Old Testament Resource Guide

The Hebrew language has one of the longest attested histories of any of the world's languages, with records of its use from antiquity until modern times. Although it ceased to be a spoken language by the 2nd century C.E., Hebrew continued to be used and to develop in the form of a literary and liturgical language until its revival as a vernacular in the 20th century. In a four volume set, complete with index, the Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics offers a systematic and comprehensive treatment of all aspects of the history and study of the Hebrew language from its earliest attested form to the present day. The encyclopedia contains overview articles that provide a readable synopsis of current knowledge of the major periods and varieties of the Hebrew language as well as thematically-organized entries which provide further information on individual topics, such as the Hebrew of various sources (texts, manuscripts, inscriptions, reading traditions), major grammatical features (phonology, morphology, and syntax), lexicon, script and paleography, theoretical linguistic approaches, and so forth. With over 950 entries and approximately 400 contributing scholars, the Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics is the authoritative reference work for students and researchers in the fields of Hebrew linguistics, general linguistics, Biblical studies, Hebrew and Jewish literature, and related fields. The online version of the EHLL can be found here.

In 1997, Eisenbrauns published the highly-regarded two-volume Phonologies of Asia and Africa, edited by Alan Kaye with the assistance of Peter T. Daniels, and the book rapidly became the standard reference for the phonologies of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Now the concept has been extended, and Kaye has assembled nearly 50 scholars to write essays on the morphologies of the same language group. The coverage is complete, copious, and again will likely become the standard work in the field. Contributors are an international Who's Who of Afro-Asiatic linguistics, from Appleyard to Leslau to Voigt. It is with great sadness that we report the death of Alan Kaye on May 31, 2007, while these volumes were in the final stages of preparation for the press. Alan was diagnosed with bone cancer on May 1 while on research leave in the United Arab Emirates and was brought home to Fullerton by his son on May 22.

The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew is a completely new and innovative dictionary.

Unlike previous dictionaries, which have been dictionaries of biblical Hebrew, this is the first dictionary of the classical Hebrew language to include the Bible, Ben SIra, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and all the other known Hebrew inscriptions and manuscripts.

This Dictionary covers the period from the earliest times to 200 CE. It lists and analyses every occurrences of each Hebrew word that occurs in texts of that period, with an English translation of every Hebrew word and phrase cited.

Among its special features are: a list of the non-biblical texts cited (especially the Dead Sea Scrolls), a word frequency index for each letter of the alphabet, a substantial bibliography (from Volume 2 onward) and an English-Hebrew index in each volume. (From the publisher's website.)

Brill is pleased to present this Study Edition of the The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament in two handy volumes. It has proven to be a valuable resource for scholars and students. In this Study Edition the complete vocabulary of the Hebrew Bible, including those parts of books which are written in Aramaic, is available. The dictionary combines scholarly thoroughness with easy accessibility, and so meets the needs of a wide range of users. The enormous advances that have taken place in the field of Semitic linguistics since the days of the older dictionaries of Classical Hebrew are well documented and assessed, as well as the often detailed discussions in modern Bible commentaries of words where the meaning is particularly difficult. But the alphabetical ordering of entries rather than the traditional arrangement of words according to their roots is particularly helpful to the new student, and also saves the advanced user much time. This 2 volume edition is an unabridged version of the five volume edition of The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. (From the publisher's website.)

Based on the First, Second, and Third Editions of the Koehler-Baumgartner Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, this abridgment--which eliminates bibliographical references and technical information intended for specialists and judiciously trims biblical citations--provides everything the student needs to translate an Old Testament passage. (From the publisher's website.)

A trio of eminent Old Testament scholars—Francis Brown, R. Driver, and Charles Briggs—spent over twenty years researching, writing, and preparing The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Since it first appeared in the early part of the twentieth century, BDB has been considered the finest and most comprehensive Hebrew lexicon available to the English-speaking student. Based upon the classic work of Wilhelm Gesenius, the "father of modern Hebrew lexicography," BDB gives not only dictionary definitions for each word, but relates each word to its Old Testament usage and categorizes its nuances of meaning. BDB's exhaustive coverage of Old Testament Hebrew words, as well as its unparalleled usage of cognate languages and the wealth of background sources consulted and quoted, render BDB and invaluable resource for all students of the Bible. (From the publisher's website.)

Although the morphology and lexicon of Hebrew are reasonably well understood, its syntax has long been a neglected area of study. Syntax, the relationship of words to one another, forms, together with morphology, the material of grammar. Its relative importance varies according to the language considered. This is particularly true of word order, for when an inflected language loses its case endings, word order assumes many of the functions of the former cases. This outline by Professor Williams re-emphasizes the significance of word order in Hebrew. Developed over fifteen years in a formal course on Hebrew syntax at the University of Toronto, it treats the syntax of the noun, the verb, particles and clauses, with a selection of illustrative examples. Its contents are based on classical Hebrew prose, but some account is also taken of the deviations in later prose and poetry. In this new edition English translations have been provided for all Hebrew phrases and sentences, and the bibliography has been expanded. (From the publisher's website .)

