Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar [Hardcover]

I recommend reading this book from cover to cover at least twice: once as a studious overview, secondly as a serious study, maybe putting notes into your Hebrew text. But the following explanation is needed: there are portions of information that do not have to be known too thoroughly to understand what one is reading in the Hebrew Tanach. Much of the information is analytical more from a linguistics standpoint. In other words, don't think you need to know everything in the book. But embedded within the optional information is other information one will need; so all the book must be read.

The book can be broken down into 3 levels:
1. That which every serious student must know. This would mean that most of the book needs to be known, with probably placing details into your Hebrew text for reference. This text is especially needed for grammatical variations not found in basic grammars (e.g., a rare form of the infinitive used with intransitive verbs; the fem. objective affix seemingly having no antecedent, but actually having a previous phrase or clause for its antecedent, regardless of gender, Gen. 15:6); the ignoring of gender at times, etc. Like any other language, Hebrew has grammatical structures that have "broken the rules."

2. That which is interesting to know and which may or may not really help in translation. This would, for instance, include some of the heavier details concerning rules for vowel changes, etc.

3. That which surely does not need to be known to read and understand Hebrew. This information is for people who are grammar geeks, who need to know how things work even though not knowing this information will not hurt anyone's communication skills. Much of this has to do with comparing Hebrew with other Semitic and European languages. It's interesting, and in other fields, it is important; but for the Hebrew reader, this tends to be ineffectual in helping the student who is learning to read Hebrew. Don't be discouraged by this stuff as you read the book; read it and move on.

Just as with English, volumes can be written on how a language works, and Gesenius provides this. But no one needs to know the most intricate circuitry to communicate. For instance, speakers in English say, "If he were to go, I would stay." The rule for having a plural verb for the singular pronoun is: "3rd person singular subjunctive uses a plural verb." Most people don't know this, and yet they speak correctly. The same is true with Hebrew: You can get overloaded with the details, and yet without those details a student of Hebrew won't have a problem.

As one progresses in the book, the information becomes more practical in a sense, moving away from all the technical analysis of language and moving into what is really needed for anyone to do translation.

But, it is also true that while all this information should be reviewed because of its historical important in the process of understanding Hebrew, it is also necessary to know that there are significant points in this grammar that have been proven to be untrue. Such updated information can be found in Waltke & O'Connors "Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax," another, and even more so, must have.

marc_bauer@yahoo.com