Product Description

Of Greek and Hebrew, Hebrew strikes the most fear in the heart of the Bible student. The alphabet does not look anything like English. The vocabulary offers almost no points of contact with English. The verb system is utterly alien. And the lexicons, grammars and textbooks are wrapped up in a metalanguage--spiked with Latin--that is daunting in itself. For those who feel that studying the English Old Testament is a challenge, the thought of reading it in Hebrew is extreme. Hebrew students need all the help they can get. If you are beginning your study of Hebrew and the Hebrew Bible, this pocket dictionary by Todd J. Murphy is for you. From ablative to zaqeph qaton, it defines the tangled terms that infest Hebrew textbooks, grammars and lexicons. Here is a book that will deliver you from the perils of the Piel and the thicket of metathesis. It is an indispensable glossary that will cut through that technical language--neither Hebrew nor English--that hovers like ground fog over the study and discussion of biblical Hebrew. Now you can devote more time to enjoying biblical Hebrew in all its richness.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #270277 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Customer Reviews

Not a Hebrew dictionary
First, a word of caution: This is NOT a Hebrew dictionary. I ordered it thinking that it was a dictionary of Biblical Hebrew words; but that's not what it is. It is actually a dictionary of terminology used in the study of Biblical Hebrew. In other words, it is a dictionary of technical terms from the fields of linguistics, textual criticism, and exegesical method. Fortunately, this dictionary makes a useful addition to the linguistics section of my library. I've only glanced through it a few times; but it appears to be a good reference work for students of linguistics and textual criticism. But it's not what I was looking for when I bought it. If you're looking for a Hebrew dictionary, look elsewhere.

Very nice for starters
This book is a nice addition to the body of tools for BH and biblical/textual criticism. It is a dictionary of TERMS, not a dictionary of Hebrew words as another reviewer pointed out. It defines over 2,000 terms dealing with the grammar, syntax, linguistics, textual criticism and OT criticism -- as they relate to Biblical Hebrew, very handy. To my knowledge, there isn't anything like this on the market and it definitely fills the void. Given the price, you can't go wrong with this book. I would recommend this to the beginners and advanced students alike.


There are things that would like to see changed in future editions of the book -- I do hope that they are forthcoming. Here are some specific examples of suggestions that I believe would further enhance the value of the book:

1. There are terms that could use examples. For example, the term "oath formula" has a brief discussion of the term and a reference to Jouon's book, but no example. The same goes for prophetic perfect and other terms, which would deserve an example. There are other terms that list examples, but it would be nice to have them all covered even briefly. Another simple example is "kaph veritatis", which does not provide any example of what this means, it just says "The kaph preposition when it is employed pleonastically." Obviously, I'm not referring to an exhaustive list of examples, just a one or two per term would do for an illustration. It's a matter of consistency of the use of examples.

2. Inconsistency of inclusion/exclusion of terms. For example "tD stem" and "G stem" are defined terms, but not "N", "H", etc. stems using the same nomenclature. Instead, it's a mix and match. It would be helpful to list them and discuss different nomenclatures under either "stem" and "verbal stem", which are defined terms but with little detail. Similarly, "Midrash" and "Pesher" are defined separately, but biblical interpretation as a discipline encompassing them and other methods is not. Another example is the inclusion of Qoheleth, but the omission of Threni or Canticum....

3. I'd like to see indexes at the end of the book. Since the book claims to cover the fields/topics of "grammar, syntax, linguistics, textual criticism and OT criticism", it would be nice to have lists of terms with page references for each topic, i.e. all the technical terms pertaining to textual criticism, etc. at the back of the book.

Helpful reference
Compact and concise ... I take it with me as I study away from home.