Course Syllabus

Course title: ET 711 Hebrew Syntax & Exegesis

Course description: A self-directed study course that provides the student with an introduction to
Hebrew syntax and exegetical methodology.
Course instructor: Robert R. Gonzales Jr. has been a pastor since 1997 and currently serves as the
dean and a professor of Biblical Studies for Reformed Baptist Seminary. He holds
a Master of Arts degree (M.A.) in Theology and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in
Old Testament Interpretation from Bob Jones University. Hes the author of Where
Sin Abounds: the Spread of Sin and the Curse in Genesis with Special Focus on the
Patriarchal Narrative (Wipf & Stock, 2010) and a contributor to The Reformed
Baptist Theological Review and The Founders Journal.
Course credit: 3 credit-hours
Course textbooks: Required textbooks:
Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt. Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar.
2nd edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007.
Waltke, Bruce K., and M. OConnor. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax.
Eisenbrauns, 1990.
Van Pelt, Miles V., and Gary Pratico. Graded Reader of Biblical Hebrew:
A Guide to Reading the Hebrew Bible. Zondervan, 2006.
At least one of the following Hebrew lexicons:
William Holladay. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old
Testament: Based upon the Lexical Work of Ludwig Koehler and
Walter Baumgartner. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1972.
Koehler, L., W. Baumgartner, and J. Stamm. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon
of the Old Testament. Study Edition. 2 volumes. Translated and edited
by M. E. J. Richardson. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2001.
Brown, F., S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs. The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-
Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1979.
Recommended textbooks:
Hebrew Text
Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. 5th edition. American Bible Society, 1997.
A. Philip Brown II and Bryan W. Smith, editors. A Readers Hebrew Bible.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008.
Grammars
Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt. Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar.
2nd edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007.
Williams, Ronald. Hebrew Syntax: An Outline, 3rd edition. Toronto: University
of Toronto Press, 2007.
Gesenius, Wilhelmus. Gesenius Hebrew Grammar. Edited by E. Kautsch.
Translated by E. A. Cowley. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910.
Joon, Paul. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. 2 volumes. Translated by T.
Muraoka. Rome: Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 2000.
Lexicons
Koehler, L., W. Baumgartner, and J. Stamm. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon
of the Old Testament. Study Edition. 2 volumes. Translated and edited
by M. E. J. Richardson. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2001.
Brown, F., S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs. The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-
Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson,
1979.
Word Studies
VanGemeren, W. A., ed. The New International Dictionary of Old Testament
Theology and Exegesis. 5 volumes. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997.
Jenni, Ernst, and Claus Westermann. Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament.
3 volumes. Translated by Mark Biddle. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson,
1997.
Harris, R. L., Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, eds. Theological
Wordbook of the Old Testament. 2 volumes. Chicago: Moody Press,
1980.
Linguistics
Barr, James. The Semantics of Biblical Language. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1961.
Beekman, John and John Callow, Translating the Word of God. Zondervan,
1974.
Carson, Donald. Exegetical Fallacies. 2nd edition. Grand Rapids: Baker Books,
1996.
Silva, Moiss. God, Language and Scripture. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991.
Silva, Moiss. Biblical Words and Their Meaning: An Introduction to Lexical
Semantics. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1983.
Course requirements: Student must satisfactorily complete the following course requirements:
(1) Reading The student must complete the following assigned readings:
(1) Pratico and Van Pelt. Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar.
___ Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (chapter 36), pp. 403-414.
(2) Waltke and OConnor, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (IBHS)
Segment one
___ Language and Text in IBHS, pp. 3-30
Segment two
___ Number in IBHS, pp. 111-24.
___ Genitive Function in IBHS, pp. 136-60.
Segment three
___ Accusative Function and Related Matters in IBHS, pp. 161-86.
___ Prepositions in IBHS, pp. 187-225.
___ Infinitive Absolute and Infinitive Construct in IBHS, pp. 580-611.
Segment four
___ Participles in IBHS, pp. 612-31.
___ Subordination in IBHS, pp. 632-46.
___ Coordination and Clausal Adverbs and Exclamations and Polar
Questions in IBHS, pp. 647-85.
(2) Workbook The student should complete all the exercises in the following workbook:
Van Pelt, Miles V., and Gary Pratico. Graded Reader of Biblical Hebrew:
A Guide to Reading the Hebrew Bible. Zondervan, 2006.
(3) Word Studies The student will complete two word-study projects each one to two pages in length
(single spaced). The student should first do his own analysis on the words usage.
Then he may check his initial analysis against the analyses found in lexicons and
word studies. The student should consult The Procedure for Composing a Word
Study for further guidelines. The student may also request from the instructor a
sample word study.
(4) Commentary The student will write a grammatical and exegetical commentary on one of the
two following passages: Genesis 3:1-13 or Genesis 11:1-9. The commentary should
include an expositional outline and practical applications from the text. The student
should consult Guidelines for Composing a Commentary for further details.
(5) Exams The student should complete the following exams:
Midterm Exam (100 points):
Questions from reading in Pratico and Van Pelt (Introduction to the
Hebrew Bible) and in Waltke and OConnor including segment one
(Language and Text) and segment two (Number and Genitive
Function).
Parsing and translation from workbook exercises 1-16.
Final Exam (100 points):
Questions from reading in Waltke and OConnor, including segment three
(Accusative Function and Related Matters; Prepositions; Infinite
Construct) and segment four segment four of Waltke and OConnor
(Participles; Subordination; Coordination and Clausal Adverbs and
Exclamations and Polar Questions).
Parsing and translation from workbook exercises 17-30.
The student should use the Study Guide provided by the course instructor to
prepare for the questions on the exam based on the reading. By completing the
workbook exercises, the student will prepare himself for the parsing and translation
sections on the exams.
Course grading: Reading and translation workbook: 10%
Word Studies: 30%
Commentary Project: 30%
Course Exams: 30%