What do you get when you cross classical Hebrew with Koine Greek? It may sound like the metaphor for a strange new animal, but what it creates is a fascinating dive into the Bible that's rarely, if ever, been attempted before in a devotional study.
In
Hebrew versus Greek: A Devotional Study of Scripture Through Two Lenses, Hebrew scholar Chaim Bentorah and Greek scholar Chris Palmer explore fifty concepts from the Septuagint (LXX) and explain the subtle nuances found in Hebrew and Greek.
You will discover how:
- Bringing our traumas to speech through prayer can help heal our souls
- Trusting in God binds us to His divine power
- Affliction invites us to walk intimately with the Lord
- Saying, "There is no God" is like walking through fog
- The promise of "long life" can be understood even though people often die young
Used by the early church, the Septuagint is the oldest translation of the Old Testament into another language: from Hebrew to Greek. It's considered to be the most important translation of the Bible.
Palmer says, "The Septuagint is underappreciated and underused in theological pursuits, especially in working with the biblical languages. This book breaks ground in that it uses the Septuagint for something as simple as a devotional Bible study."
Bentorah adds, "This offers a whole new dimension to our understanding of the Old Testament and the importance of using the Greek Septuagint to explain some difficult passages."
Hebrew versus Greek will draw you nearer to the original text through simple devotional lessons that explore the rich meanings found in these ancient languages.
Chaim Bentorah teaches biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek to lay teachers and pastors in the metro Chicago area through Chaim Bentorah Ministries. He also speaks to church and parachurch groups about the nature and means of studying the Old Testament in the original Hebrew.
Chaim and his study partner, Laura Bertone, write daily word studies on their blog at www.chaimbentorah.com. They are also the copastors of a cyber Messianic church through HebrewWordStudy.com, on which they conduct twelve-week classes in basic Hebrew, a weekly Monday evening Bible translation class, and a Sabbath Torah study on Saturday mornings that follows the Parshah (Weekly Torah Portion).
Chaim has a bachelor of arts degree in Jewish Studies from Moody Bible Institute, a master's degree in Old Testament and Hebrew from Denver Seminary, and a PhD in Biblical Archaeology. In graduate school, he studied advanced Hebrew under Dr. Earl S. Kalland, who was on the executive committee for the translation work of the New International Version of the Bible. Professor Kalland encouraged him to seek out an orthodox rabbi and discuss the translation process from a Jewish perspective.
Later, from his contact with Jewish rabbis and his studies in the Talmud, the Mishnah, and other works of Jewish literature, as well as his studies in the Semitic languages, Chaim began doing Hebrew word studies as devotionals and sending them out by e-mail to former students whom he had taught in his thirteen years as an instructor in Hebrew and Old Testament at World Harvest Bible College, as well as those he taught through Chaim Bentorah Ministries. After self-publishing several books of Hebrew word studies and related topics, Chaim published Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God with Whitaker House, followed by Journey into Silence and Hebrew Word Study: Exploring the Mind of God.
Chaim resides in a suburb of Chicago.
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Dr. Chris Palmer is a pastor, missionary, and professor of theology. He has taught the Word of God in over forty countries, was a full-time lead pastor for seven years, and is currently the dean of the Barnett College of Ministry and Theology at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. Prior to this, he taught at Moody Bible Institute and helped to architect Theos Seminary.
Chris holds a PhD from Bangor University (Wales, UK). His doctoral thesis examined the book of Revelation and the problem of evil, suffering, and theodicy.
Chris is the author of eight books, including Greek Word Study: 90 Ancient Words that Unlock Scripture; Winks From Scripture: Understanding God's Subtle Work Among Us; and Hebrew Versus Greek: A Devotional Study of Scripture Through Two Lenses. His articles have been published by The Christian Post, CBN, Crosswalk, and more.
