Biblical Greek | Nerdlets

Göttingen Septuagint in Logos Pre-Pub

Biblical Greek, Books, Software No Responses »

Feb 272009

The Göttingen Septuagint (a.k.a. Septuaginta: Vetus Testamentum Graecum. Auctoritate Academiae Scientiarum Gottingensis Editum) is the most important edition of the Greek translation of the Old Testament ever published. At present it spans 24 print volumes and nearly 7,000 pages, setting the bar high for text-critical studies.

For optimal use in Logos Bible Software, these 24 print volumes will be split into 65 digital resources. This means you’ll be able to view the Greek text right alongside of the apparatus, and in several cases multiple Greek translations with multiple apparatuses. By linking them all together, they will stay in sync as you scroll or jump from passage to passage.

Logos is making this resource available for $299.95 for a limited time. Get it here.

You can find a short but concise introduction to this edition of the LXX here. If you would like to learn more about the relevance of the Septuagint for Old and New Testament studies, Karen Jobes’s Invitation to the Septuagint is an excellent resource.

How to Run Bibleworks 8 (or 7) in Linux

Biblical Greek, How to, Software No Responses »

Feb 062009

Bibleworks 8 now runs in Linux through WINE.

I posted a guide awhile back walking Linux users through the steps required to get Bibleworks 7 up-and-running in Linux (using Wine). It has recently been confirmed that the steps used in that guide also work for Bibleworks 8. If you are interested in running Bibleworks in Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSUSE) you can find the guide here.

Surprisingly, it appears that some problems that plagued Bibleworks 7 in Linux are no longer issues in Bibleworks 8. This is good news!

Preach your Greek

Biblical Greek No Responses »

Jan 262009

Mounce fields a question I get a lot: how do you use your Greek in the pulpit? His answer is well worth a read. My favorite part:

It starts with your homework. The most important place to use biblical languages is behind the scenes in doing your research, whether it be sermon preparation or getting ready for a Bible study. The languages give you access to tools that are far beyond the reach of English.

In class I have sometimes used a cooking analogy to get this across. Imagine someone in cooking school. One day one they are taught how to make pancakes. The good chef does not respond, “Why should I have to learn how to make pancakes? Why not just use Aunt Jemima?” The master chef does not pull out Aunt Jemima. Aunt Jemima may be easy—the ingredients are already mixed up together, just add water!—but the master chef always starts from scratch. Why? Because he knows his ingredients and wants to use them effectively. In the same way the pastor should be a master exegete. He should not rely on the pre-packaged just-add-water translations available to him. Those translations have already made all the tough decisions! Rather, the pastor should struggle with the original, even if only in a limited way.

And here is another good rule, this time more on presentation:

But I imagine that you have noticed I have not yet used the word “Greek” or “Hebrew” publicly. This is my general rule. When I want to talk about the meaning of the Greek word, I say something like, “The word translated such-and-such has a range of meanings that includes.…”

Read the whole thing.

Even More Greek Advice

Biblical Greek, Software 3 Responses »

Jan 192009

How many times have you learned Greek? There is something enormously discouraging about spending all that time taking a year’s worth of Greek only to forget it in the course of a summer. Con Campbell has been instructing us how to avoid the forgetfullness that sets in as soon as Greek is over (start here). His latest post contains some wise advice regarding the use of Greek Bible software:

Be slow to move that cursor. The risk of using software is that you can short-cut the learning process, just as you will with an interlinear (see my second post). You need to struggle to remember words and grammar, rather than just get a quick answer (By the way, this need only apply to your ‘Greek reading time’, not every time you use the software). So, if you’re disciplined, go ahead and use the software for your Greek reading. But if you can’t be trusted not to cheat, then close your laptop, and get out a paper Greek New Testament. If you can find one.

More Greek Advice

Biblical Greek No Responses »

Jan 162009

Here is some more sound advice from Con Campbell regarding how to keep up your Greek:

Burn your interlinear

‘nough said in my opinion, but he explains his reasons, with a promise to unpack the relationship between this advice and software tools.

How to Keep your Greek

Biblical Greek, Books, How to 4 Responses »

Jan 132009

There is nothing worse than learning Greek again. Learn it once! Constantine Campbell has some sage advice on how to keep up with your Greek so you can spend time improving your Greek, rather than learning it over again each time you need it. Here is an excerpt:

From my background in music, I’m absolutely convinced that a little time practicing every day is much more beneficial than large chunks of practice interspersed by large chunks of inactivity. A little bit every day keeps it all ticking along. And it really only has to be a little. Half an hour a day reading Greek would be terrific, but even 10 minutes would be good. I know some guys who just aim to read one sentence of Greek a day. It doesn’t have to involve a big time commitment, just do a little every day.

So how can you do just a little per day? I have found the UBS Reader’s Greek NT to be very helpful in this regard. It defines uncommon words for you, and even parses difficult verbs, which keeps you reading Greek and not flipping through a lexicon.

For those counting, yes, this is my 10th (or so) plug for this book.

Which Greek Text?

Biblical Greek, Books 6 Responses »

Jan 122009

The UBS Reader's Greek NT

For those trying to decide which Greek Bible they should purchase, Mounce has posted a helpful rundown of your options.

If you’re serious about learning and using Greek, I recommend you get two Bibles. (1) First, you need a Greek NT with a critical apparatus, either the UBS 4 or the NA 27 (both editions optionally include a Greek glossary). (2) Second, I heartily recommend the UBS Reader’s Greek NT. It will make actually reading the NT in Greek all that much more enjoyable.

Mounce also mentions a black-leather “stealth” NA that he uses. I was not able to find this. Anyone know where to get one? I always do feel a little self-conscious using my GNT in church…

Update: Phil Gons additionally recommends (see the comments) this post, which in turn links to this article describing the differences between the NA27 and the UBS4. The article will be of particular interest to those using Logos’s Bible Software.

Lee Irons Syntax Notes for the Greek New Testament

Biblical Greek 3 Responses »

Dec 212008

Lee Irons has been busy. His Syntax Notes of the whole NT are now complete. Everyone interested in the Greek New Testament should download these handy guides. You can find the links on this page.

Some Reviews of Bible Software

Biblical Greek, Research Tools, Software, Webapps and Websites No Responses »

Dec 132008

Fostertribe has finished compiling his list of Bible Software reviews. This is a very handy guide to (largely introductory) Bible software. Bibleworks doesn’t make the list, nor do a couple of online tools, but the guide is very helpfully organized. Anyone interested in an introductory desktop program for reading and searching the Bible should check it out.

For an in depth look at the upcoming version of Bibleworks, check out this series of posts.

For online software, go here and here.

And anyone interested in a quick and handy tool for searching and listening to the Bible online should read my Ubiquity guide.

The Unicode Collection: Volumes I-IV

Biblical Greek, Culture 5 Responses »

Dec 032008

Awhile back I posted a four-part series on the advantages of Unicode for typing out Biblical Greek and Hebrew. I am linking these posts here so those interested have a one-stop shop for the whole series.

These posts provide a detailed but understandable explanation of what Unicode is, how to set up Greek and Hebrew Unicode keyboards, and what Fonts work best for each language. Enjoy.