HEBREW EXEGESIS AND OLD TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION I SYLLABUS

Transcription

1 Dr. Dorian G. Coover-Cox OT103B Todd (o) (h) Hebrew Exegesis & OT Intro I (3 hrs) dcox@dts.edu Fall 2017 Dallas Theological Seminary Tu/Th 2:25 3:40 p.m. HEBREW EXEGESIS AND OLD TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION I SYLLABUS COURSE DESCRIPTION From the Catalog: An introduction to the exegesis of Hebrew narrative, including a review of Hebrew morphology and syntax in conjunction with translation of the Book of Ruth. The course will also include a survey of the historical, cultural, literary, and theological backgrounds of the Old Testament and an introduction to various forms of Old Testament criticism. OBJECTIVES Cognitive Objectives. In addition to reviewing matters introduced in OT102, this course introduces an exegetical process for interpreting Old Testament narrative literature. For a more detailed discussion of the significance of the course, see Chisholm, From Exegesis to Exposition, pp (see Textbooks: Required Books below). The course will also introduce features of the historical, cultural, literary, and theological background of the Old Testament. Affective Objectives. Beyond the cognitive goals outlined above, we hope that you will (1) gain greater facility and confidence in reading and analyzing biblical Hebrew, (2) gain a greater appreciation for the importance of doing exegesis in the original text of Scripture, (3) gain confidence in your ability to think through interpretive issues, and (4) gain appreciation for the importance of understanding its background as integral to interpreting the Old Testament. TEXTBOOKS Required Books (Please note asterisked items that are available in the DTS Logos package. Please let me know if you are aware of ones I have missed.) Arnold, Bill T., and John H. Choi. A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Cambridge: Cambridge University, Brotzman, Ellis R., and Eric J. Tully. Old Testament Textual Criticism: A Practical Introduction. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, Chisholm, Robert B., Jr. From Exegesis to Exposition. Grand Rapids: Baker, Chisholm, Robert B., Jr. Interactive Workbook for Intermediate Hebrew: Grammar, Exegesis, and Commentary on Jonah and Ruth. Grand Rapids: Kregel, *Elliger, K., and W. Rudolph. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, (Also called BHS. Either a paper or an electronic version [as in the DTS

2 2 Logos package] is fine to purchase, so long as it has the apparatus. See also the description below of A Reader s Hebrew Bible.) *Koehler, L., and W. Baumgartner, eds. Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Translated and edited by M. Richardson. 2 vols. Leiden: Brill, (Also called HALOT. This is part of the DTS Logos package.) Merrill, Eugene H., Mark E. Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti. The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament. Nashville: B&H Academic, Mitchel, Larry A. A Student s Vocabulary for Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Note: Revised version should be available for Fall 2017 use. Oswalt, John N. The Bible among the Myths. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Suggested for anyone with a weak background in English grammar: Long, Gary A. Grammatical Concepts 101 for Biblical Hebrew: Learning Biblical Hebrew Grammatical Concepts through English Grammar. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, A student who used it commented, It has been VERY helpful in my understanding of English-to-Hebrew terms. I really like the way it breaks down what the terms are in English with examples. Then it gives you the same thing in Hebrew with examples. Pure genius in my book! I would definitely recommend this book to any student who is having trouble with grammar. Electronic Items of Interest: Please let me know when you find other useful tools and websites, and if you find problems with any. Bible Search Software: When I last checked, all three of the following had demo programs that you can try, and they were also available for use on computers in the DTS library. Logos, of course, you have access to with your own computer as a DTS student For reading in Hebrew or Greek with assistance: Being developed by John Dyer here at DTS, an online Hebrew and Greek reader's Bible < You type the reference of the OT or NT verse or verses that you want to read and the level of vocabulary assistance you want; it has other features also. Another site has links to a variety of resources, including a subscription that five days a week sends a two-minute video discussing features of a Hebrew verse. You can also go to the site and click on any of the many posted videos: A student recommends a program that he uses. He says it is a general purpose flashcard program called anki to learn languages. It helped me survive Greek. The thing that s special about it is that it s a Spaced Repetition System that brings a new card up often, but then gradually spaces it out further and further the more you get it correct. He adds, I use the desktop version to type in all my cards, and then a smartphone version (android, although there s also an iphone version) to review on my phone most of the time. It s pretty cool. Anki for Windows: Anki for Android: Quiz Website:

