A Cumulative Index to the Grammar and Syntax of Biblical Hebrew (review)

Hebrew Studies 40 (1999) 265 Reviews A CUMULATIVE INDEX TO THE GRAMMAR AND SYNTAX OF BIBLICAL HEBREW. By Frederic Clarke Putnam. pp. xii + 338. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1996. Cloth, $34.50. Paper, $24.50. This research tool has developed by accretion. Begun as a labor of love for the author's students, the original cumulative index included references to the book of Ruth in five English works. Putnam, who teaches at Biblical Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, wanted his students "to examine the original languages of Scripture carefully and with the benefit of the insight of others" (p. ix). The project was soon expanded to include the Megillot and Minor prophets and, fmally, the whole Hebrew Bible. It was at the behest of the publisher that Putnam added German works to the list, an addition that significantly enhances the value of the work for researchers. The final product is this handy compilation of scriptural references in fourteen grammars. According to the introduction to the book, the works indexed are (1) standard reference grammars, (2) "books that are commonly used in the schools," and (3) "some that have stretched our understanding of Biblical Hebrew" (p. ix). It is apparent that Putnam still has seminary students in mind. Yet. the incorporation of highly technical German works makes it unlikely that the average student will be tempted to make frequent use of this tool. Indeed, only the most diligent. persistent, and extraordinarily erudite will not be overwhelmed and quickly become discouraged. On Gen 1:1, for example, there are 27 citations. 7 of them in German works. The first citation concerns "the literae majusculae," the initial ~ in Gen 1:1 being an example, although this will not be evident to the student using BHS; the second has to do with the relative value of the 'atniiJ) which may indicate an important break or may be imperceptible, and Gen 1:1 is an example of the latter; the third concerns the dagesh lene in an initial position, the first letter in n'qJtt1~ being an example; the fourth has to do with the vocalization of n~. The other citations are arguably less pedantic, but they similarly point to Gen 1:1 as illustrative of various aspects of Hebrew morphology or syntax. There is, of course, a wealth of information in the discussions and those with the proverbial "patience of Job" will no doubt be rewarded. Yet, it is the case that references to various scriptural passages in the grammars are meant to be illustrative; they are not necessarily complete. One studying other passages that contain the same grammatical features may not find one's texts cited as examples anywhere. As helpful as a scriptural index may be, therefore, it is inadequate and not the best way to find information about a grammatical problem. A student who is puzzled by the disjunctive waw and the subject-verb word order in Hebrew Studies 40 (1999) 266 Reviews Oen 1:2, for instance, might be able to get to the discussions much more readily through a subject index. Thus, through the subject index in GKC one is led immediately to a discussion of the issue, even though Oen 1:2 is not mentioned as an example. Moreover, for more-advanced Hebraists, a subject index frees one from the opinion of the grammarians on the specific passages; one may be able to consider other explanations with the help of such an index. By the same token, discussions of certain morphological problems may be more easily tracked down in an index of Hebrew words. If the student studying Oen 1:1 has questions about the vocalization or the syntax of n~, say, it will be far more efficient to fmd the discussions by way of an index of Hebrew words. Despite his admirable pedagogical intentions, Putnam's work will probably be used more frequently by scholars than by seminary students. Specialists may, however, find the selection somewhat peculiar. One wonders, for instance, why Eduard KHnig's Historisch-kritisch Lehrgebliude and Historisch-Comparative Syntax are not indexed, while Ernst lenni's introductory textbook is. Moreover, it seems unnecessarily duplicative to have both the third edition of A. B. Davidson's...