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Books for Learning Biblical Hebrew
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Recommended for Self-Study or Classroom Learning
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Zola’s Introduction to Hebrew
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New to Hebrew? Start Here! Unlike most academic books on Biblical Hebrew, this course provides a step-by-step approach that will enable you to understand the Hebraic mindset while learning the alphabet and vowel signs. Studying at your own pace, you will master the Hebrew alphabet, sound out actual Hebrew words, and begin connecting your studies with your heart by reading Hebrew prayers, blessings, and even passages from Scripture! Using this resource, you will learn more than mere academic material; you will learn the underlying spirit of the Hebrew heart.
The book also provides fascinating information throughout, to illustrate how learning Hebrew gives you a better understanding of the Lord Jesus, the Jewish Messiah.
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Books by Topic:
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Beginning Hebrew
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These books are suitable for new learners or those who are reviewing Hebrew:
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Zola’s Introduction to Hebrew by John J. Parsons, author and developer of Hebrew4Christians.com. A unique step-by-step approach that teaches the fundamentals of Biblical Hebrew while promoting Jewish literacy. Over 400 pages with integrated exercises. Audio support and additional materials available through companion website. 
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Ancient Hebrew Alphabet Chart. This is the ultimate Alphabet Chart, with over 20 alphabets arranged so you can easily compare Hebrew to any of the languages of Biblical and Modern times. Using this chart, you will see how Hebrew has developed over time. High color, laminated: 16.25 X 12.5”.
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Hebrew Word Pictures by Dr. Frank Seekins. The book that shows how the ancient Hebrew letters declare the Gospel! Discover the ancient script that reveals penetrating truth about the Word of God! Includes an Audio CD that will help you learn the word pictures and hear all the examples.
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The Gospel in Ancient Hebrew by Dr. Frank Seekins. How Jewish is the Gospel? If the Cross was a fulfillment of the Law, then the Gospel should be found throughout the Old Testament and the Law. This booklet/CD will show you the Good News clearly proclaimed in the ancient Hebrew Word pictures.
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Jumbo Hebrew Flashcards. 8.5"X11" Cover Stock, corner rounded for child safety. 31 cards (22 alphabet letters, Vet, Chaf, Fey, Sin + final letters). Available in Print, Cursive, or Rashi style. Great for teaching or self study! Helpful resource.
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Handbook of Hebrew Calligraphy by Cara Goldberg Marks. Offers both beginning and professional Hebrew calligraphers a detailed guide to every aspect of calligraphy: the materials and supplies needed by the artist, the techniques that must be mastered, considerations for designs and layout.
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Living Israeli Hebrew. For the beginner... the very beginner. In just a few hours learn how to read and write Hebrew. This straightforward workbook has been specially created for English speakers with absolutely NO previous knowledge of Hebrew. Level: Elementary to basic.
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Vis-Ed Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary Flash Cards
This set contains over 1200 words from the vocabulary of the Hebrew Bible. Take them with you and use them every day for reinforcement of your Hebrew. An indispensible Resource!
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Biblical Hebrew: Step-by-Step. Menahem Mansoor has written two volumes of an introductory grammar. These books might be suitable for those who want a less rigorous approach to the subject than Pratico, Ross, or the Kelly textbooks. 
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The First Hebrew Primer provides a more gradual, yet thorough, approach to standard Biblical Hebrew grammars by dividing topics into 30 logical lessons. An additional Answer Key is useful for self-study. A good choice for adult learners. 
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Ivrit: Shalav Aleph (Hebrew: A Language Course Level One) provides an inductive approach to learning Hebrew. Prerequisites for using this book include a working knowledge of the phonetics and mechanics of Hebrew. Note that this book is intended as a beginner’s guide for Modern Hebrew (not Biblical Hebrew).
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These books are suitable for those who want to study the grammar of Biblical Hebrew in order to eventually read and study the Hebrew Scriptures.
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Biblical Hebrew. Page H. Kelly has written an excellent introductory text to Biblical Hebrew. The separately sold workbook is a must-have item. This is one of the better intermediate-level grammar I’ve seen so far. Highly recommended. 
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Basics of Biblical Hebrew. Gary Pratico and Miles Van Pelt have collaborated on a fine seminary-level introduction to Biblical Hebrew grammar. An accompanying workbook is not included but should be considered mandatory for writing exercises.
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Introducing Biblical Hebrew. Allen P. Ross has written a grammar that has grown out of his experience teaching Hebrew to seminary students for over thirty years. This is a good book, and I would recommend it for use in a classroom setting. The phonetics (transliterations) are a bit scholarly, however.
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Invitation to Biblical Hebrew. Russell Fuller (Ph.D., Hebrew Union College). This clear, accurate, and pedagogically sound textbook emphasizes the basics: Hebrew phonology (sounds) and morphology (forms). This grammar avoids jargon or technical language. (not rated)
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Beginning Biblical Hebrew (Hardcover). Mark Futato. A decent introduction to Biblical Hebrew, that does not go as far as Kelly or Pratico, but is generally more accessible for those getting into the world of Hebrew. (not rated)
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Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Textbook. Nancy deClaissé-Walford. A very user-friendly, basic introduction to Classical Hebrew. Intended for beginning students with no previous knowledge of the language. No companion workbook is available. (not rated)
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Grammatical Concepts 101 for Biblical Hebrew. This volume is a helpful counterpart to textbooks of Biblical Hebrew. Explanations of grammatical concepts and terms provide students with the framework they need to understand language structures. (not rated)
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Biblical Hebrew: A Text and Workbook (Yale Language Series). Each of the 55 lessons in this large textbook is built around a biblical verse or segment that generates the grammatical concepts to be taught. An inductive approach. The typesetting is a bit odd.
