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Biblical Hebrew: Learning a Sacred Language

Michael Carasik, Ph.D. Professor, University of Pennsylvania

Course No. 2256

4.6
(171)171 reviews
94% would recommend
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Michael Carasik, Ph.D.

Reading the Bible in Hebrew is like traveling back in time. You can hear voices from 2500 years ago speaking directly to you.

InstitutionUniversity of Pennsylvania

Alma materBrandeis University

Learn More About This Professor

Course Overview

Most of us first encounter the Hebrew Bible (what Christians call the Old Testament) in translation. We, therefore view it through the lens of someone else’s interpretation, however venerable that interpretation may be. But for many centuries, before translations made the text of the Bible accessible to people around the...

36 Lectures

Average 34 minutes each

Use the word “hallelujah” as a gateway to exploring the three different components of the Biblical Hebrew writing system: letters, vowels, and diacriticals. Then, start learning Hebrew the natural way with a look at Genesis 1:3 and the first thing God does in creating heaven and Earth.
Get to know the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and how Biblical Hebrew is pronounced. Surprises include the silent letter aleph (the first letter of “God”), the tricky letter samekh, which resembles an “o” but sounds like an “s,” and nearly identical pairs of letters such as gimel and nun.
The Tiberian system of marking vowels in Hebrew has been used exclusively for more than 1,000 years. In this lecture, discover the signs that mark short and long vowels, and learn how vowels can change their spelling (and, slightly, their sound) without changing their meaning.
Every Hebrew verb, and almost every noun and adjective, is based on a root, a group of three (or sometimes two) consonants. Here, Professor Carasik teaches you how to begin recognizing the roots of verbs in Biblical Hebrew—then discusses how God is referred to in the Hebrew Bible.
Get an introduction to the five different Hebrew verb forms: finite, infinitive, adjective, participle, and imperative. Plus, learn three ways of identifying something as definite (rather than indefinite): by using the definite article (ha), by labeling it with a personal pronoun, and by naming it.
Explore three Hebrew letters that attach to the beginning of other words to create a new word. Then, armed with this new knowledge, read your first complete paragraph in Biblical Hebrew from start to finish: the story of the first day of creation in Genesis 1:1-5.
Unlike English, Hebrew adjectives have four forms, not one—and they must agree with their nouns based on whether they’re singular or plural, and masculine or feminine. Learn the four forms of adjectives (tov, tovah, tovim, tovot), several adjectives, and two ways to put nouns and adjectives together.
Sometimes it’s the simpler nouns that are the most likely to surprise you. Examine several of the most common non-obvious nouns (irregular nouns) and adjectives (demonstratives) in Biblical Hebrew. These include family names (daughter, son, brother), as well as “this” (zeh, zot) and “these” (éleh).
Hebrew has a ton of different pronouns. In this lecture, get an introduction to pronouns like “I” (ani, anokhi) and “we” (ana?nu), as well as three different flavors of pronominal suffixes. Then, practice your new skills with a Bible verse describing the fourth day of creation.
What do different letters do differently? Here, take a comprehensive look at the different ways Hebrew letters behave and start deciphering words in Biblical Hebrew that you don't already recognize. Topics include guttural letters (the orneriest consonants in the Hebrew language) and roots that start with yud.
Focus on two of the five forms of Biblical Hebrew verbs: the perfect and the imperfect, both of which have person, gender, and number. The perfect, as you'll learn, is always marked by endings. The imperfect, however, is marked by prefix letters as well: aleph, nun, tav, and yud.
Turn now to segholate nouns—nouns that feature seghols (“-eh” vowels). By looking at segholate nouns in real Hebrew phrases from the Bible, you’ll start to get more comfortable with what Professor Carasik calls the “EH-eh rhythm” and the various grammatical forms that use the pattern.
By allowing you to attach another noun to your first noun, the construct form acts as a sort of trailer hitch in Biblical Hebrew. Once attached, the first noun in construct “belongs” to the second. Here, learn construct forms by revisiting the first and fourth day of creation.
Continue your study of construct forms with prepositions in Biblical Hebrew that are combinations of simple prepositions you’ve already learned (example: lifnei, or “before”). Then, look at irregular nouns with unusual construct forms whose frequent occurrence makes them critical to understanding Biblical Hebrew.
In Biblical Hebrew, the binyan acts as a sort of stem or conjugation for verbs. Get a re-introduction to verbs with their binyan identification, learn how the binyanim got their names, and focus on a single root in different binyanim to get a feel for what the binyanim do to a verb's meaning.
From mi (“Who?”) and lama lo (“Why not?”) to eikh (“How?”) and matai (“When?”), discover how to recognize the words that tell you when a question is coming up in Biblical Hebrew. Why is this so important? Because there’s no such thing as a question mark in Biblical Hebrew.
