Exegetical Gems from Biblical Hebrew: A Refreshing Guide to Grammar and Interpretation

Abstract

For many Biblical Hebrew students, the transition from learning grammar to undertaking exegesis can be difficult. As these students begin to wade through jargon-laden, reference-volume-style syntax books, they simultaneously swim upstream in their quest not to forget the basics of Biblical Hebrew grammar. Additionally, consulting syntax books and mastering morphology does not automatically produce the discernment necessary for sifting through various options and drawing out exegetical insights. Thankfully, H. H. Hardy II’s Exegetical Gems from Biblical Hebrew is now available.The book divides into 30 chapters that cover an array of topics such as word studies, prepositions, pronouns, verb conjugations, verb stems, volitives, verbless clauses, and textual criticism. Every chapter begins with an untranslated verse of Hebrew, and Hardy identifies a grammatical feature from the verse that impinges on exegesis to introduce the topic of the chapter. Hardy offers an overview of the grammatical and/or syntactical topic and then concludes the chapter by assessing how best to understand the grammatical and/or syntactical feature in the verse that opens the chapter.Since Hardy is a graduate of the University of Chicago, renowned for its specialization in ANE languages, I knew the material would be trustworthy, but I was curious to see whether he would be able to address a nonspecialist audience in a way that informs exegesis. I am pleased to report that his writing is clear, and grammatical explanations are succinct, lacking unnecessary jargon. For instance, he defines verbal aspect as describing “whether the action is viewed as temporally bounded (perfective) or not (imperfective)” (pp. 57–58). He then provides a table to illustrate these aspects.Additionally, Hardy intertwines grammatical and exegetical decision making effectively. The result is that the reader not only learns what Hardy thinks about an exegetical question but also develops exegetical instincts as Hardy weighs options and draws out his conclusions. For instance, ch. 23 deals with בְּיוֹם in Gen 2:17, which leads to an important discussion on compound prepositions. Beginners so often think a faithful translation of לִפְנֵי should be “before the face[s] of.” Oy vey! When he applies the discussion to בְּיוֹם in Gen 2:17, he notes that “the more sound method of deciphering this preposition, and in turn the phrase, is to compare the usage patterns of בְּיוֹם” (p. 150), not just בְּ and יוֹם separately. He surveys the options and notes that, when the compound is followed by an infinitive, as is the case in Gen 2:17, it is often a temporal marker better understood as “when” rather than “in the day.” The exegetical payoff becomes obvious. God is not lying when Adam and Eve do not die immediately “in the day” they eat the fruit, nor do we need to suggest that it must be spiritual death that God was warning about in the verse. Instead, “when” (בְּיוֹם) is a “temporal expression provides the setting of the warning” (p. 150).A final praise for this book is its multipurpose nature. The volume in part serves as a review of aspects of first-year grammar that are difficult to remember. For instance, the qatal/wayyiqtol, yiqtol/wəqatal, or volitional/wəqatal clause level combinations are difficult to grasp and easy to forget, so his five chapters that review these patterns via clear explanation and illustration will prove useful to many. Exegetical Gems from Biblical Hebrew also in part serves as a select reference guide. For example, the chapter on כִּי offers nine categories for its function, along with examples from the biblical text. Furthermore, the book provides a useful segue for recognizing how grammar and syntax contribute to exegesis, helping a student gain exposure to categories and develop discernment in exegesis.Readers may find certain chapters more useful than others, but this is the case with any book. This is the rare volume in the area of Hebrew grammar that I can heartily recommend as being worth reading cover to cover. I could imagine the book functioning well in the following ways. It could be assigned reading for the final weeks of a 2nd-semester Hebrew class. Or one could recommend that students read this over the summer to review their grammar and prepare for syntax and exegesis. Or one might assign this to students in 2nd-year Hebrew as a supplementary text book. Or, for pastors and others who need a refresher or want to keep sharp in Hebrew, this book will prove useful. Hardy and Baker Academic are to be thanked for providing us with a gem of a book in Exegetical Gems from Biblical Hebrew.