Review: Textual Commentaries on the Greek Text

[MortenJensen]

Hi all
For a current course on Philippians, I have encouraged my students to read Sumney's new book: Philippians: A Greek Student's Intermediate Reader. (http://www.amazon.com/Philippians-Greek-Students-Intermediate-Reader/dp/156563991X).
It is such a fabulous work that I just wanted to mention it here as well. It packs a punch and delivers a wealth of information and consideration on the Greek text of NA27, on the apparatus as well as on theological issues. There is a short grammatical summary in the back as well, which can serve well as a 'brush up' course.


Now, my further reason for mentioning it here is twofold:

First: Does anybody know of other such commentaries on the Greek text? There must be other out there.
If not, which series do you then think gives the most detailed exposition of the Greek without skipping paragraphs along the way?

Second: I would say that it would be a great gain to BW, if such Greek commentaries one way or the other could be embedded. Could it be a task for the community here to write together and offer it freely for BW to incorporate?

My take is that it would prove to be a bigger seller to students than even the NA 27 apparatus!

Thanks for your thoughts

Morten

[David Kummerow]

Maybe this one is something similar:

Harris, Murray J. 1999. Colossians & Philemon. EGGNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Regards,
David Kummerow.

[Dale A. Brueggemann]

Depending upon your level of Greek, you might appreciate a tool like the following:

• Rienecker, Fritz. A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament. Linguistic Key. Ed. Cleon L. Rogers. Trans. Cleon L. Rogers. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1976.
• Rogers, Cleon L., Jr. and Cleon L. Rogers, III. The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1998.

Here's a shot of the opening of John's gospel to show the general way Rogers and Rogers treats the text:

[MortenJensen]

Hi, thanks for the proposals. I will take a closer look at the New Linguistic and Exegetical Tool, looks really good.

I would actually make a great candidate for an electronic BW-book, right?
Morten

PS: I just got an email from prof Symney, in which he refers to two other books, namely:
- Parsons og Culy. Acts: A Handbook on the Greek Text. Isbn: 978-0918954909
- Culy. I, II, III John: A Handbook on the Greek Text. Isbn 978-1932792089

[Michael Hanel]

Koine Greek Reader by Decker
Patristic Greek Reader by Whitacre
A First John Reader by Baugh

The question I'd have is, with purchases lexica and grammars, doesn't BW already do basically what these books do? Granted, the short coming would be that BW only will have notes on verses which grammars cite.

Also what form would you want these to be in BibleWorks? An HTML module w text and notes or something different?

[MortenJensen]

Hi Michael
The format I am thinking of is simply as another book that can be displayed in the summary window along with the dictionaries, grammars and so forth.
A textual commentary on each verse of the NT, where the word-explanations are not general (as in dictionaries) and the grammar-construtions are explained on basis of the actual verse - and not in general as in the regular grammars with occasional examples.

I will constitute a giant task.

But it would be a great thing for BW of lasting value.
Morten

[MortenJensen]

By the way, Michael, thanks for the suggestions - they bring my list of the kind of textual commentaries I am thinking of up to the following:

Parsons og Culy. 2003. Acts: A Handbook on the Greek Text. 600p. Isbn: 978-0918954909
Culy. 2004 I, II, III John: A Handbook on the Greek Text. 155p. Isbn 978-1932792089
Baugh. 1999. A First John Reader: Intermediate Greek Reading Notes and Grammar – 978-0875520957

Harris, Myrray. 1991. Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament: Colossians and Philemon. 344p. ISBN: 978-0802803757

Rogers. 1998. The new linguistic and exegetical key to the Greek New Testament. Zondervan.
Sumney, Jerry L. Philippians: A Greek Student’s Intermediate Reader
Hanna. 1983. A Grammatical Aid to the Greek New Testament.

Morten

[MickZ]

If you're speaking german you might take a look at

Heinrich von Siebenthal, Neuer sprachlicher Schlüssel, Giessen: Brunnen, 2007. [BW Module in development]

MickZ

[MortenJensen]

Hi MickZ
German is fine - but where do you find info on this module in progress? Nothing seems listed under Modules at the BW main page.
Morten