5 comments about The Vocabulary Guide to Biblical Hebrew.

1. This is a great book and a welcome addition for my library of Biblical Hebrew study aids. It will be beneficial to students (and teachers) of Biblical Hebrew at almost any level of proficiency.
   
   The authors provide plenty of lists and ways to organize words to allow for multiple focused approaches to building up Biblical Hebrew vocabulary -- for example a frequency based word list for words appearing at least 10 times, a word list arranged by a common root, lists of nouns, lists of verbs (all verbs alphabetically and arranged by a verb type and stem...), statistical distributions of occurrences, etc..
   
   Although I do wish it had even more list, such as a list of all hapax words for each section of the Tanakh for example, I do realize that it is beyond the scope of this book as intended by the authors. I highly recommend this book.



2. What a great resource. This great tool is a Hebrew Bible word list in various forms. It is the book that gives me fits because there's always a vocabulary quiz coming out of it every day for class.



3. Any student of biblical Hebrew knows that one of the most important tasks in mastering the language is mastery of vocabulary. This volume is a helpful guide in trying to do just that. The authors provide two ways of learning the vocabulary: by frequency and by similar roots. Both arrangements certainly make it easier to tackle the sheer number of words one must learn to master the Hebrew OT. While nothing can replace regular study and interaction with the Hebrew text, this volume is sure to be a dependable guide in that process. Much smaller than any standard Hebrew lexicon, it is much more accessible than, say, BDB and the aforementioned layout makes location of words very easy. I highly recommend this volume.



4. Unlike other Hebrew dictionaries such as BDB(Brown Driver Briggs or Koehler and Baumgartner, which are arranged according to word roots(BDB) or according to how the words appear in the Bible(Koehler), this one has several separate lists, each one arranged differently, such as by frequency, common root, identical looking words that have different meanings, by part of speech, and others. It also has an index of Hebrew Words in the back to help locate Hebrew words faster. Serves as a good go-between when trying to locate things in other Hebrew reference books. very practical!



5. I found this book to be exactly what I wanted. Studying Hebrew, I can know all the consonants, vowel marks, cantillation marks, structure, and so on. But if I don't know the vocabulary, I still can't read scripture. This book gives me the most frequently used vocabulary, so I can study, drill, practice those, and be that much quicker to being able to read on my own. Without knowing the vocabulary, Hebrew is just a lot of pretty squiggles. With the index in back, it also doubles as a quick lexicon. I recommend it for anyone beginning their study of Hebrew.

5 comments about The New Bantam-Megiddo Hebrew & English Dictionary.

1. I bought this book because of the high praises from other reviewers. I have never had any Hebrew lessons and I am homeschooling my child in Hebrew. I needed a good strong dictionary so, we can work on vocabulary and understand what we are reading. I wear glasses and the font was way too small. Sometimes, the font is so tiny that it looks smudgey. This makes it hard to distinguish between a gimel and a nun. Believe me, I know the difference. It did not have some basic words that I was looking for either. To me, (in my personal opinion), I found it very confusing trying to look up the word in Hebrew to figure it out in English. There was no visible pattern. For example, I was looking for a word that began with a chet. I found that easy enough. However, when you look for the vowels as the letter that follows the consonant, it seems so complicated. It does not seem to go in order at that point. Perhaps, I just have to try to figure it out. Then again, I might just opt for a more practical dictionary for me especially with a bigger font!



2. i liked how it was organized, and is good for a quick reference. maybe not for traveling around israel, but a great homework help!



3. The Hebrew letters are very small, fuzzy, smudgy, and painful to read. The difference between a gimel and a nun can be impossible to see, chaf and bet confused, even heh and hhet are hard to pick apart. I need a huge magnifier and a good deal of luck to get a result. It's a shame because the dictionary contains a large number of words. Keep looking and skip this one. It will become plant food at my house once I find a replacement.



4. I used this book when I was a beginner and I recently bought a new copy because the old one fell apart after a few years of carrying it around. The book is a bit flimsy, made of newsprint so the pages can rip easily and the cover and spine start to weaken after a while. But I can't complain about that too much because the price is quite low.
   
   I never had any problems with the print quality. I just flipped through it now and I could see the difference between nun's and gimel's with no trouble.
   
