Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar,   ISBN:9780310237600

Customer Rating: 

I purchased this grammar and the accompanying workbook, flashcards, "charts," and the "Get an A" summary sheet for my Hebrew I & II courses under Miles Van Pelt. It was a treat to be taught from this grammar by the co-author himself. But for those of you who are considering buying this grammar for a course under another professor, or for independent study, I definitely recommend these items, except for the "charts" which you don't need at all. Of course, if you're a student who is going to study under another professor than either of the co-authors, be sure they approve of your relying on this text, even if in part.

Now for the self-studier (or, autodidact), I strongly encourage you to get the four items I list above. This grammar (w/ other goodies) is the simplest way to learn Biblical Hebrew, in my opinion, and that is because it is the most scientific. By this I mean that the authors have painstakingly eliminated all the gruelling paradigm memorization as was possible and caught instead upon all the ways the morphology (how verbs change and why) can give you the same information and make it possible for you to parse the verb(al).

We covered two chapters per week for Hebrew I (and in the compressed winter term, Hebrew II one chapter per day), so it is possible to cruise through this system in six months. I can actually read the Hebrew text after having studied all the chapters, but that was with the benefit of constant instruction by a professional. For autodidacts, plan on one year of disciplined study, without rushing too fast past things you're not sure about. The workbook (and CD ROM from the back of the grammar to grade it) are great! Be sure to do all the exercises, except perhaps the English to Hebrew, which isn't really necessary, but could be a useful added drill if you are struggling. Also, for self-study's, be sure to review review review. Don't be ashamed to start over from the beginning once you have finished. Then you might want to obtain a Hebrew Reader. Zondervan has a nice one. Now learn you some Hebrew ya bums!

Please consult my review of William Mounce's Basics of Biblical Greek, because the same strategy and paedagogical method was adopted for Hebrew with this grammar as was adopted by Mounce for Greek.

Customer Rating: 

Very good book. It has much technical detail about biblical Hebrew, but it does thoroughly explain the detail. Great for beginner who is grasping new concepts. Great for a scholar who is continuing to learn.

Customer Rating: 

I began learning biblical Hebrew at 54,basically self-taught,although I had access to some oversight and guidance.I owned two beginning grammars prior to buying Pratico which were helpful as stepping stones.
I believe this grammar to be the most comprehensive of any that I was able to preview,and is an excellent stand-alone reference. The available workbook,vocabulary cards,and general SYSTEM Pratico publishes will enable the disciplined and persevering student to read and understand the language . That said,if you are NOT those things,this book is going to overwhelm you as an initial introduction to Hebrew grammar,for the very reason it is an excellent reference tool.It is so comprehensive you may be initially intimidated by the thorough presentation of all the nuances,exceptions to the rule,and caveats Biblical Hebrew contains.
So basically the use of this book will reward the serious student,and I wish I had started here. Get the workbook,vocabulary cards and everything they offer if you are committed. If you are not,you probably are wasting time and should be satisfied using a KeyWord Bible,also excellent.

Customer Rating: 

The Ross Hebrew Grammar is very much better, in our view, than the Pratico Grammar. Pratico has produced a book that serves better as a reference book than a beginning Hebrew Grammar. Very often, my students were confronted with material they did not need. Ross' Grammar we have found to be simpler and, for beginning students, that means better. It covers all that beginners need, and just a little bit more (for the students who want it). I am sure that other Grammars do the same. Pratico just gives too much information too soon. Much of it can safely be skipped.
We recently switched from Pratico to Ross' textbook in mid-stream because we grew tired of having to deal with so much unnecessary detail. We have kept Pratico on the shelf, and have referred to it once already. So, it still is serving a purpose. But I cannot recommend it as the text of choice for beginners.

Customer Rating: 

I needed this for a text and I am very happy with the price and the book