Hebrew Cross-Training

Ruth

Apr 11 – May 16 // Mon 6am ET

Ruth—what a glorious story of redemption! Hebrew—what a beautiful language to serve as the medium of this story. Thus what a delight for us to delve deep into the Hebrew of Ruth together.

Many of those who take a language course—even at a seminary level—never advance to the place of being able to take up their Hebrew Bible and simply read with competence. This cross-training course aims to help you move closer to doing this very thing, while we worship the Redeemer in one of the most glorious stories of all time.

(Course retired)(Self-enrollment disabled)

What is Hebrew Cross-Training?
Hebrew Cross-Training is a live, interactive class that meets weekly via Zoom to read and translate Ruth together. We will use a variety of strategies to help you engage with the text. The main focus will be on exercising your reading muscles.
We will not use class time to review vocabulary. However, we will provide resources to help you build your vocabulary on your own.
This course is for you if...
You are fairly new to language studies and desire to strengthen your basic knowledge.
You once had a good grasp of the language but have since become rusty and want to regain what was lost.
You are already a proficient reader of Hebrew and yet want to advance your skills and enjoy the camaraderie offered in such a course as this.

If you really intend to stay in the text of Scripture, teaching God’s word for the rest of your life, I don’t understand how [the time investment of studying the biblical languages] is not going to be a good return. If I’m going to be doing something for the rest of my life, spending time at the beginning of my ministry to acquire something that’s vital for me to feed the flock of Christ, and then keeping up with it, and refreshing myself in it, and growing in my abilities in it, is only going to be a blessing to me personally and to the people that I serve. So I don’t see how that possibly could be a waste of time or a bad investment.
—Ligon Duncan

Objectives
To encourage the habit of reading Scripture in the original languages
          ... in order to facilitate greater reading comprehension
          ... in order to grow more competent in understanding the author’s message as presented in the original language
          ... in order to see Christ more clearly and delight in him more fully.
To accomplish all of these in the context of a fellowship of believers who encourage and stir one another on to maturity.
Prerequisites
The following requirements are meant to be a guide, not a hard and fast rule.
Vocabulary: able to recognize words occurring ≥ 100x in the OT
One year (two semesters) of language course, or the equivalent
Am I ready for this course?
If you are wondering if your Hebrew reading skills are sufficient to participate, take our Hebrew Reading Self-Assessment to help you decide.
How much preparation is expected for each class?
Because we are welcoming participants at various levels of reading proficiency and availability, we invite you to choose the level of prep-work that works best for you:
No prep-work. Just show up to class to read and discuss the passage with the group.
Read through the passage in Hebrew 1–3 times prior to class.
Create an arc or bracket of the passage in Hebrew and your own translation. (You will be given the opportunity to share your work with the class.)
Dates
This live class meets Mondays 6-7 AM ET from April 11 to May 16.