Comments on: Learning Biblical Languages

By: Nitsav

Nitsav — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:59:10 +0000

Part III of teaching yourself Hebrew.

By: Jacob J

Jacob J — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 22:36:24 +0000

BrianJ, knowing enough to spot the BS could be a good idea, hadn’t thought of that.

By: Kevin Barney

Kevin Barney — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:20:43 +0000

That’s shaping up as a great series, Nitsav. Great advice.

By: Nitsav

Nitsav — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:31:01 +0000

Part 2 of teaching yourself.

http://faithpromotingrumor.wordpress.com/2008/12/29/how-to-teach-yourself-hebrew-from-scratch-part-ii/

By: StillConfused

StillConfused — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:26:59 +0000

There is a beginning Hebrew class at the Salt Lake Jewish Community Center that starts on January 20.

By: BrianJ

BrianJ — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 06:03:46 +0000

Jacob J: While I have no hope of ever “mastering” OT Hebrew, I still plan to become an amateur. Here’s why:

1) To be better able to distinguish good commentary from b.s. A few years ago, anyone in church on Sunday could make whatever lexical argument they wanted and I wouldn’t have had any idea whether they were on to something or just stirring Koolaid. Now I know some of the rudimentary tools and I can at least spot the obvious imposters.

2) What little I have learned of Hebrew has shown that the OT is written in beautiful language. I think some novice-level Hebrew would be fun if only for aesthetic enjoyment of the scriptures.

By: Sharon in Tennessee

Sharon in Tennessee — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:36:54 +0000

Quick question to all persons above and interested parties reading:
(1)I personally would find it interesting to have a finite overview / discussion on translations / interpretations that have “come to light” with the guidence of the Holy Ghost…
Example: Brief overview of dictionary meanings of words in passaged in Revelation….when every possible definition and description is explored…
do always show a context of deeper spiritual meaning….and ALWAYS, within the whole (compound) give a pretty true celestial nature of the original word. (In addition to other languages..meaning specifically the “insight revelatory addition) to same?
(2) The dictionary I use (own 3 copies) is remarkably clear and distinctive in it’s applicable references to “higher” and “quantitative” meanings…whether the Mathematical one, astronomical one, & so forth.
It is The Reader’s Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary with inclusions from Funk & Wagnalls & Standard College Dictionary.
…..So…..are there any suggestions about a really SUPERIOR one that would reflect advancements upon my thusfar findings?

By: Jacob J

Jacob J — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:51:11 +0000

Wow, I’m amazed at how many of us went through Griggs’ New Testament class. I loved that he required everyone to read the assigned reading in both the KJV and another translation. Mainly for the reasons TT points out, I have never gotten excited about learning Hebrew or Greek. I know I’m never going to devote enough time to really master one of those languages, so I am content to read commentaries and multiple translations (along with Kevin Barney’s Notes on the New Testament).

By: BrianJ

BrianJ — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:45:05 +0000

@44: the appearance of Greek, mingled with scripture, eh?

By: oudenos

oudenos — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:23:21 +0000

TT is right. One or two or even four years of Greek is hardly enough to qualify as authoritative, especially when those years are self taught years. You simply can’t compare learning NT Greek from a primer with taking multiple years of the hard stuff while mixing in some Greek composition courses for good measure.

As for the magical Greek phenomenon, just last year a highly intelligent law student was teaching SS in my ward and he busted out some Greekiology that was outright BS. The whole thing was bizarre: he was being totally dishonest with his assertion that he “looked this verse up in the Greek” (he doesn’t read Greek), the mostly grad-student audience didn’t challenge him on it but lapped it up wholesale, and his appeal to “the Greek” didn’t really bolster the particular point which he was trying to make. Weird.