Return to the verbal system with Professor Carasik's helpful explanation of the third of the five Hebrew verb forms: the participle. One of the ways you'll master the verbal adjective in Biblical Hebrew is by working your way through Genesis 22:7.
In this fun lecture, start to count in Hebrew, from one to 10,000. You’ll learn a children’s rhyme for counting from one to four, the construct form of numbers, the ordinal numbers, some helpful shortcuts such as how to refer to a “pair” of something, and more.
Focus your attention here on categories of verbs from the Qal binyan with roots whose guttural letters (hey, het, and ayin) tend to “misbehave.” Central to this lecture are three rules about how gutturals behave, as well as relevant examples in passages from the Hebrew Bible.
Lamed-hey roots are those roots where, in the dictionary, the third radical of a verb (the lamed) is a hey. Here, learn how to work with some of the most common lamed-hey roots, including banah (“build”), ?ayah (“live”), anah (“answer”), panah (“turn”), and kalah (“be over”).
Roots that begin with yud are plentiful in Hebrew—and very common. Professor Carasik walks you through a list of some of the most common first-yud verbs, including yada (“know”), yatza (“go out”), yarash (“take possession”), and yashav (“settle”).
Very few verbs in Hebrew are irregular. Those that are, as you’ll learn here, are not very difficult—but they do work a little differently than what you’re used to seeing. In this lecture, learn how to master irregular Hebrew verbs by focusing on them individually.
Welcome to what may be the strangest verb roots of all: those that have only two consonants, not three. Here, explore the general rules about these hollow verbs, and build a list of commonly used hollow verbs you can refer to when reading Biblical Hebrew.
The infinitive verb form is used to describe the action of a verb (as in “There’s a time to rend … and a time to mend.”). Professor Carasik walks you through the different infinitive forms, then guides you through Ecclesiastes 3—what he calls the “mother lode” of the Hebrew infinitive.
Explore how Biblical Hebrew expresses intention (as in phrases like yehi or, or “Let there be light.”). You’ll encounter jussives, which are only found in lamed-hey, hollow, and Hiphil verbs; and cohortatives, which invite collective action (as in the famous song, “Hava Nagila”).
Turn now to the imperative form in Hebrew and the simplest way to think of it (in the Qal): by taking off the tav prefix from second-person imperfect verbs. You'll learn imperatives from a variety of weak and strong verbs, and use your skills to work through several biblical verses.
Focus on a new binyan: Hiphil, which can be thought of as the causative binyan. (One example: l’haqtir, or “to burn incense.”) Then, go back to Genesis, collect a list of Hiphil infinitives, and see what the different root categories do when you put them into this Hiphil shape.
Take a closer look at another major binyan: the Piel. The goal of this lecture is to give you the skills to distinguish this binyan when you need to, so you can learn the verbs as they come along. Then, examine two more binyanim: the passives Pu'al and Hophal.
Conclude your survey of the seven different binyanim by taking a closer look at two reflexive patterns: the Niphal and the Hitpa’el. Along the way, Professor Carasik introduces you to an important root that appears only in these two binyanim: nun-bet-aleph, or “to be/act like a prophet.”
Now you're ready to start reading longer passages in the Bible in Hebrew. Here, follow Professor Carasik as you read Joshua 1:1-9, which deals with God's charge to Joshua. You'll translate the text, talk about the passage's meaning, and spend time parsing every single verb it contains.
In this lecture, explore geminates: roots where radicals two and three are the same. Along the way, you'll learn how to spot these common two-letter combinations, consider a fascinating example from Ezekiel's vision of the messianic future Temple, and begin reading Numbers 22 from start to finish.
You've seen object suffixes in previous lectures. Now, focus on them directly. You'll learn some obvious (and not-so-obvious) combinations of verbs and object suffixes, and ponder some questions about phrases and sentences in the Bible that appear more than once, but with slight variations.
Study idioms that are common in Biblical Hebrew, but sound strange when translated into English. You’ll explore different ways to take an oath in Biblical Hebrew, the customary way to state someone’s age, and the danger of “crossing the mouth” of the Lord.
In the Hebrew Bible, every word has a punctuation mark that serves three functions: telling you where the accent falls, indicating how to chant the text musically, and telling you how to group words in a sensible way. Use this knowledge to move forward in your reading of Numbers 22.
What's the best Bible from which to read Hebrew? Professor Carasik offers insights and recommendations on four printed Bibles as well as several electronic sources, and shows you how to navigate your way to a specific chapter and verse in an all-Hebrew Bible. Close by resuming your reading of Numbers 22.
Look at some essential Hebrew reference books out there (besides biblical translations and commentaries), including reference grammars and three major Biblical Hebrew dictionaries. Close out the course by completing your line-by-line reading of Numbers 22.

