Strong's, Lexicons and Greek Semantics

[John of Japan]

I know software would be faster and easier. But I like doing the quest with dusty old books. Reminds me of unrolling an old map and hunting for King Solomon's Mines. :thumbs:

...Bob

I love old books! But for my ministry it's just faster and more efficient to use the sofware.

Speaking of old books, one I have that is not exactly a lexicon, but does have glosses of the meanings, is A Critical Greek and English Concordance of the New Testament, by Charles Hudson. It's from 1876 and is falling apart, but is fun to look at once in awhile.

 

[John of Japan]

I just remembered I have Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament words.

I can't believe I forgot that.

Is it recommended by any of you?

I don't have Mounce, but it has to be better than Strong's! If it's William Mounce he has a good name in Greek scholarship for his beginning grammar.

 

[John of Japan]

I like books... I have several thousand -- all read.

I just like software for dealing with biblical language issues.

I know a man who taught himself Koine Greek. He ended up as the Dean of Boyce College (Southern Seminary's undergrad school) and as the editor of the HCSB Apologetics Study Bible. Not too bad for homeschooled...

It is very possible to learn Greek at home.

All of Mounces Greek classes are available on-line for free. Just pick up his textbook and workbook and follow the classes as he (one of the world's foremost experts) teaches.

http://www.biblicaltraining.org/biblical-greek/william-mounce

For those looking for Greek-lite -- to use as a study tool, check out this class by Mounce:

http://www.biblicaltraining.org/greek-tools-bible-study/william-mounce/foundations

Either of those two classes would cost several hundred dollars plus registration at a seminary somewhere. Great resources!

Good post! :thumbs: Thanks for the resources.

 

[John of Japan]

One older lexicon which I still occasionally consult is A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, by George Abbott-Smith. I have the 1948 reprint of the 1937 3rd edition. You can download a PDF of it at: http://www.archive.org/details/manualgreeklexic00abborich . However, don't buy the print on demand reprint on Amazon. Only one of the reviewers actually bought the thing, apparently, and he said it was unreadable!

This lexicon is a big step up from Thayer's because the author was able to consult many Greek manuscripts that Thayer had no access to. So, though we have today many non-NT papyrii that Abbot-Smith could not access, this lexicon is a good deal more up-to-date than Thayer's. As does Thayer's, Abbott-Smith makes the error of depending too much on etymology to determine meaning, but not to as great a degree.

Other good points about this lexicon include: copious references for where the word is used in the NT, and more reference to non-NT usage than Thayer's has. Also, for you Hebrew OT lovers, Abbott-Smith gives the Hebrew original for the LXX usage of words! All in all, an excellent and usable lexicon to this day, though somewhat outdated.

 

[preachinjesus]

Don't you love being a dictator or king, maybe even conquoring the world? :thumbs:

I enjoy making friends, using them to build my economy and forces, dropping a couple dozen units on their borders near key cities and then rolling over them.

It's a great game. The expansion packs for Civ IV have made it really fun. I've got to be careful though the other night I started in on a couple of moves in my marathon session then looked up and realized I had blown three hours. I went and hid the CD-ROM for a couple of days.

I hope you and Deacon can give insights about Hebrew lexicons later. I'm deficient there.

For Hebrew I keep things pretty simple. (Probably for Greek too but more on that below)

My primary lexicon is HALOT (or Koehler & Baumgartner) I love the lexicon it has the best scholarship and is exceptional in bringing thoughts together. I recommend the student edition as opposed to the 5 volume behemoth...but if you can't read below 6 point font buy a magnifying lens too.
http://www.christianbook.com/aramai...de=WW&netp_id=276998&event=ESRCN&view=details

I'll use Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB) from time to time because it is an oldly but a goody. While its not my mainstay it is reliable. If someone is interested in getting into Hebrew but doesn't have the cash for KB I always start with BDB. The scholarship is okay, not as current as KB so don't use it for scholarship.
http://www.christianbook.com/brown-...de=WW&netp_id=127519&event=ESRCN&view=details

For a theological lexicon I use Jenni & Westermann's 3 volume. It is the only one I own and it does, imho, a fine job for the amount of Hebrew work I do from week to week. It's a better option than the ridiculously massive Botterweck 15 volume theologial dictionary. Its a reasonable, concise and well researched.
http://www.christianbook.com/theolo...de=WW&netp_id=158593&event=ESRCN&view=details

That's pretty much it for me. I'm not huge into Hebrew and Aramaic from a scholarship level so these works suffice. Given that I use Accordance for my language research I can integrate some of these works with the program and have a seamless research module available.