This work is intended to serve as a user-friendly and up-to-date source of information on the morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics of Biblical Hebrew verbs, nouns and other word classes (prepositions, conjunctions, adverbs, modal words, negatives, focus particles, discourse markers, interrogatives and interjections). It also contains one of the most elaborate treatments of Biblical Hebrew word order yet published in a grammar. This reference grammar will be of service to students who have completed an introductory or intermediate course in Biblical Hebrew, and also to more advanced scholars seeking to take advantage of traditional and recent descriptions of the language that go beyond the basic morphology of Biblical Hebrew. (From the publisher's website.)

Meeting the need for a textbook for classroom use after first year Hebrew grammar, Waltke and O'Connor integrate the results of modern linguistic study of Hebrew and years of experience teaching the subject in this book. In addition to functioning as a teaching grammar, this work will also be widely used for reference and self-guided instruction in Hebrew beyond the first formal year. Extensive discussion and explanation of grammatical points help to sort out points blurred in introductory books. More than 3,500 Biblical Hebrew examples illustrate the points of grammar under discussion. Four indexes (Scripture, Authorities cited, Hebrew words, and Topics) provide ready access to the vast array of information found in the 40 chapters. Destined to become a classic work, this long-awaited book fills a major gap among modern publications on Biblical Hebrew. (From the publisher's website .)

This book provides a grammar of the extrabiblical Hebrew inscriptions of Palestine that have been attributed by various archaeological, historical, and paleographic analyses to the period between the tenth and the sixth century B.C.E. These pre-Persian inscriptions constitute a corpus of epigraphic Hebrew inscriptions (including ostraca, graffiti, and seals) that has never been studied comprehensively. While studies of the better-known epigraphic Hebrew inscriptions have been attempted, this book covers the entire corpus. In addition, the seal inscriptions and the personal names have been systematically compared with the longer inscriptions for the first time. (From the publisher's website.)

This Grammar of the Hebrew language is one of the most complete such grammars in the English language. Already well known in its two-volume first edition [subsidia biblica n. 14], this is the most extensive revision yet of one of the most complete Hebrew Grammars available in English. That first edition of 1991 was, in its turn, based on the original work in French by Paul Joüon published for the first time in 1923. This edition brings the work up to the present by taking account of developments in our understanding of the Hebrew language during the intervening years. For the first time the work is presented in a single volume. Professor Muraoka hopes that this helps to make the book more attractive and the content easier to use. As with the earlier edition students of the Old Testament, Hebrew and Semitics who have a basic knowledge of Biblical Hebrew will find much useful insight and information here. (From the publisher's website.)

For almost a century, Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar has proven to be one of the most comprehensive works on Hebrew, covering all aspects of the language, including historical background, pronunciation, etymology, syntax, and sentence structure. Generally recognized as the most useful and authoritative reference grammar for Biblical Hebrew, the text includes indices of Hebrew words, subjects, and Biblical passages as well as an extremely valuable appendix listing paradigms. An indispensable resource for students and translators, Gesenius' book remains the most usable reference grammar for classical Hebrew. Republication of the Oxford, 1910 edition. (From the publisher's website.)

This grammar is intended for intermediate or advanced students of Hebrew who wish to learn more about the history of the Hebrew language, specifically its phonology and morphology. Reymond focuses on aspects of Hebrew that will promote a student's retention of words and their inflection as well as those that will reinforce general principles of the language. Specific examples for memorization are outlined at the end of each chapter. The book also serves as a resource for students wishing to remind themselves of the relative frequency of certain phenomena. The book provides students with a full picture of the language's morphology by providing tables of the inflection of individual words for most classes of nouns and adjectives as well as tables that set similar verbal inflections side by side.

An indispensable and incomparable reference work, this translation of the Theologisches Handwörterbuch zum Alten Testament makes accessible for the first time in English a wealth of theological insight. In these volumes outstanding scholars provide in-depth and wide-ranging investigations of the historical, semantic, and theological meanings of Old Testament concepts.

Well-organized and clearly written articles analyze a significant portion of the Old Testament vocabulary. This reference work can serve a wide audience, from professors and researchers to pastors and students of the Bible. Even readers with little or no knowledge of Hebrew can use it profitably.

