Foreword

Writing a grammar to teach Biblical Hebrew is difficult. This is due in part to the historical development of the Hebrew text: its consonantal text was later supplemented with matres lectionis (consonants to represent vowels) and then even later was also provided with the Masoretic vocalization. The task of teaching such a language is simply complex. All languages consist of a subject, predicate, modifiers, and particles, such as prepositions, connecting them. But the Semitic family of languages, of which Biblical Hebrew is a member, differs significantly from the Indo-European family of languages, of which English is a member. For example, the Semitic family, unlike the Indo-European family, contains an extensive verbal system to signify causation in connection with voice. Beyond this, in the college, seminary, or university environment, Biblical Hebrew often is not taught for the value of learning the language in its own right—though it certainly has such value! Instead, Biblical Hebrew is taught to enable strong, solid exegetical work, to enable students to read the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and grasp more fully its meaning and nuance. To expect a grammar to do all of this well is simply a lot to ask.

Nevertheless, William Fullilove’s Introduction to Hebrew succeeds admirably. This book is the best introductory option for teaching Hebrew in a seminary, college, or university setting because it combines an expert understanding of the language with clear explanations that a beginning student can easily grasp. Dr. Fullilove’s teaching grammar combines several admirable features that make it so pedagogically successful:

• All its examples are from the biblical text, thereby keeping students constantly aware of their progress in reading and their growing capability.
• It quickly introduces the basic forms of the verb (Qal perfect and imperfect) in chapters 3 and 5, thereby introducing the linguistic center of the sentence as early as possible and maximizing students’ practice in parsing and translating verbs.
• The full paradigm of the strong verb is taught first, enabling students to gain a basic conception of the Hebrew verbal system before being weighed down by the myriad complexities of parsing forms built from weak verbal roots.
• Weak roots are held until the second half of the grammar and then introduced by type, enabling the student to see how the phonological impact of a weak consonant carries through the verbal system in a relatively regular way. Instead of overwhelming the student who has just been introduced to the Qal perfect, this method vastly simplifies teaching weak roots.
• Skills such as the proper use of a lexicon, the basics of word studies, and the use of the apparatus—skills that professors must usually teach in a supplemental way—are instead integrated into the grammar.
• With all of this, the grammar is not overlong, and it can easily be completed in two semesters of introductory language study.