What's Included?

Instant Video

$339.95$69.95

  • Download 36 video lectures to your computer or mobile app
  • Downloadable PDF of the course guidebook
  • FREE video streaming of the course from our website and mobile apps

DVD

$469.95$99.95

  • 36 lectures on 6 DVDs
  • 226-page printed course guidebook
  • Downloadable PDF of the course guidebook
  • FREE video streaming of the course from our website and mobile apps

Reviews

171 Reviews This action will navigate to reviews.
94% of reviewers recommend

Reviews

1–8 of 171 Reviews  

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  1. 5 out of 5 stars.

    Concise topic structures

    I keep returning to this resource for its clarity and it is clearly set out.
    I’m translating Exodus and the videos offer great prompts and reminders.

    Thank you.

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  2. 5 out of 5 stars.

    Great teacher! So much to learn!

    As a student who already knows fundamentals of Hebrew grammar I thought it might be too easy for me. NO!! I am thrilled with the content and the explanations provided for why the language behaves the way it does. I've learned so much and wish for more classes with this professor. I loved the historical details and the relaxed manner of the teacher. If you know no Hebrew be prepared to work very hard but it will be worth it.

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  3. 5 out of 5 stars.

    Most Enjoyable Course!

    Easily the best and most enjoyable course of the several courses I have taken from Great Courses. The Instructor is easy to listen to, knowledgeable, & clear. I’ve completed just the first few lessons but am really looking forward to the rest. I would highly recommend it.

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  4. 5 out of 5 stars.

    Excellent teacher & great course

    I took this course when it was on Kanopy streaming service. I had taken Hebrew before years ago and this was the perfect review for me. My textbook had been Lambdin’s, so this is a different but useful approach. Grammar was explained clearly and I’ll probably purchase the course so I can review the grammar as needed. I think the teacher is excellent.

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  5. 5 out of 5 stars.

    Great instructor!

    I just started this course and the instructor puts you at ease right off the bat.

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  6. 5 out of 5 stars.

    Approve

    Just getting started but looks challenging have taken several other language courses and I am Bible student

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  7. 5 out of 5 stars.

    Achievable Literacy

    This program is helping me really gain ability to read biblical Hebrew, largely because I can review lessons as often as necessary and in the order needed.

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  8. 1 out of 5 stars.

    Terrible course for the beginner

    If you are new to Hebrew, DO NOT take this course. Be warned! I'm coming to this course with some background already in biblical Hebrew. Nothing will discourage a person more than to give them every nuance, every exception, when the student is just trying to get a ground-level understanding. It's sad, the teacher is likeable and knowledgeable, but good grief, you will be overwhelmed with all the rules too soon.

