Denver Seminary

Faculty/Staff Directory

close up of faculty member helene dallaire

Hélène Dallaire, PhD

Earl S. Kalland Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages; Chair of Old Testament Department

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Dr. Hélène Dallaire joined the faculty of Denver Seminary in 2006, serving in the Old Testament Department. She is an ordained minister with the Evangelical Church Alliance, and is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the American Academy of Religion, and the National Association of Professors of Hebrew.

Dr. Dallaire earned a PhD and an MPhil in Hebrew and Cognate Studies (Comparative Semitics) from Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion, an MA in Biblical Literature from Oral Roberts University, and a BA in Psychology from Ottawa University. She completed additional work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Jerusalem University College, McMaster University, and Western Pentecostal Bible College.

Prior to coming to Denver Seminary, Dr. Dallaire served five years on the faculty of Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion in the position of Director of Hebrew Language Instruction, one year on the faculty of Alliance Biblical Seminary in the Philippines, and completed 10 years of pastoral ministry at the Word Faith Christian Center in Vancouver, BC and Oakville, ON.

Dr. Dallaire regularly presents academic papers at professional conferences on biblical literature, the Hebrew language, and pedagogy. For three years, she was on the Field test team of the CoHeLeT project (Communicative Hebrew Learning and Teaching). She authored Biblical Hebrew: a Living Language (CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2017; 2nd edition), The Syntax of Volitives in Biblical Hebrew and Amarna Canaanite Prose (Eisenbrauns, 2014), and edited Where Shall Wisdom Be Found: A Grammatical Tribute to Professor Steven A. Kaufman (Eisenbrauns, 2017) and Devotionals from the Hebrew Bible (Wipf & Stock, forthcoming). She wrote commentaries on the book of “Joshua” in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary series (2012) and “Esther” in The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary (2012). She is currently writing additional commentaries on the book of Joshua, 1 & 2 Samuel and Esther.

Dr. Dallaire contributed chapters and articles in the following books, commentaries and journals: “Judaism and the World to Come” in A Case for Historic Premillennialism: An Alternative to “Left Behind” Eschatology (2009), “Ten Commandments”, “Wisdom”, “Law”, “Blessings”, “Covenant”, “Day of the Lord”, “Sacrifice” in The Dictionary of Everyday Theology and Culture (2010), “Messianic Judaism from the 6th to the Early 20th Century AD: Textual Evidence” in Chosen To Follow: Jewish Believers in Jesus through History and Today (2013), “Joshua and Israel’s Exodus from the Desert Wilderness” in Reverberations of the Exodus in Scripture (2014), “Emotional Meltdown: Stuttering in Hebrew” and “Are You Blessed (baruch) or Blessed (‘ashrey)?” in Devotions on the Hebrew Bible: 52 Reflections to Inspire & Instruct (2015), “Taking the Land by Force: Divine Violence in Joshua” in Wrestling with the Violence of God: Soundings in the Old Testament (2015), “A Mixed Multitude: The Gentile Multitude inside the Modern Messianic Jewish Movement” in Messiah Journal (2018), and “Anti-Semitic Supersessionism: The Sharp Words that Deepened the Divide” in The Future Restoration of Israel (forthcoming).

Hebrew (biblical, mishnaic, modern) grammar, syntax, Hebrew pedagogy – CoHeLeT project (Communicative Hebrew Learning and Teaching), ancient Near Eastern languages and comparative Semitic linguistics, Esther, Joshua, Patriarchal narratives, Old Testament backgrounds, Messianic Judaism.

Books Authored & Edited

  • “Anti-Semitic Supersessionism: The Sharp Words that Deepened the Divide” in The Future Restoration of Israel. Ed. by Stanley Porter and Alan E. Kurschner. Wipf & Stock, 2023.
  • 200 Devotionals from the Hebrew Bible. Portland, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2020.
  • “Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?” A Grammatical Tribute to Professor Stephen A. Kaufman on the Occasion of His Retirement from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. Edited by Hélène Dallaire, Jennifer Noonan and Benjamin Noonan. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2017.
  • Biblical Hebrew: a Living Language. 2nd edition. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017.
  • The Syntax of Volitives in Biblical Hebrew and Amarna Canaanite Prose. LSAWS. Edited by Cynthia Miller-Naudé and Jacobus Naudé. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2014.

Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Articles

  • “Drama in the Valley of Achor: Emotional and Corporal Responses in Joshua 7” in The Body: Adorned, Cultured, and Embodies. A Festschrift for Nili Fox on the occasion of her retirement from HUC-JIR. Cincinnati, OH: HUC Press, 2021, 2023
  • “Producing a Culturally Sensitive Bible Translation of ‘Emotions’ into a Target Language Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)” in Oikonomia eBook entitled Faithfully Rendering God’s Word: Artificial Intelligence, Cultural Bias and the Future of Faithful Bible Translation. https://www.amazon.com/Faithfully-Rendering-Gods-Word-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B086BRD4KT
  • “Anti-Semitic Supersessionism: The Sharp Words that Deepened the Divide” in The Future Restoration of Israel. Ed. by Stanley Porter and Alan E. Kurschner Wipf & Stock, 2023.
  • “A Mixed Multitude: The Gentile Multitude inside the Modern Messianic Jewish Movement” in Messiah Journal 131 (Summer 2018), 50-58.
  • “Volitives.” In “Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?” A Grammatical Tribute to Professor Stephen A. Kaufman on the Occasion of His Retirement from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. Edited by Hélène Dallaire, Benjamin Noonan and Jennifer Noonan. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2017.
  • “Taking the Land by Force: Violence in the book of Joshua.” In Wrestling with the Violence of God: Soundings in the Old Testament. Edited by M. D. Carroll R. & Blair Wilgus. BBR Supplement. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015.
  • “Emotional Meltdown: Stuttering in Hebrew.” In Devotions on the Hebrew Bible: 52 Reflections to Inspire & Instruct. Ed. by Milton Eng and Lee M. Fields. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015.
  • “Are You Blessed (baruch) or Blessed (’ashrey)?” In Devotions on the Hebrew Bible: 52 Reflections to Inspire & Instruct. Ed. by Milton Eng and Lee M. Fields. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015.
  • “Joshua and Israel’s Exodus from the Desert Wilderness.” In Reverberations of the Exodus in Scripture. Ed. by R. Michael Fox. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications/Wipf and Stock, 2014.
  • “Messianic Judaism from the 6th to the early 20th century AD: Textual Evidence.” In Chosen to Follow: Jewish Believers in Jesus through History and Today. Eds. Jakob Wilms Nielsen and Knut Helge Høyland. Jerusalem: Caspari Center for Biblical and Jewish Studies, October/November 2012.
  • The NIV Quest Study Bible: the Question and Answer Bible [Deluxe Edition] contributions to questions on Leviticus. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011.
  • “Judaism and the World to Come.” In A Case for Historic Premillenianism. Pp.37-60. Grand Rapids:Baker, 2009.

Commentaries

  • “Joshua” in Zondervan Exegetical Commentary of the Old Testament. Ed. Daniel Block. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan (in progress).
  • “Introduction to Esther” in CBS Baker Illustrated Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2018.
  • “Joshua.” Pp. 815-1042 in Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Numbers to Ruth. Eds. T. Longman III and D. E. Garland. Vol. 2. Revised edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012.
  • “Joshua” in Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Kindle edition). T. Longman III and D. E. Garland. Revised. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2017.
  • “Esther.” Pp.440-50 in The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary. Eds. G. M. Burge and A. E. Hill. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2012.
  • 1 & 2 Samuel. Kerux Commentary series. With Scott Wenig (Homiletic sections). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, under contract.
  • Esther. Apollos OT Commentary series. David Baker and Gordon Wenham, eds. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, under contract.

Books Reviewed

  • Review of Judaism and Jesus, by Zev Garber and Kenneth Hanson (Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publ., 2020) in Hebrew Studies
  • Review of Le texte de Josué 10: Approche Philologique, épigraphique et diachronique, by Michael Langlois (Gottingen, Holland: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2012) in Review of Biblical Literature 2016.
  • Review of The Recovery of the Ancient Hebrew Language: The Lexicographical Writings of Winton Thomas, by John Day (Sheffield: Sheffield, 2013) in Review of Biblical Literature 2015.
  • Review of Isaiah Speaks: A Voice from the Past for the Present, by Merrill Morse (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2012) in Review of Biblical Literature 2015. http://www.bookreviews.org/pdf/8794_9682.pdf
  • Review of Rediscovering Eve: Ancient Israelite Women in Context, by Carol Meyers (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014) in Journal of the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament, 2014.
  • Review of God and Earthly Power: An Old Testament Political Theology, by J.G. McConville (New York: T&T Clark, 2006) in Journal of Biblical and Pneumatological Research, 2010.
  • Review of Beginning Biblical Hebrew, by Mark D. Futato (Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 2003) in Hebrew Studies, 2004.

Dictionary Entries

  • The Navigators Dictionary of Everyday Theology.  Edited by Bruce Demarest and K.J. Matthews. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2010. Articles on “Blessing”, “Covenant”, “Sacrifices”, “Ten Commandments”, “Wisdom”, “Day of the Lord”, “Law.”

Bible Translation and Notes

  • “Women: Let’s Use Our Voices” in Every Woman’s Bible, Tyndale Publisher, 2021.
  • “Leviticus”, Quest Bible contributor. Zondervan.
  • Hebrew Language Consultant and Reviewer: TLV – Tree of Life Messianic Jewish Family Bible.Syracuse, NY: Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society, 2014.
  • Messianic Jewish Orthodoxy, edited by Jeffrey Seif, Lederer Books, Messianic Jewish Publishers: Clarksville, MD, 2019; I edited Daniel C. Juster’s chapter on “Approaching God: The Essence of Messianic Jewish Theology.”
  • “The Sacredness of Scripture” in Denver Seminary Magazine – Summer 2007

Book Foreword    

  • Advances in the Study of Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic: New Insights for Reading the Hebrew Bible by Benjamin J. Noonan. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020.

Book endorsements

  • Bridging the Testaments by George Athas. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2023.
  • God of All Nations: The End Without End is Theocracy by Alemayehu Mekonnen, 2021.
  • Go Now to Shiloh by Blake Hearson. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2020.
  • A Book-by-Book Guide to Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary by William R. Osborne and Russell L. Meek. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2019.
  • An Introduction to Reading Biblical Wisdom Texts by Elaine A. Phillips. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2017.
  • Foreshadows by Gene Binder. Uberwriters, 2017.
  • Ephesians—A Messianic Letter from Rabbi Paul by Barney Kasdan. Clarksville, MD: Lederer-Messianic Jewish Publications, 2015.
  • The West and China in Africa: Civilization Without Justice by Alemayehu Mekonnen. Australian College of Theology Monograph. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2015.
  • The Matriarchs of Genesis: Seven Women, Five Views by David J. Zucker and Moshe Reiss. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2015.
  • Culture Change in Ethiopia: an Evangelical Perspective by Alemayehu Mekonnen. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2013.
  • “ ‘A Mixed Multitude’: Gentiles in the Messianic Movement” – paper presented at the Lausanne Consultation for Jewish Evangelism in Ft Lauderdale, March 202
  • November 2020. “‘There Was None Left That Breathe!’: Genocide or Hyperbole in
    Joshua?”, Evangelical Theological Society – on ZOOM.
  • February 2020. “Producing a Culturally Sensitive Bible Translation of ‘Emotions’
    into a Target Language Using Artificial Intelligence (AI),” Oikonomia & The Seed Company – Dallas, TX.
  • February 2020.“Jewish Believers in Jesus in Church History,” Denver Seminary Biblical Studies Conference.
  • November 2019. “The Rhetoric of Emotions in Biblical Hebrew,” Evangelical Theological Society – San Diego, CA.
  • November 2017. “A Mixed Multitude”: Gentiles in the Messianic Movement, Evangelical Theological Society – Providence, RI
  • November 2015 “Textual Evidence of Jewish Christianity from the 13th to the 20th Century, Evangelical Theological Society – Atlanta, GA.
  • June 2015. “The Violence of God in Joshua: Linguistic, Contextual and Literary Issues,” Canadian Society of Biblical Studies – Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
  • May 2015. “Textual Evidence of Jewish Christianity in Church History,” Canadian
    Society of Biblical Studies – Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
  • November 2013. “‘Words, Words, Words’: What Does It Mean to ‘Learn’ Vocabulary in a Biblical Language?” Society of Biblical Literature – Baltimore, MD.
  • November 2012. “Where to Set the Bar for Biblical Languages in Seminary.” Society of Biblical Literature – Chicago, IL. December 2011. “Linguistic Markers and Biblical Hebrew Syntax.” Workshop for Bible Translators, Kfar Saba, Galilee, Israel.
  • November 2011 “Jewish Believers in Jesus: Where have Jewish believers been for 2,000 years?” Open lecture at Caspari Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
  • November 2010 “Student & Teacher Responses to a Communicative Approach in Biblical Hebrew,” – in Hebrew Language & Exegesis Consultation – Evangelical Theological Society, Atlanta, GA.
  • November 2010. “Measurable Objectives of a Communicative Approach” – session of the Hebrew Language & Exegesis Consultation – Evangelical Theological Society, Atlanta, GA.
  • November 2010. “Second Language Acquisition Methods for Ancient Languages,” session of the Applied Linguistics and Biblical Languages Consultation, Evangelical Theological Society, Atlanta, GA.
  • November 2010 “Biblical Hebrew Conversational Workshop,” Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, GA.
  • February 2009 “Messianic Judaism: 2000 Years of History,” Biblical Studies conference – Denver Seminary.
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