As far as a good grammar, which is important, I use Gesenius' great grammar and Ross' more recent work
http://www.christianbook.com/geseni...de=WW&netp_id=837809&event=ESRCN&view=details

http://www.christianbook.com/introd...de=WW&netp_id=169416&event=ESRCN&view=details

One final note, for syntax related discussions I use Jouon's great text:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/8876536299/?tag=baptis04-20

That's the basic stuff. Since I regularly use my personal study for preparation and research I have plenty of tools at my disposal. All of the above texts are referenced frequently.

For Greek my resources are a bit more robust, though I'll keep it isolated to what is germane for the discussions.

For a lexicon I primarily use BDAG 3rd edition, though have the 2nd edition available for controversial passages. IMHO, BDAG is the standard for modern scholarship on biblical Greek literature.
http://www.christianbook.com/englis...de=WW&netp_id=150720&event=ESRCN&view=details

For a dictionary I have Kittel's available and use it regularly. It is very good and I love all my volumes. My usual task when doing thorough exegesis is BDAG then Kittels on tough words. Just a workhouse dictionary and it is a standard for good scholarship.
http://www.christianbook.com/theolo...tament-volumes/9780802823243/pd/2324?event=CF

Also I use the Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament by Balz & Schneider in all three volumes. Rather recent scholarship bolster its usefulness and make it far superior to Spiq.
http://www.christianbook.com/exeget...de=WW&netp_id=365032&event=ESRCN&view=details

I usually Kubo's readers Greek-English lexicon in giving a preliminary read of the passages. It's a great tool.
http://www.christianbook.com/reader...de=WW&netp_id=152421&event=ESRCN&view=details

As for grammar's I use Wallace religiously (no pun intended.)
http://www.christianbook.com/greek-...de=WW&netp_id=162999&event=ESRCN&view=details

As well as his syntax:
http://www.christianbook.com/workbo...niel-wallace/9780310273899/pd/273897?event=CF

For show I have a very old first edition of AT Robertson's magnum opus, but rarely use it due to heft and some of the points being outdated.
http://www.christianbook.com/gramma...de=WW&netp_id=162998&event=ESRCN&view=details

Anyways that pretty much wraps it up for me. I prefer to do my study in my home office where my library is located. I can do some preliminary work in my church office, or Starbucks, since I have all the initial resources available on a notebook computer. I'm not into deep exegetical work, on the scholastic level, so my resources are limited to what is useful for a pastorate. (Any pastor who tries to tell me they don't need the languages tells me a lot about their ministry praxis.)

Hope it adds something to the conversation.:thumbsup:

 

[John of Japan]

I enjoy making friends, using them to build my economy and forces, dropping a couple dozen units on their borders near key cities and then rolling over them.

It's a great game. The expansion packs for Civ IV have made it really fun. I've got to be careful though the other night I started in on a couple of moves in my marathon session then looked up and realized I had blown three hours. I went and hid the CD-ROM for a couple of days.

Know what you mean! It's addictive. I have Civ IV but have been playing III lately.

For Hebrew I keep things pretty simple. (Probably for Greek too but more on that below)

My primary lexicon is HALOT (or Koehler & Baumgartner) I love the lexicon it has the best scholarship and is exceptional in bringing thoughts together. I recommend the student edition as opposed to the 5 volume behemoth...but if you can't read below 6 point font buy a magnifying lens too.
http://www.christianbook.com/aramai...de=WW&netp_id=276998&event=ESRCN&view=details

I'll use Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB) from time to time because it is an oldly but a goody. While its not my mainstay it is reliable. If someone is interested in getting into Hebrew but doesn't have the cash for KB I always start with BDB. The scholarship is okay, not as current as KB so don't use it for scholarship.
http://www.christianbook.com/brown-...de=WW&netp_id=127519&event=ESRCN&view=details

For a theological lexicon I use Jenni & Westermann's 3 volume. It is the only one I own and it does, imho, a fine job for the amount of Hebrew work I do from week to week. It's a better option than the ridiculously massive Botterweck 15 volume theologial dictionary. Its a reasonable, concise and well researched.
http://www.christianbook.com/theolo...de=WW&netp_id=158593&event=ESRCN&view=details

That's pretty much it for me. I'm not huge into Hebrew and Aramaic from a scholarship level so these works suffice. Given that I use Accordance for my language research I can integrate some of these works with the program and have a seamless research module available.

