An all-access pass to biblical Hebrew courses, a world-class community, and live teaching calls!
How can you respond to claims of “this is what the Hebrew says” without having your own knowledge of the original scriptures?
Short answer, you can’t.
When you study your translated Bible, you’re settling to read the decisions which translators made, not the original text itself.
Today I want to share how you can easily study the original Hebrew text and satisfy your soul’s desire for the word of God.
This process of renewing our minds and therefore our hearts is deepened immensely by reading in the languages that scripture was written in.
Through a deeper understanding of the word, we can come to understand our saviour in a deeper way.
We can know more fully His redemptive plan, His character, and His intentions within scripture when we read in the language He first communicated in.
What’s more, we miss out on a huge wealth of knowledge about Jesus and his ministry if we neglect the language of his culture.
Jesus was a Jew, and he spoke to Jews in ways that they would understand. He often communicated in “Hebraisms”, sayings that were common in Hebrew, with implied meaning that completely flies over the heads of most 21st century Christians.
We can already read in English what Jesus spoke, but do we know why he said the things he said? Knowing Hebrew will help you unlock the mysteries in some of Jesus’ most well known messages.
Don’t rely on others to communicate these mysteries to you. Experience the wonder of discovering them yourself through biblical Hebrew.
Before: Hebrew was just paradigms with confusion as to how the stems and conjugations fit together. Also, I viewed Hebrew as a language constrained by rigid patterns.
After: Now, I realize that Biblical Hebrew is a nuanced language that emphasizes its spoken nature. The instructor does a fabulous job interacting with the class.
Although I previously had Hebrew, this has been an amazing refresh and has given me new found confidence in reading and translating.
While I had two courses prior study of BH using Zondervan's online course, the emphasis on reading is much stronger in the Hebrew Mastery Membership course. As a result, I feel my ability to read the text has gotten much stronger, while going back over some of the same material I had in Practico and Van Pelt.
Having a systematic approach is critical if you desire to read Hebrew with a feeling of fluency.
Ideally, what you need is an all-in-one solution which provides every element of the learning, especially vocabulary so that you can quickly gain confidence in reading the text.
Sure, you can spend your time watching YouTube videos, and your money on Hebrew grammars, but those resources on their own can only take you so far until you grind to a halt…
And find yourself wondering what the next step is.
The process of continually searching for the next resource to take you one step further can be time-consuming, and can even put you off learning Hebrew altogether.
That is NOT the outcome you want!
Instead, you want to follow a proven system that provides what you need to gain the skills to read freely and smoothly through the Hebrew text.
What we offer is that proven system.
The Hebrew Mastery Membership is an all-in-one solution that encompasses vocabulary, grammar and reading. Learning with this solution means you can gain confidence, clarity and efficiency with Old Testament Hebrew in half the time it would take on your own (or even with another program).
Our streamlined system gives you each next step as you need to take it, without you ever having to wonder “what should I learn next?”
When you join the Hebrew Mastery Membership, I want you to get maximum reward for your effort in learning.
That’s why the focus is on getting you in the word of God as soon as possible, then taking you down a path of continual growth.
In as little as 4 weeks (assuming you start as a complete beginner), you could be reading and translating scripture from Genesis.
And it only gets better from there. Our system focuses on teaching you the vocabulary for the text you’re working through, so that you’re able to read the whole story of Joseph in just under 9 months, at the same time that you complete Beginning Hebrew.
From there, it only takes a few more months until you are reading the books of Jonah and Ruth, and portions of the Torah.
After as little as 1 year in the membership, you could be confidently reading through the story of David in 1 and 2 Samuel as well as the Psalms.
And what’s more…
From there, you’ll gradually progress to mastery of biblical Hebrew, learning every word in the Hebrew Old Testament except the Hapax Legomena.
Not many programs can boast such a fast pace of mastering whole books for their students, and that’s because we have a system that gives you the exact vocabulary you need in order to read the next book on your list.
You get the reward of being able to read through Old Testament books and stories in their entirety as you progress through the program.
Your vocabulary learning will have immediate payoff, because you’re only learning the words for the books you’re about to read!
We provide all the vocabulary in digital flashcards decks, compatible with an app which we recommend for all our members. So far, nearly one thousand happy Biblical Mastery Academy members have had success with our vocabulary acquisition approach as it has helped them read confidently in Hebrew and Greek!
Look at what Hilary, a Greek Mastery Member says about this vocabulary system…
Nothing helps you to learn vocabulary better than to see it immediately in a text you are reading, and nothing helps you to read a text more easily than to have just learned the vocabulary you need for it! Biblical Mastery Academy is like the stabilisers on a training bike, giving support and confidence for the next stage in learning.
Ever wanted to study at seminary level, surrounded by like-minded learners who love God’s word?
Now you can, and it won’t break the bank!
