NA28: What’s New?

Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft recently published the 28^th edition of Nestle-Aland’s Novum Testamentum Graece.  This edition lists citations from the newly discovered Papyri 117-127, which is a significant addition for text critics. For instance, P127 (fifth-century) contains a text that differs greatly from Codex Vaticanus and Codex Bezae, revealing the most significant information we have for the development of Acts since the discovery of P38 in 1927 (D.C. Parker, ed., et al., The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vol. 74, Graeco-Roman Memoirs, No. 95 [London: Egypt Exploration Society], 1-5). P117-126 also offers fresh new insights into the text of John (P119-122), Romans (P118) 1 Corinthians (P123), 2 Corinthians (P117, P124), 1 Peter (P125) and Hebrews (P126). All of this information is now made available for readers of the NA28.

Some changes were made to the Catholic Epistles, based on text critical insights from the second edition of the Editio Critica Maior of the Greek New Testament , (ECM) a critical edition produced by the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschungm. Most changes are insignificant, such as word order, addition of the article, etc. For instance, James 2:3 reads ἤ κάθου ἐκεῖ (NA28) instead of ἐκεῖ ἤ κάθου (NA27), and James 4:10 says τοῦ κυρίου (NA28), instead of κυρίου (NA27).  Some changes are more significant, such as 2 Peter 3:10, which now reads οὺκ εὺρεθήσεται  (“will not be found” supported by sa) instead of εὺρεθήσεται (“will be found” supported by א B, P, 1175 1448 1739^txt 1852 sy^ph mss txt sy^hmg). A full list of changes is found in the introduction. You can also find a list of examples here.

NA28 reflects the second edition of ECM in another manner. ECM provides a split guiding line, where editors remain undecided over certain readings. This split guiding line appears in NA28. For instance, readers can see that the editors of ECM struggled to decide between αύτὸ τοῦτο δὲ and αύτὸ δὲ τοῦτο  in 2 Peter 1:5. A ♦ is placed in the text of NA28 before the disputed reading (♦ αύτὸ τοῦτο δὲ). The second reading appears in the apparatus with a ♦ before it also (♦ αυτο δε τουτο).

Another significant change is the abandonment of consistently cited witnesses of the first and second order. NA27 places manuscripts into these categories based on their value. Witnesses of the first order are considered highly valuable and are cited consistently for every textual problem. Second order witnesses are considered valuable only if they disagree with 𝔐.  In other words, 𝔐 consists of Byzantine witnesses and second order witnesses, unless there is a disagreement between the two. Where the two disagree second order witnesses are cited explicitly in the apparatus. These categories create many uncertainties. For instance, it is difficult to determine why NA27 does not cite a witness of the second order. Did it agree with the Majority text? Or did it have a lacuna? NA28 solves this problem. Now, all witnesses cited consistently for every textual problem are listed in the apparatus. Witnesses not cited consistently are only listed in the apparatus if they have text-historical value.

Other changes include the abandonment of imprecise notes, such as pauci (pc) and ali (al), reduction and simplification of Latin abbreviations, increased precision in the citation of Greek manuscripts, and a thorough revision of cross-references to parallel texts. The NA28, with the dictionary, is currently available for $55.96 at the DTS Book Center. NA28 without the dictionary is available for $47.96. Navy and black leather bound editions are on sale for only $44.97 (list price $74.95). Offer good while supplies last. Come by and get your copy today.

Book Review: A Reader’s Hebrew and Greek Bible

A Reader’s Hebrew and Greek Bible

ISBN: 9780310325895

By: A. Philip Brown II; Bryan W. Smith; Richard J. Goodrich; Albert L. Lukaszewski

Zondervan (2010)

Review By: Eric Wood

In April of 2010, Zondervan released A Reader’s Hebrew and Greek Bible. Finally, this work combined their reader’s editions of Old and New Testaments into one volume. For those not familiar with the concept of a “reader’s” Bible, I’ll take a moment to explain. For those that do know, on to the next paragraph. (For those that don’t care, well you probably won’t read this for much longer anyway, though you are most welcome.) A reader’s edition of an original language Bible is a little like a bike with training wheels. Open up the front cover and you’ll find the Greek New Testament. As a student new to the Greek language (or even not so new), you will come upon words that are not used very frequently in the NT. For these words (specifically those used 30 times or less), the notes at the bottom of each page will show you the word with an English gloss. Handy, right? I know. If you begin at the “back cover” (or the other front cover, since Hebrew is read right to left), you’ll find the Hebrew Old Testament with similar notes for words appearing 100 times or less in the OT. Like I said, a bike with training wheels – you’ve still got to put in work to read, but it provides that little bit of extra stability right there on the page, rather than sending you off to check a lexicon several times per paragraph.