   Sometimes the word I try to look up isn't in the dictionary. That's frustrating, but pocket dictionaries are always limited in scope. Any serious student should have a heavy duty hardcover dictionary to refer to whenever the pocket dictionary fails.
   
   A dictionary with example sentences is always much more useful than one without, and this dictionary doesn't have any. That is a shortcoming. A good one with example sentences is the Oxford English-Hebrew/Hebrew-English dictionary (available in both hardcover and paperback).
   
   This one dictionary is probably not enough for studying Hebrew, but for a cheap pocket dictionary it does the trick. I always carried this cheap one around with me and left my hardcover treasures at home.



5. I am a native speaker in both Hebrew and English so my usage of the dictionary may be biased towards the less frequent words. That said, I cannot recall a single instance when I looked up a word in this dictionary and found a proper translation. In those few cases where a translation was available (and those were few indeed) it was terse and incoherent. This dictionary is completely useless to anyone beyond a total novice and even a beginner may want more comprehensive translations than what is begin offered.
   There are much better dictionaries on the market and there is no reason to waste money on this one.

5 comments about A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew.

1. Seow's progression through the basics of Hebrew grammar is recognized in many seminaries and universities. Sometimes his definitions and explanations of certain Hebrew phenomena are oversimplified, but all in all this is a great tool for the beginner. It's compact, hardbound, and easy to follow. The basic edition lacks an answer key, so one should be hesitant to utilize this book outside a classroom setting or for independent study. The only problems with the book are it's lack of exhaustive index at the rear, it's inability to teach the student to think from English to Hebrew, and some of its Hebrew spellings are incorrect (as pointed out by a former instructor). All in all, I recommend it.



2. From what I understand Seow's quite the expert, and finds flashcards fun. While I find languages interesting and fascinating, they are still rather difficult for me, and this book didn't help that very much. There are very few typos, and he has plenty of examples, but he didn't use very clear language in explaning how the language works, my professor had to translate from Seow to student so that we could translate Hebrew!
   
   While I'm sure this would/will make an excellent review book, I do not reccommend it for beginners. I also second the earlier comments about how he explains each minute detail of an aspect (and every exception of that detail, no matter how rare) of the language before moving on to the next aspect, which allowed me to forget things much easier: I've worked steadily at Hebrew for almost two years now, and still only remember most of the basic grammar with the help of a flashcard of the binyanim and constant review. My Greek, on the other hand, while I've studied it for half the time, is much better.



3. While no one grammar is perfect, this one is fatally flawed by not having a Hebrew to English glossary. Had I known this, I would have purchased the first edition instead, which does have one. I also don't like having to use a separate Hebrew text (plus a dictionary) to do the exercises, which means you cannot use this grammar on the go. The explanations are not clear, and Seow gives you too many vocabulary words and not enough easy excercises to reenforce them.
   The pros are that you do read a lot of the Hebrew Bible and you are more prepared to move on to real reading, but even so, I think a much better choice is Weingreen's "A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew." At the very least, though, get Seow's first edition because trying to use a grammar without a Hebrew to English glossary is a nightmare. I don't know what Seow was thinking in leaving one out. I really regret buying this book.



4. With a good understanding of English grammer, I am reading and understanding Hebrew.
   This book is a well organized learning tool.



5. Yery good for new students, as well as one how wants to review. You can get iVocab Cd for the Vocabs and also a review handbook answers for the exercises

5 comments about Hebrew in 10 Minutes a Day® (10 Minutes a Day).

1. Its a great product, although I would have liked to include cursive hebrew. There are a few times when it tests you, although its mostly just practice. So far anyways, I'm about a 1/4 the way through.



2. The book is great. It is helping me to learn the language in a fun manner and it is relatively simple to understand.



3. I really enjoyed working my way through this book. It was a lot of fun, and a good start for someone familiar with the Hebrew Aleph-Bet ( say from Hebrew school ), but otherwise starting from the beginning...especially if planning a trip to Israel! Only serves as an introduction in terms of verbs.



4. The Kershul method of learning is a great way to learn a new language. I took this method of language learning to help me learn Russian well over twenty years ago and I still remember much of the course curriculum. I would recommend this method of learning as a supplement to actual immersion training for everyone.



