Introducing Biblical Hebrew

Introducing Biblical Hebrew. By Allen P. Ross. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001, 565 pp., $39.99.

The Preface to Introducing Biblical Hebrew (IBH) states: "The basic material of the grammar has been compiled with consistent references to and comparison with the standard works on the subject" (p. 9). This endeavor leads Ross to claim "a proven system of parsing verbs" in addition to an "intensive inductive review based on portions of Scripture" (p. 9). Ross has geared the grammar for "the development of the exegetical and critical study of the text of Scripture" and maintains the discussion is "much more than a beginning Hebrew grammar" (p. 9).

The 54 lessons cover three sections (Part 1: "Signs and Sounds," Part 2: "Forms and Meanings," Part 3: "Texts and Contexts"). The foundational elements of vowels, accents, and guttural letters are followed by the bulk of the lessons that comprise Part 2. Here Ross uses a deductive approach to cover the standard grammar of both the regular and irregular verbs. IBH follows JBL transliteration of consonants, only departing in minor areas. Part 3 addresses the Critical Apparatus, various noun patterns, and exposure to the Ancient Versions. To apply the grammar learned, Part 3 inductively takes the student through select BHS texts. A final Part 4 (pp. 425-557) is "Study Aids," containing Lesson Reviews, Hebrew-English Glossary, paradigms, a list of accents, and a Subject Index.

In many chapters IBH exposes the student to rudimentary syntax related to a given grammatical point. Often included are brief overviews of translation values germane to that discussion (e.g. the construct, pp. 104-5). Footnotes are used for more technical comments. Before each exercise is a list of vocabulary divided between verbs, nouns, and "other forms."

Most of the exercises begin with composition. Starting with chap. 25, exercises include portions from BHS. With the reduction of programmed sentences, the inductive analysis culminates with Genesis 12-15 and 2-3. These two portions are analyzed in 14 sections, stressing forms and syntactical constructions.

The "weak" verbs start with chap. 32, which in many ways is the pedagogical halfway-point of the grammar. At this juncture all seven major stems have been introduced in their regular forms.

The "Mechanical Parsing Method" (pp. 222-25) may be the most original element in IBH. This method divides the verbal system into five categories and identifies these verbal forms through a taxonomy of A, I, and U-Class vowels. This is intended to help students learn the dialectical variants faced in the Hebrew text. Since a greater concept of structure results when students are trained to think through vowel classes, the morphological peculiarities become more manageable.

Following the last chapter is a section entitled "Lesson Reviews" (pp. 425-78) that summarizes the essence of each chapter (i.e. "Lesson at a Glance"). The concluding Subject Index is fairly extensive.

Several strengths of this grammar are worth noting. First, Ross is not trying to spawn a new approach. The essence of IBH has been tested for over two decades in the "living laboratory." So, while the packaging is "fresh," the grammatical essence stands proven.

Second, the layout is pedagogically intentional and consistent-no small achievement when IBH covers 54 lessons! In addition, the 53 pages of concise "Lesson Reviews" comprise a valuable tool for the student. The numerical method of outlining expedites referencing with the Subject Index. The explanations in IBH move logically from the known to the unknown and from regular to irregular forms.

Third, the fonts used for both Hebrew and English are appropriate and not distracting. IBH has even included the primary accents throughout the sentences, including the programmed ones. The exercises use superscript letters as footnotes for specific observations. The English text is nicely spaced, with margins wide enough for the ambitious teacher and note-taker.

Fourth, the student is challenged with full parsing of verb forms in the exercises beginning with chap. 17 (the Imperfect). This maximizes parsing proficiency since the student is asked to parse in context and not in abstraction.

Fifth, the format used for each lesson is flexible enough for the teacher to supplement or diverge from as necessary. Exercises, in particular, are not so integrated with "contingent aids" so as to force the user to adopt the book in its entirety or use little at all. IBH is minimally stipulating, working as an aid to the teaching process, not commandeering the teacher's role.

Sixth, Ross has done a commendable job of combining inductive and deductive approaches. A balance is struck between the immediate psychological satisfaction of the student's contact with the Hebrew text and the controlled saturation that results over time with programmed sentences. Deduction communicates the whole by teaching students the function of the parts within a larger scheme. IBH uses time-efficient deduction to guide the student through the critical mass of the grammar. At the same time it concludes with the positive psychology that a student cannot obtain from the teacher's analysis alone.