Software for Reading and Speaking Hebrew?

Samuel Bachman said:

Hey everyone, I found this forum recently and thought it would be a good
place to ask a question. I'm a Christian who is very interested in
learning Hebrew and learning more about Israel and how the news there
affects Christians.

Really? How the news there affect Xtians? LOL no offence, but the whole country of Israel could be bombed or go straight to hell and that would not affect Xtians one single bit! We're not Xtians because of Israel, we are Xtians because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and because God wanted a new people for his own possession with emphasis on spiritual things not on physical, ethnic or national traits [In other words, there's a Spiritual Israel composed of people from every nation which has nothing to do with the Israel of the Old Testament]. Whoever believes that whatever happens in Israel can affect Xtians is a fool! with a big "F." These weird millennial and premillennial people still don't get it.  As Jesus would say, "How long? How long?...." LOL Like learning Hebrew and turning the Israelite news channel is gonna affect your salvation.  Oh boy! Oh boy! They randomly pop out of nowhere...HAHAHAHA!!!

Back from my kewl December vacation! Can you tell?

Giovanni!

Samuel, welcome to Forum!  Logos have produced a video-based teaching resource to be used alongside Logos Bible Software.  You can find out more here - http://www.logos.com/product/5876/learn-to-use-biblical-greek-and-hebrew-with-logos-bible-software

I don't actually own the resource so I couldn't tell you anything about it.  

Hope you find what you are looking for, and that Logos proves to be helpful software in Bible study.

Mitchell Ebbott said:

Someone else with actual knowledge of Hebrew will have to speak to the similarities (or lack thereof) between modern and Biblical Hebrew, I really don't know.

I only have a smattering of Biblical Hebrew from school, but my understanding is that while Modern Hebrew is closer to Biblical Hebrew than other ancient/modern language splits there are still some significant differences. The resources in Logos are designed for exegesis of Biblical Hebrew, I have a hard time imagining they would be very helpful with modern spoken Hebrew.

I would suggest, Samuel, once you get home to see if there are any Jewish congregations close by. They probably have recommendations to make to converts or people like you who are interested. Who knows? There might even be a tutor in your area who could help you learn a lot better than a software package.

As to your question of what the news in Israel means to the Christian... that depends on whether your question is political or theological. I suspect that you intended it to be theological. Logos has a wide variety of theology texts that can help give you perspectives on the relationship between Israel and the church and how that all fits (or doesn't fit) into eschatological schemes.

Samuel Bachman said:

Hey everyone, I found this forum recently and thought it would be a good place to ask a question. I'm a Christian who is very interested in learning Hebrew and learning more about Israel and how the news there affects Christians. I think I found some possible good ways to do so, but I'm not sure... any help would be appreciated!

1. Is there any good software for learning to read and speak Hebrew? I found this Bible-software forum, so I naturally thought it would be a good place to ask.

2. Until now, I've been considering watching The Israeli Network, a cable/satellite package that shows Israeli TV in Hebrew and English throughout the world. But I'm not sure I'd be able to learn much...

3. Perhaps personal tutors? I'm on vacation in Israel right now myself, but I want to find a way to learn Hebrew when I come back to the States... any ideas, anyone?

I work on my computer a lot, so perhaps some software would be a good way to go...

Thanks for any help!

Sam

If you want to learn to read Hebrew, there are some resources in Logos which can help with that.  I happen to think that Futato's Beginning Biblical Hebrew is so simple that one almost doesn't need an instructor.  They also have Learn to use Biblical Greek and Hebrew with Logos Bible Software.  They also have a pronunciation guide for those who want to sprinkle a little Hebrew into sermons so that they can pretend to be knowledgeable without really knowing a thing.  In addition they have a number of grammars.  One of these is the Davidson's Introductory Hebrew Grammar which was what we used when I was in seminary (except that it has been completely revised) which has useful tables of paradigms at the back.  When you have learned some and have had a chance to do some reading in the Hebrew Bible, there are also more advanced grammars, but if you don't already know Hebrew it will be a while before you are ready for those. 

If you really want to learn to speak Hebrew, I suggest that you buy a ticket on El Al Airlines and go to an Ulpan in Israel.  Most of what you hear here is pretty sad.  You will definitely never learn to actually communicate in Hebrew from that.  Of course, there are also the CD based courses such as Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur, but I think the actual interaction with living humans is important (It doesn't help to try to converse with the dead [:D]). 

