Biblical Hebrew
The Biblical Languages Department desires to produce students who confidently read Hebrew and competently interpret the biblical text so that it directly impacts their lives and their interaction with the world.
What is the Biblical Hebrew major like? The first year you will learn the basics of Hebrew grammar and translate the book of Esther. From there you will go on to do intensive reading from one of the following sequences in our three-year rotation of texts.
- Genesis (Fall); Ecclesiastes, Psalms (Spring)
- Exodus (Fall); Proverbs, Psalms (Spring)
- I Samuel (Fall); Song of Songs, Minor Prophets (Spring)
Your third year will be spent in advanced translation and analysis of the Hebrew Bible. Since part of the Old Testament was written in Aramaic, you will begin your final year of study with a course in Aramaic. The last course involves translating passages from the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jewish Midrash, and the Talmud that provide examples of Jewish interpretation of the Hebrew Bible.
The Biblical Languages Department offers one of the finest Hebrew programs in the country and gives you a solid grounding in Hebrew by having you read as extensively as possible. Does it work? Our students are excited about the classes we offer and find they can easily begin advanced work at other institutions or continue learning on their own.
Perhaps you have other areas of interest and are hesitant about majoring in Hebrew. You are not alone. On average, slightly more than half of the students enrolled in our biblical languages classes are non-majors who simply want to fit one to two years of Greek or Hebrew into their own field of study.
You can do a lot with a background in biblical languages. A few of our graduates go on to do translation work with organizations like Wycliffe Bible Translators or to pursue graduate degrees in preparation for careers in teaching. Others use their newly acquired language skills to teach English as a second language. The majority, however, use their training to enhance their ministry as pastors, youth pastors, Christian school teachers, Sunday school teachers, or Bible study leaders. You will never regret the time you spend learning Hebrew and you will always appreciate the insights it gives you to the biblical text.