When you sign up for the Hebrew Mastery Membership, you get access to all our courses for the lifetime of your membership. This means you follow one streamlined path, and you can follow it at your own pace, as it suits you. The lessons are designed with videos, worksheets and vocabulary decks, and each lesson is enough for 1 week of study.
Currently Available:
Course Outcome: You can read Joseph's story (Gen 37-50) in Hebrew
Course Length: 36 weeks
Required Reading: Learning Biblical Hebrew, Kutz and Josberger
Week 1: Hebrew Aleph-Bet
Week 2: Hebrew Vowels
Week 3: Syllables and Reading Hebrew
Week 4: Gender and Number Definite Article and Conjunction
Week 5: Vowel Changes in Hebrew
Week 6: Noun and Adjective Function
Week 7: Constructs, Directional Ending, Prepositions and Interrogatives
Week 8: Pronominal Suffixes
Week 9: Patterns in Nouns
Week 10: Numbers
Week 11: Introduction to Verbs
Week 12: Vowel Changes in Verbs
Week 13: Qal Perfect
Week 14: Qal Imperfect
Week 15: Qal Volitionals
Week 16: Qal Participles and Infinitives
Week 17: Qal Waw Consecutives
Week 18: Niphal Stem
Week 19: Piel, Pual and Hithpal Stems
Week 20: Hiphil and Hophal Stems
Week 21: Rare Verb Stems
Week 22: Verbs With Object Suffixes
Week 23: Irregular Features With Object Suffixes
Week 24: Weak Verbs
Week 25: III Waw/Yod Verbs
Week 26: I Waw/Yod Verbs
Week 27: II Waw/Yod Verbs
… And more content added weekly!
Coming Soon (2023):
Course Outcome: You can read Ruth, Jonah and parts of the Torah in Hebrew
Course Length: 8 weeks
Course Outcome: Greater skill in reading, translating, and understanding of the intended meaning of the author. You're prepared for exegesis.
Course Length: 10 weeks
Courses are always available for you to study at your own pace, but you can work with a cohort group if you want a schedule to follow. Read about the cohorts below!
Cohorts are live groups where I walk through the course homework with members on a weekly Zoom call.
Cohorts are great for accountability, support and having a regular schedule. They also offer you a time to check your translations with an instructor, and ask questions about the grammar which you’re unsure about.
All cohort calls are recorded so that you can watch them in your own time. This is particularly helpful if you can’t make a cohort call time – just keep track by watching the replays when it suits you.
Or if you’re the type of learner who likes to go your own pace, you can do that too and still make use of the cohort call replays whenever you work through a specific lesson. These calls are great to watch because often other members will have asked the same question that’s on your mind!
This membership wouldn’t be what it is without the community! The Biblical Mastery Academy Community is already nearly 500 members strong, over 100 of whom are studying Hebrew with you.
As you make progress, you can ask questions and get quick answers with the community. We have discussion groups for Hebrew and Greek, and we have plenty of regular instructor-led calls that are available to you as a member.
What’s more, fellow members are often sharing resources, tips and stories to help each other along the way. With a community, you no longer feel isolated on the journey – you’re on the same path as many others, working toward a common goal – to love the Lord deeper through knowing His scriptures more intimately.
The community has been wonderful for just connecting. No matter the question you may have someone is there to answer. Whether it is in reference to Logos Software recommendations, finding recorded Cohort classes, or just reading up on encouraging posts from others who have progressed further through their journey.
The Hebrew Mastery Membership has connected me to a community of dedicated leaners pursuing similar goals at a similar pace, and providing a forum to get help where needed and accountability to stay consistent. Previously I felt isolated in my studies and lacked confidence to advance in the language, now I’m excited to continue progressing and having opportunities to apply my knowledge with my peers.
It's amazing to meet fellow believers from all over the world unite in one goal, to know God better by learning to read Greek [or Hebrew] on our own. It's a privilege to experience the universal church at work. I am encouraged and refreshed each call I attend. I am able to laugh at my confusion and not become discouraged but to just press on knowing that I am going to be held accountable to a group of people who are all in the same boat, all trying to keep taking small, consistent steps. I am encouraged and work even harder knowing I'll be asked to translate!
Every week, you get the opportunity to join me for a Hebrew Office Hours Call, to bring your questions about Hebrew and discuss your progress. You will get individual attention on this call, so that you can quickly and effectively move through the coursework!
This new call is called Readings in Genesis, and this is a chance to join me to practice reading and translating Hebrew. This call will challenge you to grow in your ability to translate and will give you confidence in your skills with the language.
In 2023 I will be adding a weekly Hebrew Workshop Call for members. This will be an opportunity to translate text aloud and grow in your confidence with Hebrew!
Every month inside the membership, a new book is chosen for reading over the course of 2 months. We give you a reading schedule, then at the end of 2 months, we have a book call to discuss the reading!