As for how news in Israel affects us, "Ask not for whom the bell tolls … it tolls for us"  Read the parable of the Prodigal Son again.  I think there is something there that gets sadly overlooked in most considerations.  The younger son who leaves represents the gentiles who estrange themselves from the Father.  Similarly, the elder brother who remains represents Israel who remains with the Father so that the Father can say (Paraphrasing) "You are always with me, and all that I have is yours."  Don't write off the Jewish people.  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Super Tramp said:

Samuel Bachman said:

Is there any good software for learning to read and speak Hebrew?

I can not recommend which of the Modern Hebrew language instruction programs is best. I do recommend you check for a subscription TV channel from Israel (satellite  or cable.) Getting immersed into the language will speed your learning. 

I find it interesting to note that several Greek scholars will use Modern Greek pronunciations in their audio materials. I believe Spiros Zodhiates did this as well as others. The rationale being having the modern pronunciation is a standard whereas Koine Greek pronunciation is debatable. I don't know if Hebrew is any different. 

When I learned Biblical Hebrew there were two types of pronounciation, Sephardic and Ashkenazi. I learned to use a the Sephardic, but I have had teachers who use the Ashkenazi pronounciation. Usings the name David is a example: Sephardic would be Dahveed and Ashkenazi would be Dahweeed. I learned the middle letter as vav but Ashkenazi calls is waw.

The difference isn't huge (just a few letters). I had purchased a audio recording for my vocabulary...it had tracks of words by frequency. It used Ashkenazi...but it was pretty easy to tell. I only found a few times where it was a big difference.

Hope this helps in choosing stuff.

Blessings,

Philana

George Somsel said:

Up came one on Tucson, and since I wasn't familiar with it I pronounced it "Tuck son."    Naturally, the class howled.

I will laugh with you on this one.  I have heard some odd things in my time here....We have a walgreens at pratically every 4th corner in town.....Well within 10 min drive....I have 5 stores.  Anyway we have one street here ....La Canada..... It is supposed to be a spanish n...La Caannaada.. but walgreens (only store to do this)  gets the country to the north of the USA...

William Bingham said:

I will laugh with you on this one.  I have heard some odd things in my time here....We have a walgreens at pratically every 4th corner in town.....Well within 10 min drive....I have 5 stores.  Anyway we have one street here ....La Canada..... It is supposed to be a spanish n...La Caannaada.. but walgreens (only store to do this)  gets the country to the north of the USA...

That is actually La Cañada meaning "ravine" and doesn't refer to the country Canada.

Hey, does anybody actually detains the Logos Software for Learning Greek and Hebrew ? I'm about to get it because it seems really well done. I just wanted to get more info (I mean more than what they say about it on the Logos software official presentation here on the website.

By the way I'm beginner to both Greek and Hebrew.

Thanks, that could confirm my purchase.

George Somsel said:

Read the parable of the Prodigal Son again.  I think there is something there that gets sadly overlooked in most considerations.  The younger son who leaves represents the gentiles who estrange themselves from the Father.  Similarly, the elder brother who remains represents Israel who remains with the Father so that the Father can say (Paraphrasing) "You are always with me, and all that I have is yours."  Don't write off the Jewish people.  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Thank you George for those words. You blessed my day by that. [Y]

Giovanni,

I think your post is not so much offensive as ignorant.  Most people who share your sectarian beliefs about the source of your religion would disagree with your claim "... the whole country of Israel could be bombed or go straight to hell and that would not affect Xtians one single bit! "  Most of your fellow-cultists would hail that bombing as at minimum one more sign of End Times, and quite possibly as the opening shot in tyour Battle of Armageddon.

If you're going to lecture us all on millenialism, salvation, and all that other junk that you incorrectly call "Christian," you should at least get your story straight.

My own opinion is that large numbers of Christians would suffer from the fall-out.  How do you feel about Jerusalem being part of the state of Israel, friend?

As for Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ great grand son David goes, it might help reading the date of a post before posting.  Giovanni hasn’t posted in years, so he might indeed be slaying dragons 🐉 elsewhere.

And as far as Philana goes, she now works for Faithlife! Way to go!

Time sure flies!

DAL

Ps. David, you got a cool last name.  This is the first time I see it not being attached to the good old Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Imagine if you were actually related to him...we’d have (almost) a celebrity posting among us. 👍😁👌