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Resources to help you to learn ancient Hebrew (the language in which the Old Testament was originally written)

Text Resources

Hebrew text history / family tree

  • Thanks to Dan King
  • A pictorial summary of the reconstructed history of the Hebrew texts we have at our disposal
  • Download it here

Hebrew manuscript summary

  • Thanks to Dan King
  • A pictorial summary of the Hebrew manuscripts that we have at our disposal
  • (These ancient and modern manuscripts enable us to work out what the original Hebrew text was)
  • Download it here

Grammar Resources

Hebrew Verb Paradigm Tester

  • A fully functional Hebrew 'Flashcard'-style program for memorising paradigms
  • Requires:
    • Microsoft Excel 97 or above (included in Microsoft Office standard edition)
      • Matt Van Dyken writes:
        I have successfully tested that it works in Open Office 3.0. To make it work, however, I had to change the following options (change from the default settings).
        • Tools -> Options -> Load/Save -> VBA properties -> Microsoft Excel
        • 97/2000/XP -> Make sure that "Executable Code" is checked.
        • Tools -> Options -> OpenOffice.org -> Security -> Macro Security -> Medium.
    • Font: SIL Ezra
  • Doesn't need any other Flashcard software to run
  • There are currently two versions available:
    • Verb paradigms from A. P. Ross's "Introducing Biblical Hebrew" (Thanks to David Yung and Philip Swan)
      • Has the ability to select paradigms based on stem and root type
      • Has a small number of paradigms missing
      • Download it here
    • Verb paradigms from C. L. Seow's "A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew" (revised edition)

Table of Hebrew Strong Verbs

Table of Hebrew Weak Verbs

  • Thanks to Anthony Douglas
  • Requires:
    • Microsoft Excel 97 or above (included in Microsoft Office standard edition) or compatible
    • Font: bwhebb
  • Download it here

Syntax Resources

  • Macros for easier handling of Hebrew text in Office XP Word (thanks Philip Swan)
  • Version 2: Download it here
  • For easily creating new lines and sending Hebrew words up and down from one line to another in MS Word.
  • Now works with earlier versions of Word! (except footnote-to-clipboard macro)
  • Also more exact instructions for getting the verse-to-table macro to work for you.
  • If you installed a previous version, when you are in the Organiser dialogue box, you will need to DELETE the HebrewParagraphingTools Toolbar AND Macro Project Item from your Normal.dot file BEFORE copying the same back over from this new file.

Vocabulary Resources

Hebrew Flash cards for Microsoft Excel

  • A fully functional Hebrew Flashcard program for memorising vocabulary
  • Requires:
    • Microsoft Excel 97 or above (included in Microsoft Office standard edition)
      • NB I think it also runs on Star Office (a freeware Office package)
    • Font: SIL Ezra
  • Doesn't need any other Flashcard software to run

There are currently four word lists available

  1. Complete vocabulary list from C. L. Seow's "A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew" (revised edition). Also includes approximate frequency ranges (0-99, 100-199, 200-499, 500+).
  2. Words from second year Moore Theological College Hebrew set texts (2003), with frequencies
  3. Vocabulary list from A. P. Ross's "Introducing Biblical Hebrew" (Thanks to Philip Swan)
  4. Vocabulary from the book of Ruth (Thanks to Gary Hsu)

Fonts

To use most of these resources, you will need the following fonts:
  1. "bwhebb" (from the Bibleworks website)

    If this box looks Hebrew then you have bwhebb installed already:

    rb'd'
  2. SIL Ezra. (This used to be available from the SIL website, but they have superseded it with a new font - see below.)

    If this box looks Hebrew then you have SIL Ezra installed already:

    rAbßd
  3. "Ezra SIL.". Available from the SIL website. Note that SIL Ezra and Ezra SIL are two different fonts and both may need to be installed.