As far as a good grammar, which is important, I use Gesenius' great grammar and Ross' more recent work
http://www.christianbook.com/geseni...de=WW&netp_id=837809&event=ESRCN&view=details

http://www.christianbook.com/introd...de=WW&netp_id=169416&event=ESRCN&view=details

One final note, for syntax related discussions I use Jouon's great text:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/8876536299/?tag=baptis04-20

That's the basic stuff. Since I regularly use my personal study for preparation and research I have plenty of tools at my disposal. All of the above texts are referenced frequently.

Thanks for the comments on the Hebrew. You're obviously much further along than I am in Hebrew! I think the three volume one would be a waste of money for me. I'll stick to BDB, but I also have A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the OT by William Holladay.

For Greek my resources are a bit more robust, though I'll keep it isolated to what is germane for the discussions.

For a lexicon I primarily use BDAG 3rd edition, though have the 2nd edition available for controversial passages. IMHO, BDAG is the standard for modern scholarship on biblical Greek literature.
http://www.christianbook.com/englis...de=WW&netp_id=150720&event=ESRCN&view=details

I'm stuck on the 2nd edition, which I'll comment on later.

For a dictionary I have Kittel's available and use it regularly. It is very good and I love all my volumes. My usual task when doing thorough exegesis is BDAG then Kittels on tough words. Just a workhouse dictionary and it is a standard for good scholarship.
http://www.christianbook.com/theolo...tament-volumes/9780802823243/pd/2324?event=CF

Also I use the Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament by Balz & Schneider in all three volumes. Rather recent scholarship bolster its usefulness and make it far superior to Spiq.
http://www.christianbook.com/exeget...de=WW&netp_id=365032&event=ESRCN&view=details

I've used Kittel's, but don't have it. That's a fair chunk of change. I'll comment a little on it later from the viewpoint of modern linguistics.

I usually Kubo's readers Greek-English lexicon in giving a preliminary read of the passages. It's a great tool.
http://www.christianbook.com/reader...de=WW&netp_id=152421&event=ESRCN&view=details

Don't have Kubo. Maybe I should get it! For my preliminary read I like Friberg, which I have in Bibloi software.

As for grammar's I use Wallace religiously (no pun intended.)
http://www.christianbook.com/greek-...de=WW&netp_id=162999&event=ESRCN&view=details

As well as his syntax:
http://www.christianbook.com/workbo...niel-wallace/9780310273899/pd/273897?event=CF

For show I have a very old first edition of AT Robertson's magnum opus, but rarely use it due to heft and some of the points being outdated.
http://www.christianbook.com/gramma...de=WW&netp_id=162998&event=ESRCN&view=details

I'm with you on Wallace. I have Robertson, too, though, and there are times when Wallace isn't enough. I'm still awed at Robertson's scholarship! What a giant.

Anyways that pretty much wraps it up for me. I prefer to do my study in my home office where my library is located. I can do some preliminary work in my church office, or Starbucks, since I have all the initial resources available on a notebook computer. I'm not into deep exegetical work, on the scholastic level, so my resources are limited to what is useful for a pastorate. (Any pastor who tries to tell me they don't need the languages tells me a lot about their ministry praxis.)

Hope it adds something to the conversation.:thumbsup:

Excellent comments. Thanks much!

 

[John of Japan]

A Pocket Lexicon of the Greek NT, by Alexander Souter.

A PDF of this little gem can be downloaded along with a classical Greek lexicon of the Anabasis by Xenophon at: http://www.textkit.com/greek_grammar.php. And there is a ton of other public domain goodies at this site, including basic grammars of the Greek NT and classical Greek (reference grammars for classical Greek, also), and lots of Latin stuff.