3 3 The student who found this says, It has flash cards, tests, and other helps. It is very user friendly! It has vocabulary for Jonah on flash cards, the Mitchel vocabulary, and more. You can scroll through lists of items offered (for both modern and biblical Hebrew), or you can use the search bar at the top of the page to find items you might like to try, for example: Mitchel flash cards: and Jonah flash cards: Vocabulary, Parsing, and Quiz Website made by a DTS student with the needs of DTS students in mind: ivocab Biblical Hebrew, from Kregel Publications, for use on ipod, phone, and computer. Contact kregelbooks@kregel.com or Vocabulary Website, called ProVoc (has Hebrew and other languages also). It is for Mac OS X: Another Vocabulary & Paradigm Website: Fonts 1. Font Website: 2. Font Website: Audio Audio Website: audioscriptures.org provides free access to the Bible read in a large number of languages, including Hebrew. Audio Website: This one has the OT read aloud and is especially easy to use. Audio Website: OT read in Hebrew: Two-minute presentations of verses that you can log onto or subscribe to for delivery: The book of Genesis read by a different person than some of the other websites: English versions read aloud (by Max McLean, David Suchet, and others) and a few other languages: Portions of Bible read aloud for each day of the year: Audio Website: This site has the Bible read in various languages (Russian, Italian, Mandarin, Hindi, etc.). Here is the direct link to Hebrew: Audio Website: audioscriptures.org provides free access to the Bible read in a large number of languages, including Hebrew.

4 4 Audio Website: Audio Website: This one has the OT read aloud and is especially easy to use. Audio Website: OT read in Hebrew available in Mp3 format here: Audio Website: Charles Grebe at animatedhebrew.com said, You can get an excellent recording of the entire Hebrew Bible by Shlomo Bertonov from The Central Library for the Blind in Israel. The last time I checked the cost was US$50. They also have a sample of the recording on the web site. This same recording (by Shlomo Bertonov) is also available from resellers in the US e.g. (hebrewworld.com, solomonstreasurechest.com). You will probably also find an audio editor useful to give you better playback control. Especially when you are just starting, the audio recordings will be too fast for you to follow. With an audio editor you can select short portions of the recording to playback repeatedly. I recommend Audacity. It's free, open source, cross-platform and easy to use. Manuscripts Aleppo Codex Website: Isaiah Scroll Website: < Leningrad Codex Website: Leningrad Codex table of contents, two websites: Suggested Books Berlin, Adele. Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative. Bible and Literature Series. Sheffield: Almond, *Block, Daniel I. Judges, Ruth, New American Commentary. Edited by E. Ray Clendenen. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, This is in the DTS Logos package. *Brown, Driver, and Briggs. A Hebrew & English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Reprinted; Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, Based on work done in the 1800s without the benefit of Ugaritic finds or Qumran, but very helpful to consult. Also called BDB. This is in the DTS Logos package. Brown, A. Philip, and Bryan W. Smith (for OT), Richard J. Goodrich and Albert L. Lukaszewski (for NT). A Reader s Hebrew and Greek Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007, This book provides the same Hebrew text as BHS but without the text-critical apparatus. At the bottom of each page are meanings for the words on the page that appear fewer than one hundred times in the OT. It uses a gray type face to mark unfamiliar proper nouns. A glossary at the back gives meanings for words used over one hundred times. (A person might consider having this as a paper copy of the Hebrew Bible and an electronic version of BHS with its apparatus. Think about what might work best for you.) Broyles, Craig C., ed. Interpreting the Old Testament: A Guide for Exegesis. Grand Rapids: Baker, Bush, Frederic. Ruth-Esther. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, A judicious and thorough commentary on Ruth. Campbell, Edward. Ruth. Anchor Bible. Garden City: Doubleday, 1975.

