Chapter 28 of The Hammer: A Story of the Maccabean Times is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter 28 of The Hammer: A Story of the Maccabean Times is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
HOPES AND FEARS. A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter. “There is news from Syria,” he said. “And is it good or bad?” asked his wife. “That I can hardly say,” was Seraiah’s reply.
Chapter 28 of The Hammer: A Story of the Maccabean Times is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading “A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.”
something that is commanded
From this reading “A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.”
plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading “HOPES AND FEARS.”
plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading “HOPES AND FEARS.”
set down or registered in a permanent form especially on film or tape for reproduction
From this reading “A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.”
to say, state, or perform again
From this reading “A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.”
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading “A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.”
an Asian republic in the Middle East at the east end of the Mediterranean; site of some of the world's most ancient centers of civilization
From this reading ““There is news from Syria,” he said.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.”
In this reading “A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.”
In this reading “A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
later than; following
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HOPES AND FEARS.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “And is it good or bad?” asked his wife.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading “And is it good or bad?” asked his wife.
a youthful male person
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “That I can hardly say,” was Seraiah’s reply.
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
something that is commanded
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading HOPES AND FEARS.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “There is news from Syria,” he said.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “And is it good or bad?” asked his wife.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
only a very short time before
From this reading “That I can hardly say,” was Seraiah’s reply.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “There is news from Syria,” he said.
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading HOPES AND FEARS.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “That I can hardly say,” was Seraiah’s reply.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “There is news from Syria,” he said.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “And is it good or bad?” asked his wife.
immediately past
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
information about recent and important events
From this reading “There is news from Syria,” he said.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “And is it good or bad?” asked his wife.
set down or registered in a permanent form especially on film or tape for reproduction
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
to say, state, or perform again
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading “That I can hardly say,” was Seraiah’s reply.
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “There is news from Syria,” he said.
express in words
From this reading “That I can hardly say,” was Seraiah’s reply.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “That I can hardly say,” was Seraiah’s reply.
an Asian republic in the Middle East at the east end of the Mediterranean; site of some of the world's most ancient centers of civilization
From this reading “There is news from Syria,” he said.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “That I can hardly say,” was Seraiah’s reply.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “There is news from Syria,” he said.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
at the time that
From this reading A few weeks after the conversation recorded in the last chapter, Ruth was hearing her little boy repeat the Commandment when Seraiah came in, carrying in his hand an open letter.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading “And is it good or bad?” asked his wife.
Chapter 28 of The Hammer: A Story of the Maccabean Times by Alfred John Church holds 83 sentences, grouped into 17 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 28 holds 83 sentences of The Hammer: A Story of the Maccabean Times, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 28 of The Hammer: A Story of the Maccabean Times by Alfred John Church exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 83 sentences, grouped into 17 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 17 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
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Yes. All 4444 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44550 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #44550, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 370 minutes of reading across 889 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Hammer: A Story of the Maccabean Times section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 33 chapters of The Hammer: A Story of the Maccabean Times to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Hammer: A Story of the Maccabean Times, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