5. I own several books on learning Hebrew - and I didn't find this one very helpful (read: waste of money). If you want to really learn the language well and quickly, try ALEPH ISN'T TOUGH, by Linda Motzkin. It is in workbook format, will teach you how to write cursive AND script, and uses biblical phrases to teach the language. The book also offers and excellent chart on all of the letters (both cursive and script), as well as vowels - well worth keeping long after you complete the book for later reference. This book is a great primer, preparing the student to move on to studying either biblical OR contemporary Hebrew. It allowed me to skip a first level Hebrew class and go straight into level 2. Strongly recommended.

5 comments about Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.

1. The title says the dictionary is "Complete," and the cover blurbs call it "Vine's for the 21st Century," and say that compared to Vine's, Mounce's work is "More accurate," "More user-friendly," has "More up-to-date definitions" and a "More complete numbering system."
   
   Undoubtedly these things are all true. It also features, in my opinion, a more readable layout, more contemporary and reader-friendly wording, and the fact that OT and NT words are not divided into entirely separate sections of the book is logical and convenient.
   
   Finally, the inclusion of concise, "Strong's-like" lexicons at the end of the book is a nice touch.
   
   The complaints:
   
   Despite its claims of being "complete," it is most certainly not so. Only when closely examining the Introduction does one understand the curious inability to locate certain words: "It includes all Greek words occurring TEN times or more, all Hebrew words occurring FIFTY times or more, and other words occurring less if they are exegetically or theologically significant." (Emphasis added by reviewer.)
   
   This makes sense if and only if concision is the overriding goal. After a bit of consideration, it is easy to realize that it is often those words LEAST used that are MOST in need of careful definition and exposition. This is a significant drawback, and in my opinion makes the title of the book misleading if not outrightly untruthful.
   
   Involved in a debate about the Biblical teaching about homosexuality? Sorry, except for the very brief entry in the Strong's-type lexicon in the back of the book, you won't find any mention of "arsenokoites" in this tome.
   
   In contrast to Vine, Mounce also seems to provide "exposition" that avoids some of the ongoing controversies in Christianity.
   
   Trying to suss out whether Heaven and Hell really are "everlasting" or merely "age-long" as various "eonian" proponents claim? Vine frames parts of his definitions in such a way that they seem intended to directly address claims posited by some eonians and Universalists; Mounce's definitions are clear and adequate, but less "direct" in terms of addressing controversies.



2. Late to arrive was Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Zondervan, though copyrighted 2006). This is very similar to a recently produced (2005), Vine-replacement dictionary from Hendrickson, Stephen Renn, ed., Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Word Studies for Key English Bible Words Based on the Hebrew And Greek Texts. Both dictionaries do different things. For instance, Mounce has a Hebrew-English and Greek-English Dictionary in the back that gives a more substantive definition (with scriptural references) than Renn, who simply indexes each Strong's entry (original language) with its English counterpart. Thus, words not covered in Vine's (Renn) get some coverage in Mounce.
   
   In the body proper, however, Renn is more substantive: first, in that many entries have an "Additional notes" section that describes the transition of word meaning from the OT to the NT; second, Renn is more comprehensive in words covered. For instance, under "Sacrifice," the noun ḥag is also covered under OT words (though its primary referent is "feast"), while the adjective eidôlothyton is covered under NT words. However, Mounce has the advantage of deriving from the NIV rather than KJV. Sometimes this advantage becomes apparent, as when one reviewer of Renn decries a lack of entry for apostasia when, in fact, it could be found under "Forsake" when checking the index. However, in Mounce, apostasia (2x) is only found in the Greek-English dictionary in the back.



3. Mounce's Dictionary is by far the best on the market for evangelical scholars. Mounce does an excellent job of defining sords from the Old and New Testaments. This is a must have for any college, university, or seminary student, as well as all ministers!



4. Mounce's work is an excellent update and modernization of an expository. "Vine's for the 21 century" accurately describes this work, which clearly shows the use of each word in its different contexts. This is most helpful as authors use words are used differently over time. I highly recommend this book for anyone wishing to plumb the depth of the Bible.



