Description
Book SynopsisThis collection of essays, covering nearly every aspect of Biblical Hebrew studies, testifies to the invigorating joy of studying that language—a joy that is richly exemplified in the life of the volume’s honoree, George Klein.
Paying tribute to a colleague who has devoted his academic career to teaching Biblical Hebrew, this book presents fresh explorations of topics related to Biblical Hebrew linguistics. The opening chapters explore grammatical issues and delve into matters of diachrony. Subsequent essays address significant syntactical constructions, such as “at the end of days,” and matters of lexicography. The final two chapters address issues of pedagogy, including a call to comprehensively rethink how to teach Biblical Hebrew according to linguistic principles. Researchers, teachers, and students of Hebrew alike will benefit greatly from consulting the essays in this volume.
Distinctive for its diverse content, this volume features contributions from an international cohort of academics, including Scott N. Callaham, Stephen Dempster, Stephen A. Geller, Holger Gzella, N. Blake Hearson, Ernst Jenni, Ethan C. Jones, Tracy McKenzie, Eugene H. Merrill, Alviero Niccacci, Perry J. Oakes, Mark F. Rooker, Richard A. Taylor, Heath A. Thomas, and Gary R. Williams.
Table of ContentsPreface
List of Abbreviations
Part 1. Hebrew Grammar and Diachrony
The “Precative Perfect” in Psalms and the Struggle for Faith
Stephen A. Geller
Toward the Function of the Reflexive-Passive Stems in Biblical Hebrew
Ernst Jenni
Untypical Wayyiqṭol Forms in Hebrew and Early Linguistic Diversity
Holger Gzella, Leiden
Recent Trends in the Linguistic Analysis of Biblical Hebrew
Mark F. Rooker
Hebrew Prosody through the Centuries: A Comparison of Four Soundings
Gary Roye Williams
Part 2. Syntax and Lexicography
The Two-member Syntactic Construction
Alviero Niccacci
“Foot”-Notes in Old Testament Texts: A Study of Verbal and Nominal Expressions of Walking
Eugene H. Merrill
“At the end of the days” (בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים)—An Eschatological Technical Term? The Intersection of Context, Linguistics and Theology
Stephen G. Dempster
A Note on the Text of Dan 2:24 in Light of the Aramaic Expression עַל עַל ‘To Enter Upon’
Richard A. Taylor
Job’s Rejection and Liminal Traverse: A Close (Re)reading of Job 42:6
Heath A. Thomas
Biblical Hebrew among the Chaining Languages: The Wĕqatal as Medial rather than Sequential
Perry J. Oakes
“And with All Your Strength”? A Reassessment of the Translation and Meaning of Deuteronomy 6:5
N. Blake Hearson
More than “Before” Semantics and Syntax of לפני
Ethan C. Jones
Part 3. Teaching Biblical Hebrew
Rethinking Biblical Hebrew Instruction
Scott N. Callaham
Teaching Biblical Hebrew to Congregational Leaders: A Personal Reflection on its Challenges and Potential Ways Forward
Tracy McKenzie
Indexes
