When many students first begin to learn Biblical Hebrew, they think that a Hebrew-English interlinear bible can really help them in their studies. Unfortunately, they are usually wrong. What are Interlinear Bibles? Interlinear Hebrew bibles are just what they sound like they are – between the lines of the Hebrew text of the Bible are […]
Graded Reader of Biblical Hebrew
One of the most difficult things about learning Biblical Hebrew is making the jump from finishing an introductory Hebrew course to reading the Bible in Hebrew. The Graded Reader of Biblical Hebrew is a helpful tool for students making this transition. What is the Graded Reader of Biblical Hebrew? Miles V. Van Pelt and Gary […]
Why is Modern Hebrew Important for Biblical Studies?
Nowadays it is becoming more and more common for people who study Biblical Hebrew to also learn Modern Hebrew. Understanding this trend requires some awareness of the importance of language work for studying the Hebrew Bible. Traditional Language Work Required for Hebrew Bible Study Over the past 100-200 years, biblical scholars have carried out three […]
Even-Shoshan’s A New Concordance of the Bible
One of the most important concordances available for biblical studies today is Abraham Even-Shoshan’s A New Concordance of the Bible (sometimes called A New Concordance of the Old Testament). Although electronic concordances are starting to replace “old-fashioned” physical concordances, Even-Shoshan’s concordance continues to be a powerful tool for biblical studies. What is Even-Shoshan’s A New Concordance […]
Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT)
The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT) is one of the most important Hebrew dictionaries available in biblical studies today. It is an essential tool for any serious biblical scholar. What is HALOT and where did it come from? HALOT is the English translation of the classic German lexicon from the 2nd […]
Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (BDB)
The Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (BDB) is one of the most important resources available for biblical scholars today. In fact, there are many scholars who claim that other than BHS (the standard critical edition of the Hebrew Bible), BDB is the most important tool for studying the Hebrew Bible. What is BDB […]
Dictionary of Classical Hebrew (DCH)
Clines’ Dictionary of Classical Hebrew is widely considered one of the most important Biblical Hebrew dictionaries available today. What is DCH and where did it come from? The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew (DCH) was an ambitious project headed up by David Clines in the latter part of the 20th century (the first volume came out […]
Jastrow’s Dictionary
Jastrow’s Dictionary is usually not considered in the same discussion of the essential dictionaries for biblical studies such as BDB, HALOT, and DCH. While this omission is understandable, scholars can sometimes find that Jastrow’s Dictionary provides them with just the information they are looking for. What is Jastrow’s Dictionary? Technically speaking, Marcus Jastrow’s Dictionary of […]
Hebrew Bible vs Old Testament
When I first began dreaming up the idea for this website (back when I hadn’t realized both how much work or how fulfilling it would be!), I was faced with a very serious question: should the website be called “Hebrew Bible Scholar” or “Old Testament Scholar”? Wanting to avoid potential controversy, I had thought that […]
What is the Hebrew Bible?
Often people ask, “What is the Hebrew Bible?” You would think that the term Hebrew Bible would be easy to define. It’s just the part of the Bible which is in Hebrew, right? However, the term is actually quite complicated. And, unfortunately, when you begin to get into the details of what it might actually […]