Customer Reviews

A Workbook for Intermediate Hebrew: Grammar, Exegesis, and Commentary on Jonah and Ruth

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Having learned most of my Hebrew by self-teaching (through Page Kelley's book and workbook), I set out to find a good intermediate text. Kelley was beginning to be tedious, since the last ten chapters are all about weak verbs. You start getting the picture after awhile, so I felt that I needed something to supplement or move on to afterwards. Chisholm does an excellent job of providing all the information one needs to continue your study of Hebrew alone. His introduction tells you how to use the book. He provides vocabulary for both Jonah and Ruth so that you don't need a lexicon like the BDB to use it. You also can get around without a grammar for the most part, since he has an answer key to all his questions in the back of the book. Anyone who has worked with Ancient Languages for a long time understands how many resources are often necessary to read a single text (i.e. you lay out your text, your grammar(s), your dictionary(s) and you have your computer open to google or various Bible translations). Chisolm's volume is the ultimate portable intermediate Hebrew text. In addition, Chisholm has been very meticulous in citing a multitude of grammars and syntaxes that allow students with the most-used scholarly resources to find out more about the Hebrew. For instance, I own Jouon-Muraoka's Hebrew Grammar. Chisholm's notes referenced where in J-M I could find information about the concepts that appeared in the Hebrew text.

If you want an easy, self-contained, self-explanatory, accessible, well-researched, and enjoyable sequel to beginning Hebrew or just something to help you review your rusty paradigms, I heartily recommend Chisholm.

Caveat: One thing to beware of is the fact that Chisholm may give you a false sense of facility with Hebrew because of the glossaries after each text. You will probably want to make a concerted effort to learn the vocabulary of Jonah and Ruth in addition to completing the workbook.

I used this workbook both for a Ruth and a Jonah exegesis class. It is great for self-teaching grammar, syntax, morphology, etc. It is not a commentary, but it will help you learn the text of these two books.

Answers in the back!

There are times now when I read or use a product and I think to myself, "where have you been?" My Hebrew classes (94-96) could have benefited greatly from this type of inductive study. Chisholm is a blessing not only in this volume, but in his Exegesis to Expostion as well. He requires not only basic parsing and reading of the text, but makes constant use of other grammars and reference tools. Also, he does not require you to have a massive expensive library in order to do Hebrew exegesis but gives options and "keys" his works to various reference grammars in the event that you don't wish to invest in numberous works. He is also able to critique and interact with modern translations in a way that is helpful and inciteful.
He does a fantastic job on "integrated" learning in showing the value of Hebrew beyond a rudimentary understanding of morphology. This type of tool is invaluable and I am anxious to see him complete other works. I don't always agree with his conclusions (take for instance the protoevangelium) but his observations and his methodology are invaluable.

Robert Chisholm, professor of Old Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary, has produced A Workbook for Intermediate Hebrew: Grammar, Exegesis, and Commentary on Jonah and Ruth. At 320 pages, the book is somewhat longer than the title. Designed for intermediate students or those nearing the end of first-year Hebrew, this new resource aims to transform grammar into syntax by providing direction towards developing a rough translation and outline of selected passages. Answers to all questions are provided. A useful parsing guide and glossary are also included. More briefly, Dennis Tucker has produced Jonah: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text (Baylor University Press).

This is a good way for those who have a basic knowledge of Biblical Hebrew to keep up with it and learn a few more things.