This gives you incredible gains in your love for the languages, your understanding of Bible translation work, and your ability to serve the church!
See some of the books on our reading list (A few of these are upcoming in 2022/23 for reading!)
New courses, new content, and new cohorts will always be available to you as long as you’re a member with us.
It is my mission to continually add value to this membership, while never raising the price for existing members. For the lifetime of your membership, you will get access to everything I create! The plan is to make this program match and even beat seminary learning at every level (including doctorate level), and you will be able to benefit from it for no extra cost.
The immersive experience that we offer parallels what is offered for language learning in seminaries.
The member site is fully integrated with the community, meaning that when you log in, everything is in one place including your coursework, Hebrew discussion group, call replays, and every other membership feature!
Not only that, but the academic level of learning matches that of seminary language classes.
3 years of Hebrew in a robust MDiv program might give you Hebrew I, Hebrew II, Hebrew Exegesis plus perhaps 2 Hebrew electives.
3 years in the Mastery Membership would give you all the above, plus a vast knowledge of Hebrew vocabulary, allowing you to read a much wider and broader range of Old Testament books with the skill to interpret and exegete the text as you read.
Data from the Association of Theological Schools shows that seminary students pay $462.98 per credit hour on average.
As I mentioned before, a Masters of Divinity might contain six classes of Hebrew, each being 3 credits. Most seminaries won’t even give you this much Hebrew, but if they did and they charged the average price of $462 you’d be paying $8316 for all those classes.
Over three years, you would be paying $2772 per year or $231/month.
Let’s compare that with the Hebrew Mastery Membership.
The Hebrew Mastery Membership is not even a quarter of the average seminary fee!
The Hebrew Mastery Membership sits at just $495/year or $45/month.
Start studying with your Hebrew Mastery Membership today to lock in this incredibly low price for as long as you stay with us!
I took 3 semesters of Hebrew in seminary back in 2010 so much was familiar. This course has given me a greater ability to read the text with its focus on reading. I feel like I am getting a better handle on the Hebrew language because of this course. I think we have a great class of folks taking the course and we have some very helpful discussions as we navigate the text and the grammar. Frank does well at letting us chime in with observations and questions and get something right, and correct us if we are on the wrong track.
I've tried self-teaching myself Hebrew on several occasions, but never seemed to get beyond chapter 4 or 5 of whatever text I was using- chiefly because I ran up against questions that I couldn't seem to figure out by using the textbook. This membership features a knowledgeable teacher, Mr. Frank Hartmann, paired with an outstanding textbook ("Learning Biblical Hebrew" by Drs. Kutz and Josberger). Add in a group of students from all parts of the world who have genuine interest in learning the language (remember: this is not a required seminary course), and you have the ingredients for a fascinating, fruitful, and fun learning adventure.
I'm presently in the "Half-Pace" Hebrew Cohort (i.e., one lesson every 2 weeks vs. the regular paced one lesson/week), and I find that's a great pace for me. It affords me some extra time to let the material soak in; provides some buffer for attending to life's demands without fear of falling too far behind; and it provides a session that focuses primarily on grammar, and a second session that focuses primarily on reading from the Old Testament.
All in all, I'm enjoying this course very much, and I actually find myself looking forward to sitting down with my textbook and reading the chapter; watching the instructional videos in which Frank does a masterful job in highlighting and emphasizing the "key takeaways" from each chapter without just parroting back what's in the text; and then engaging with others in the weekly call sessions.
If you've ever thought about possibly learning Biblical Hebrew, but wondered if it might be too difficult, let me encourage you to take the plunge and join in. I'm 63 years old and feel like a young man of 20 again as I'm seeing the Bible come alive through nuances that aren't readily apparent in English translation. It's a well done program!
Life gets busy. We know that.
That’s why the team at Biblical Mastery Academy works to provide a membership that supports you all the time, while you work through the courses at a pace that’s right for you.
You can self study through our course material, and drop in on Office Hours calls and even Cohort calls as it suits you. At any point if you have a question, ask it in the Hebrew Discussion Group in the community, and you’ll get immediate support!
If you join a cohort and fall behind, you can simply stop attending that cohort and join the next one when it starts up. There are no limits on how many calls you can attend, and no time pressure to complete any of the lessons.
I’m here for you, the other members are here for you, and the team at Biblical Mastery Academy are here for you. The important thing that you remember is that you are not alone.
Join us on this journey today. We would love to serve you in your journey deeper into the word of God.
The current Hebrew Mastery Membership fee is $45/month or just $495/year, and that gives you access to all the features as described above (and new ones as they are added) for the lifetime of your membership.
You can learn just as much Hebrew (and even more as we add more courses) as you would in a seminary degree, in the same amount of time as it would take, for less than 1/4 of the price!
