The Hebrew language "has been in use from the time of Moses (the archaeological era known as the Late Bronze Age II, 1400-1200 B.C.E.) to the present" (Waltke & O'Connor). It belongs to the family of Semitic languages indigenous to the Levant and the surrounding regions. The family is divided by linguists into two main branches: the East (only one language: Akkadian, the language of the Babylonians and Assyrians) and West Semitic. The latter is further divided into North Semitic (Arabic), South Semitic (South Arabic, Ethiopian), and Northwest Semitic (Hebrew, Syriac/Aramaic). Hebrew is the main language of the Hebrew Bible, though about 2% are in Aramaic.
Like all languages, Hebrew went through significant changes in the period it was in use. We see evidence of this, e.g., in the name of Sarah. She was previously called Sarai. Though there is no change in meaning of the word—both means 'princess'—the two represents the changing conventions the language was undergoing with regards to pronunciation and, therefore, spelling. The Jewish people also underwent a period of great changes following their exile in Babylonians and their voluntary relocation in the Diaspora, and increasing Hebrew ceased to be the main language spoken among them. Greek and Aramaic took over. Especially after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem following the First Jewish Revolt, it ceased to be a spoken language though it remained an important language of worship and writing. In a sense, it never ceased being used, but it could not be considered a 'living' language either. The biblical Hebrew that we know from the Hebrew Bible is preserved for us by generation of scribes who faithfully transmitted the traditions of the biblical language until it was 'standardized' by the Massoretes.
Lay Christians today are fascinated by the possibility of learning the biblical Hebrew. This fascination, while a healthy thing in itself, is, however, attended by a crust of fanciful myths, both about how much benefit automatically accrues to those who know the language and so on. The rest of this article deals with some of these issues.
'Knowing Hebrew Automatically Makes You
Understand the Bible Better' is a Myth
The first thing we should do here is to be disabused of the popular and somewhat silly idea that learning the Hebrew language will automatically confer on us a better understanding of the Bible. If this is true then every modern Israeli will understand the Bible (or at least the OT) better than anyone else, which, of course, is a preposterous idea. Biblical language is at once just a language like any other and, simultaneously, unlike most other languages in that it is no longer a spoken language (modern Hebrew is significantly different from it). One's facility with a spoken language depends on how much one uses it. With a language like biblical Hebrew, how much one benefits from knowing it depends on how much hard work one is prepared to put into one's study of the biblical text, to labour at serious exegesis. This is evidenced in the fact that most seminary students who had to study the language as a requirement for graduation quickly loose any use for it.
Should I Study Biblical Hebrew?
Should you study biblical Hebrew? Many seminaries and Bible colleges in the West advertise their offers of the language usually along this line of argument: yes, because you should know what the original text of the Bible teaches. As an Asian who has taught in Asia all my life, my answer is more qualified. It would be ideal if all Christian preachers and teachers know biblical Hebrew and NT Greek. Unfortunately life's circumstances—one's commitment to the extended family (a major Christian responsibility that also takes on different significance from the West), finance, ministerial priorities, educational infrastructures (or, rather, lack of them)—make that a rather impractical goal. Here then is my response to the question. What has God called you to do? If He has called you to a life as a biblical teacher and, in particular, as a specialist in the Old Testament, then it is not just good but a requirement that you learn and excell in it, whatever the personal cost. If you are a lay-preacher or teacher, as ALBERITH's intended audience are, then my suggestion is that your time and resources are far better administered in other directions. Things fall into clearer perspective, too, when we remember that Calvin, the greatest theologian of the Reformation, had but a scanty acquaintance with the Hebrew Bible, yet see what he accomplished![1] (But do read Green's excellent article below.)
Is Biblical Hebrew a Difficult Language to Learn?
The first thing that should be said is that: the fact that you are reading this already proves that you have the basic linguistic skills needed to learn Hebrew. It is, after all, just another language. How difficult learning any language is depends to a very large extend on other factors, such as your attitude but most important of all, your discipline and commitment—the fact that some people are more naturally gifted in languages notwithstanding. With regards to biblical Hebrew, one scholar puts it well when he says that biblical Hebrew is not a difficult language, it is a language with many difficulties. Like all languages, learning biblical Hebrew has its quirky moments. Perhaps one of the greatest difficulties learning biblical Hebrew is that it is not a spoken language; you, therefore, cannot improve your literacy by 'practicing' it with another person. Outside of the West, it is difficult, in fact, to find another person with whom you can just read the Hebrew text together. Your fluency comes essentially from the company you keep with the lexica, grammars, concordances, commentaries, scholarly articles from academic journals, and the Hebrew text of the Bible (which, by the way, are all very expensive for those who live outside the West). And if you are doing all these without the benefit of a collegial setting—which you will very likely be if you live and work outside the West—it is a very lonely business. It requires a hefty financial outlay, great discipline and a hard-hearted commitment. Can you fulfil these requirements?
What About Studying Hebrew On-Line?
Digital technology offers tremendous possibilities for new ways to learn, and I am excited about them. I have known of several persons who have attempted these. So far I have not seen anything to convince me they are effective (as they are). That need not mean much, of course (as my daughter would say, "What is your sample size, Dad?"). Still, I am not without hope. You still need to answer the questions I raised above (esp., if you live in the non-Western hemisphere) but also you have to ensure that whoever is offering the course online is credible and has what it takes, both academically and pedagogically, to conduct you faithfully through such an undertaking. It will be a great shame as well as waste of time and effort otherwise. (We are working to create an effective learning plan, using resources already available online, for users of Alberith. Do pray with us.)
What Is the Next Best Thing?
Not the next best, but the best thing—even if eventually you decide that learning Hebrew is for you—is to master the skills and art of exegesis, of interpretation. Remember that knowing the Hebrew and/or Greek languages themselves without mastering exegesis is just as pointless (proof of this is to give a Hebrew passage from the Bible to a Jewish friend and ask him/her to interprete it). Make the best of the multitude of exegetical commentaries available, and max out all they have to offer. Learn the Hebrew and Greek alphabet, learn to read them aloud, and follow the commentators' argument closely and critically. If you have access to a theological library (at a local seminary, e.g.) read as much as you can. Check out what the commentators claim about this word or that word by working through the available wordbooks and dictionaries. This will not make you a scholar but you will be surprise how, with such hard work, it is possible to master a great deal more of the Bible than someone who has attended an entire course in the language but who does not follow up with the hard work of studying the biblical text with the attendant tools.
At ALBERITH, we think it important to take the medicine we prescribe to others. In our commentaries (and the Alberith Hebrew Bible, which we are putting in place) we have attempted to give you a glimpse of what the Hebrew or Greek texts says, and seek to locate as much resources as we can find to clarify them. We also try to present them in a way that does not make you shake your head in confusion. We hope that is enough. We hope, of course, that—should the first opportunity to learn Hebrew or Greek offer itself—you will take it.
Notes:
[1] A. N. S. Land, John Calvin: student of the Church Fathers (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999); 226-9.
Resources:
David M. Green, "Why Study Biblical Hebrew," Foundations 57 (May 2007): 22-30.
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For those of you who are blessed to have learned either Greek or Hebrew, you should read Matt Emadi," On Keeping Your Greek and Hebrew in Ministry 9Marks, 06.27.2022
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Further Reading:
G. Bergrasträsser, Introduction to the Semitic Languages. Tr. and supp. P. T. Daniels. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1983.
B. K. Waltke & M. O'Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1990.
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