Souter (1873-1949) was a Scottish Greek scholar who also edited a Greek NT based on the text used for the English Revised Version. (I have this and consult it occasionally.) This is just what the title suggests: a little lexicon for a quick consult. It actually will fit in a suit coat pocket. I keep Souter's at the church for an occasional quick reference, though it's inadequate for translation work and any depth of exegesis. It's dated 1917, so it's a step beyond Strong's for sure. Most of the definitions are simple glosses, but on important words (agape and the like) Souter gives more detail, and occasionally he'll refer to the LXX or other sources.

 

[John of Japan]

Liddell-Scott lexicon of classical Greek​

This famous lexicon can be used in New Testament Greek studies if the user is careful. It was first published in 1843, and exists in many versions. In hard copy, I have the eighth printing from 1949 of the 1927 revision of the abridged version ("Little Liddell," though it has 835 pages). However, my Bibloi 8.0 software has the intermediate Liddell-Scott ("Middle Liddell"), with access to the unabridged version ("Great Scott," now on its 9th edition) through the Perseus Database. (Got all of that?)Perseus also gives me access to many ancient Greek documents for advanced research.

Henry Liddell was the dean of Christchurch at Oxford. Interestingly enough, his little girl Alice was the model for Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Robert Scott held the position of "Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture" at Oxford U.

There are several cautions to observe when using this lexicon for studying the NT. First of all, it is first and foremost a lexicon of classical Greek. The heyday of classical Greek was the 6th to the 4th century AD, so that the meanings it gives are often the meanings current hundreds of years before Christ. A lot can change in 100 years! For example, ekklhsia (church) in Middle Liddell is, "an assembly of the citizens regularly summoned, the legislative assembly." This is referring to the city-state concept of ancient Greece. In the first century AD, an educated person would know this meaning, but the average Greek on the street might or might not. (The word does occur with a similar--but not identical--meaning in Acts 19.) A 1st century Jew would know the word from the Septuagint as meaning the congregation of Israel.

Having said that, it is true that the 9th version of L-S refers often to the meaning of a word in the NT. However, compared to the most recent lexicons of the NT, you will not get the depth of discussion you need. For a complete understanding of a NT Greek word, you need to know how it was used in the NT and how it was used by other speakers of 1st century Greek.

Another drawback for NT studies is that L-S, even in its most recent edition, does not have all the papyrii data used in the best NT Greek lexicons. So its meanings should be consulted with caution.

 

[Dr. Bob]

One older lexicon which I still occasionally consult is A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, by George Abbott-Smith.

I used that almost exclusively in college/seminary. Others had Thayer (from the bookstore) while I got Abbott-Smith from a pastor's library when he died. Love the depth and accuracy and also befuddling those using simpler lexicons

Theological Wordbook of the OT is a huge 2-volume detailed text, but keyed to Strong's numbers which makes looking up words very easy. It is in readable (mostly) English (unlike Keil-Delitsch OT Commentaries I have that will have huge passages in German, Flemish, et al)

 

[John of Japan]

I used that almost exclusively in college/seminary. Others had Thayer (from the bookstore) while I got Abbott-Smith from a pastor's library when he died. Love the depth and accuracy and also befuddling those using simpler lexicons

I didn't get Abbot-Smith until I found it at a second hand sale at the MK school over here. But I too love the depth and accuracy.

Theological Wordbook of the OT is a huge 2-volume detailed text, but keyed to Strong's numbers which makes looking up words very easy. It is in readable (mostly) English (unlike Keil-Delitsch OT Commentaries I have that will have huge passages in German, Flemish, et al)

Thanks for the comment. And I'm guessing it costs a big hunk of change, too! I'm with you on K-L. If only I knew German (or the language of the moment of that particular comment).

 

[John of Japan]

One older lexicon which I still occasionally consult is A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, by George Abbott-Smith. I have the 1948 reprint of the 1937 3rd edition. You can download a PDF of it at: http://www.archive.org/details/manualgreeklexic00abborich . However, don't buy the print on demand reprint on Amazon. Only one of the reviewers actually bought the thing, apparently, and he said it was unreadable!

This lexicon is a big step up from Thayer's because the author was able to consult many Greek manuscripts that Thayer had no access to. So, though we have today many non-NT papyrii that Abbot-Smith could not access, this lexicon is a good deal more up-to-date than Thayer's. As does Thayer's, Abbott-Smith makes the error of depending too much on etymology to determine meaning, but not to as great a degree.

