A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew presents two distinct, but related courses geared mainly toward seminary students, designed to turn out intelligent users of the Hebrew Bible. The first part provides a four-week intensive course leading to a lexical knowledge of biblical Hebrew. Its goal is to teach the necessary linguistic tools to enable students to gain a basic grasp of the nature and structure of political Hebrew, to use the Hebrew lexicon and concordance to be able to exercise some control over translations, to develop a basic vocabulary of words significant for biblical thought, to understand the peculiar problems of the Hebrew text and its transmission, and to use scholarly commentaries with understanding. The second part provides a full course in grammar and reading by focusing on the Elijah narratives in 1 Kings 17-19 which contain examples of nearly all the elements needed for a sound knowledge of biblical Hebrew. A major portion of the second part gives a full summary of Hebrew grammar and extensive notes on Hebrew syntax providing a basic reference for any reading of the Hebrew Bible. Robert Bornemann (d.2009) was Anna Burkhalter Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Hebrew at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.