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A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax by Bill T. Arnold and John H. Choi. A concise guide intended to help you master the intermediate-level skills required to interpret the syntax of the Bible's original language.
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The Vocabulary Guide of Biblical Hebrew.
Pratico and Miles Van Pelt have collaborated to produce a word-frequency guide to Hebrew words appearing in the Tanakh. Optional but nice to have. For ease of use, however, I would recommend the VIS-Ed cards, shown above.
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501 Hebrew Verbs : Fully Conjugated in All the Tenses. Barrows. This book presents each verb on a full page, completely conjugated in all tenses. Note that this book is based on word roots, so you must know the root word before lookup. (advanced)
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These books are suitable for those who want to study some of the more unusual features of Hebrew. They are not recommended for those who are not well-grounded in their faith.
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The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet is perhaps the definitive work on the subject of the Hebrew otiyot (letters) and their mystical significance from an Orthodox Jewish perspective. Rabbi Michael Munk draws upon his vast knowledge of Torah, Talmud, and Kabbalistic literature to produce the best book on the subject to date.
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The Hebrew Alphabet: A Mystical Journey by Rabbi Edward Hoffman is more of a gift book than a serious study of the Hebrew alphabet. There are some good insights in the book, however. 
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The Book of Letters by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner is pretty much a waste of money. If you can find it cheap and used, then it’s entertaining, but for any serious effort to appreciate the Hebrew Alphabet, go with Rabbi Munk’s book instead. An arty book with not a lot of substance that might make a nice gift for someone. 
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The Oracle of Kabbalah: Mystical Teachings of the Hebrew Letters by Richard Seidman and Lawrence Kushner. Another wild ride into the speculative nuances that the Hebrew text can evoke and suggest. This is Kabbalistic mysticism: read at your own risk!
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The Inner Meaning of the Hebrew Letters by Robert M. Haralick. A gematria-styled look at the Hebrew alphabet, based on permutations and other forms of Kabbalistic technique. Not recommended for new learners of Hebrew or those who are unsure of their faith.
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The Secrets of Hebrew Words by Benjamin Blech. A sod-level analysis of various Hebrew words that uses gematria and other speculative methods to draw inferences. A sequel volume (More Secrets of Hebrew Words) is also available through Amazon.
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These are some of the more readily available works of the Hebrew Bible in codex form.
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Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) is the scholar’s first choice for studying the Hebrew Masoretic text. Consider this text mandatory if you are serious about getting into the Hebrew Tanakh and want the scholarly apparatus (i.e., masoretic notes and textual criticism additions) required for doing research.
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Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (Paperback Edition) is the less expensive student’s edition of the hardcover. The same Masoretic text and critical apparatus is provided, though the text size is smaller and more difficult to read. You can mark the pages of this edition, however! 
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Sefer HaBritot: Hebrew-English Bible is an interlinear Bible that has the Hebrew and English (NKJV) running parallel on each page. This a great resource for learning your Hebrew and for doing Hebrew word studies. The typeset is a bit small for new learners, however.
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The Interlinear NIV Hebrew-English Old Testament, by Kohlenberger. The standard Hebrew text, Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, with all necessary variant readings and major textual conjectures in footnotes. The New International Version (North American Edition) as the English parallel text.
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The JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh features the oldest known complete version of the Holy Scriptures, placed next to JPS's renowned English translation, considered by both Jewish and Christian scholars. Hebrew text includes cantillation marks, vocalization and verse numbers.
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The Interlinear Bible: Hebrew/Greek/English by J.P. Green. An interlinear with both the Hebrew-English Old Testament and Greek-English New Testament. Text size is really small, however, so be prepared to use a magnifying glass. Otherwise a one of a kind reference.
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Essential tools for doing exegesis or analysis of the Hebrew texts:
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Babylon. The Hebrew translator / dictionary that English speakers can really use. State of the art, Hebrew-English / English-Hebrew translator with 6,200,000 (yes, over six million) words and 300,000 expressions and idioms! Babylon ALSO translates entire sentences and phrases! 
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Langenscheidt’s Pocket Dictionary - Hebrew to English This small and inexpensive dictionary provides all of the main entries of the Tanakh in a single, easy to use volume. The typeset is large enough to be useful, too! Ideal for use with the grammar sections of this site.
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Maskilon, 4 Volume Set This boxed set of 4 volumes is perhaps the easiest to use for English-speaking learners of Hebrew. Edited by Abraham Solomonick and David Morrison. "An indispensable study aid for anyone engaged in the study of Modern Hebrew..." (not rated)
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Multi Dictionary Bilingual Learners Dictionary. Features definitions and examples in Hebrew, language functions for interpersonal communication and a lexicon for special purposes. Good for the serious Hebrew student.
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Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. The BDB is considered the finest and most comprehensive Hebrew lexicon available to the English-speaking student. Based upon the classic work of Wilhelm Gesenius. Note that this is not a user-friendly lexicon.
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New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (5 vol set) by Willem A. VanGemeren. Available in book form or on CD ROM, this reference work (based on the NIV) is fast becoming the standard lexicon for serious Hebrew word studies.
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