| Author | Message | ||
| Dd Registered user Username: Dd Post Number: 502 Registered: 7-2004 |
What is a good reference book for finding Greek and Hebrew meanings? Is there something on the web that would be similar to something like www.gateway.com where I could put in the text and the word I wanted to explore the orginal meaning of? I would appreciate any recommendations of any type of study material that would not be a commentary that would lead me to deeper, fuller understanding. Could you also share with me a short "review" of why you find the source you recommend better than another. I guess I am being lazy in my busy mom life...I don't have time to go through everything and figure out what is best...I also want to avoid spending money on something that was not all that it could be. Thanks. | ||
| Windmotion Registered user Username: Windmotion Post Number: 179 Registered: 6-2001  |
www.blueletterbible.org is THE web site for finding greek/hebrew terms. You have to look in the concordance section. About study material, I would recommend The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell. It outlines Christianity in a logical and easy to understand way. Studiously, Hannah | ||
| Bmorgan Registered user Username: Bmorgan Post Number: 56 Registered: 7-2000 |
Dd, Along with Hannah's recommendations, I would add another two sites; http://www.studylight.org/ http://preceptaustin.org/ There's information about doing the inductive Bible Study method. All the best. | ||
| Dd Registered user Username: Dd Post Number: 503 Registered: 7-2004 |
Thanks Hannah and Bmorgan! I have short cuts to these sites. In the Bible study I am taking this summer, it takes us a great deal into the Greek or Hebrew of the passage...it really makes the Bible come even more alive. I have enjoyed it and want to continue to dig deeper and deeper. Isn't God's Word a banquet for our souls? | ||
| Chris Registered user Username: Chris Post Number: 948 Registered: 7-2003  |
Dd, Normally people start with a Concordance keyed to their translation of choice. I personally like to use the NASB for word studies since it is considered a ěliteralî translation, so I use the Zondervan NASB exhaustive concordance. You can also get exhaustive concordances for several other major English translations. This concordance will contain a basic Greek and Hebrew/Aramaic dictionary in the back, but you will probably eventually want something a little more in depth. My favorite lexicons are ěThe Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testamentî and ěThe Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testamentî. They are both very accessible and understandable and are keyed to Strongís numbers so you donít need to know a lot of Greek or Hebrew to look up words. You just look up the English word in your exhaustive concordance, find the corresponding Strongís number, then look up the Strongís number in TCWSD. You can find each of these resources here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0310262844/qid=1121396363/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_ur_1/002-8253314-3147234?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0899576672/qid=1121396394/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl14/002-8253314-3147234?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/089957663X/qid=1121396445/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_ur_1/002-8253314-3147234?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 For software, I use WordSearch7. You can view it here: http://www.wordsearchbible.com/ I find it to be very user friendly and ěcomparativelyî affordable when compared to some other packages. There might be more scholarly software out there, but this seems to suit my purposes well enough. I would also recommend checking out E-Sword which is free! You can find it here: http://www.e-sword.net/ Chris | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 895 Registered: 10-2004  |
Dd, I have found The Discovery Bible: New American Standard New Testament from Moody Press (1987, Gary Hill and Gleason L. Archer) to be very helpful. It gives symbols for the Greek tenses and emphasis right in the English text, and also explains some of the different Greek words that are translated using the same English word. It looks like it might be out of print, but it can be found on Amazon.com, half.com, and ebay.com. An interlinear Greek/Hebrew Bible can also be helpful. Jeremy | ||
| Heretic Registered user Username: Heretic Post Number: 158 Registered: 2-2005 |
Dd, Another one you may want to try is www.crosswalk.com . You'll find NT and OT lexicons and other search tools there which have been very beneficial. I just bought Bible Explorer 3 which also is very user friendly. Heretic | ||
