Perspectives on Biblical Languages

Course Description

This course offers an overview of Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek, with an emphasis on why knowledge of the original languages has been vital throughout Christian history and why this knowledge plays a significant role today. Assuming no prior study of either language, you will learn some of the basic features of Greek and Hebrew, including their alphabets, how to read aloud in the languages, and key grammatical constructions. We will also explore the Christian heritage of studying these languages, along with some issues regarding the original languages and their translation today.

This course is divided into three sections. The first section will cover the key elements of New Testament Greek and the Greek text of the New Testament. The second section looks at Old Testament Hebrew and the history and prehistory of the Old Testament text. The third section will then turn to the English translations of the Bible, considering the various theories and problems in the faithful transmission of God's Word to the People of God.