Hebrew for Reading Comprehension
Overview
Hebrew for Reading Comprehension is a first year biblical Hebrew grammar designed to promote reading comprehension and precision in translation. William Paul Griffin’s new approach reduces the confusion often caused by traditional Hebrew grammars. His goal is for learners to read with comprehension and translate with accuracy. This volume lowers the emphasis on charts, rules, and lists, focusing instead on biblical Hebrew as a language to be understood and enjoyed.
Delve into biblical Hebrew with 36 lessons ranging from the alphabet to verb tenses to Hebrew poetry. Griffin also includes many useful supplemental tools, including a list of verbs in alphabetical order, a list of commonly confused words, a study on the conversational language in the Hebrew Bible, a history of the Hebrew language, and much more.
- A new approach to learning biblical Hebrew
- 36 relevant lessons to improve reading comprehension and accuracy in translation
- Helpful supplemental texts including a list of commonly confused words
Top Highlights
“את is extremely common in Hebrew narrative, but often absent in poetic texts.” (Page 39)
“When אשׁר is used with people, use ‘who’, not ‘which’ or ‘that’ (i.e., ‘the man who is …’, not ‘the man which is’). Use ‘which’ or ‘that’ for non-humans or abstract ideas.” (Page 27)
“For many feminine plural nouns, a י is often slipped in between the וֹת and the possessive suffix:” (Page 59)
“Rather than following typical grammars which state a myriad of confusing rules (most which have exceptions), our approach will be to emphasize one vowel rule: vowels frequently change, so accept that it is not worth the frustration or time to learn how and why all these vowels change. This is especially true whenever prefixes or suffixes are added to words, as well as for different verb forms. Focus on the consonantal text and you will do well.” (Pages 39–40)
“Consonantally speaking, nouns which end in ה, such as אִשָּׁה (woman, wife) tend to be feminine. Further, many masculine nouns become the feminine equivalent when a ה is added to the end. For instance, מלך, king, becomes מלכה queen.” (Page 29)
- Title: Hebrew for Reading Comprehension
- Author: William Paul Griffin
- Publisher: William Paul Griffin
- Publication Date: 2014
- Pages: 302
Reviews
8 ratings
Verity Downs
6/26/2020
I would give this grammar 10 stars if I could. It really seems to be the only one that teaches Hebrew sensibly for normal people I read Dr. Griffin's article Killing a Dead Language as i was considered how I wanted to self-study Hebrew. I agreed completely with his approach. I was using some Memrise (the Ginoskos app is better) courses, the Aleppo codex on Quickbible, an interlinear on MySword and an a free grammar I downloaded. These were helpful, t but I wasn't enjoying the grammar. So I searched again and found that Dr. Griffin had created a grammar after all. It was just tied to Logos and isn't receiving the promotion it deserves. I have finished the fourth chapter and everything is presented so clearly. I started which chapter 2 since I already knew the Alef-bet. (The Singing Rabbi has a great version of the classical Alef-bet song on Youtube). I was delighted with the simple explanation of prefixes and getting to jump right into short sentences. He even doesn't assume you know the English grammar terms. Indeed, he admits he didn't know what a prepositional phrase was until he started learning Hebrew. But the biggest advantage is that he doesn't teach the Masoretic vowel points. The vowel points weren't added until around 1000 AD, so I have little confidence that they reflect how Abraham, David, or even Jesus spoke. "The typical Hebrew grammar devotes a great deal of space to the intricacies of Masoretic pointing, and many who teach elementary Hebrew have similar emphases. Students are taught propretonic reduction, the rule of shewa, and countless other rules of vowel patterns, each with many exceptions. "Why does this have a patach instead of a qametz?" They then move to verb paradigms, where they encounter further lists of exceptions, when to include the dagesh, variations for gutturals, and so forth. And they have only encountered the Qal. Our students, who by and large are anything but linguists, encounter statements like, "The verb 'rr differs from sbb in one way. In the second and first position forms, singular and plural, the Geminate consonant rejects the Daghesh Forte and the Pathach under the [aleph] becomes Qamets due to compensatory lengthening."[1] "When there is an unaccented syllable followed by a . . . ," and so forth. Next comes the Piel with its multitude of variations. These students are not merely expected to know that such vowel patterns exist, but they are expected to be able to reproduce them as well. We then wonder why people regard Hebrew as a "hard language" and why attrition rates are so high. The answer is this: We are not teaching one language, but two; if we emphasize the accents, make that two and a half. We demand that our students understand and replicate an elaborate cellophane overlay that is more complicated than the language it attempts to clarify." in short, get Hebrew for Reading Comprehension if you don't want learning Hebrew to be painful.
Lincoln A. Bovee'
2/13/2019
Charles
9/28/2017
Chris chandler
2/6/2016
We used this grammar in my first year Hebrew class. Compared to the other class we were reading faster and with more accuracy. This grammar places less emphasis on vowels and paradigms and instead encourages you to learn through actually reading the text. The rules that are important become obvious the more you jump in and start reading. I'm now in my third year of Hebrew and am very happy to have used this grammar to start with.
Angus K.F. Cheung
2/14/2015
Samantha
11/21/2014
I had the pleasure of being in Dr. Griffin's class the first time he used this book. He was still in the process of writing it then, and completed it during my first year of Hebrew. I can only imagine that it has improved beyond the excellent quality it already had. Dr. Griffin was a great teacher, and I'm sure with as well written as the book is, and the easy approach to learning biblical Hebrew, that this book could help even the lay person to learn at least a basic knowledge of biblical Hebrew. What really sets this grammar apart it the lack of emphasis on Masoretic pointing. Pointing was added later, and thus isn't part of the inspired Word of God. So, why go through all that unnecessary confusion? I'm ecstatic that I finally found this for purchase. One of my friends is hoping to try to learn biblical Hebrew and I wanted to buy her a copy. This will be a great Christmas present to help edify her spirit! Highly, highly recommend. Even if you are taking a Hebrew course that requires a different text book, I would recommend getting this to help you get a better grasp of the language minus unnecessary confusion.