5. I found an obvious error after spending only ten minutes with it.
   On page 754 under the heading "UNBELIEVING, UNBELIEVER" 24 lines down it misquotes the Bible as saying, "speaking in tongues is a sign, not for unbelievers, but for believers (1 Cor. 14:22-24)". Of course, the correct quote should have been the exact opposite, "speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers".
   
   I think such carelessness puts the integrity of the entire book in question.

4 comments about Answer Book for The First Hebrew Primer.

1. This is a great Hebrew learning tool to use in a class or alone. Be sure to get the companion if you do it alone so you have the answers. It is taught well and easy to understand and grasp. I had a heart to learn this language and have enjoyed this study very much.



2. "The First Hebrew Primer" textbook is easy to understand and easily facilitates learning biblical Hebrew, but, unless you are a savant, you MUST have the "Answer Book for The First Hebrew Primer" to know if you have a clear understanding of what is being taught. The Answer Book has been an invaluable tool in providing the correct translations, spellings, and grammatical solutions to the hundreds of chapter exercise challenges.



3. I used the First Hebrew Primer up to chapter 10 without this aid and, after I ordered it found that I really needed it sense chapter 4. It just gives the proper answers to the exercises but if you are studying at home without the group you do need to know if you are on track.



4. I had gone through the Hebrew Primer Years ago and doing so again and being able to compare my answers has been very good.

3 comments about Brandeis Modern Hebrew.

1. This is terrible. As previously noted, the book will fall to pieces within a month, so it doesn't even matter much if your copy is one of many which were printed with the spine on the left, as at least one batch has been. The vocabulary in the text is sometimes repeated at the chapter summaries, sometimes absent. The book contains a Hebrew-English glossary that contains about 70% of the vocabulary used, and there is no English-Hebrew glossary. Grammer rules are explained poorly, and there are virtually no redeeming characteristics that warrent a "real" edition. This textbook is wracked with typographical and conceptual errors, and the "pilot" edition should be a testament to its failure.



2. This book provides a step by step guide for learning Hebrew in a fun way. It is extremely well designed and planned, and was clearly written by someone who is an expert in foreign language instruction, and who also knows how to get learners excited about modern Hebrew. I recommend this book to anybody who wants to learn or teach Hebrew without any reservation. But it! You will learn a lot and fun discovering Israeli culture and Judaism too.



3. Perhaps this book is worthwhile if used in conjuction with a formal class, but if you're trying to learn Hebrew on your own, it is endlessly frustrating. It introduces words into reading exercises (for which there are no translations) that have either not been previsously defined or defined once 20 pages earlier. Time is wasted looking up words in the glossary in the back of the book. Moreover, vowels are not used after a word is introduced but before the word is truly learned. This gets particularly tricky when trying when a word is used in a differennt form, particularly with verbs.

5 comments about Aleph Isn't Tough: An Introduction to Hebrew for Adults, Book 1.

1. I found this book to be very clear, with useful exercises in reading and writing Hebrew. The letters are not taught in alphabetic order, but rather in logical groupings that are often used together in words. The vowels are added one or two at a time, and though I felt challenged, I was not overwhelmed. I found it fun, and even reading right to left seemed natural as I became familiar with how the consonants and vowels related to each other.

   Besides teaching the sounds of the letters, there are sections on Hebrew word roots, which I found immensely helpful in understanding some of the thinking and spirit in the language. I felt as if I'd been given a key into a whole new way of thinking. For example, there are names of G-d that relate to certain root words in ways that are surprising and wonderful, and there are foods we eat on High Holidays because they are a "pun" on another word that is a spiritual quality we ask for in the new year. The extra dimension this book adds beyond mere pronunciation is its real gift.

   I recommend this book to adults with an interest in exploring Hebrew. After just a month, I was able to read (slowly) from the prayer book, and find myself asking questions that I would not have thought of had I only known the English translation.




2. I purchased this book because it was the required text for my class. We use it as an adjunct to other materials. As a stand alone text, I might not be as happy with it. But along with class discussions and other materials it's been a great tool for learning. If you know NOTHING about Hebrew, this is perhaps not the best book to pick for your first primer. However, for our purposes, it's been great.



