Invitation to Biblical Hebrew Syntax: An Intermediate Grammar (Invitation to Theological Studies Series)

For several years now, I have been privileged to use early stages of Fuller and Choi’s Invitation to Biblical Hebrew Syntax: An Intermediate Grammar. The presentation of the Verbal System is clear and concise following the classical models of Arabic and Jewish grammarians. The grammar presents the material in traditional categories of noun, verb, and particle. It is descriptive and helpful for students—offering many Hebrew verse examples, with the Hebrew issue at hand underlined and at times with graphics. The examples include an English translation with the key phrasing highlighted in bold. The chapters present syntactical questions and many practice drills at the end to give students opportunity to analyze Hebrew syntax (an answer key is offered in an appendix). One fifth of the grammar’s content focuses on a discussion of clausal syntax with many helpful examples. The drills for the clausal chapters follow at the completion of this section. At the end, they present an excellent and comprehensive treatment of the Hebrew accent system and their usefulness in Hebrew syntax and exegesis. The composition section is one of the most helpful features of this book. Students learn syntax by putting simple English paragraphs into biblical Hebrew. These assignments offer detailed syntactical notes on how the student should compose the Hebrew syntax. Then the student works with their composition to the point where they can recite their Hebrew composition when looking at the English text. While this is an ‘old school’ method, students learn to think in biblical Hebrew! I have seen students come away with an excellent grasp of Hebrew syntax and superb biblical Hebrew reading speed. As an early student of Fuller, I was taught in this method and it greatly improved all aspects of my understanding, translation, and reading speed.

—Eric Alan Mitchell, Associate Professor of Old Testament & Archaeology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Russell Fuller and Kyoungwon Choi possess an encyclopedic knowledge of biblical Hebrew and the Masoretic Text. Their latest work, Invitation to Biblical Hebrew Syntax: An Intermediate Grammar, distills a lifetime of study and presents it in a single volume. The discussions demonstrate a mastery of the technical details of Hebrew linguistics but are free of the jargon that renders many studies of biblical Hebrew inaccessible to most students. The principles taught are grounded in centuries of scholarly analysis and not based in ephemeral theory. This volume will serve two purposes: as a textbook for an advanced course in Hebrew syntax and as a vade mecum for reference. It is a most welcome contribution.

—Duane Garrett, John R. Sampey Professor of Old Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Invitation to Biblical Hebrew Syntax: An Intermediate Grammar is a needed resource that is long overdue for all who desire to better understand the syntax of biblical Hebrew. One of the greatest strengths of this approach is it teaches Hebrew syntax actively. Not only does it explain the syntax and provide examples of the syntax, it also includes drills with answer keys so students can put the concepts into practice and measure their progress. The following compositions give students a guided approach to applying the concepts of Hebrew syntax to Hebrew text. The addition of new concepts in each following composition, along with the repetition of already introduced concepts, helps students solidify their understanding. Finally, the section on accents provides a way of clearly understanding an aspect of the Hebrew Bible that has been difficult for many Hebrew students. Fuller and Choi lift the veil of mystery many students experience and shines light on the beauty of biblical Hebrew

—T. J. Betts, Associate Professor of Old Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary