|
| |
|
COLLECTIONS
Commentaries,
Word Studies, Devotionals, Sermons, Illustrations
Old and New Testament. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
GREEK WORD STUDY
UTILIZING RESOURCES
ON THE WEB |
|
|
This is not as complicated as it looks
so don't be intimidated. If you just want to do a very basic study the
first section is what you should try. It will be helpful to
open up a second window of Internet Explorer so you can keep this
window open to look at the instructions. To open a second window go to the
top of the page on Internet Explorer and select "File" and then "New" and then "Window". A page
identical to this one will open.
In all Word Studies the careful student
must always let the context guide the interpretation of the meaning of the
Greek word in a specific passage, because many Greek words have more than
one meaning (see
discussion of this point)
Note: For background on Word
Studies the following offsite link has a helpful discussion of the the
importance of Greek Word Studies and walks you through the steps -
How To Do Word Studies
GUIDELINES FOR PERFORMING
A BASIC GREEK WORD STUDY
STEP 1: STRONG'S LEXICON
Select the Search Engine
studylight.org. (or
use the box above)
i). In
the dropdown box select "NAS with Strong's Numbers".
(already selected in this example)
ii). Check
"Resources". (already selected in this example)
iii). Type
in the verse would like to study.
iv). Click "Search"
v).
Click
the underlined word you would like to study and a small window opens (usually
in the upper right corner of your screen) which has the following
information which you will want to record for use in the steps that
follow. A sample "word study worksheet" is given below (click)
(you might consider copying and pasting this table to your word processor)
(a) Strong's Number is
at the top of the popup window. You will use Strong's number in Step 2.
(b) Transliterated Word beneath the Strong's Number. You will need
the transliterated word to search Vines Lexicon in Step 3. (Transliterate
simply means to spell out the Greek word in the characters of the English
alphabet, the closest corresponding letters)
(c) Word Origin has underlined Strong's Numbers which represent the
root words used to compose the specific word you are studying. One can
often glean helpful insights into the meaning of the word under
investigation by clicking the related Strong's Numbers.
(d)
At the bottom under
"Translated Words" the KJV and NAS are followed by a number in
parentheses which represents the total number of times the Greek word is
used in the NT. Note that a single Greek word is often translated by more than one
English word. Those words and their frequencies are listed after KJV and
NAS.
STEP 2: ALL NT USES OF GREEK WORD
This step explains how to find every NT
use of the Word you are studying. Skip to STEP 3 if you are not interested
in studying every use.
Type
Strong's # in Search box below, press "go" to
definition. The definition is identical to Step 1 but
also provides a "Verse Count" with links to every NT use
of the Greek word corresponding to that Strong's #. Click the underlined
Scriptures for the specific verses. Notice the English word used to translate the
Greek word is highlighted (a different shade of gray) for
identification. Click each verse to study the passage in
context, which is
critical to determining the meaning of each specific usage of the Greek
word. Discerning the subtle nuances and differences in the meaning of a
given Greek word in different Bible passages is a skill that does take
some practice, but can be very rewarding. As an aside, the study of all
the Scriptural uses (in
context) of a specific Greek (or Hebrew) word is
one of the primary means used to arrive at the definitions you read in
every Greek or Hebrew Lexicon.
STEP 3: VINE'S LEXICON
Now
let's see if we can discover some additional information on the word we
are studying be checking another respected Greek resource, Vines
Lexicon of NT Greek
i).
Simply type in your word in English or
in Greek.
ii).
Be aware that if
you type in the English word, you may retrieve more than one Greek word so
you need to know which Greek word was used in the specific verse you are
studying. If you know the transliterated Greek word (see discussion under
Step 1), search on that word (in the query for "Greek")
iii).
Example: Let's say you are studying the word "redemption" in
Romans 3:24. If you type "redemption" (minus the quotation marks) in the
English search box you retrieve a four words, two verbs
and two nouns. You may be able to determine which one is used in Romans
3:24 by reading down the page (a keyboard shortcut is to press control key +
the letter "f"
which brings up "Find" into which you could enter 3:24 to more rapidly
locate Romans 3:24 on the page)
On the other hand if you know the transliterated word
(see Step 1 above)
for redemption in
Romans 3:24 is apolutrosis, enter that word in the Greek search box
and you will retrieve two hits.
