Dr. Deena Grant Releases Book on Hate and Anger in the Hebrew Bible

Dr. Deena Grant, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and Acting Academic Dean at HIU, has a new book out. 

Published by Routledge, A Prototype Approach to Hate and Anger in the Hebrew Bible applies cognitive linguistics to study emotions in the Hebrew Bible. As described by the publisher, it explores how modern lexicons do not necessarily possess exact equivalents to biblical emotion terms. In particular, the book focuses on sn’ and ḫrh, commonly translated as hate and anger in modern English. Dr. Grant uses the prototype approach script model to expose the unique nuances of sn’ and ḫrh and put into profile elements of these emotions that may otherwise go unnoticed. The study demonstrates that while modern emotion terms fall short, the shared use of language to evoke meaning offers an entrée into the emotional world represented in the Hebrew Bible.

"In this book, I address the complicated question of how to translate emotion concepts across time and place," Dr. Grant said. "On the one hand, we know that there are biological underpinnings of emotions - all human beings, human bodies, feel emotions. On the other hand, it is also becoming more and more clear that culture plays a large role in constructing the shape of our feelings. And, as this is the case, biblical terms that we tend to viscerally translate as 'anger,' 'hate,' and the like, may not actually mean what 20th century English interpreters tend to think they mean."

"My goal then, in this book, is to try to help the modern reader better understand the meaning of biblical passages by unpacking some of the culturally constructed meanings embedded in the emotion language that so pervades the Hebrew Bible."

About the author

An observant Jewish scholar, Dr. Grant values studying and teaching the Hebrew Bible from a historical-critical perspective and also as it is interpreted and lived out by faith communities. In addition to many academic articles and conference contributions, she is a sought-after speaker at community events and workshops. 

Dr. Grant received her BA from Brandeis University in Near Eastern and Jewish Studies and her Ph.D. from New York University in Hebrew and Judaic Studies. She also studied at Midreshet Lindenbaum and Hebrew University’s Institute for Advanced Studies, both in Jerusalem. 

She received the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture International Doctoral Scholarship for Studies Specializing in Jewish Fields, as well as the Dorot Award at the 37th Annual Conference for the Association of Jewish Studies.

Congratulations, Deena!