5 5 Chisholm, Robert B., Jr. A Commentary on Judges and Ruth. Kregel Exegetical Library. Grand Rapids: Kregel, You may find this helpful in doing the workbook. *Cowley, A. E., ed. Gesenius Hebrew Grammar. Edited and Enlarged by E. Kautzsch. 2 nd English ed. Oxford: Clarendon, Known as GKC, this is in the DTS Logos package. Hubbard, Robert L., Jr. The Book of Ruth. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, James, Carolyn Custis. The Gospel of Ruth. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Steinmann, Andrew E. Intermediate Biblical Hebrew: A Reference Grammar with Charts and Exercises. St. Louis, MO: Concordia, This is easier to use that Waltke and O Connor, very helpful for reviewing and understanding vocabulary (short words especially), morphology, and syntax, including dependent clauses. Sternberg, Meir. The Poetics of Biblical Narrative. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, Stuart, Douglas. Old Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors. 3 rd Louisville: Westminster John Knox, Waltke, Bruce K., and M. O Connor. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, ed. Proficiency Test COURSE REQUIREMENTS On the third class day, we will enjoy a proficiency test, in which you will produce five verbs (from the regular paradigms of Qal Perfect, Imperfect, Imperative [ms], Infinitive Construct, Active Participle [ms]), parse ten verbs from Jonah (excluding Jonah 2), and translate a sentence or two from Jonah (excluding Jonah 2). If you score below 70%, you will be required to attend one hour of tutoring per week with a departmentally approved tutor until you have passed the first Ruth exam OR until you pass a makeup proficiency test (taken at a time agreed upon by both of us). Reading and Translation Assignments Reports on reading and translation will be collected during certain class periods, which will be announced. Advice: Keep regular track of what you have done. You must complete 90% of the required reading and translation to qualify for an A, 80% to qualify for a B, and 70% to qualify for a passing grade. The reading to be done includes 1. Brotzman and Tully, Old Testament Textual Criticism, second edition. 2. Assigned portions of Merrill, Rooker, and Grisanti. The World and the Word (W&W). 3. Assigned portions of Chisholm, From Exegesis to Exposition (EE). 4. Assigned portions of Arnold and Choi. A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (A&C) 5. Oswalt, The Bible among the Myths. 6. Required translation includes the Book of Ruth.

6 6 Written Assignments (1) You must do at least half of the questions for EACH of the workbook assignments on Ruth if you wish to be permitted to take the exams. (Suggestion: Select questions that will drill you in your weak areas.) Please check your answers with the answers provided in the teacher s guide in the workbook and note errors and corrections. Though these assignments will not receive a numerical grade, it is important that you do them in order to master the material and prepare for the exams. Occasional workbook checks may be announced or unannounced. (2) A response paper to Oswalt, The Bible among the Myths: This paper counts 15% of the course grade. It should be 4-5 pages in length (12-point font, double spaced) or longer if you are especially interested and have more to say that is concise and coherent. You should: (a) summarize the contents and overall thesis of the book, and (b) identify both strengths and weaknesses of it. In conjunction with your discussion of strengths and weaknesses, identify the two or three most thought-provoking points made by the author and why they caught your interest. How has the book changed or challenged or informed your thinking about the Old Testament in its ancient background? NOTE: Please let me know if you have already read this book and would like to use a different one for this assignment. (3) Text Criticism Assignment (10%). Exams Two exams will cover material Ruth and in Brotzman s discussion of textual issues in Ruth. The first exam will cover Ruth 1 2 and count as 25% of the course grade. The second exam will cover Ruth 1 4 and count 25%. A small test on selected names, events, and dates important for Old Testament study will count as 5% of the course grade. Quizzes Quizzes will cover words listed in Mitchel, A Student s Vocabulary for Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, vocabulary from Ruth, and parsing, with details about this available in class. The average of these quizzes will count 20% of the semester grade. We will drop the lowest three quiz scores (no drop for the proficiency test score). The first quiz missed for any reason is the first drop. If you must miss class and wish to make up a second missed quiz, please talk with me about the possibility. If vocabulary acquisition or the quiz format is a problem for you, please talk with me about alternatives. Additional Requirement for Stage One Ph.D. Students OT103 Stage One Ph.D. students will read an additional 20 chapters in Hebrew narrative. For specific recommendations and means for reporting, please talk with me. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION DTS does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the operation of any of its programs and activities. To avoid discrimination the student is responsible for informing the Coordinator of