STEP 4: ROBERTSON'S WORD PICTURES
Now
let's see if we can discover some additional information on the word we
are studying by checking another respected Greek resource, Robertson's
Word Pictures (RWP).
i).
In the Studylight.org search (STEP 1) you retrieved a list of resources in the right hand
column.
ii).
Find the resource abbreviated
"RWP" and record any insights you might glean. This resource is
"hit or miss". Sometimes you will discover some excellent insights but
other times it is less helpful.
STEP 5: IN DEPTH WORD STUDIES
Click here
for a list of in depth definitions
of Greek words on this website. This list will be expanded over time
but many of the more
common
Greek words have been completed. You might also do a search on
preceptaustin.org for the word you are studying as there are many word
studies that may not yet be listed on the in depth study page.
STEP 6: PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Now
take the insights you have gleaned and practice re-phrasing the verse by substituting
some of the definitions/insights you have gleaned from the above steps.
Your goal is to arrive at a better understanding of the verse. A word of
caution is in order. You need to be aware (as discussed more below) that many Greek verbs have more than
one meaning, so you must be careful that the definition you substitute
into the verse makes good sense in
context.
Otherwise you might misinterpret the passage.
Note that the technique of
re-phrasing the verse using the insights gleaned from your word study is
in a sense what
is done in the translation known as the Amplified Version. In fact I often
use the Amplified translation as a mini-lexicon or mini-commentary. In the
Amplified Version notes marked by parentheses () signify what
amounts to a definition of the preceding word or phrase. On the other hand
brackets [ ] contain clarifying words or comments not actually
expressed in the immediate original text. For example, look at Romans 3:24
in the Amplified Version...
[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God,
freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy),
through the
redemption
which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,
"All" is in brackets and is not found
in the original Greek manuscript but is added for clarification. On the
other hand "grace" is followed by a parenthesis which gives a definition
of grace. There is nothing helpful in the Amplified Version regarding
"redemption" in this verse, but just to show you how it can occasionally
be helpful type in 1Cor 1:30 in the query box below for a note in
parenthesis following the word "redemption".
|
|
GREEK WORD STUDY WORKSHEET:
RECORD INSIGHTS |
Transliterated
Greek Word
(Step 1) |
|
Strong's
Number
(Step 1) |
|
Insights from
Word Origin
(Step 1) |
|
Brief Definition
from Studylight
(Step 1) |
|
Insights from
other verses using
the same Greek word
(Step 2) |
|
|
Definition
from
Vine's
Greek Lexicon
(Step 3) |
|
|
Insights
from
Robertson's
Word Pictures
(Step 4) |
|
|
In Depth
Greek Word Studies
On Preceptaustin.org
(Step 5)
click |
|
|
Insights
from
Amplified Version Rendering
(Step 6) |
|
|
Insights
from Definition of the English Word in an
English Dictionary
click |
|
|
Miscellaneous
Resources
click |
|
|
Substitute
Your Insights into the Verse to "Amplify" the Meaning
(Step 6) |
|
|
|
GREEK WORD STUDY
UTILIZING RESOURCES
ON THE WEB
MORE IN DEPTH EXPLANATION
Using "Redemption" As An Example |
|
(1) Strong's Definition, Number, Word Origin:
Let's look at Romans
3:24 with the goal of determining all we can
about the word
"Redemption"
and then "plug" that information back into the
context of the verse to
increase our understanding. Keep in
mind that Greek is far more exacting than English and
often has several words that may be translated with one English word. In this
case there are
two Greek words translated "redemption",
lutrosis and apolutrosis, (exagorazo
is also translated "redeem") so our first job will be to determine which word Paul
used in
Ro 3:24.
(a)
Although one could use several Bible search engines, we have found that the
search engine from "studylight.org" is very useful for both Greek
and Hebrew
word studies. So let's get started with our word study on "redemption".
First, click the "Reference
Search" page and in "Verse
Look Up" (see the example below) at the top of the page enter
Ro 3:24 and select "NASB
with Strong's Numbers" making certain to also check "Include
Resources".
Now, click "search" and retrieve
Ro 3:24 as shown below. Note that some of the words are underlined.
