Unit content includes: learning the particularities of Hebrew grammar and syntax and biblical vocabulary with a view to being able to read Hebrew and translate into English; developing the skills to employ standard resources (lexicon, Hebrew grammar) in the translation of texts from the Hebrew Bible.
Unit code: AL8123Z
Unit status: Approved (New unit)
Points: 24.0
Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational
Unit discipline: Languages
Delivery Mode: Blended
Proposing College: St Barnabas College
Show when this unit is running| 1. | Have a sound working knowledge of the basic vocabulary and grammatical forms of biblical Hebrew |
| 2. | Translate from any part of the Hebrew Bible |
| 3. | Use a Hebrew lexicon and grammar to assist in translation |
| 4. | Examine elements of the Hebrew language, researching issues of philology and idiomatic and contextual usage and evaluating the significance for Christian faith and life |
| 5. | Demonstrate the enhanced theological understanding of the Old Testament that comes from a working knowledge of Hebrew |
No prerequisites
This unit is underpinned by teaching practices and strategies (e.g. interactive lectures to introduce new material, group work on drills and translations, and regular quiz exercises and feedback), which encourage student engagement and participation in a variety of learning tasks and opportunities that foster deep learning.
• Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt, Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2019.
• Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt, Basics of Biblical Hebrew Workbook. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2019.
• Brown, Francis, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon: with an appendix containing the Biblical Aramaic. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996.
• Elliger, Karl, and Wilhelm Rudolph, eds. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. 5th rev ed. Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1997. eBook available https://divinity.on.worldcat.org/oclc/41325119
• Gary A. Long. Grammatical concepts 101 for biblical Hebrew. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013.
• Holladay, William L. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon of the Old Testament. 12th corrected impression. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1991.
• John A. Cook and Robert D. Holmstedt, Beginning Biblical Hebrew. A Grammar and Illustrated Reader. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013.
• Köhler, Ludwig, and Walter Baumgartner. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Edited by Johann Jakob Stamm, Benedikt Hartmann, Zeev Ben-Ḥayyim, Edward Yechezkel Kutscher, and Philippe Reymond. Translated by M. E. J. Richardson. Study edition. Leiden: Brill, 2001.
• Kohlenberger, John R. The Hebrew English concordance to the Old Testament: with the new international version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987.
• Miles V. Van Pelt. English grammar to ace biblical Hebrew. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.Williams, Ronald J. Williams’ Hebrew syntax. 3rd ed. Revised and expanded by John C. Beckman. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007.
| Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Examination - 8 oral quizzes testing vocabulary, grammar and syntax | 1500 | 30.0 | |
| Short Answer Tests - 2 Short answer written tests spaced throughout semester | 1000 | 15.0 | |
| Document Study - Research project on a Hebrew text | 3500 | 55.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 12 Nov, 2025
Unit record last updated: 2025-11-12 14:14:56 +1100