Other good points about this lexicon include: copious references for where the word is used in the NT, and more reference to non-NT usage than Thayer's has. Also, for you Hebrew OT lovers, Abbott-Smith gives the Hebrew original for the LXX usage of words! All in all, an excellent and usable lexicon to this day, though somewhat outdated.

Folks, I have word from Dr. Maurice Robinson of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (co-editor of the Byzantine textform Greek NT) that he has some print-on-demand copies of this lexicon, very readable with even a larger point size than the original.

Dr. Robinson had this printed for his students. It's public domain, a nice hard-bound book. He has about a dozen copies, first-come first-served, for $20 apiece including postage and handling for anyone living in the US. Just write him at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. You'd pay $45 for a slightly revised, copyrighted version from the original publisher, T. & T. Clark.

Also, please pray for Dr. Robinson as he continues to recover from his heart surgery, which took place in the fall. (My son works as his grader for his Greek classes, and is teaching his Greek classes in the interim.)

 

[John of Japan]

Since my last review was of a classical Greek lexicon, I'll continue in that vein with this post, then this evening (Japanese time) I'll write about analytical lexicons.

I have two small lexicons/dictionaries in classical Greek readers. Neither one of them contributes much to my NT translation work, but they are fun to have.

First of all, I have a 150 page dictionary in the back of my copy of Xenophon's Anabasis, Books I-IV. I bought this from the Maranatha Baptist Bible College library (my alma mater for the MA, and Dr. Bob's too for his BA I think. M. Div. too, Doc?). It's an 1895 print of the 1889 translation by Francis Kelsey and Andrew Zenos. (This is a different version than the one available on textkit.com.) The major connection with Biblical studies is that Xenophon describes the entry into Babylon of Cyrus and his army by drying up a river that flowed under the huge Babylonian wall. This adds to our knowledge of how Cyrus conquered Babylon, as described in Daniel 5.

I also have an 1885 version of the first three books of Homer's Iliad with a 215 page lexicon in the back, translated by Henry Clark Johnson. This does not provide much help for a translator of the NT. Classical Greek changed too much in the 400 years before Christ as it grew into the Koine Greek of the NT. In particular, the vocabulary is different, though the grammar is also different of course.

A secular Greek of the 4th century BC had a very different life and outlook from a 1st century AD Jewish man like Peter or John. So even when he used the same words, he had a different nuance to them. For example, glancing in the Anabasis dictionary, my eyes light on wdh (ode, the origin of our English word), "songs" in Eph. 5:19 and four other verses in the NT. But can you imagine the difference in the music enjoyed by a soldier in the army of Cyrus and a musician for the high priest in the time of Jesus?

 

[Dr. Bob]

And I'm guessing it costs a big hunk of change, too!

Over $50 for (now) a single nearly 1200 page volume that will only be used once every few weeks by a good student of the OT. Lots of other bargain priced Hebrew/Lexicon, etc on that advertised page

http://www.christianbook.com/Christ...de=WW&netp_id=326297&event=ESRCN&view=details

 

[John of Japan]

Over $50 for (now) a single nearly 1200 page volume that will only be used once every few weeks by a good student of the OT. Lots of other bargain priced Hebrew/Lexicon, etc on that advertised page

http://www.christianbook.com/Christ...de=WW&netp_id=326297&event=ESRCN&view=details

Thanks for the link. That's tempting, if we had any money left over after the dollar/yen exchange--which we never do nowadays. Fortunately I have K & D, which of course I don't use enough. I do have Holladay's Hebrew lexicon which is on that page.

 

[BobinKy]

I just remembered I have Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament words.

I can't believe I forgot that.

Is it recommended by any of you?

Hey, country girl! :wavey:

I took your advice and ordered Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. The reviews look very promising. I think I will like it because it will be a quick lookup and it appears to use the G/K numbering system, which I also use in other resource books.

Thank you for the suggestion.

. . .

I also ordered copies of New International Encyclopedia of Bible Words and Nelson's Biblical Cyclopedic Index.

I really like Bible dictionaries!

