An Introduction to Biblical Greek Grammar

Elementary Syntax and Linguistics

Dana M. Harris

• Publisher: Zondervan Academic
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9780310108580
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Reference

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.

chapter ONE

IMAGE-BEARERS, LANGUAGE, LINGUISTICS, AND GREEK: From Theological Reflections to Learning the Alphabet

OBJECTIVES AND OVERVIEW

Chapter 1 covers a lot of important, introductory information. We will draw upon the linguistic concepts and the forms that are introduced in this chapter throughout the rest of the book. Chapter 1 begins with an overview of the following:

• the theological nature of human language

• the biblical languages and the distance between them and today

• the benefits, pitfalls, and privileges of studying Greek

• a brief history of the Greek language

• the Greek of the NT and some witnesses to it

• the languages spoken in first-century Roman Judea

Chapter 1 introduces the following linguistic concepts:

• morpheme, word, construction, phrase, clause, sentence; morphology and phonology

• main/independent and subordinate/dependent clauses

• noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction

• substantive, modifier

• “slots” and “fillers”; form and function

• word order and inflection; declension and conjugation

• semantic range, lexeme, lexical form, gloss (translation)

In chapter 1, you will also learn and need to memorize the following:

• the Greek alphabet (consonants and vowels), diphthongs, iota subscripts, gamma combinations

• breathing marks

• punctuation, diacritical marks, accents

• syllabification

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE NATURE OF LANGUAGE AND STUDYING GREEK

Language is something that we use every day, yet most of us have probably never thought much about language and what exactly it is. For one thing, language is unique to humans. Even though animal communication can often be very sophisticated (just think of dolphins or whales!), it is significantly different from human language. For example, people can “do” things with words—just by uttering a simple request, such as, “Would you close the window, please?” one person can cause another person to perform an action.¹ Sometimes this can happen without an actual request. Consider a time when you were sitting in a stuffy room and someone said, “Wow, it’s really hot in here!” Chances are that someone else got up and opened a window or a door in response. This can be described as the “performative” function of language.

With words, humans can create entire worlds (think of The Lord of the Rings series) or describe (often in great detail) events that have yet to happen (think of the Book of Revelation). Language is one of the primary ways that humans are linked together in community and is thus vital for human relationships. Indeed, when people do not speak the same language, we refer to this inability to communicate as a “language barrier.”

We can go further. The phenomenon of human language is profoundly theological. Language is an important reflection of how we have been created in the image of God. Genesis 1 describes how God spoke the world into existence with words. It should not be surprising that the greatest revelation of God, the incarnate Son, is described as the Word in John 1. Although humans do not create in the same way that God does, humans have been entrusted with the privilege of extending God’s work of creation throughout the world, and human language is one of the primary ways that this is accomplished. Theologian Kevin Vanhoozer writes, “In the beginning, God created language; it is his good gift, designed to be enjoyed by his creatures.”² He adds, “Language is a God-given capacity that enables human beings to relate to God, the world, and to one another.”³ Thus, human language has the ability to create or “uncreate”—to build up or to tear down.

This theological understanding of language likely explains why some aspects of language are universal across different languages. Although the forms or mechanisms that any given language uses (the “surface structure”) may look quite different from one language to another, the underlying functions (the “deep structure”) are similar.⁴ For example, all languages are capable of asking questions, communicating emphasis, and telling stories, but they often do so in very different ways. Some languages may use highly structured word order, whereas others may string together many prefixes and suffixes to create very long words. There is amazing diversity in the thousands of languages that have been spoken throughout history (some of which are now extinct) and that are spoken today. Yet all languages effectively communicate meaning and are ...