3. This is a pretty good book for an introductory Hebrew class. It provides a mixture of basic Hebrew and siddur Hebrew, introducing many word roots used in the prayer book. This satisfies the requirements of the average Hebraically functionally illiterate American Jew who has only a marginal interest in actually mastering Hebrew, but would like to be able to pronounce and "follow along" during Sabbath prayer services. Definitely not the only book one would need to know Hebrew. No grammar or linguistic niceties, simply a book to help you have some ability to know where you are in the prayer book. I am not sure I would recommend this as a beginning book for someone who is serious about learning Hebrew. It is more of a thing unto itself, not necessarily providing a grounding for further study.



4. If like me you are wanting to teach yourself Hebrew this book is an excellent resource for doing so. As one other reviewer rightly commented it breaks the Hebrew alphabet down into smaller portions and thus makes it easier to memorize. Anoither plus is that writing of the letters is taught along with their pronounciation. One of the best things was the help in pronouncing the letters correctly. The information on roots made the learning of Biblical Hebrew a much less daunting prospect for me. Of all the Hebrew teaching tools I've come across so far, this one is my favorite.



5. I wholeheartedly endorse this book!!! It is in workbook format, will teach you how to write cursive AND script, and uses biblical phrases to teach the language. The book also offers and excellent chart on all of the letters (both cursive and script), as well as vowels - well worth keeping long after you complete the book for later reference. This book is a great primer, preparing the student to move on to studying either biblical OR contemporary Hebrew. It allowed me to skip a first level Hebrew class and go straight into level 2. Strongly recommended.

5 comments about Oxford Dictionary: English-Hebrew/Hebrew-English.

1. This dictionary has been great so far. It is very helpful to have vowels with the block print to know how the words are pronounced. It also includes many idioms and phrases that can be quite helpful for conversational purposes. There have been several instances, however, when I haven't been able to find a word. But that is my only complaint. Overall, it is very well organized and adequate to help develop a working knowledge of modern Hebrew.



2. I am an English speaker and have used the Oxford EN/HE dictionary extensively in both "directions" over the years. I have found it extremely useful. It holds a very comprehensive collection of words and expressions, covering all areas of modern Hebrew from the elevated language found in Ha'Aretz and Amos Oz to the everyday language heard on the street. All Hebrew is written with nikud (vowels), which is essential for correct pronunciation. Synonyms are usually given to distinguish among multiple translations. Phrases are listed under their key words, making them easy to find. Finally, Hebrew words are listed under all their currently used spellings (usually, with & without the extra vavs and yuds given to replace vowels).
   
   This dictionary looks even better in comparison with its absolutely pitiful competition. Every other dictionary I have seen in this size has been severely lacking.



3. I received the correct item in excellent time; however, although it was packaged well, the book corners were crimped and bent and the spine of the book was coming unglued making this a book that will fall apart with very little use.



4. A good dictionary, But only if you are hebrew speaking this is not for beginners in the hebrew language. But good if you know how to read and speak hebrew.



5. I would have liked a larger font and, it would be great also, if the dictionary gave the gender of all nouns. Otherwise, this is a functional reference.

5 comments about Old Testament Hebrew Vocabulary Cards (Zondervan Vocabulary Builder Series, The).

1. Just got them today! And I realize how desperately I needed a memory study tool like this. Perfect.



2. These were purchases for a friend. He was thrilled to receive them and has said they are very valuable.



3. These cards are well printed, with clear Hebrew fonts. The cues to various [Christian Hebrew] textbooks may be useful; the OT wordcount cues are definitely helpful. Two problems limit the usefulness:
   lack of an index sheet for those of use who need to find cards out of the order they were numbered in, and the cards 'flip' sideways rather than over.
   They outshine the Vis-ed series because the Hebrew font is more readable, and the order is more practical for students who use a modern textbook. If you need and will use vocab cards, these are the ones to buy.



4. I just purchased the other set because I am uncomfortable learning the meaning of Biblical Hebrew from Christians. We just don't intrepret things the same way.
   The number of stars reflects being forced to pick one, as I haven't seen them this should be blank.



5. I haven't really started using these yet. I am hopeing to get the textbook and workbook to go with it.