Need Help with Hebrew?

Hebrew Anytime Paradigms

This is a one page document which lists several paradigms which are handy to have memorized when one sets out to study Hebrew. Here is sample of the page:

Need Help with Greek?

Greek Anytime Paradigms

This is a one page document which lists several paradigms which are handy to have memorized when one sets out to study Greek. Here is sample of the page:

Google Chrome OS

I can't believe that it is finally here! Google has just announced Google Chrome OS. Everyone knew that this was inevitable but now it has finally occurred. Very soon it looks like this will be available.

Very exciting times. One more reason for my child to one day ask, "Now, who was Microsoft again?"

Gmail Comes of Age

Finally, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Talk are officially released. All this really means is that the familiar "BETA" tag that was underneath each of the respective icons will be removed today. When I first checked my email it was still there, however, I logged out, refreshed the page, and logged in again only to find that I'm BETA free!

The software hasn't changed any more than it did yesterday or 2 weeks ago. The real key is that Gmail is a web app that is always evolving. Likely, new features will continue to be introduced via the Labs feature and then slowly, if successful, moved into the final applicaiton for all to use.

Here's to Gmail!

Hebrew Vocab at Quisition

I've now been able to enter in all words in the Hebrew Bible that occur more than 50 times but less than 139 times. I've got down as low as I plan on going for a while but I'm still working on the higher numbers. I plan on having all of the words occurring more than 50 times entered in by the fall. Perhaps this will serve as an aid to first year Hebrew students beginning their study in Fall 2009. I've got about 292 more words to add in to accomplish that, definitely tenable by the fall.

I would also like to add in some different types of cards. I found it helpful for me to memorize pronominal suffixes, relative pronouns, personal pronouns, numbers, and even the verb paradigms with vocab cards. Ideally, those will be entered in sometime soon as well.

I've got an itch to start adding in Aramaic as I will be taking that in the Spring of 2010. If I have them all added in beforehand then I'll benefit from the site's intelligence as I set out to learn yet another Semitic language!

Follow my progress in adding in Hebrew vocab cards.

Laptop Anyone?

I'm selling my trusty laptop. Anyone interested?
http://tinyurl.com/systemax-laptop

Quisition

Quisition is wonderful. The site allows anyone to create vocabulary cards with anything on either side of the card and then allows everyone else to use those cards. Thus, if you want to learn Biblical Greek vocabulary or Biblical Hebrew vocabulary while at the same time memorizing simple addition, then Quistion is the site for you. The best part is that the software is smart, it keeps track of which cards you've got right and which ones you've missed so that it can quiz you appropriately.

I'm currently working on adding in Biblical Hebrew according to word frequency. Right now I've got the middle section of words added in. Basically, I'm memorizing down to 50x this summer so by August Hebrew vocab should be entered in from about 120x down to 50x word occurences.

Language Instruction

Here is a link to a four part series discussing classical language instruction: http://jeltzz.blogspot.com/2009/05/conversational-dead-languages-i.html

All in all I tend to agree with author. One of my largest frustrations with my language instruction is that so little of it has been devoted to helping me learn to read the texts. I've longed for a professor that would require us to read the text, not just a verse or two, but large chunks of the text. I've finally come to an independent study course that will allow me to head down that road with Hebrew. Thus far, it has been a joyous, albeit time-consuming, experience!

Historical Exegesis

"The Bible is such a historically oriented revelation that ignoring historical context tends to assure misinterpretation."

Stuart, Douglas, Old Testament Exegesis (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2009), 52.

Wild Turkey

Here is a video of a Wild Turkey that my wife and I saw in our driveway.