Featured Greek Grammars

Blass, Debrunner and Funk

As might be expected, advanced grammars are more rare. My first one will be A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. The cover says, "A revision of F. Blass and A. Debrunner," with "supplementary notes by A. Debrunner," translated and edited by Robert W. Funk. It was published in 1961 by the University of Chicago Press. My copy was given to me by a kind and generous Greek scholar friend who had an extra copy.

There are 263 pages of text in two columns per page, but the book is letter sized, so there is more content there than the page numbers suggest. Even before the text content there are two informative prefaces and a huge bibliography, including many references to the papyri and other ancient Greek texts. (It is good to remember that this grammar includes things learned from the papyri.)

There are three good indexes: subject, "Greek words and forms" (not just words, so very helpful!), and references (not just Scripture, but the church fathers, the LXX, and other sources).

The content is pretty standard for an advanced grammar. It starts with a good section on koine Greek. Then comes phonology, then "Accidents and Word Formation," after which there is a long section on syntax, which is good. In that section, the five case system is used, and there are helpful sections on the usages of each case. Of course, that is where the verb system is explained. The syntax section finishes up with almost 8 pages on figures of speech, and that is very helpful. You can't properly exegete the Scriptures without a knowledge of figures of speech.

Concerning the verbs, the volume does have a helpful section discussing aktionsart and verbal aspect. It does use the old terminology and explanations, though: "punctiliar" for the aorist, for example. So, Wallace's big grammar, which is more recent (1996), is more up to date on verbal aspect.

All in all, this is an excellent resource for any teacher, scholar, or advanced student of koine Greek. By all means, get it if you can.

 

To me, BDF is easier to use, but I do consult Robertson quite a bit.

 

A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research.

This is the granddaddy of all Greek grammars. At 1206 pages, it is absolutely massive. I like to kid that I use it for weightlifting. I only have one comparable grammar, a Japanese reference grammar with a measly 1070 pages.

Written in 1914, Robertson is still very useful, though I disagree with its 8 case system, and it doesn't address verbal aspect. I have consulted it many times in my career as a translator and Greek teacher.

After the grammar, it has "Additional Notes," an index on Greek words, a general index, and an index of quotations (NT, OT, extra-biblical sources). Then there are addenda to the 2nd and 3rd editions. (I have the 3rd.) Then there are indexes to the addenda!

I won't take time to discuss all of the wonders of this grammar (have to go soon), but I have to say that anyone who is serious about the Greek language has to sell their car and buy this book. That's all there is to it!

 

Wallace

Daniel Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996).

This is the most recent advanced grammar that I know of, and it is very good. There are 740 packed pages, including a very helpful section at the end, “Syntax Summaries.”

In Part I, it starts with the cases, going on to the article, adjectives, pronouns, and prepositions. Then there is a great Part II on the verbs: person and number, voice, mood, tense, infinitive, and participle. The arrangement is a little bit different from the normal one, since it has a strong and helpful section on “Syntax of the Clause” after the usual sections.

For those interested in what I’ve been saying about the five and eight case systems will be interested in the section on the debate, pp. 32-35. He points out how the eight case system is based on diachronic (historical) linguistics, the idea in this case (pun intended) that the history of the Greek language should determine the case system, going way back into Sanskrit (which had eight cases). However, modern linguistics discounts the value of historical linguistics, while not rejecting it. Thus, the five case system is based on a more realistic, modern view of the Greek cases.

The indexes are the usual: subject, Greek word, Scripture. And they are well done. All in all, this is a very useful grammar. Anyone with pretensions to koine Greek expertise must buy it.

 

As long as you have a good intermediate grammar for the quick check.

 

Whichever you like. For me:
1. Black
2. Wallace

 

Yes. I reviewed it in this thread.