What Are Some "Basic" Ways We can use hebrew/Greek To study Bible?

[JesusFan]

What would you suggest that someone who wants to use the Hebrew/Greek Texts and software start out with in using them to study the Bible for better clarity and understanding?

 

[ReformedBaptist]

I would suggest using a Greek and Hebrew study Bible. I use the one done by Zodhiates. Also, blueletterbible.com is a good resource. I would also recommend Mounce's book, "Greek for the rest of us" which is designed to teach you how to use the tools.

 

[preachinjesus]

There are a ton of resources on the internet where you can essentially learn Greek and Hebrew for free.

Concordia Seminary has their first year or so of Greek and Hebrew instruction available in video podcasts through iTunesU for free download.

Also with the plethora of sites you can easily pick up some of the essentials and having a workman's knowledge of the languages quickly (being able to differentiate between Qal and Niphal or Aorist and Pluperfect) which will allow you access to most Greek and Hebrew discussions in commentaries and studies.

 

[ReformedBaptist]

There are a ton of resources on the internet where you can essentially learn Greek and Hebrew for free.

Concordia Seminary has their first year or so of Greek and Hebrew instruction available in video podcasts through iTunesU for free download.

Also with the plethora of sites you can easily pick up some of the essentials and having a workman's knowledge of the languages quickly (being able to differentiate between Qal and Niphal or Aorist and Pluperfect) which will allow you access to most Greek and Hebrew discussions in commentaries and studies.

Here is a good one:

http://www.ntgreek.org/

I will post a thread showing how I used a tiny bit of info from that site.

 

[asterisktom]

What would you suggest that someone who wants to use the Hebrew/Greek Texts and software start out with in using them to study the Bible for better clarity and understanding?

I suggest a book such as Mounce for getting a good basic working knowledge of Greek. If you are ambitious (but only after you have mastered some of the basics) you could move on to an advanced text - but much more interesting! - like Wallace's "Beyond the Basics".

To my mind study Bibles should be approached with caution. They all have their own viewpoint through which they see the original text. Better to get a good working knowledge of Greek and Hebrew so that you can - as much as possible - do your own methodical study.

 

[JesusFan]

I suggest a book such as Mounce for getting a good basic working knowledge of Greek. If you are ambitious (but only after you have mastered some of the basics) you could move on to an advanced text - but much more interesting! - like Wallace's "Beyond the Basics".

To my mind study Bibles should be approached with caution. They all have their own viewpoint through which they see the original text. Better to get a good working knowledge of Greek and Hebrew so that you can - as much as possible - do your own methodical study.

Would it be profitable to use software to trace all of the different ways each writer in the Greek NT used the same Greek word ?

Pick a word, gets its meaning from a greek lexicon, than run software to see how say John used Greek term for faith in his Gospel and his 3 letters?

 

[preachinjesus]

Would it be profitable to use software to trace all of the different ways each writer in the Greek NT used the same Greek word ?

Pick a word, gets its meaning from a greek lexicon, than run software to see how say John used Greek term for faith in his Gospel and his 3 letters?

Unless you know the language this is easier said than done.

For instance you have to know the differences of usage in contexts, the specific kinds of verbal forms and how they're used, as well as just because John uses a word one way in the beginning of his Gospel doesn't mean it is similar throughout. One needs to be able to examine the words around a specific word to determine context and meaning fully.

This gets more difficult with Hebrews because of the nature of how words are formed with prefixes and suffixes.

Language software is a great tool, particularly in the hands of someone who has some essential knowledge of the trade. Take some time and learn the languages you desire to study. Don't shortcut it because you'll just end up mispronouncing aorist and teaching error-laden theology based on faulty research.

 

[Van]

Hi JesusFan, the problem with placing too much reliance upon our own understanding of Greek or Hebrew or Aramaic, is that it takes several years to become proficient, whereas you can read what others who have spent the years have to say with a click or two of the mouse.

I would start with three study books. A study bible in one or more of these translations:
NASB, ESV, NKJV, HCSB, and NIV. I use the Zondervan NASB study bible.

Second, get a hard copy of an Exhaustive Concordance for the version you use, i.e. a NASB exhaustive concordance if you study out of the NASB.

Three, get a hard copy of a Bible Dictionary. I use the New Bible Dictionary, but it is a tad too liberal for my taste.

And on the internet, bookmark Blueletter Bible, Bible Gateway, and Online Interlinear (it has both the Hebrew and Greek sections).

The nifty feature of the Blueletter Bible is when you bring up a verse you are studying, you can click on the little box with the "C" in it and you get the verse broken down showing the underlying transliterated words. Then you can click on the number of the word, and read a lexicon and look at all the other verses in which that same word appears.

The nifty thing about Bible Gateway, is you can look at a verse or passage in several versions at once, and you can see if everybody pretty much agrees as to what it says, or if there are significant differences.

The nifty thing about the Interlinear, is each word is parsed so if someone says its a verb or whatever in Greek, you can verify it.

I am not a wiz kid, so it is pretty hard for me to go further, but those who have had classes in Greek often have insights I miss. So when someone challenges my view based on making claims about the grammar, I am forced to do internet searches to find out if published scholars support my view - based primarily on the grammar of the NASB English - using the Greek grammar of the verse.