Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Fred Putnam" <fputnam AT biblical.edu>]

I just purchased the study edition of HALOT from Eisenbrauns ($33 off list 
until 31 
March), and immediately found myself reaching for it first and carrying it to 
class (rather 
than BDB). My colleague Rick Houseknecht and I both agree that its price 
makes it 
prohibitive for most of our [seminary] students, and so students purchase BDB 
(@ $30-
40) (rather than, e.g., Holladay, since, in my experience, many students 
outgrow 
Holladay by the end of seminary).

1. Lexemes are listed alphabetically, not grouped under their putative root, 
with cross-
references to terms from the same root. This alone makes it far easier to use 
than 
BDB, especially for persons who are not constantly in the Hebrew text, or who 
have not 
studied the historical development of Hebrew, or who have not spent a fair 
amount of 
time studying BDB itself in order to understand its organization (which is an 
outstanding 
example of assumed information).

2. HALOT includes extensive bibliographic information that includes the vast 
amount of 
lexical and comparative work done since 1907 (before such discoveries as 
Ugarit and 
DSS). The bib. in the articles is supplemented by an even more extensive bib. 
at the 
end of the fifth vol. (Aramaic), which attempts to make the earlier 
discussions current.

3. The glosses in HALOT are no better or worse than those in BDB (although 
they tend 
to be current language rather than reflecting the English translational 
tradition of KJV et 
al. (, e.g., "heretofore", "hither")). Trevor's observation that the glosses 
do not always 
capture the essence of the German original is accurate, but since these are 
suggested 
glosses rather than meanings, this is not a crucial distinction. HALOT seems 
to have 
fewer "discussive" entries than BDB (e.g., BDB's paragraph on MA$AL "proverb, 
parable", which is exceptional even in BDB). [Of course, no lexicon of BH/BA 
offers the 
extent or type of information found in TDOT, NIDOTTE, or even TWOT, but these 
are 
intended to supplement, not replace the lexica.]

4. Brill has done an excellent job with HALOT/SE in maintaining the 
original's clarity 
(ease of reading) and binding (which feels slightly lighter than the 
five-vol. ed.); two 
volumes are certainly more cumbersome than one [BDB], but much less clumsy 
than 
five [HALOT], and certainly less expensive.

I'm not trying to talk anyone into buying something that you won't use, nor 
do I get a 
commission on sales, but I think that HALOT/SE is a reasonably priced source 
of state-
of-the art of Hebrew & Aramaic lexicography. I would require it of all Hebrew 
students, if 
only the price were c. $100.

Regards,
Fred

Frederic Clarke Putnam, Ph.D.
"Dominus illuminatio mea."

Professor of Old Testament
Biblical Theological Seminary
fputnam AT biblical.edu
215-368-5000x150 (office & voice-mail)