In our recent YouTube Live session, we delved into the fascinating world of Biblical Hebrew, focusing on two unique types of nouns: segolate and geminate nouns. These concepts are crucial for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of Hebrew grammar.

Segolate Nouns

Segolate nouns are a distinctive category in Biblical Hebrew. They typically have a two-syllable structure with the accent on the first syllable. The name “segolate” comes from the Hebrew word “segol,” which is a vowel sound represented by three dots arranged in a triangle (ֶ). These nouns often undergo vowel changes when they are inflected, making them an interesting study for linguists and language enthusiasts alike.

Geminate Nouns

Geminate nouns, on the other hand, are characterized by having two identical consonants in succession. This doubling of consonants can affect the pronunciation and inflection of the noun. Understanding geminate nouns is essential for proper pronunciation and comprehension of Biblical texts.

Continue reading “Seow — Session 7” →

You heard me, I hated it.

I’m not a visual person. So it’s no wonder that I hated the charts, the comics, the pictures, the diagrams (which thy used to explain linguistic phenomena). It was a different book – a book so different that it rattled me tot my core.

Ok, so that’s a bit of an exaggeration.

Way back in the dark ages (2007, to be precise), I started seminary. Of course, Hebrew was my favorite, so the Hebrew program was what I wanted to experience the most!  It wasn’t long before I was tutoring and leading the reading groups for the young’uns, as we down south are wont to call them.

Like every other grammar I had ever used, Seow’s starting point was the traditional grammar-translation method; that is, one is expected to learn Hebrew by – you guessed it – learning the grammar and doing the subsequent exercises. Of course, there are no “reading” exercises in Seow’s grammar – or Lambdin’s.  At least not that many, and not beyond the first few lessons.

Continue reading “A Traditional Grammarian’s Take On Second-Language Aquisition (SLA) Methods” →

So, you’ve decided to dive into the ancient and fascinating world of Biblical Hebrew? Mazal tov (מַזָּל טוֹב)! You’re about to embark on a journey that will not only deepen your understanding of ancient texts but also enrich your appreciation of history, culture, and language. Here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Start with the Basics

Before you can read and understand Biblical Hebrew, you need to get familiar with the Hebrew alphabet (The “Aleph-Bet”). There are 22 letters, and each one has a unique sound and shape. Spend some time practicing writing and pronouncing each letter. Flashcards can be a great tool for this. Our recent posts on this blog dealing with the beginnings of the study of Seow’s grammar will help you get started with that. You will also find advice for other online learning sites there.

Continue reading “Embarking on Your Journey with Biblical Hebrew: A Beginner’s Guide” →

Jonathan taught this session, presenting an introduction to nouns and the endings that they take. This was the fourth session of the course, and it was aimed at covering the material in Lesson III of the book.

Making Plurals in English

In English, our nouns are normally very simple. To form plurals, we just add –s, or –es if the last sound calls for it. Thus, computer simply becomes computers; desk becomes desks; friend becomes friends; and, box (ending in an s sound) becomes boxes. There is a list that all school children must memorize of “irregular” nouns like ox (oxen) and child (children), as well as some that do not change form for the plural (fish can be either one fish or twenty fish).

Continue reading “Seow — Session 4” →

Well, that was fun!  That was the first Hebrew course I’ve taught in a number of years.  It’s good to be back!

Jason and I thought it would be a good idea to post “recaps” following a lesson. So, without further ado, here goes!

1. I know that we are all of various skill levels and backgrounds here, but I continue to be impressed about the rate at which we’re learning. I am grateful: it is apparent that everyone takes the course seriously, even though it’s free. I really appreciate that.
2. I appreciate the questions that people are asking! In most cases (at least in my experience teaching at institutions), that doesn’t happen – even if the student is paying a thousand dollars per credit hour.
3. I appreciate that students are DOING their homework! This is absolutely necessary in order to retain and solidify your Hebrew learning.
4. I also appreciate how well you are doing in your reading. I will continue to espouse that, if reading isn’t “the” most important component to learning Biblical Hebrew, it’s in the top two or three. You all are doing very well!

Remember – Greek starts easy and gets hard, while Hebrew starts hard and gets easier!  It’s all downhill from here, folks.

Hopefully.

בְּרָכוֹת

Jonathan

Well, I missed the summary of Session 2, having put a LOT of information into my recap of the alphabet.

In our second session, we covered Lesson I of Dr. C.L. Seow’s A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew, Rev. Ed. (Abingdon, 1995). Lesson I presents the consonants of the Hebrew alphabet (what we call the “Aleph-Bet” הָאָלֶפְבֵּית), explaining the final forms, and how each letter is represented in academic transcription.

Continue reading “Seow — Session 2” →

You should be aware that we have recently begun a new trek into Dr. C.L. Seow’s A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew, Rev. Ed. (Abingdon, 1995), which you can purchase here on Amazon. If you don’t have a copy of the textbook, it will be difficult for you to follow along and you will miss a lot of the material.

In the first session, which you can view here and is embedded below, Jonathan leads us through a generic introduction to the Hebrew aleph-bet. At this stage, which is actually a pre-textbook lesson, it is important to begin to learn the names of the letters and their sounds. On the presentation, we divided the letters up into several groups to make memorization easier.

Here I will simply present the letters in order. We tend to call it the “aleph-bet” in Hebrew based on the names of the first two letters, but it is truly an abjad because vowels are not represented directly.

Continue reading “Seow — Session 1” →

Four Strands of Language-Learning

In the last post, we talked about productive and receptive language skills, but there are more skills involved in language learning than these four. Paul Nation talks about “four strands” of language learning. He labels them: meaning-focused input (receptive skills), meaning-focused output (productive skills), language-focused learning, and fluency development. We have already talked about input and output here. This post, then, will focus on what Nation calls language-focused learning and fluency development. Continue reading “There Is Still More Learning To Do!” →