The OT is based off the Westminster Leningrad Codex, the accepted official text of the Hebrew Bible. The font is clear and readable. And notes are clear and straightforward with numbers in the text coinciding with the Hebrew word and English gloss in the notes below. For a verb, they also supply the stem (Qal, Nifal, etc.) with the gloss to aid in your reading. Proper names are grayed out just a bit in order to save you from spending a great deal of time trying to parse Amalek. The NT text is “the eclectic text that underpins the Today’s New International Version” (page 9 of the Introduction). This gave me pause when I originally looked at this Bible. I found, however, that any place their “eclectic text” differs from that of the United Bible Society, they’ve placed a note marking the discrepancy and stating the UBS reading. The notes for the NT are not quite as clear as those in the OT. The italic font that they use is a little difficult to read at a glance, but it stands as a great improvement over Zondervan’s first edition for a NT reader (which I declared I would not even consider buying until they fixed the text). The content of the notes are fairly simple – the Greek word, English gloss or two with a note on the passive gloss (if directly applicable).

Dividing the two testaments is a brief lexicon for the Greek words used over 30 times and Hebrew over 100 (based on the BDB). Let’s face it, just because I learned the word in class, doesn’t mean it’s always going to spring to mind while I’m reading. 8 full color maps grace the center of the division between the testaments.

This volume makes a great addition to a student’s library. It serves now as the Bible that I take to church with me. That offers the chance to be able to practice the language skills into which we’ve invested so much time and money in a great setting. If the pastor ever called on me to read before the church, you’d better believe I’d be borrowing my wife’s Bible. But for reading along during the sermon, this is a great exercise.  The notes are ok. I prefer the way the UBS has parsing and, in my opinion, a better format for their notes (columns rather than inline notes), but they only offer the NT. For a whole  Bible reader, this offering from Zondervan is my go-to.

Choosing a Greek Reader

In 2007 the United Bible Societies published The UBS Greek New Testament: A Reader’s Edition. This is a perfect source for those who wish to facilitate their Greek reading. It contains the text of UBS4, which is identical to the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 27^th ed. A running dictionary, compiled by Barclay M. Newman, provides contextual definitions for words that occur 30 times or less. An appendix in the back defines words that occur more than 30 times in the New Testament. The running dictionary also defines unusual root words and forms when they appear. Some basic textual criticism marks remain in the text, such as brackets that indicate a disputed reading, double brackets which indicate later additions to the text, etc. The only disadvantage is the absence of UBS4’s more detailed apparatus.

A Reader’s Greek New Testament (RGNT), 2d ed., by Richard J. Goodrich and Albert L. Lukaszewski was also released in 2007. Similarly, it provides definitions for words that occur only 30 times or less. A short lexicon in the back provides definitions for words that occur more than 30 times. Textual criticism marks also remain in the text (brackets that indicate a disputed reading, double brackets which indicate later additions to the text, etc.). But the RGNT has some major disadvantages. The text base for RGNT is based on the “eclectic text that underpins the Today’s New International Version” (p. 9). As a result, an abbreviated apparatus identifies where RNGT varies from the UBS, based on translation decisions made by TNIV translators. But, some advantages remain. The abbreviated apparatus also provides source citations for Old Testament and Apocryphal quotations. RGNT is also lighter, thinner and bound in burgundy, duo tone leather.

Both the UBS Reader’s Edition and RGNT are fine sources for those who wish to better their Greek reading skills. If you are in search of a text that is based on standard scholarship, then The UBS Greek New Testament: A Reader’s Edition is highly recommended. It is available for only $22.99. If you are in need of a source that is easy to carry, aesthetically appealing and even provides OT and Apocryphal citations, then A Reader’s Greek New Testament is the text for you. It is available for only $27.99.