| Chris Registered user Username: Chris Post Number: 951 Registered: 7-2003 |
By the way Heretic, I hope you don't mind me using the body of an e-mail I sent to you to reply to Dd. I didn't have the energy to retype it all in an original form. Chris | ||
| Melissa Registered user Username: Melissa Post Number: 985 Registered: 7-2003  |
But isn't it true that the structure of the context can impact a word's meaning? I've actually heard having a little greek is more dangerous than no greek because of that. Any thoughts, you greek gurus? | ||
| Willy Registered user Username: Willy Post Number: 1 Registered: 7-2005 |
Dd, go to crosswalk.com and I think there you will find what you are looking for. You can also go to e-sword.net | ||
| Chris Registered user Username: Chris Post Number: 953 Registered: 7-2003 |
You are absolutely correct Melissa. Nearly all words in all languages (English included) have a range of meanings. It is ultimately the context that determines the meaning. Consider the number of different ways you might use the English word "can" and how the meaning changes in any given context (note that these are not all grammatically correct, but are part of common usage anyway): 1. CAN I go out to play? (used, albeit erroneously, in place of the permissive supplication "May I"). 2. He CAN throw the ball far. (Used to designate the ability to do something). 3. She placed the leaf bag in the garbage CAN by the curb. (In this culture it describes a large plastic or metal cylindrical object for holding waste). 4. She drank the CAN of Coke. (Describes a small aluminum can with a pop top that holds beverages). 5. He opened the CAN of green beans with the opener. (Designates a slightly larger cylindrical object made of heavier metal that holds preserved food and requires the lid to be cut off). 6. He tossed the wadded up paper into the CAN beside his desk. (Designates a container for holding small trash items. May be nearly any shape and be made out of many differen types of materials such as wicker, plastic, various metals, etc.) 7. He needed to relieve himself so badly he could barely make it to the CAN. (Slang for "toilet"). 8. His boss decided to CAN him (slang for "fire" or "terminate"). Now, if we tried to translate all of these sentences into another language, let's say French, we would quickly find that there is no one single French word that has the exact same conotations and full range of meanings as the English word "can". We would probably be forced to use a variety of French words to translate "can" in the sentences above. Greek is no different. You cannot simply look up a word in a lexicon and say, "it means this" in a singular sense. You cannot simply plug in a single English word everytime you see that particular Greek word, as the rather unreliable "Amplified Bible" often tries to do. The word you are looking at probably has a range of meanings, maybe a large range, and the correct meaning will be dictated by the context where it appears. P.S. I should be up front about saying I am most definately NOT a Greek Guru. I understand just enough Koine Greek to be one of the people you mentioned that is dangerous. My only saving grace is that I recognize my profound ignorance. Chris | ||
| Dd Registered user Username: Dd Post Number: 504 Registered: 7-2004 |
Hey Willy, you're the new guy! Welcome and thanks for the sites. I will check them out and put more shortcuts on my screen. I am finding I cannot have too many. I look forward to hearing more from you. Thanks to all of you that have given me suggestions. Now, if I could only have more time to really spend in God's Word...any suggestions for finding more time...?  Chris, thanks for the language lesson...you need to think about a change in careers - God has blessed you with a teaching heart. | ||
| Melissa Registered user Username: Melissa Post Number: 988 Registered: 7-2003 |
Chris, I don't think you're dangerous. You recognize the challenges. I've seen B do just as you mention above, getting a dictionary for the word he wants, picking the definition he wants to meet his doctrine, then ignore all context and anything else that contradicts, all the while saying he's being "Biblical". And he thinks he's "studying" the Bible all the while embracing more and more heretical teachings. I love it when pastors explain the original languages myself. Like Dd says, it's so rich in there. Thanks for the input, Chris. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2354 Registered: 12-2003  |
Willy, welcome to the forum! We're looking forward to hearing more from you. Chris, thanks again for your input. Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1756 Registered: 3-2004  |
Willy, Welcome to FAF. Please let us know more about yourself. Diana |