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1–8 of 171 Reviews  

Questions & Answers

171 Reviews This action will navigate to reviews.

Questions

1–10 of 22 Questions  

  1. I’ve been buying the episodes one by one on Amazon Prime, but I guess doing it this way I’m missing out on the documentation and paperwork that he mentions in the videos. 

    1 answer

    1. Hello!

      Thank you for your question. I apologize for the delayed response.

      You are correct. The accompanying PDFs of the Guidebooks/Workbooks are not included when courses are purchased on Amazon Prime.

      We sell a separate Transcript book for some courses, but not for this course.

      If you have further questions, please call our Customer Contact Center at 800-832-2412, 9am-10pm M-F and 9am-5pm Sat EST or email us at customerservice@thegreatcourses.com

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  2. I bought the disks and companion book a while ago, and due to some health issues, have just gotten back to it but I can't get in. I have all 6 disks and the companion book. Can you send me instructions on how to download the lecture videos? Thank you!

    1 answer

    1. Hello,

      Thank you for your question.

      The DVD includes free streaming. You may access the streaming from your Digital Library.
      1. Click on "My Digital Library"
      2. A pop-up window will appear. Enter your email address and password
      3. Afterward, you are taken to the digital library.
      4. Use the "Search My Library" option or scroll through to find the specific course
      5. Click the course and Enjoy!

      If you need additional assistance, please contact a team member at 1-800-832-2412. A team member is available M - F 9 am -10 pm; Saturday and Sunday 9 am - 5 pm.

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  3. On the "Download 36 video lectures to your computer or mobile app", can this be done onto a thumb drive so I could be shown on several different computers as needed?

    1 answer

    1. Yes, you can; and/or you can also visit thegreatcourses.com on each computer, sign in, then click "My Digital Library, find the course and stream it.

      If you need additional assistance, please call our Customer Contact Center at 800-832-2412, M-F 9am-10pm and Sat/Sun 9am-5pm EST.

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  4. Is the pronunciation taught Ashkenazi or Sephardic?

    1 answer

    1. I apologize for the delay in answering your question. Professor Carasik uses Sephardic pronunciation.

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  5. I have previously ordered the downloadable videos and course guidebook. They are excellent. Is it possible to order the course guidebook in print form?

    1 answer

    1. Now I see that you are often asked this question and that you do not sell the guidebook apart from the DVD version. Sorry, I should have read further!

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  6. When was this course released?

    1 answer

    1. This course was released in 2018.

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  7. Once ordered, how long are the streaming lessons available? Can we watch more than once? Thanks.

    1 answer

    1. Once you purchase the course, you will be able to access it forever and as many times as you like!

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  8. How do I access the guidebook for the instant video version of Biblical Hebrew?

    1 answer

    1. If using our website, sign in, go to "My Digital Library," and find the course. Before clicking on it, look to the right and you will see a column of three items: View Lecture Lecture List, Write a Review and Course Guidebook. Click "Course Guidebook" to open the PDF. When already viewing a lecture, above the video player screen, when screen is not maximized, you will see "View the Course Guidebook" which you can click on as well.
      If using our app on your phone/tablet (not Roku),open it, sign in, find the course and click on it. At the bottom of the next screen, click "overview," then click "View Course Guidebook to the right of the course "cover" picture.

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  9. Does the DVD version also allow download in addition to streaming? 

    1 answer

    1. Not to a desktop/laptop, but yes on a tablet/phone via our app called The Great Courses.

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  10. I have subscribed to the Biblical Hebrew course on Amazon Prime. How do I get hold of the course guide book?

    1 answer

    1. We do not sell the Guidebook separately from the course.

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What Will You Learn?

Learn how to recognize and pronounce letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and accents in Biblical Hebrew.

Explore the grammatical rules behind Biblical Hebrew verb forms and verb stem identifications.

Get the reading skills that will enable you to appreciate the Hebrew Bible's un-translatable literary artistry.

Hone your skills by reading an entire chapter from the Hebrew Bible: Numbers 22.

Learn how to choose and use Biblical Hebrew dictionaries and other helpful print and electronic references.

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Biblical Hebrew: Learning a Sacred Language

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