Review by: J. Bisbee

Burer and Miller vs. Kubo: A Comparison of Greek Reader’s Lexicons

Review By: J. Bisbee

A New Reader’s Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (NRL), by Michael H. Burer and Jeffrey E. Miller is a fantastic resource for first year Greek students, pastors and laymen alike. NRL provides concise definitions for every word that occurs fifty times or less in the Greek New Testament.  Contextual definitions are drawn from today’s standard lexicon, W. Bauer, F.W. Danker, W.F. Arndt, and F.W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3d ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000). Each word is defined and categorized by book and verse. Word frequency numbers also display how many times a word appears in the book at hand, other books by the same author, and the entire NT. Statistics for these numbers were drawn from the standard NA27 and UBS4 Greek New Testament. NRL even provides cross-references.

A similar source is Sakae Kubo’s A Reader’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. This source also includes definitions for words that occur fifty times or less, but its definitions are drawn from the 1957 version of Walter Bauer’s A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian literature. Secondly, this work is based on the NA26 only. Word frequency numbers appear for the book at hand and the entire NT. But, unfortunately, the category “other books by the same author” is excluded. Lastly, statistics for these frequency numbers were drawn from Robert Morgenthaler, Statistik des neutesamentlichen Wortschatzes which was printed in 1958. While Kubo’s Lexicon is based on older scholarship, it does have its advantages. Appendices in the back include an alphabetical list of words which occur more than fifty times, irregular verb forms, and a beginner’s guide to translation that contains paradigms.

While both are fine sources, A New Reader’s Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (NRL), by Michael H. Burer and Jeffrey E . Miller is highly recommended, since it contains the most recent scholarship.  Purchase NRL today, for only $27.99. Sakae Kubo’s A Reader’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament is also available for $23.99.

New Arrival: A Reader’s Hebrew and Greek Bible

A Reader’s Hebrew and Greek Bible
9780310325895
Contributors: A. Philip Brown, Bryan Smith, Richard Goodrich, Albert L. Lukaszewski
Zondervan

Come and check out the brand new Reader’s Hebrew and Greek Bible.   This volume combines Zondervan’s Reader’s Hebrew Bible and Reader’s Greek Bible into one volume.  This is worthy of any student’s personal library.

Publisher’s Desciption

Ideal for students, pastors, and instructors familiar with the biblical languages, A Reader’s Hebrew and Greek Bible saves time and effort in studying the Bible. Definitions for Greek and Hebrew words that occur less frequently appear as footnotes on every page, allowing the user to read the text quickly and to focus on parsing and grammatical issues (rather than paging through lexicons!). Presented in beautiful fine-grain black European leather.

Further Description:
This combined A Reader’s Greek New Testament and A Reader’s Hebrew Bible offers the following features: • Complete text of the Hebrew and Aramaic Bible, using the Westminister Leningrad Codex

• Greek text underlying Today’s New International Version—with footnotes comparing wherever this text is different from the UBS4 text • Footnoted definitions of all Hebrew words occurring 100 times or less—twenty-five or less for Aramaic words—with context-specific glosses • Footnoted definitions of all Greek words occurring thirty times or less • Lexicons of all Hebrew words occurring more than 100 times and Greek words occurring more than thirty times • Eight pages of full-color maps separate the OT and NT sections Ideal for students, pastors, and instructors, A Reader’s Hebrew and Greek Bible saves time and effort in studying the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament. By eliminating the need to look up definitions, the footnotes allow you to more quickly read the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek text. Featuring fine-grain black European leather binding, A Reader’s Hebrew and Greek Bible is a practical, attractive, and surprisingly affordable resource.

Greek for the Rest of Us

Greek for the Rest of Us
William D. Mounce
Zondervan
Published in 2007
ISBN 9780310282891

Review by Ryan Ho

Let’s face it–there’s a lot of bad Greek usage present in many of today’s sermons. Far too many pastors with no training or experience in the biblical languages seek to use Greek to support their points, spouting out terms like “Genitive case” or “middle voice” without any clue as to what they mean. Really, there’s only two solutions to the problem: 1) Somehow convince untrained pastors and laymen to stop their Greek attempts altogether, or 2) Train these individuals to use Greek tools correctly.

Dr. William Mounce, former director of the Greek language program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, has made every effort to implement that second solution. Practically every Greek language student is familiar with Dr. Mounce; his Basics of Biblical Greek is a staple textbook in many Greek 101 classes, and he’s authored numerous language titles ranging from workbooks to analytical lexicons to morphology studies. Certainly, he’s no newcomer when it comes to Biblical Greek.