Clicking any underlined word links to the corresponding Strong's number and
definition for that word in Greek (or Hebrew in OT). A nice
feature is the ability to read the verse in
context
or in
the original Greek. Although
Greek verbs are not the focus of this study, if you click on the "[Original
Greek]"
you will retrieve the NASB and the original Greek versions (Click
here to download
Greek Font for proper display of
Greek characters). The Strong's
number
(5746)
in the Greek sentence links to the tense, voice
and mood of the verb "justified" and can be very valuable in interpretation. For more information on the use and significance of the Greek
verb tenses click "Greek Quick
Reference Guide" which includes Scriptural examples and a discussion of the
most common tense, voice and mood.
(b)
Next, click
redemption and note that the transliterated
Greek word is "apolutrosis"
not "lutrosis".
|
Strong's
Number: 629 |
apolutrosis |
|
Original Word |
Word
Origin |
| |
apolutrosis
(this will not show up correctly if you don't have the Greek font
loaded) |
|
from a compound of (575)
and (3083) |
|
Transliterated Word |
Phonetic Spelling |
| |
Apolutrosis |
|
ap-ol-oo'-tro-sis
|
|
Parts of Speech |
TDNT |
| |
Noun Feminine |
|
4:351, |
|
Definition |
| |
- a releasing effected by payment of
ransom
- redemption, deliverance
- liberation procured by the payment
of a ransom
|
|
The brief definition states...
"a releasing
effected by payment of ransom (a) redemption, deliverance (b) liberation
procured by the payment of a ransom".
Now take this definition and "insert it" back into the verse
and in
essence you are creating your own "amplified version". For example,
one might now read this verse as follows --
"being
justified as a gift by His grace through the [release,
deliverance or liberation effected by paying a ransom]
which is in Christ Jesus."
A note of
caution here - As alluded to in the basic instructions for doing a word
study, you must be aware that some Greek words have more than one
meaning which is dependent on the
context
so you cannot always "mechanically"
insert the Strong's definition and derive an accurate "amplified version".
Performing proper Greek word study takes practice as well as careful attention
to the
context as discussed below. Before we
leave this section let me encourage you to try one other maneuver -- click on
the word "redemption" in
the above verse which takes you to the definition. Now try the
"Speed
search"
(click the logo at right for more detailed
instruction) by (1) holding down the "Alt" key (bottom row, left side of keyboard) and (2) positioning your mouse pointer over the
word "redemption". Now double click the left mouse button
and a
pop up appears with references including a link
("Click") to the first 20 of a total of 30 verses in the NASB that use
the English word
"redemption", Torrey's Topic on "Redemption"
(this is generally an excellent source to examine), Easton's Bible Dictionary
article on "Redemption",
the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia article
on "Redeemer,
Redemption" plus several "hits" in the Greek and Hebrew lexicons.
One final thought on
this section - note that in the definition above there is a section entitled "Word
Origin" indicating that "apolutrosis" is a combination of
two other words. Let me encourage you to click on both words as you will often
glean additional insights into the meaning of the word you are studying.
|
After performing this exercise, have you
gained any added sense of what Paul is teaching in Ro3:24?
Your answer depends to an extent on your experience with
Inductive Bible Study and
the use of the "5W'S
& H"
(asking Who? What? Where? Why?
When? How?) Obviously not every passage will allow you to ask all of
these questions. Don't come to the text with questions made up. Let the text
(and
context) guide your questions. Note how taking time to
interrogate the text slows you down and
helps you
meditate
[Click
how to meditate on Scripture]
on the passage. Based on what we have determined to this point about apolutrosis,
here are some examples of the type of questions you might
ask...
"What do we
need to be released or delivered from?"
"What
was the ransom payment that effected the release or deliverance?"
"Who paid the ransom?"
As you practice inserting the "amplified definition"
into the original verse, you need remember that some Greek words have several
meanings and the correct definition must be determined from the
context
(text that comes before and after).
The "art"
of interrogating the text (interrogate
with 5W'S & H) takes some practice but it is worth the effort, so "Suffer
hardship...as a good soldier of Christ Jesus."
(2Ti2:3)
remembering that Word Studies
are
like prospecting for gold...the more you look, the more likely you are to find
priceless "nuggets" of truth hidden in God's Living and Active Word.
(c)
Another source of useful information when doing a Greek Word study is to
examine how the word is used in other NT passages.
