Hello:
I already own TDOT, TWOT, Enhanced BDB, Gesenius', Swanson, and DCH.
Should I purchase HALOT? Regarding Aramaic, wouldn't it better to buy TDOT Vol XVI for half the price?
Thanks!
Depends. Do you need it? You may have all you actually need.
It's the more modern Gesenius from a usage standpoint. A century's worth.
Your TDOT and TWOT are oriented to how a writer uses the words to achieve theological meaning. HALOT, Gesenius and BDB are traditional lexicons that research usage, other similar languages, etc. At the moment HALOT's the gold standard.
Again, HALOT aramaic and TDOT XVI serve separate needs. HALOT before TDOT for everyday use.
HALOT is the core standard reference for Hebrew. At some point you want it in your library along with BAGD for Greek.It's one of the reasons Logos packages them together.
Hello: I already own TDOT, TWOT, Enhanced BDB, Gesenius', Swanson, and DCH. Should I purchase HALOT? Regarding Aramaic, wouldn't it better to buy TDOT Vol XVI for half the price? Thanks!
Reasons to buy HALOT:
1. HALOT is not simply the Academic standard for Hebrew Lexicons - it is constantly updated to take advantage of both new evidence and new arguments. None of the other Lexicons around do this.
2. HALOT contains arguments and evidence for Semitic linguistic usage from history that cannot be found anywhere else.
3. Gesenius, that old classic, is repeat with serious errors. From my point of view, it should be avoided.
4. Even though BDB is a brilliant and learned lexicon, it does not attempt to make theological arguments which might or might not have influenced linguistic usage in the Hebrew scriptures. This is its principle failing. And why anyone interested in understanding the theology behind the linguistic changes to words and stems that occur in the Hebrew scriptures, while also being of a certain academic standard that is not achieved by several of the other lexicons, should seriously consider getting HALOT.
5. TDOT is seriously out of date. It makes arguments on theories which are now either disproved altogether or are simply no longer used in current OT research.
Reasons not to bother getting HALOT:
1. If you aren't directly involved in academic research, there really is no compelling reason to get it. It is after all, simply an academic textbook, used principally by academics for academics.
2. BDB is the next best thing to HALOT. It has nearly equivalent academic credentials to HALOT, and if you aren't particularly bothered by the fact that it avoids the thorny question of how much theology influenced linguistic changes to words in the Abjad languages (i.e.Semitic languages), then it will do very nicely indeed.
3. Never ever buy research material just because it is there to be bought, and you feel you "have to" buy it because other people are telling you you just have to have it, otherwise, you are somehow missing out. Don't fall for that type of hype. This is one of the biggest drawbacks that surrounds academic textbooks like HALOT. Ultimately, it is all just that - hype! Never lose sight of the fact that it is all engineered to do one thing and one thing alone: to get you to part with your hard earned cash!
In the Mobile Ed course- Learn how to use Greek and Hebrew, the two main recommended resources are BDAG for Greek and HALOT for Hebrew.
Thanks for all answers!
I also recommend the Dictionary of Classical Hebrew: https://www.logos.com/product/29300/the-dictionary-of-classical-hebrew
It's organized differently and covers both the Hebrew Bible and some early Hebrew non-Biblical texts too.
I also recommend the Dictionary of Classical Hebrew: https://www.logos.com/product/29300/the-dictionary-of-classical-hebrew It's organized differently and covers both the Hebrew Bible and some early Hebrew non-Biblical texts too.
How does that compare to HALOT in quality?
Quality of scholarly work; HALOT
Quality of tagging: HALOT (per earlier forum comments about DCH)
Quality of formatting: May be wrong, but DCH doesn't have the Logos formatting yet?
But the above is irrelevant. The two products answer separate needs.
HALOT: largely aims at tracking down meaning, looking at cognate languages, example usages, and so forth.
DCH: largely aimed at every usage (extending into DSS, Ben Sira, etc.)
So, if you're on the academic ladder, and nail it down side, HALOT is your starting point. If you want a nice (lengthy) presentation of every use, then DCH is quite handy.
Personally, HALOT is my first go-to for lexicography of Semitic languages.
All Hebrew professors that I personally listen to and am currently taking class from strongly urge the acquisition of HALOT (as has already been mentioned).
It is equivalent to the BDAG of the OT corpus.
