Introduction to my blog

I’ve been self-studying modern and Biblical Hebrew off and on for almost 20 years. While at Brigham Young University I formally studied Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Arabic, and Vulgar (Common) Latin. I have a deep interest in language studies and etymology (the study of word origins and the development of language over time) coupled with a love of studying the scriptures, so I now read the Talmud in the original Hebrew to gain added insights into these scriptural passages. This blog serves as a place to document this personal journey.

For the record, I don't consider myself an expert in Biblical Hebrew. Just the opposite is true. I’m very much a novice, but hopefully my meager beginnings might inspire others, including my children in their later years, to make the attempt to learn Biblical Hebrew as a means of deepening their understanding of scriptural teachings.

Being a practicing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, what I blog will naturally be influenced by my own religious background. At the same time, the personal views and thoughts that I record here obviously don't represent official teachings or doctrine of the Church. In my blog I’ll often reference the Standard Works of the LDS Church – the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price – but these references aren’t intended to present my ideas as official doctrine. Instead my purpose will be to present examples of Semitic language grammar, figures of speech, and vocabulary that exist throughout all these books of scripture.