Monday, October 18, 2010

Hebrew and Greek in the life of a student and pastor

John Byron, Jim West, and  Scott Bailey have all chimed in on the importance of biblical languages for both the pastorate and for students of the Bible in general.

I agree that those who are in seminary, pastorate, or both, need the biblical languages. But what happens after seminary?

My own situation, although I'm sure is somewhat unique, is that I work a blue collar job unrelated to the degree I received from Ashland Seminary four years ago. Although I have done decently in keeping up with my Greek, my Hebrew is not as sharp as it once was. I feel a pang of regret even as I write this!

Has anyone discovered the key to revitalizing their Hebrew/Greek acquisition once dust has been allowed to form on the bookshelf of one's mind? What tools have you found particularly helpful? Is it better to start all over with your Hebrew grammar or dive right into your BHS?  Let me know what you think.

1 comment:

James F. McGrath said...

I'd recommend the Reader's Hebrew and Greek Bible. It allows you to read while providing less common words at the bottom of the page. It is great for maintaining and improving one's grasp of Biblical languages. And of course, one can accomplish much the same effect with a variety of software options currently available.