Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Rolf Furuli <furuli AT online.no>]

Dear Clay,


Waltke/O'Connor is a superb work both regarding conclusions and the way
these are presented to the readers. In the intermediate course of Hebrew in
Oslo a thorough knowledge of this work and of Joüon/Muraoka is required.
However, there are several shortcomings in Waltke/O´Connor, particularly in
their presentation of the verbal conjugations (the presentation of the
stems is excellent).

S.R. Driver would translate the WAYYIQTOL ( 3.p.s ) of )MR as "and he
proceded to say" rather than "and he said". In my view, Driver's solution
is much better than the modern ones, and there are several other points
where he presents his case better than modern authors. We cannot compare
Charles and Driver, because we can really learn much from Driver in the
year 2000.

For a person who really wants to make an indepth study of Hebrew verbs, I
would suggest the three primary steps to be:

(1) Read "The Enigma of the Hebrew Verbal System", by  L. McFall and learn
how impossible the modern view of WAYYIQTOL is.

(2) Read S.R. Driver and make your own sketch of his model on a paper. Then
test each major point against modern treatments. Before you reject a
certain point, be sure that you *really* have good counterarguments.

(3) Read Waltke/O´Connor and Joüon/Muraoka and see how their treatments of
the verbs differ, and then start to make your own model. And, never accept
the ad hominem argument "respected scholars have found...". Be critical and
ask for data.



Regards

Rolf


Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo




>Rolf,
>
>What your are saying is that S R Driver is generally wrong but you can
>glean bits an pieces of worthwhile information from his book?  Is this
>something like using R. H. Charles ICC commentary on the Apocalypse?
>
>I find your comment on Waltke/O'Connor troubling. I have been told by
>numerous students of Waltke from the 70's that he was at that time
>infallable :-)))). Now here you go casting doubts in my mind. It was
>precisely because I own a copy of Waltke/O'Connor that I asked the
>question to begin with.
>
>I will run right down to Half/Price books and pick up this tome. After
>all what is $10? Not much risk.
>
>Thanks Rolf,
>
>Clay
>
>
>
>--
>Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
>Three Tree Point
>P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062
>
>
>----------
>>From: Rolf Furuli <furuli AT online.no>
>
>>
>
>> It is definitely worth $ 10 if your purpose by acquiring it, is to learn
>> something about Hebrew verbs. Vincent DeCaen (he is on the list) has shown
>> that Driver was a much more original thinker than Waltke/O'Connor portrays
>> him. While his model as a whole must be rejected, there are great amounts
>> of insights in his book. If you work with the Hebrew verbal system, this is
>> a book you *must* have read.
>
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