7 7 Services for Students with Disabilities and the course instructor of any disabling condition that will require modifications. COURSE POLICIES Be aware of the seminary s policy regarding plagiarism (see the latest edition of the Student Handbook). See also on this topic Turabian, 8th edition: A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Note carefully that plagiarism is not just quoting someone without giving credit; it can also take the form of taking another s ideas and presenting them as if they were original with you, rather than giving credit. Changing a few words and mentioning the source is not the solution either. If you move words from one place to another, use quotation marks and give credit. Either quote exactly or close the book or article and write your own phrases and sentences to say what needs to be said. Beware of consulting commentaries or other resources too quickly, before you have thought about the verse or question yourself. It should go without saying that you may not read the work of students who have already taken the course. When doing the assignments, remember this is graduate school. Questions should be answered in complete sentences (not with a mere yes or no ), and every assertion must be supported (even if the question does not specifically say explain ). In other words, state reasons why you say what you say. Some questions are supplemented by leading questions designed to help you answer the main question. In other instances you need to use logic and common sense to determine what steps are necessary to solve a problem. Assignments should be typed, though Hebrew words may be handwritten if necessary. Classes in which we are scheduled to go over written assignments may not be taped. GRADE SCALE A B C D F 0 69 A B C D A B C D A = Work of excellent quality B = Work of commendable quality C = Work of acceptable quality D = Work of minimal but passing quality COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADING Quizzes 20% Ruth Exam 1 25% Ruth Exam 2 25% Oswalt Response Paper 15% OT History Test (names, events, dates) 5% Text Criticism Assignment 10% *Excessive absences and handing in assignments late can negatively effect one s grade. See the policies stated below under the headings Late Assignments and Absences.

8 8 CLASS PARTICIPATION Everyone benefits if you are seated and ready at the start of class time. Please turn off your cell phone, social media, , and the like, and do not even look at them during class. Please do not walk out of class to make or receive calls. It distracts everyone, including you, no matter how slick you are about it. Turn off anything that competes for your attention or the attention of someone around you. Please let me know if you think that you have an exceptional situation; you may have. You are encouraged to participate in the class discussion with questions and comments that are concise and to the point. Your participation is valuable to you and to the class as a whole; so please prepare beforehand and remain tuned in. LATE ASSIGNMENTS If an emergency on the day an assignment is due prevents you from submitting the assignment at the beginning of the class period, you may give it to the professor before 4:30 p.m. of that day, along with a note explaining the nature of the emergency. The professor will then determine what penalty, if any, is appropriate. If an emergency the day an assignment is due prevents you from coming to campus and submitting the assignment to the professor, please send the assignment to the professor by with a note explaining the nature of the emergency and later bring the printed assignment. The professor will then determine what penalty, if any, is appropriate. If turning in an assignment late is largely a matter of convenience for you, consider yourself at the mercy of the professor. If lateness involves anything past Friday of Exam Week, the Credits Committee starts to get involved. ABSENCES Four unexcused absences are allowed without penalty. If a prolonged illness keeps you from attending class, or work and ministry responsibilities conflict with the scheduling of this course, you should perhaps take it at a more convenient time. Please talk with me about your options. Three tardies count as an absence. You are tardy if you enter the classroom after the scheduled starting time. CLASS AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE The list below gives the overall schedule, which is open to improvements and elaborations made in class or via . Class Date Class Discussion / Assignment Schedule 1 Tues., 8/29 Ruth 1:1 3 and other matters Please bring the Chisholm workbook and Chisholm, From Exegesis to Exposition. NOTE: Please tell me if you are using an electronic book that does not have page numbers so that we can determine what the section equivalents are for reading assignments. 2 Thurs., 8/31 Ruth 1:1 3 & workbook Quiz: Mitchel list 1A + Qal Perf. & Impf. paradigms READ Brotzman, ; start reading Brotzman with the goal of finishing by 9/22. 3 Tues., 9/5 The Great Proficiency Test; Ruth 1:4 6 workbook

