Don’t let the title fool you…the book really isn’t a word study in the sense that you will be speaking Hebrew by the time you turn the last page.  Actually, I would consider this book a devotional that focuses on one Hebrew word per chapter, with some added stories from the author for affect.

The author, Chaim Bentorah, lives in the outskirts of Chicago in the town of Cicero and drives a bus for the disabled through the town’s senior services department.  In this way, the book reads like a story as Mr. Bentorah introduces the reader to different seniors who ride his bus to doctor’s appointments or to run errands; these characters often give real life examples of the Hebrew word we’re learning about in that chapter.  Though the book is meant to be more devotional in nature, the author has a real knack for telling stories and this makes the book easy reading instead of technical, which I think most of us would expect from the volume’s title.

Now, what about the Hebrew words?  Well, I was impressed from page one.  The first chapter singles out the verses in Isaiah 41:12-13 that say, “…they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught.”  In context of the whole passage, one might think the phrase is self-explanatory.  For as many times as I’ve read the verse, I thought I knew what it meant.  However, when Bentorah gives us the Semitic root of the Hebrew words and explains what this phrase would mean to someone in ancient times – it really gave me a new appreciation for what this verse was saying.  So, you could say I was a fan of the book from the first chapter!

Conclusion: I really liked Hebrew Word Study.  Chaim Bentorah has a great writing style that makes what could be a deep topic an easy read; coupled with some funny stories that correlate with each Hebrew word, this book makes a great way to learn about Hebrew without hours of study.  As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, the book can be read like a devotional, so if you’re looking for a good resource that’s different from typical devotionals, you might want to check this one out.  It even has 30 chapters, so it can easily fit into a month’s reading.  Highly recommend!  Five stars!

Recommended For…

Someone looking for a casual study of the Hebrew language, a unique devotional and/or interested in a good study with a lot of humor.

For Purchase…

Visit the author online —> HERE