A Brief Book Notice from Books At a Glance
By Jonathan Ahlgren
Today we highlight another solid resource from Glossa House, this time made for studying Hebrew vocabulary. As someone who has walked many students through the joys and struggles of learning Hebrew, I can assure you that Hebrew vocabulary is rarely one of the joys and is always one of the struggles.
When addressing the challenges of memorization, a key principle that I have advocated for time and time again is that we should seek to diversify delivery methods. Not only should students look at the vocabulary word in their Hebrew grammar and flashcards, but they should also say the words audibly to themselves and write them down on paper and act them out in the classroom and at home. This resource from GlossaHouse provides another natural method of diversifying Hebrew vocabulary intake.
What they are providing here in the According to Their Kinds Biblical Hebrew Picture Dictionary (and the Picture Hebrew Flashcards), is another method of learning Hebrew vocabulary that fits with the natural way that people learn language. Students can actually read the Hebrew vocabulary and say the vocabulary word, while looking at a depiction of that word.
One of the best things about this resource is that the artwork is phenomenal. Not only do the images truly stick in the mind and are enjoyable to look at, but some of the more difficult verbs are represented quite creatively and with surprising clarity. An advantage of the dictionary is that readers are also provided with an English gloss at the bottom of the page as well as an example verse in English from the Hebrew Bible.
If you were waiting for an excuse to jump into Hebrew or are looking for a way to brush up on Hebrew vocabulary in a new and exciting way, I encourage you to this up. Resources like this do not necessarily replace the need for a traditional method of learning Hebrew vocabulary, yet they have proven to be a great supplement in helping Hebrew words stick into the minds of struggling Hebrew learners.
Jonathan Ahlgren
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Assistant Editor and Administrative Editor for Books At a Glance
Buy the books
ACCORDING TO THEIR KINDS: A BIBLICAL HEBREW PICTURE DICTIONARY, by Jesse R. Scheumann and Merissa Scheumann