But as I mentioned, you’ll be able to keep this price as long as you remain a member in good standing.
Don’t be that person who regrets not joining when the price was low.
Just in case you’re wondering whether to keep looking to find something of better value, I’ll do a quick comparison with your other options.
There are plenty of online programs for learning Hebrew. Here’s a few which offer Beginning Hebrew in a course format with live calls.
The Hebrew Mastery Membership is $45 per month, and assuming you finish Beginning Hebrew in 9 months (at a pace of one lesson per week) your final price of Beginning Hebrew comes out at only…
$351!
That’s 76.2% less than the Ancient Language Institute’s Beginning Hebrew course!
My answer is yes.
Times may be looking hard now, no doubt. We are recovering from a global pandemic; gas prices are going up, and the cost of living is getting higher.
Those of us who feel the pinch are looking around to see which costs they can cut.
But Jesus said that He will build His church (Matt 16:18), and so throughout all this, the church remains, and it will remain. In times of economic recession, the church MUST KEEP GROWING.
This means that despite our circumstances, believers still have to grow, we still need to prioritise serving the church, and we have a duty to preserve the gospel (which Martin Luther argued cannot be done without retention of the original languages!)
Paul encouraged the church in Thessalonica, “we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more (1 Thess 4:1, NASB).
This is the task of the church through every generation – to grow to walk and to please the Lord, and to continue to abound still more.
So where would you like to be on the other side of this recession?
Would you like to have greater clarity in the Word?
Would you like more confidence in your understanding of the scriptures?
Would you like your ministry to be more efficient?
Would you like a more vital love for Christ?
Clarity in the scriptures is a direct result of reading it in the original language. There is so much left out of translations, because we simply can’t bring all the texture of the Hebrew into English. Reading Hebrew gives you great clarity.
This clarity gives you confidence, which in turn brings greater conviction, assurance and understanding, revitalizing your walk with Christ.
I really want to help increase your understanding of the Hebrew text so that in one year you will be an instrument in the Redeemer’s hands, ready to be used as the master builder continues the work of building His church.
If you’d like to get started on your Hebrew journey, click the button below to start right now!
Yes, you do need both a computer and a smartphone or tablet for an optimal membership experience.
The member site is easy to use on a computer, but also works well on a tablet or phone (in fact, there’s an app for you to use!)
You’ll need a tablet or smartphone for the vocabulary and parsing apps.
Yes, you’ll need Flashcards Deluxe (Google Play or Apple)
Yes you can, and as a thanks for your 1 year commitment, we’ll give you one month free, meaning you pay $495 instead of $540!
No, you don’t have to if you prefer to self-study or go at your own pace. The cohort is completely optional. However, I highly recommend joining if you can make it!
You can watch the replay of each cohort call any time from your dashboard.
I’ll be starting up more cohorts regularly (every 2-3 months) – and they’ll have a different meeting time to accomodate other time zones and preferences. So even if you can’t join this one, it won’t mean you can’t join one in the future.
Plus, I’ll be available inside the community (along with all the others who are learning Hebrew) to answer any questions you have, should you get stuck. You can attend the Office Hours calls and Readings From Genesis calls for extra support and growth!
That’s no problem. I know that life gets busy sometimes! The membership and courses are designed for you to study in your own time, at your own pace. If you can’t keep up with the first Beginning Hebrew cohort, don’t worry!
Just chip away at the course, and you might like to join the next cohort that starts.
Unfortunately, no.
The reward for staying a member is that you don’t pay anything extra, even as the price goes up to join!
Once you’re in, you lock in that price for the lifetime of your membership. But if you cancel your membership, you’ll have to re-join at whatever the price is at the time.
If you email [email protected], the team will help you take the next step with us.
If you’ve made it this far down the page, my guess is that you want to join but you still have some doubts.
If you have a specific question, you can email the Biblical Mastery Academy team at [email protected]; one of us will be happy to answer your query.
If you’re on the fence, my encouragement is this: Try it out for a month. You’re protected by our 30 day money back guarantee, so the worst that could possibly happen is that you find it doesn’t work for you and you get a full refund.
But if you’re going to take that advice, be prepared to stay in the membership. Once you’re in and you’re committed, you may not want to leave… And you should consider that a very good thing.
Reading God’s word in the original languages is one of the greatest things you can do for your own spiritual growth as well as the growth of the Church.
Your studies will bless your family, your church, and your ministry. As you grow in your knowledge of Hebrew, you will find that you’re obeying the command: “Love the Lord with all your MIND”.
It takes effort, but it is very much worth it. Push yourself to conform your mind to scripture through learning to read it in the language that God first revealed Himself in: Hebrew.
I’ll be waiting to personally welcome you to the membership.
יָשֵׂם יהוה לְךָ שָׁלוֹם
May the LORD give you peace,
Frank