An Introduction to Biblical Greek Grammar: Elementary Syntax and Linguistics

Description

An Introduction to Biblical Greek Grammar focuses on the linguistic and syntactic elements of Koine Greek to equip learners for accurate interpretation. Drawing upon twenty years of Greek teaching experience and the latest developments in linguistics and syntax, Harris introduces students to basic linguistic concepts and categories necessary for grasping Greek in ways that are clear and intuitive. This solid foundation enables students first to internalize key concepts, then to apply and build upon them as more complex ideas are introduced. Several features are specifically designed to aid student's learning: Key concepts are graphically coded to offer visual reinforcement of explanations and to facilitate learning forms and identifying their functions Key concepts are followed by numerous examples from the Greek New Testament Students learn how to mark Greek texts so that they can begin to "see" the syntax, identify the boundaries of syntactic units, and construct syntactic outlines as part of their preaching or teaching preparation Four integrative chapters, roughly corresponding to the midterms and final exams of a two-semester sequence, summarize material to date and reinforce key concepts. Here students are also introduced to exegetical and interpretive concepts and practices that they will need for subsequent Greek studies and beyond. "Going Deeper" and "For the Curious" offer supplemental information for students interested in learning more or in moving to advanced language study. The accompanying workbook and video lectures (both sold separately) reinforce key concepts through additional contact with the material from each chapter of the grammar. All exercises in the workbook are taken from the Greek New Testament and the Septuagint and include extensive syntactical and exegetical notes to aid students.

Dana M. Harris is associate professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois and editor of the Trinity Journal. Dr. Harris has been teaching Koine Greek and developing innovative teaching materials for over thirty years, including twenty years at the seminary level. She is author of Hebrews in the Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament series (Broadman & Holman) and is currently working on two books on Revelation.

'Anyone who has taught first-year Greek or learned it knows one of the challenges is often a review of English as one is learning a new, quite foreign language. Dr. Harris's first-year grammar does an excellent job of bridging the languages, much like good translation must do. The direction on everything linguistic, syntactic, and semantic is carefully and fairly set forth, as well as teaching the forms required to engage the Greek. A first-year student will be well served by this text.' * DARRELL L. BOCK, executive director for cultural engagement, Howard G. Hendricks Center for Christian Leadership and Cultural Engagement and senior research professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary * 'Dana Harris has written a textbook that equips readers to appreciate the way Koine Greek works. Consequently, reading the Greek New Testament becomes more about understanding rather than merely recognizing the language. With clear discussion and examples, Harris guides readers in a way that prepares them for deeper exegetical study. Harris's conversational and practical presentations will greatly assist teachers as well as students.' * DENNIS R. EDWARDS, associate professor of New Testament, North Park Theological Seminary * 'A great Greek textbook is up-to-date on Greek studies and linguistics, but functions as a simple and clear guide for (often intimidated) beginning students. It ought to be visually appealing with assignments that are challenging but not overwhelming. It should include plenty of examples and illustrations without a back-breaking page count. Impressively, Harris's introduction accomplishes all these things. Students can be relieved that this textbook will introduce Greek plainly; instructors can rest assured that the material is reliable and represents the state of biblical Greek scholarship.' * NIJAY K. GUPTA, professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary * 'An excellent new introduction to biblical Greek from an experienced professor! Dana Harris helpfully positions Koine Greek within a historical context and introduces it from a linguistic and theological perspective. Based on current scholarship and using modern linguistic terminology, this well-structured grammar features clear presentations, ample student resources, and abundant examples from the New Testament. A stand-out first-year grammar.' * KAREN H. JOBES, Gerald F. Hawthorne Professor Emerita of New Testament Greek and Exegesis, Wheaton College and Graduate School * 'Greek grammars in most cases all do the same thing: nouns and verbs and participles and vocabulary and exercises and parsing. In the last two decades, evangelical scholars have offered significant proposals for understanding our Greek New Testament, but the results have only occasionally trickled into a beginning grammar. With Dana Harris's new complete analysis of Greek grammar, students can become officially current. What makes this up-to-date and comprehensive grammar most beneficial is that students, once they have worked their way through this with a teacher and class, will want to return to this grammar to deepen their learning. Most grammars, once used, are put on the shelf rarely to be used again. Not this one. A real godsend for students.' * SCOT MCKNIGHT, professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary * 'Written by a trained linguist and an experienced language teacher, this volume does not merely provide a first-rate textbook for beginning Greek courses. It also allows students to begin their journey in interacting with the Greek New Testament within a framework informed by the latest developments in linguistics and Greek grammar. To identify any one textbook in this crowded field as the most pedagogically effective may seem like an overstatement, but many of our Greek instructors who have used early drafts of this work can find no better way to describe it. If you are serious about learning Greek, there is no need to look elsewhere.' * DAVID W. PAO, professor of New Testament and chair of the New Testament department, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School * 'Most first-year biblical Greek grammars present the outcome--what the student needs to know. This one focuses on the process--the building blocks of understanding that enable informed interpretation. In that sense it is not so much a teacher's grammar (though teachers will love it) as a teaching grammar. The focus is not merely on 'what' must be learned but on the why and how that lead to textual comprehension. Enriched by the author's quarter century of Greek study and instruction in the traditional classroom as well as online, this grammar will become a standard textbook for both traditional and distance-learning settings. Written out of love for both learning and God's word, it supports student acquisition of a working knowledge of New Testament Greek in fresh, nuanced, and pedagogically effective ways.' * ROBERT W. YARBROUGH, professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary *