible student. The alphabet does not look anything like English. The vocabulary offers almost no points of contact with English. The verb system is utterly alien. And the lexicons, grammars and textbooks are wrapped up in a metalanguage--spiked with Latin--that is daunting in itself. For those who feel that studying the English Old Testament is a challenge, the thought of reading it in Hebrew is extreme. Hebrew students need all the help they can get. If you are beginning your study of Hebrew and the Hebrew Bible, this pocket dictionary by Todd J. Murphy is for you. From ablative to zaqeph qaton, it defines the tangled terms that infest Hebrew textbooks, grammars and lexicons. Here is a book that will deliver you from the perils of the Piel and the thicket of metathesis. It is an indispensable glossary that will cut through that technical language--neither Hebrew nor English--that hovers like ground fog over the study and discussion of biblical Hebrew. Now you can devote more time to enjoying biblical Hebrew in all its richness.
My pilgrimage into biblical studies was not planned. When I went to college, I originally intended to study business. But it was my Bible classes that captivated me. I guess this was understandable since I had always loved history. One class that was a watershed for me was my Old Testament Survey class. The professor (Ron Gesie) was a Hebrew Bible Scolar and had a profound influence on my life. This caused me to not only do a semester in Israel studying Archaeology and Geography of the Holy land, but I also decided to pursue Hebrew Bible studies after college. At his recommendation I applied to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where I studied Old Testament and Semitic languages (M.A.). The first drafts of the Pocket Dictionary for the Study of Biblical Hebrew were started there. It was a very practical endeavor. Students of Hebrew and Semitics are often overwhelmed by the "metalanguage" (the language to describe language). So I walked into one of my professors' offices one day and asked him if any such comprehensive glossary existed? He laughed as if this is one of the great omissions in the list of standard reference works and said, "No, but if you come up with one, I can grantee you will get it published." Thus was the genesis of the Pocket dictionary. And here is a fun tidbit: I use my own dictionary all time. The discipline is so overloaded with terms (grammarians love making up new terms... gives them a sense of purpose I guess!) that nobody can keep them all straight. I have a running joke with myself that when I pick up my dictionary to clear up something foggy, I often say, "lets see what Mr. Murphy has to say on this topic!" Some of my other academic passions are OT Law, Historic Theology, and research on the Didache.
Aside from my academic interests, I have a very practical and pastoral side. I love the Church and the process of making disciples. I am now serving as the founding pastor of Sacred Journey Church (CRC) in Providence Rhode Island. Probably my greatest passion is the proclamation of the Word of God, and as you might imagine, I take particular joy in preaching from the Old Testament. All my sermons can be found on both our website (http://sjchurch.org/) and iTunes by searching "Sacred Journey." I am also an avid blogger and post an average of two substantial posts a week on theological, devotional, and practical topics.