...Bob

 

[John of Japan]

Analytical Lexicons​

An analytical lexicon is one which has all the various grammatical forms listed in alphabetical order (Greek or Hebrew alphabet of course), with the parts of speech, parsing, etc. given. It's a quick reference book, and the definitions are not usually very complete. It's also a way to get by without studying for a Greek student. In looking up the analyts on Amazon I was amazed at how many students praised them for the help they got in their classes! And they admitted it, right there in public! A student should never use an analytical lexicon in my opinion as a Greek teacher. It makes them lazy, so that they don't do the hard work needed (learning the forms, checking in their textbook, reviewing their declensions, etc.) to become proficient in Greek.

George V. Wigram edited the first, published by Samuel Bagster and Sons in 1852 but having many errors. (Thanks to Dr. R. for some of this history.) There have been many reprints. My reprint was by Bagster in London and Harper and Brothers in America. It has no date and doesn't list Wigram as the editor--how rude! I used to use this resource quite a bit (but never while I was a student), but now use various software packages which do the same thing. Scholars who are actively consulting with each other in correcting Wigram's errors in software packages include Maurice Robinson (Online Bible, BibleWorks, Logos, etc.), Scott Musser (Heavenword, BibleMaster, Gramcord, Accordance), Timothy Friberg (The and Ulrik Peterson (Emdros software in Danish). (This info is from Dr. Robinson.)

The Bagster lexicon was revised by Wesley Perschbacher in 1990 as The New Analytical Greek Lexicon, but this is said to retain many of Wigram’s errors. There are also revised editions by both Harold K. Moulton and William Mounce (1993) with apparently the same definitions, as a quick comparison through Amazon's preview feather shows (though hopefully some of Wigram's 160 year old definitions have been revised).

This brings me to the excellent work of Timothy and Barbara Friberg. They have edited an Analytical Greek New Testament which I use sometimes, which has each word parsed right in the text. They have also edited with Neva Miller the excellent Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. If you are going to get an analyt, this is the one to get. It has every word and form in the various editions of the Greek NT (TR, Byzantine, Nestles, UBS), and the definitions are excellent. I use their definitions through the Bibloi 8 software package in my translation work especially when I need to help Uncle Miya understand the meaning in the original language.

Here is a comparison of Friberg's definition with the old Wigram definition of agapaw (agapao, I love, the verb form of agape):

Friberg: ἀγαπάω mid./pass. ἀγαπῶμαι ; fut. ἀγαπήσω ; 1aor. ἠγάπησα ; pf. ἠγάπηκα , ptc. ἠγαπηκώς ; pf. pass. ptc. ἠγαπημένος ; 1fut. pass. ἀγαπηθήσομαι ; love, especially of love as based on evaluation and choice, a matter of will and action; (1) toward persons love, be loyal to, regard highly (EP 5.25); (2) toward God (MT 22.37); (3) from God (JN 3.16); (4) toward things value, delight in, strive for (LU 11.43); long for (2T 4.8); (5) ἀγάπην ἀγαπᾶν show love (JN 17.26)

Wigram: agapaw, fut. hsw, perf. hgaphka, to love, value, esteem, feel or manifest generous concern for, be faithful towards; to delight in; to set store upon, Rev. 12.11.

 

[John of Japan]

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Merry Christmas!

I have a little bit of time before the evening service, so I thought I'd do a quick post on the venerable Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT), ed. by Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich (trans. by Geoffrey W. Bromiley). I don't have it, don't have the 200 bucks necessary for the download or the $400 for the books, and no more room for books in our little apartment here in Asahikawa, Japan. So I can't quote from it or get into much detail. But I have used it, and there is a controversy in the world of Greek linguistics that I thought you folk would want to know about.

TDNT is a revision of the original work by Hermann Cremer, who introduced the idea of theological lexicology to the world in his Biblico-theological Lexicon of NT Greek. This is the idea that one word can carry a whole theological concept. To put it a different way, TDNT treats each word as a special theological word that has meanings not in use when the word is used in non-Christian society.

While TDNT is a great resource which I wish I had, theological lexicology is just plain wrong-headed. Yes, each individual word has meaning. But that meaning is dependent on the grammatical structure, the syntax that the word exists in. You determine the meaning of a word based on its context, not some magical miracle meaning (hey, I like that phrase) that it carries around with it. But don't take my word for it! If you want to study the subject further, both of these books have good discussions: Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek by David Alan Black, and Biblical Words and Their Meanings, by Moises Silva.