The brief popup
definition you retrieved from clicking
redemption
does not provide that information. It does however specify the Strong's
Number at the top of the note. Another way to determine the Strong's
Number of
redemption
is to hold your pointer over the word
redemption
(do that now). Notice that in the bottom left corner of the screen the web
"address" for
redemption pops up (begins with
http://www.studylight.org...)
and that near the end of the address is a number (629 for
redemption)
which is Strong's Number. In Studylight.org if you hold your pointer over any
underlined word in a verse you can quickly determine the Strong's number. Now, enter Strong's number into the Greek Lexicon
(below) and click "go" to retrieve a definition with
a table entitled
"Verse Count"
which consists of links to the 10 NT uses of apolutrosis. Click each link to
study the use in this verse and remember to read the verse in
context
for the most accurate interpretation (click
the "context" link above the verse). Record your insights.
To make it somewhat easier here are the 10
uses of apolutrosis in the NAS - Lk. 21:28; Ro 3:24; 8:23; 1Co. 1:30; Ep 1:7,
14; 4:30; Col 1:14; Heb 9:15; 11:35
Although we won't do it in this
exercise, studying each of the uses of the specific Greek word remembering to examine the
context
can be rewarding and can help you discern nuances not readily apparent in the
original definition. This exercise take some time and practice, but it is
worth the effort.
(2) A T
Robertson's Word Pictures in the NT
Go back to the original window (click "Ro
3:24"
or look at the
example above). Notice the "column" on the right side of the page entitled Study Resource List"
. Scroll down the list of abbreviated commentaries, dictionaries, etc until
you get to
RWP >
Study Notes on 3:24
(a)
Click
Study Notes on 3:24
next to "RWP"
(abbreviation for A. T. Robertson's
Word Pictures).
Please do not "check out" because you are a bit intimidated by
the Greek words in Robertson's comments (as noted
earlier for proper display of Greek and Hebrew characters in Studylight, you
must download the free
fonts free at
Font
Resources). I
am not a Greek scholar but using the "hunt and peck" approach I've become quite
comfortable with the Greek letters and words (see
Greek Alphabet). However, even if you
cannot read the Greek you can still glean useful insights from Robertson's comments.
(b) A T Robertson comments
that "redemption"
signifies...
A releasing by ransom (apo
,
lutrosis
from
lutroo
and that from
lutron,
ransom). God did not set men right out of hand with
nothing done about men's sins. We have the words of Jesus that he
came to give his life a ransom (lutron)
for many (Mark
10:45;
Matthew 20:28).
Lutron
is common in the papyri as the purchase-money in freeing slaves.
Robertson's comment on
"redemption" suggests that prior to being redeemed we were
"slaves".
If one is a slave, what is
one logical "W" question?
Who was the master? Hold that
thought until we look at the entry in Vines NT Lexicon in the next section.
Are you beginning to
get a better understanding of
what redemption
means? By the way did you click the cross references (Mk10:45;
Mt20:28)?
(3)
Vine's Expository Dictionary of
NT Words
Search
Vines by typing "apolutrosis" and add an "asterisk" (*) after the word (apolutrosis*)
which is a peculiarity of this search engine
which sometimes retrieves words that may not otherwise be
found.
Click "Greek" and you will retrieve the following information
Vine's comments found at these links indicates that...
apolutrosis a strengthened form of
lutrosis, lit., "a releasing,
for (i.e., on payment of) a ransom." It is used of
(a) "deliverance" from physical torture,
Heb 11:35,
see
apolutrosis under DELIVER;
(b) the deliverance of the people of God at
the coming of Christ with His glorified saints, "in a cloud with power and
great glory," LK 21:28, a "redemption" to be accomplished at the "outshining
of His Parousia," 2Thes 2:8, i.e., at His second advent;
(c) forgiveness and justification, "redemption"
as the result of expiation, deliverance from the guilt of sins, Ro 3:24,
"through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;" Eph 1:7, defined as "the
forgiveness of our trespasses," RV; so Col 1:14, "the forgiveness of our
sins," indicating both the liberation from the guilt and doom of sin and the
introduction into a life of liberty, "newness of life" (Ro 6:4); Heb 9:15,
"for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant,"
RV, here "redemption of" is equivalent to "redemption from," the genitive case
being used of the object from which the "redemption" is effected, not from the
consequence of the transgressions, but from the transgressions themselves;
(d) the deliverance of
the believer from the presence
and power of sin,
and of his body from bondage to corruption, at the coming (the Parousia
in its inception) of the Lord Jesus, Ro 8:23; 1Co 1:30; Ep 1:14; Ep
4:30. See also
PROPITIATION.
