Comprehensive in scope, this carefully crafted introductory grammar of Biblical Hebrew offers easy-to-understand explanations, numerous biblical illustrations, and a wide range of imaginative, biblically based exercises. According to Page Kelley, his book is "designed not so much for seasoned travelers as for those who are just starting out on a strange and wonderful journey."
The book consists of thirty-one lessons arranged as follows: the nonverbal aspects of the language (lessons 1-10); the verb forms and their functions, with special attention to the strong verbs (lessons 11-20); the coordinate relationship of verbs, a topic alluded to but seldom developed in other grammars (lesson 21); and a comprehensive introduction to each of the ten classes of weak verbs (lessons 22-31). The grammar is accompanied by eleven complete verb charts, an extensive vocabulary list, a glossary of grammatical terms, and a subject index.
Kelley employs a method that one reviewer has described as a cross between a straight presentation of grammatical principles and rules and a semi-inductive presentation of concepts through the exercises. Each lesson first presents new grammatical concepts, with biblical examples, and then provides reinforcing exercises that Kelley has judiciously selected from the biblical text (the exercises do not presuppose vocabulary and grammar not already covered).
Deriving from the author's forty years of experience in teaching Biblical Hebrew to seminary students, and enthusiastically employed in its developing stages by instructors at a variety of colleges and seminaries, Kelley's Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Grammar promises to be an excellent teaching tool with high potential as a textbook. Kelly has designed it for use in either a one-semester or a two-semester course.
