Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Barry H." <nebarry AT verizon.net>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: K Randolph
To: Barry H.
Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 11:45 AM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Hello. I just joined.





> Interesting story.


> The best way to know the text is to memorize it. My professor emphasized
> that we should memorize passages in Hebrew; he recommended starting with
> Psalm 1. Even now, when I go on walks, I break up the monotony by bringing
> along an iPod Touch with the Bible on it, going over memory passages.
> Memorization ends up being an intense study of a passage.

Excellent discipline.

> I remember the first time I read the text through in Hebrew, already
> starting in the first chapter of Genesis, I came across unexpected forms
> and sentence structures which led me to question: "That's not what I
> learned in class." The fact is that many times those unexpected forms and
> sentence structures were "wrong" according to what I learned in class.
> There were many verses I did not understand, or worse incorrectly
> understood. There was nobody I had to ask questions: no internet nor
> b-hebrew, nor anyone locally who knew Hebrew. Even many times later, there
> are still verses I don't understand, but they are far far fewer. And there
> are still things that I find in the latest reading that I hadn't noticed
> before.

Any beginning course can only cover the basics.  That is why most language
curricula have not only beginning courses, but intermediate courses, courses
in advanced grammar, and literature courses.  You experienced nothing that
any student for any language proceeding beyond the intermediate level has
not experienced.

> Ah Greek is a lot easier, especially if one limits himself to the New
> Testament. For those of us who grew up speaking European languages (all of
> us?), which would include modern Israeli Hebrew, we are on familiar ground
> as far as the meanings are concerned, we have to learn only forms unique to
> Greek.

I don't limit myself to the NT, though I read the NTG every day.  A lot
easier?  I think that's a highly subjective evaluation, and there's lots of
tricky vocabulary in Greek (for one thing, there is a lot more vocabulary in
Greek than there is for Hebrew).  There are far less derivatives in English
from Greek than from Latin, and true cognates have changed so much over the
millenia that they usually are not intuitively helpful.

And Israeli Hebrew is a modern European language?  You sure about that?  You
might want to check the history of the language.

But all this detracts from the main point, which you exemplify, that lots of
reading and memorization is a GOOD THING!

N.E. Barry Hofstetter, semper melius Latine sonat...
The American Academy
http://www.theamericanacademy.net
(2010 Salvatori Excellence in Education Winner)

The North American Reformed Seminary
http://www.tnars.net

http://my.opera.com/barryhofstetter/blog
http://mysite.verizon.net/nebarry