A Basic Introduction to Biblical Hebrew: with CD by Jo Ann Hackett

Hackett’s grammar is arranged in 30 lessons which makes it excellent for intensive study over the period of 1 semester, or for 2 semesters over the course of an entire school year. During the study the student will encounter several new approaches to learning the language. First, Hackett lists verbal forms from 1st person to 3rd person, rather than the traditional approach of 3rd to 1st. She acknowledges that the traditional way is counter intuitive with English speaking students because they learn their verbs from 1st to 3rd. Second, rather than introducing both strong and weak verbs together, Hackett divides them and presents all strong verbs first, and then introduces weak verbs near the end of the book. Again, the principle in play here is to follow a formal order that layers and slowly introduces nuance into the language rather than shifting back and forth between straight forward items, and more difficult aspects of the language. Third, Hackett also jettisons what she believes are “old-fashioned methods” of teaching the Hebrew verbal system in favor of a more simple, but also more descriptive system using the terms “prefix conjugation” and “suffix conjugation”. She also uses ve-qatal to describe what is popularly known as the “converted perfect”. Fourth, unlike many Hebrew grammars, Hackett introduces her verbal forms logically. She notes, “It is a logical progression to begin with the prefix conjugation and lead up to the consecutive preterite. The consecutive preterite is the form beginning students must know thoroughly in order to read most biblical prose, and in order to lead them to that form, I needed to introduce the jussive, and in order to introduce the jussive, I first needed to present the prefix conjugation.” Read more