Basics of Hebrew Accents

Review 'Professor Mark Futat's Basics of Hebrew Accents is Hermes's magic wand that wakes up students to the thrill of reading the Hebrew text as those who most faithfully preserved the text interpreted it. I wish I had this book while I was still teaching biblical Hebrew; it would be required reading. With exceptional clarity Futato explains what at first seems the Masorete's complicated system of accentuation, making it functional and richly rewarding. Moreover, by his skillful mastery of the system, he delights us with insightful exegesis of selected texts.' -- Bruce Waltke Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies, Regent College, Vancouver, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Knox Theological Seminary 'Mark Futato has a gift for taking complex, important topics and making them accessible to students of the Hebrew language. The Hebrew system of accents can seem quite overwhelming at first. It's all so tempting to simply pass over all those minute markings around the Hebrew words. In Basics of Hebrew Accents, Futato not only helps us understand their function but shows their value in our understanding of the Hebrew text.' -- Tremper Longman III Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies Westmont College 'Dr. Futato's introduction to the accentuation of the Hebrew Bible provides a good foundation for going deeper in the Hebrew text of the Tanakh. This book is pedagogically sensitive, introduces the significance of the accentual system, and illustrates the interpretive effects in biblical interpretation. The subject of this book took me back some fifty years when I was a graduate student at Hebrew University, Jerusalem.' -- Willem A. VanGemeren Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Semitic Languages, Trinity International University 'The is the best stand-alone introduction to the accent system of the Hebrew Bible currently available. Both students and instructors will benefit from the author's clear explanations and illustrations, including the demonstration of exegetical significance. It is the perfect launching pad for further study in this often-neglected area of Hebrew studies. It must become required reading for all of our students of biblical Hebrew.' -- Miles V. Van Pelt Alan Hayes Belcher, Jr. Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson Basics of Hebrew Accents provides readers of biblical Hebrew with a comprehensive working knowledge of accentuation. Hebrew accents can be perplexing but knowing them and their functions will help students become better readers of the Hebrew Bible. The book is an ideal tool for beginning students who are learning to read the language as well as for more advanced students who are reading and translating the Hebrew text.Mark Futato has carefully organized his book to emphasize accessibility while providing:Clear explanations of the primary functions of Hebrew accentsA student-friendly presentationAccessibility for independent studyA practical and handy reference resource for all students of the Hebrew Bible