14 replies to this topic

[Tomi]

Alongside NIDOTTE, would you kindly recommend a next in line complementary module of your choice: lexicon and dictionary category. I am thinking BDB complete vs. HALOT or CDHC vs. TWOT? .

Or to make my question even more simplistic: which are your top two Hebrew Tools in Accordance?

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

[Ken Simpson]

HI Tomi,
TWOT is a word study book rather than a lexicon, and is thus a different genre somewhat from the others. Of the three you have mentioned, BDB is now quite old (about 100 years) and Hebrew scholarship has advanced significantly. HALOT is state-of-the-art until Clines' full Dictionary of Classical Hebrew is released (8 volumes in print - soon on Accordance). Concise DCH is quite up-to-date, but ...well...concise. My 1 Hebrew tool is HALOT. No argument at the moment. I suspect full DCH is a bit of overkill unless you are really looking for some exceptional Hebrew scholarship.

Anyway, that's my 2c worth. Anyone else?

[Tomi]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for your input and clarification. I'm leaning toward CDCH but no definite decision yet.

Edited by Tomi, 11 December 2012 - 05:06 PM.

[David Knoll]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for your input and clarification. I'm leaning toward CDCH but no definite decision yet.

Don't! Either HALOT or BDB are much much better!

[Tomi]

Don't! Either HALOT or BDB are much much better!

Wow! Thanks David ... very informative !

[Ken Simpson]

Hi Tomi,
I agree with David that there is more info in BDB and HALOT, but DCH is still good, just more concise.

Have a look at these screenshots to see and compare a shorter entry in the three lexica

(as an aside, whatever you buy, you will probably end up buying HALOT, so if you can, you might as well go there first).

DCH
 Screen Shot 2012-12-12 at 22.12.56 .jpg   141.44K   70 downloads

HALOT
 Screen Shot 2012-12-12 at 22.13.06 .jpg   202.89K   74 downloads

BDB
 Screen Shot 2012-12-12 at 22.13.30 .jpg   195.06K   48 downloads

[J. T.]

HI Tomi,
TWOT is a word study book rather than a lexicon, and is thus a different genre somewhat from the others. Of the three you have mentioned, BDB is now quite old (about 100 years) and Hebrew scholarship has advanced significantly. HALOT is state-of-the-art until Clines' full Dictionary of Classical Hebrew is released (8 volumes in print - soon on Accordance). Concise DCH is quite up-to-date, but ...well...concise. My 1 Hebrew tool is HALOT. No argument at the moment. I suspect full DCH is a bit of overkill unless you are really looking for some exceptional Hebrew scholarship.

Anyway, that's my 2c worth. Anyone else?

While there have been advances in Hebrew Lexicography, there are also very good reasons to maintain both HALOT and BDB in your library of Hebrew lexical research. Primarily because HALOT has been an exception to the above rule (a case in point is to compare the lexical entry for ברא between the two; many more cases such as this could be adduced). BDB does not take into account, obviously, Qumran and Dead Sea Scrolls material, or Ben Sira (of Cairo Genizah). Clines work does encompass all of the above.

[Rick Bennett]

HALOT and DCH would be my top two. DCH will be released soon.

[Tomi]

@ Ken - thank you for the advice and attached screen shot's, appreciate it!

@ James - thank you for shedding more light on the subject.

@ Rick - thank you for the info regarding DCH.

[Tomi]

While there have been advances in Hebrew Lexicography, there are also very good reasons to maintain both HALOT and BDB in your library of Hebrew lexical research. Primarily because HALOT has been an exception to the above rule (a case in point is to compare the lexical entry for ברא between the two; many more cases such as this could be adduced). BDB does not take into account, obviously, Qumran and Dead Sea Scrolls material, or Ben Sira (of Cairo Genizah). Clines work does encompass all of the above.

James, could you please provide a screen shot of an lexical entry comparison of ברא between HALOT and BDB?

[Matthew Burgess]

In my standard study workspace, I use CDCH and HALOT, linked together so that a single triple-click will open the selected word in both lexicons. (Darin Allen discussed the procedure for this in a brief video tutorial here.) I find that the combination provides a nice balance between brevity and detailed analysis. I look forward to adding the complete DCH in the near future.

I would agree that BDB retains some significant value despite its age, and I still consult it occasionally... but CDCH and HALOT have worked well for me.

[Ken Simpson]

Hi guys,
please don't hear me disparaging the magisterial work of Brown-Driver-Briggs. There is, no doubt, fantastic reasons to have both. I have both and use both, but as Matthew says, HALOT and CDCH are my two go to's more often than BDB nowadays. How much that will be modified by the full DCH, we shall see.

Here are a couple more screenshots as requested

HALOT
 Screen Shot 2012-12-13 at 06.39.07 .jpg   441.5K   28 downloads

BDB
 Screen Shot 2012-12-13 at 06.39.36 .jpg   488.19K   27 downloads

Edited by Ken Simpson, 12 December 2012 - 02:41 PM.

[Tomi]

Matthew, thank you for your practical nuggets! Also, thanks for sharing the video link by Allen, such a great feature I wasn't aware of, wonderful. Accordance makes it easy to dig deeper! Now - To the work, to the work (D.L. Moody)

[Tomi]

Ken,
I truly appreciate the screenshots ... all the way from Australia !
Indeed, thanks for your time, blessings to you Down Under !

[Ken Simpson]

Now if I could work out how to do an upside down smiley face!!!