Whereas traditional lexicons do little more than offer possible translations in the light of etymological and grammatical evidence, The Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament goes further, evaluating each term's theological relevance by clearly describing its actual usage in the language. In the process, it makes available to readers in many form- and tradition-critical insights hitherto buried in scattered commentaries, monographs, Old Testament theologies, journal articles, etc. Thus the individual articles serve as concise, well-structured histories of research with conclusions, discussion of controversies, and references to the most important literature.

The methodological repertoire of the TLOT is deliberately broad because today it is generally agreed that no single approach can fully illuminate a term's meaning. Assumptions that led to ill-advised short-cuts—e.g., the chimera of a basic meaning from which all other meanings developed—have given way to a methodological pluralism, that considers a term's significance from several points of view and thus does more justice to actual usage.

Words were included because of their importance within the Hebrew Bible, not their suitability as elements of a secondary system of Old Testament theology. Since the entries are generally ordered according to roots—the traditional and sensible approach for Semitic languages—and many words are treated as derivatives, synonyms, or antonyms of the terms listed in the article titles, thousands of words can be considered in about 330 articles. These other words can easily be found in the index. Besides examining the key verbs, nouns, and adjectives, the TLOT examines theologically noteworthy pronouns and particles in their own entries. (From the publisher's website.)

Only one hermeneutical text published prior to the New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis can be held up reasonably to its measure of quality and the exhaustive nature of the research that produced this immense work. That singular collection worthy of comparison is its counterpart, the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, edited by Colin Brown. This 5 volume addition to that acclaimed work, though intimidating in the achievement it embodies, is intended for serious Old Testament and exegetical study by men and women of all walks of life -- both academics and pastors, students and laypersons. Volume one contains a Guide to Old Testament Theology and Exegesis in which ten essays have been compiled to thoroughly explain proper hermeneutics and interpretation, as well as guidelines for using this source material. Volumes one through four contain the Lexicon of the Old Testament, all words found in the text ordered by Hebrew alphabetization for easy reference, and coupled with a Goodrick / Kohlenberger cross-referencing number to be used in conjunction with Strong's numbering system. The relationship of each word in different contexts and languages is also explained, including alternative words, and the particulars of their semantic domain. All this information is, of course, complete with bibliography. Volume four also begins the Topical Dictionary. Therein can be found articles on the theology of each Old Testament book individually, as well as discussion of biblical concepts, people, places, events, and literary pieces, all information that is cross-referenced to the preceding Hebraic Lexicon. Finally, volume five contains a series of indexes: Hebrew Index, Scripture Index, Subject Index, and an index of Semantic Fields. Taken as a whole, the New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis is an unparalleled accomplishment in the field of biblical hermeneutics. (From the publisher's website.)

Extensive, scholarly discussion of every Hebrew word of theological significance in the Old Testament. Keyed to Strong's Concordance. Reprint of former two volume edition, now combined into one volume. (From the publisher's website.)

This multivolume work is still proving to be as fundamental to Old Testament studies as its companion set, the Kittel-Friedrich Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, has been to New Testament studies.

Beginning with 'ābh ('āb), “father,” and continuing through the alphabet, the TDOT volumes present in-depth discussions of the key Hebrew and Aramaic words in the Old Testament. Leading scholars of various religious traditions (including Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Greek Orthodox, and Jewish) and from many parts of the world (Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States) have been carefully selected for each article by editors Botterweck, Ringgren, and Fabry and their consultants, George W. Anderson, Henri Cazelles, David Noel Freedman, Shemaryahu Talmon, and Gerhard Wallis.

The intention of the writers is to concentrate on meaning, starting from the more general, everyday senses and building to an understanding of theologically significant concepts. To avoid artificially restricting the focus of the articles, TDOT considers under each keyword the larger groups of words that are related linguistically or semantically. The lexical work includes detailed surveys of a word’s occurrences, not only in biblical material but also in other ancient Near Eastern writings. Sumerian, Akkadian, Egyptian, Ethiopic, Ugaritic, and Northwest Semitic sources are surveyed, among others, as well as the Qumran texts and the Septuagint; and in cultures where no cognate word exists, the authors often consider cognate ideas.

TDOT’s emphasis, though, is on Hebrew terminology and on biblical usage. The contributors employ philology as well as form-critical and traditio-historical methods, with the aim of understanding the religious statements in the Old Testament. Extensive bibliographical information adds to the value of this reference work.

This English edition attempts to serve the needs of Old Testament students without the linguistic background of more advanced scholars; it does so, however, without sacrificing the needs of the latter. Ancient scripts (Hebrew, Greek, etc.) are regularly transliterated in a readable way, and meanings of foreign words are given in many cases where the meanings might be obvious to advanced scholars. Where the Hebrew text versification differs from that of English Bibles, the English verse appears in parentheses. Such features will help all earnest students of the Bible to avail themselves of the manifold theological insights contained in this monumental work. (From the publisher's website.)