Can we quickly consult the standard Greek Lexicon* expecting to grasp a biblical authors’ meaning?
A grab and go approach can be very misleading. On the other hand, digging into the details can be richly rewarding. Here’s why a cavalier approach will not work.
- The meanings of some Greek words have evolved over time.
- BDAG, today’s standard Greek Lexicon, offers the range of meanings a Greek word has carried from prior to the first century up through Byzantine times. (BDAG, p. vi)
- Furthermore in an effort to update its predecessors, BDAG incorporated the latest anthropological and sociological theories into its definitions, including the growing respect for inclusiveness and tolerance. (p. viii)
Thus, BDAG seeks to lay out all of this information walking a fine line between contemporary expressions and traditional understandings.
In the editors’ words,Â
“… increased emphasis on the relevance of anthropological and sociological studies for interpretation of ancient texts, places new demands on the lexicographer, and the current revision endeavors to reflect developments in this area. Also of concern are respect for inclusiveness and tolerance. But a scientific work dare not become a reservoir for ideological pleading, and culture-bound expressions must be given their due lest history be denied its day in court” (p. viii).
While BDAG yields valuable insights for the meticulous scholar, it poses dangers for the careless or uninformed user.
- “An unwary reader may think that a given word bears all the content expressed by a series of synonyms” (p. viii).
- Failure to observe when examples for a particular meaning occurred, could lead a reader to anachronistically impose upon the New Testament a meaning that arose centuries after the New Testament.
Are these nit picky points or do they carry practical repercussions?
Next week we’ll explore how some Bible versions translate a Greek word with a meaning that post-dates the first century. The result has contributed to changing doctrine and practice.
- Bauer, Danker, Arndt and Gingrich, The Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd edition.
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