Old Testament (OT)

This course provides a basic but intense introduction to Hebrew grammar. After completing this course, students will have an introductory Hebrew vocabulary and be able to describe elementary features of Biblical Hebrew. Students will also learn how to utilize valuable Hebrew resources in preparation for deeper personal study and translation work.

Building upon the foundation laid in Elementary Hebrew 1, students will dig deeper into the Hebrew language system. Before finishing this course, students will have acquired a vocabulary of five-hundred frequently used Hebrew words. Students will also grow in their understanding of Hebrew grammar and syntax.

Intermediate Hebrew will introduce students to intermediate Hebrew syntax and will focus on non-figurative genres of the Hebrew Scriptures such as narrative, letters, and information. Students will translate the narrative books like Ruth or Jonah in addition to other select passages. Following which, students will focus on the figurative genres of the Hebrew Scriptures such as hymns, wisdom, poetry, and prophecy. Students will translate select passages from the Psalms and Song of Solomon in addition to other select passages.

This course is designed to walk students through sound principles of Old Testament exegesis related to text, grammar, form, structure, and context; in addition, students will apply these principles to practical situations within the OT genre and the literary and historical contexts of selected Old Testament passages.

This course will guide students through selected portions of the Old Testament to improve the student’s ability to read Hebrew, emphasizing morphology, vocabulary and syntactical recognition. Objectives would include to gain reading and translation speed with particular focus on the nuances of the verb, to identify and describe clausal relationships, to identify, describe, and value the dramatic elements in narrative, to read Hebrew aloud with sensitivity to its content to bridge between the biblical story and the modern story.