Learn to Read New Testament Greek
Overview
Learn to Read New Testament Greek is a user-friendly introduction to the Greek New Testament which offers insight into the language and thought of the New Testament writers. In this volume, David Alan Black provides tools and exercises for bringing readers to the experience of reading from the Greek New Testament after just seventeen lessons.
The goal of Learn to Read New Testament Greek is two-fold: to give students an insight into the language and thought of New Testament writers, and to prepare them to read and understand the original Greek text of the New Testament. Whether you are trying to write a solid expository sermon, prepare an accurate Sunday School lesson, or translate the New Testament, Learn to Read New Testament Greek is an essential guide.
The principles and methods used in Learn to Read New Testament Greek will enable rapid progress in Greek study. New information is introduced in small, manageable units, and points of grammar are fully explained and illustrated. After seventeen lessons you will begin reading selected passages from the Greek New Testament, and by the end of the course you will be able to read the entire New Testament with minimal reference to a lexicon. You will also acquire an understanding of the structure of the Greek language, an ability to use commentaries and other works based on the Greek text, and a growing capacity to plumb the depths of God’s revelation for yourself.
What’s more, with the Logos Bible Software edition, you have instant access to the texts of the Greek New Testament along with a wealth of dictionaries, lexicons, and language reference tools. All Scripture passages are linked directly to the original language texts and English translations, and double-clicking any Greek word automatically opens a lexicon to help you decipher its mean and understand its context. That makes the Logos edition the most useful and accessible for students, pastors, and scholars.
- 26 lessons contain grammatical concepts, forms, essential vocabulary, and practical exercises
- Clear and simple explanations of grammatical terminology for first-time Greek students
- Numerous examples taken directly from the New Testament
- Emphasis on patterns and morphology; rote memorization of paradigms is kept to an absolute minimum
- Read the text of the Greek New Testament after only seventeen lessons!
- Double-clicking any Greek word automatically opens your preferred Greek-English lexicons
- All Scripture references are linked directly to your Greek New Testament and English Bible translations
Top Highlights
“The second declension may be divided into two main groups: (1) nouns whose nominative singular ends in -ος, which, with a few exceptions, are masculine; and (2) nouns whose nominative singular ends in -ον, which are all neuters.” (Page 28)
“Hence the lexical form of a Greek verb is given in the present active indicative, first person singular” (Page 108)
“The term ‘aspect’ refers to the view of the action that the speaker chooses to present to the hearer. There are three categories of aspect in Greek: imperfective, perfective, and aoristic. Imperfective aspect focuses on the process or duration of the action. Perfective aspect focuses on the state or condition resulting from a completed action. Aoristic aspect focuses on the verbal idea in its entirety, without commenting upon either the process or the abiding results of the action.” (Page 14)
“Notice that Greek indicates future time by adding a σ to the present stem. This σ is called the future time morpheme and is equivalent in meaning to the English auxiliary verb ‘will.’” (Page 19)
“The entire Greek verb system may be divided into two basic conjugations: the -ω conjugation, and the -μι conjugation.” (Page 17)
David Alan Black has produced a book which has a non-intimidating tone for the new student, in that he renders grammatical discussion in language that is, as far as possible, non-technical. Furthermore, he has created exercises which attempt to bring the student into the experience of reading Greek as soon as possible, but at a level which provides more affirmation than frustration. I am happy to commend his work.
—Robert B. Sloan, President, Baylor University
. . . Combines the strengths of a fairly traditional sequence of topics, in generally manageable chunks with clear explanations fully abreast of modern linguistics. The attractiveness of this work is enhanced by the use of exercises taken directly from the Scripture for the third of the volume.
—Craig L. Blomberg, Denver Seminary
Clear charts, clear examples, clear discussion—what more could one want from a beginning grammar!
—Darrell L. Bock, Dallas Theological Seminary
A streamlined introductory grammar that will prove popular in the classroom.
—Murray J. Harris, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Pedagogically conceived, linguistically informed, hermeneutically sensitive, biblically focused—unique among beginning grammars. It sets a new standard.
—Robert Yarbrough, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
David Alan Black is a leading authority on linguistics and New Testament interpretation. He holds the D.Theol. in New Testament from the University of Basel and has done additional studies in Germany and Israel. Having taught Greek for almost two decades, he currently serves as Professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He is also the editor of Linguistics and New Testament Interpretation and Interpreting the New Testament.
Reviews
20 ratings
Jon A Covey
12/14/2023
This was one of the books used in the second year of Greek at Talbot. It was helpful to understand the finer distinctions of Greek grammar. As David Black promised in his forwards, he used uncomplicated English explanations to help the students understand the fine points of Greek grammar. This is important because earlier writers used stilted language that made it more difficult than necessary to explain biblical concepts. When earlier writers, like Lewis Sperry Chafer in his Systematic Theology, wrote about complicated theological issues, they often used unnecessarily wordy, grandiloquent language to explain their subject. Black avoids that kind of blubber to teach Greek grammar to second-year Greek students.Renan Guedes da Silva
2/28/2019
Zhe Liu
12/2/2018
Nicolas Wong
5/15/2018
Jason T. Davis
6/30/2017
DavePL HI Haoli KI
1/13/2017
Mitchell Muñoz
12/9/2015
Faithlife User
10/27/2015
Dr. Black was my Greek professor at Talbot School of Theology, and this was our textbook. In fact, my class had the unique privilege of using it in its pre-published form. It was a blessing then, and it is still an excellent starting textbook for learning Greek. It's just too bad that those reading the book can't hear Dr. Black sing the Greek alphabet song to the tune of "Mammy's little baby loves shortening, shortening"!
John R. Davis
6/10/2015