 

[Deacon]

It was a good Christmas!
And there's no snow yet this morning so we'll have a service today, ....perhaps abbreviated if starts coming down heavy.

I use Logos Bible Software. I've thought Logos software products were pricey but I picked up the TDNT on a pre-publication special a couple of years ago for a song.

I'm a strong advocate of reading the preface of books (and bibles).

From the preface of the TDNT.

The goal before its contributors cannot be better formulated than in the introductory words of Cremer’s preface to his Biblico-Theological Dictionary of New Testament Greek Usage (1883) in which he refers to the new force and impress and energy given to Greek words as “the horizons of those who spoke and wrote them changed with the point of departure and termination of all thinking.” The true aim of the present book is to bring out in our discussions this new content of individual terms. [SNIP]

There has, of course, been some misunderstanding of its role. While it is not a simple lexicon, it obviously cannot replace either the full commentary or the biblical theology. Its task is to mediate between ordinary lexicography and the specific task of exposition, more particularly at the theological level. For this reason attention is concentrated on theologically significant terms, and on the theologically significant usage of these terms.
When this is understood, Kittel is safeguarded against the indiscriminate enthusiasm which would make it a sole and absolute authority in lexical and exegetical matters. It is also safeguarded against the resultant criticism that it involves an illegitimate task for which it uses improper means. Its more limited, yet valid and invaluable role, can be appreciated, and its learning and insights incorporated into the great task of New Testament interpretation.

I use the volumes for OT research because it not only deals with New Testament words but with the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT) as well as in other Semetic and Hellenistic literature.

Note: The TDNT does not transliterate Greek or Hebrew words. You will need to know the basics of the original language to fully appreciate the volumes.

Rob

 

[HankD]

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Merry Christmas!

I have a little bit of time before the evening service, so I thought I'd do a quick post on the venerable Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT), ed. by Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich (trans. by Geoffrey W. Bromiley). I don't have it, don't have the 200 bucks necessary for the download or the $400 for the books, and no more room for books in our little apartment here in Asahikawa, Japan. So I can't quote from it or get into much detail. But I have used it, and there is a controversy in the world of Greek linguistics that I thought you folk would want to know about.

TDNT is a revision of the original work by Hermann Cremer, who introduced the idea of theological lexicology to the world in his Biblico-theological Lexicon of NT Greek. This is the idea that one word can carry a whole theological concept. To put it a different way, TDNT treats each word as a special theological word that has meanings not in use when the word is used in non-Christian society.

While TDNT is a great resource which I wish I had, theological lexicology is just plain wrong-headed. Yes, each individual word has meaning. But that meaning is dependent on the grammatical structure, the syntax that the word exists in. You determine the meaning of a word based on its context, not some magical miracle meaning (hey, I like that phrase) that it carries around with it. But don't take my word for it! If you want to study the subject further, both of these books have good discussions: Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek by David Alan Black, and Biblical Words and Their Meanings, by Moises Silva.

Hi JoJ,

I have a Kittel's and it's good to a point and for a historical and scholastic readership.

In the words of another American: "Trust but verify"

Many/some of the contributing authors are neo-orthodox but even then they will usually give the orthodox usage for the development of a specific word.

Normally, the historical use of a given word is gleaned from ancient documents (Attic, Classic, Koine, sometimes Latin...) both scriptural and otherwise.
Context of and within the documentation is normally taken into consideration.

For someone like yourself involved with translation it is IMO a valuble tool in terms of the semantic development of a particular word/phrase.

You should try to take a look at a set before you acquire one for your own use. Some folks consider it too tainted by some of the various contributing authors' theological backgrounds for use in the sphere of "conservative" Christianity.

RE:Strong's
Since it is a "byword" in out English speaking culture, I often use Strong's on occassion when God gives me priviledge to serve.
Where greater accuracy and depth is required I usually add "further study and reference tools show..." etc.


HankD

 

[BobinKy]

While theological dictionaries may not have a place in translation work, in my opinion, however, they can be quite helpful in learning how certain words and phrases have been interpreted by scholars over the years, and how this interpretation has been adopted by Christian theology.

I benefit greatly from reading The New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis and The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology.

...Bob