Keeping Your Hebrew 2: Setting Goals

I did well in first-year Hebrew, so I had a fair amount of self-confidence at the end of that year. I set myself the goal of reading in the Psalms that summer. I mentioned this to my professor, and he told me that the Psalms were a difficult place to start. I found out that summer that he was right. A little bit of practice in Hebrew narrative does not leave you prepared for Hebrew poetry.

One man I know set himself the goal of reading through the Hebrew Bible. He did, but it took him seven years. That works out to about nine verses per day, though I'm sure there were some day he did many more, and some days he did fewer.

The points from these two stories are: 1) make your goals reasonable. It was not reasonable for me to attempt Hebrew poetry after only first-year Hebrew; 2) set intermediate goals, even if your eventual goal is to read through the whole Hebrew Bible. Seven years is a long time, and most people do not have the persistence to stick with such a long-term goal.

My recommendation is that you begin by setting a daily goal of time--say ten to fifteen minutes. Anyone, no matter how busy, can find ten to fifteen minutes per day. Second, I would recommend that you try to do that ten to fifteen minutes every day. Don't beat yourself up if you miss a day or two, but get back on track. It is harder to keep the habit than it is to break it. With this time goal, set a timer. When the time is over, you can quit (for the day). That way, if you're in the middle of a frustrating verse, you can come back the next day with a fresh look. The timer gives you the freedom to quit. On the other hand, if you're moving along quickly, you have the freedom to continue.

As to where to begin your reading, Campbell ( in Keep Your Greek) recommends the Gospel of John. For Hebrew, any of the narrative books will do, though Ruth and Jonah (excepting chapter 2) are often used as introductory texts, because the narrative is straightforward and the vocabulary is simple. Further, both books are short, and you get a sense of accomplishment quickly.