Handbook on the Greek Text - 1 Peter - Ephesians - Luke - 1-3 John

The Greek of 1 Peter has more than its fair share of syntactical challenges for the Greek student, and it is the aim of this volume to be of assistance in navigating those challenges. Readers will likely want to use this volume in conjunction with a traditional commentary for complementary analysis of the context, message, and meaning of this book. The major recent commentaries are those of Michaels, Achtemeier (1996), and Elliott (2000), all of which give attention to syntactical issues (although Achtemeier particularly stands out in this regard). One will also find help (even on technical matters) in commentaries of lesser scope (e.g., Schreiner’s commentary makes a fine contribution). For a survey of recent trends in research on 1 Peter, one can consult Dubis (2006), Webb, and the bibliographies of Casurella and Mills.

 

One of the goals of this series is not only to apply traditional syntactical analysis to the text of the New Testament but also to acquaint readers with more recent developments among grammarians and linguists. One particular area to which I would like to draw attention is that of Greek word order. Greek teachers often take pains to break English-speaking students of an improper reliance on word order, and as a result Greek students can sometimes develop the impression that word order in Greek is inconsequential, which is certainly not true. Numerous specialized studies on Greek word order have appeared, but I have found the work of Stephen Levinsohn (adapted and popularized by Steve Runge, one of Levinsohn’s disciples) to have particular explanatory power. See especially Levinsohn (1–67) and Runge (2010, §§9–13). Levinsohn argues that Greek is a verb-initial language so that clausal constituents that appear before the verb, i.e., that are “fronted,” (with the exception of conjunctions and the like) are marked as being either: (a) “focal,” that is, the most important new information in the clause, or (b) a “point of departure,” which refers to information that is already established by the preceding context or is readily knowable and that provides readers/hearers with a certain context within which they should understand the remainder of the clause. Consider the following sentence: “I have three points to make. As for the first, I cannot stress its importance enough.” The phrase “as for the first” is a (topical) point of departure, helping the reader to not lose track of the flow of the argument. 

 

Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2010. – 225 pp. - (Baylor handbook on the Greek New Testament).

ISBN 978-1-932792-62-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)

 

A Handbook on the Greek Text - William Larkin – Ephesians

William Larkin - Ephesians - Contents

• Series Introduction
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Ephesians 1:1-2 - Ephesians 6:21-24
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Grammar Index
• Author Index

Martin M. Culy, Mikeal C. Parsons, Joshua J. Stigall. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2010. – 838 pp. -  (Baylor handbook on the Greek New Testament)

ISBN 978-1-60258-291-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)

 

 

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