“Acquiring wisdom requires tedious grappling with proverbs, sayings, and riddles (Proverbs 1:6), many of them terse and obscure—some virtually impenetrable. Having navigated the path ahead of us, Kline is our able tutor on a difficult but rewarding journey. Every bit as clever as the sayings themselves, this book is part Hebrew grammar, part devotional, part poetry, and part introduction to wisdom literature. This little book achieves a style of translation that the eminent Hebrew translator Robert Alter believes is sadly lacking in our modern English Bibles.”
—Ryan P. O’Dowd, author of Proverbs (The Story of God Bible Commentary) and co-author of Old Testament Wisdom Literature: A Theological Introduction
“Thank you, Jonathan Kline, for this helpful and carefully presented guide to reading proverbs in Hebrew one day at a time. I enthusiastically recommend this book to all who want to keep up and improve their Hebrew skills. Not only will the reader’s language ability grow, but so will their knowledge of the book of Proverbs. If you want to grow in wisdom, read Proverbs; and if you want to grow in your understanding of Proverbs, read A Proverb a Day in Biblical Hebrew.”
—Tremper Longman III, Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies, Westmont College
“This book has so many good qualities to commend it: it is informed, it will encourage flagging Hebrew readers, it is brief enough to be doable for most of us, and even more: it helps us to tap daily into the glories of the wisdom culture that comes to expression in these proverbs. Ours is a world swamped by everything new, while Proverbs takes us into a world where the old is ever renewable. Daily ponderings of wisdom make for a wise person.”
—Scot McKnight, Professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary
“Jonathan Kline breathes new life into the book of Proverbs through this practical, smart guide. Both a devotional and a language tool, A Proverb a Day in Biblical Hebrew gently leads its users through difficult syntax and at times perplexing content, giving us more than enough each day to pronounce in Hebrew, to read, and to think about throughout the day. Students, seminarians, and pastors who have taken even a year or two of Hebrew will be able to track with the language of Proverbs through Kline’s expert guidance. I highly recommend this book both as a language-learning tool and as a year-long devotional journey through the wisdom of Proverbs.”
—Brian R. Doak, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, George Fox University
“A Proverb a Day in Biblical Hebrew encourages readers to digest select biblical proverbs slowly in order to contemplate their often subtle and multilayered meanings. It does so by presenting 365 proverbs on a one-a-day basis. Kline places each Hebrew proverb on a single page, along with a definition of each of its lexemes. Verbs also appear with grammatical information (e.g., conjugation, person, etc.) to facilitate rapid acquisition of the primary elements of the proverb. For words with multiple meanings, readers are given options. Having all the necessary pieces, readers are then invited to ponder the proverb’s meaning(s). Kline provides an English translation for each proverb two pages later to discourage readers from using it immediately as a crutch. This handy workbook forces readers to realize that Hebrew texts cannot be read like Twitter accounts, but must be mined carefully for their intellectual depths. It is ideal for beginning students or informed lay readers who want to improve their knowledge of Hebrew and their appreciation for the sophisticated wisdom of the Israelites.”
—Scott B. Noegel, Professor of Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, University of Washington