Now Mounce has turned his attention to a new group of students–those outside of the academic classroom. One of his more recent titles, Greek for the Rest of Us, targets those who can’t spare the time to study Greek for years, yet who still long to understand the Bible better.

In Greek for the Rest of Us, Mounce does a great job of covering the basics. He breaks the book down into six sections, or “weeks.” He begins with an introduction to the Greek language, alphabet, and pronunciation, then moves into a discussion on the various Bible translations. In the second section, Mounce examines the various elements of English Grammar, explaining “if you don’t understand the basics of English grammar, then you can’t make sense of what the Bible is saying with its groups of words” (p43).  In the third section, Mounce discusses conjunctions, adjectives, phrases, and clauses. In the fourth section, Mounce looks at how Greek verbs work, something that he delves into deeper in the fifth section. In the sixth and final section, Mounce moves onto nouns and their cases. Mounce ends the book with an appendix titled “Hebrew for the Rest of Us,” a short but sweet summary/analysis of the Hebrew language that he certainly didn’t have to include in this volume but did out of a commitment to help the church community.

Let me say off the bat that this book wasn’t developed to enable you to master Biblical Greek. Even if you were to read it from cover to cover, there would still be a great deal about the Greek language that you probably didn’t understand. Mounce’s point in this book wasn’t to cover every element of Greek. Instead, he developed this book to enable people to glean more out of the usage of good biblical study tools than they could otherwise. As the preface  demonstrates, Mounce wrote this book for several reasons: to help people understand why translations are different, to find out what the Greek words mean, to see the author’s flow of thought and central message, and to enable anyone to read good commentaries and other biblical tools that make use of Greek.

Personally, I’ve found Mounce’s work to be an incredibly helpful review, since it’s been several years since I studied Greek in a classroom setting. I think Greek for the Rest of Us (as well as Mounce’s accompanying title, Interlinear for the Rest of Us) would be a great tool for someone who had never studied Greek academically. It’s written very clearly and intentionally. The Greek language isn’t easy for anyone to understand, but Mounce clearly went to great effort in order to communicate it in a manner that anyone could understand. If you’re wanting to become a Greek scholar, this probably isn’t the volume for you–I recommend picking up Basics of Biblical Greek. If, however, you’re interested in learning a little bit about how the Greek language worked, why it makes a difference in Bible study today, and how it can help you in your own personal study, I highly recommend Greek for the Rest of Us.

NA27 vs. UBS4

One of the most common questions that we receive here at the Book Center is this: What’s the difference between the NA27 and the UBS4 greek texts? Well, our friends over at www.logos.com have written up an excellent article explaining the two. Head over and read their article here.

Reader’s Greek and Hebrew Bibles

 

A Reader’s Greek New Testament Second Edition, ISBN: 9780310273783
A Reader’s Hebrew Bible, ISBN: 9780310269748
Zondervan Publishing Co.
Grand Rapids, MI

Review by Ryan Ho

As Th.M. students at Dallas Theological Seminary, we spend a lot of time working with the Greek and Hebrew languages. Because of that, we’re always looking for new tools and new texts that minimize our workload. Zondervan’s two new Bibles, A Reader’s Greek New Testament and A Reader’s Hebrew Bible, are two of the newest and most popular language texts available today.

A Reader’s Hebrew Bible includes the complete text of the Hebrew and Aramaic Bible using the Westminster Leningrad Codex (4.4). It includes footnoted glosses (derived from HALOT and BDB) of all Hebrew words occurring one hundred times or less, as well as stem-specific glosses for verb forms such as Qal, Piel, and Hiphil. Ketib/Qere readings are both noted in the text and differentiated appropriately.

Similarly, A Reader’s Greek New Testament, 2nd Edition, includes footnoted definitions of all Greek words occuring 30 times or less. The Bible includes a mini-lexicon of all words occurring more than 30 times as well as footnotes offering comparisons with UBS4.

As noted on both Bibles, the footnotes eliminate the need to look up definitions and therefore allow the user to read the Greek text more quickly and to focus on parsing and grammatical issues. Both Bibles feature a handsome Italian Duo-Tone binding. If you’re working with either the Greek or the Hebrew texts at all, you need to pick up these Bibles today!