9 9 4 Thurs., 9/7 Ruth 1:7 10 & workbook Quiz: Mitchel lists 1A and 1B + Ruth words (words from the day's assignment and previously in Ruth) READ Brotzman, ; Skim Chisholm, Exegesis to Exposition (EE), and Arnold and Choi (A&C), Tues., 9/12 Ruth 1:11 14 & workbook Quiz: Mitchel lists 1B and 1C + Ruth words READ Brotzman, 146 Skim EE, 75 94; A&C, Thurs., 9/14 Ruth 1:15 19a & workbook Quiz: Mitchel lists 1C and 1D + Ruth words READ Brotzman, ; Skim EE, ; A&C, Look Carefully through A&C, to see what s in this remarkably helpful chapter. 7 Tues., 9/19 Ruth 1:19b 22 & workbook Quiz: Pronouns (independent and demonstrative) and pronominal suffixes + Ruth words READ From here on, with each workbook assignment, read the appropriate pages in Brotzman. (You surely have the idea by now.) 8 Thurs., 9/21 READ Finish reading Brotzman 1 141; Chisholm, EE, 19 29; Gentry, "The Text of the Old Testament," JETS 52 (2009): 19 45; Merrill et al., W&W, (text) 9 Tues., 9/26 Ruth 2:1 3 & workbook and Brotzman reading READ Whatever you did not get read by last Thursday. Turn in Report on Reading & Translating 10 Thurs., 9/28 Ruth 2:4 7 & workbook and Brotzman reading Quiz: Mitchel list 2A and Ruth 2: Tues., 10/3 Turn in text criticism assignment 12 Thurs., 10/5 READ Merrill et al., W&W, (intro., ANE, canon) 13 Tues., 10/10 Ruth 2:8 13 & workbook and Brotzman reading Quiz: Mitchel list 2B and Ruth 2: Thurs., 10/12 Ruth 2:14 17a & workbook and Brotzman reading Quiz: Mitchel list 2D (yes, 2D) Ruth 2: Tues., 10/17 Ruth 2:17b 23 workbook and Brotzman reading Quiz: Mitchel list 2D (again) and Ruth 2: Thurs., 10/19 Exam 1: Ruth 1:1 2:23 17 Tues., 10/24 READ Merrill et al., W&W, (source criticism and beyond)

10 10 18 Thurs., 10/26 Ruth 3:1 5 workbook and Brotzman reading Quiz: Mitchel list 2E and Ruth 3: Tues., 10/31 Ruth 3:6 10 workbook and Brotzman reading Quiz: Mitchel lists 3A and Ruth 3: Thurs., 11/2 Ruth 3:11 18 workbook and Brotzman reading Quiz: Mitchel lists 3B and Ruth 3: Tues., 11/7 READ Chisholm, "Source Criticism: Some Methodological Miscues" Quiz: Pronouns, demonstratives, and pronominal suffixes 22 Thurs., 11/9 READ Merrill et al., W&W, (Gen Deut) Quiz: Mitchel list 3C Nov Nov Reading Week; no classes Thanksgiving Break; no classes 23 Tues., 11/28 READ Merrill et al., W&W, (hist. books; OK to skip content summaries) Turn in Report on Reading & Translating Quiz: Mitchel list 3D 24 Thurs., 11/30 READ Chisholm, "Fighting Yahweh's Wars" TEST Important OT Names, Events, & Dates 25 Tues., 12/5 Turn in Oswalt, The Bible among the Myths response paper 26 Thurs., 12/7 Ruth 4:1 6 workbook and Brotzman reading Quiz: Ruth 4: Tues., 12/12 Ruth 4:7 12 workbook and Brotzman reading Quiz: Ruth 4: Thurs., 12/14 Ruth 4:13 22 workbook and Brotzman reading Quiz: Ruth 4:1 22 Finals Week Dec Exam Week: Exam 2 on Ruth 1 4 to be scheduled by the Registrar's Office. Turn in Report on Reading & Translating Revised: August 10, 2017