Vine
adds the comment that redemption
is
"the
deliverance of the
believer from the presence and power of sin and of his body
from bondage to corruption, at the coming (the
Parousia in its
inception
) the Lord Jesus Christ."
Vine's
definition helps complete the picture of "redemption"
explaining that we were subject to or enslaved to the "power of sin"
or in other words
"sin" is personified as our "master". It follows that
"redemption"
is the price paid to deliver, release or ransom believers from
the power of sin and one day even from the presence of sin.
Thus the deliverance brought about by the "redemption
in Christ Jesus"
has a present and a future aspect
(and these truths
would come out even more clearly if we had studied all 10 uses of
"apolutrosis" in
context).
As an aside if you have time
you might also read Vine's notes for the other related Greek words (exagorazo click in depth study,
lutroo,
lutrosis) under "Redeem, Redemption" (note that Vine's
is from a website resource in which all cross references will link by default to the RSV).
(4) In Depth Greek Word Studies
on this site
Click
for compilation of Greek words that have
a link to an in depth word study. Scroll down to the word redemption (629)
apolutrosis and click
apolutrosis for the discussion.
(5)
Don't forget the simple English
dictionary
You will
be surprised how often you can gain useful insights into a word by using
Webster's. On the reference page I have included a search engine for the "bibliocentric"
1828 Edition of Webster's.
For practice use the
1828 Edition of Webster's and type "redemption"
(or try "redeem") in the
search query.
Under "redeem" you'll find that entry #2 states...
"to free from what distresses or harms.; to free from captivity by
payment of ransom; to extricate from or help to overcome something
detrimental; to release from
blame or debt".
Webster's thus corroborates the definition we
have already seen, albeit using slightly different wording.
(6) Miscellaneous
Resources
You have probably had enough on
"redemption"
by now, but as
alluded to above in the discussion of "Speed Search" there are other potentially helpful resources. Go to the "Reference
Search" page and note that there are
a number of search engines which can aid study of a specific word
or topic.
For example, try a search for "redemption" in
Easton's Bible Dictionary which retrieves a
nice discussion (see
here).
Depending on the word you are studying, you might also
consider examining the
Int'l
Std Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
Bible.org's collection of multiple dictionary
(including ISBE) definitions on one page - a real time saver!
Naves
Topical
Torrey's
Topical (can be a
veritable gold mind - click to see)
Ray
Stedman's Sermon's
When searching a sermon or long documents where the specific term you
are studying is not readily visible, utilize the "Find"
feature of Internet Explorer. Let's practice utilizing the "Find"
feature by entering "redemption"
in the search engine for Spurgeon's sermons
Your search retrieves over
200 "hits" but examine the first hit. Note that the word "Redemption"
is not highlighted in this relatively long document, but you can utilize
the FIND feature by simultaneously depressing the CONTROL (Ctrl)
Key
(far left lower row) and the letter "F"
on the keyboard, and up pops a box labeled "Find". Type in "Redemption"
and hit "Find Next" until you come to a section you find helpful.
CONCLUSION If you have never done an original language (Greek or Hebrew) WORD STUDY before,
please do not be overwhelmed by
this exercise. You can often glean very helpful insights by examining the
basic
Strong's and
Vine's definition,
a maneuver that can be performed
quickly using the "Reference
Search" page. The more you practice
using the search tools the easier you will find the process. You
will also find that the means to the end is more than worth the effort. On the
other hand, not every in depth Word Study will yield profound
insights. However I can assure you that God will reward
your diligence and persistence with precious insights that you would not be
able to glean
from
the English translation. Finally, one of the most satisfying benefits of
carrying out Word Studies is that you will discover truth
for yourself and as any
INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY student
will testify, there is no joy like the joy of Spirit taught, self-discovery
in the study of God's Word.
|
|
RELATED RESOURCES |
|
Greek Word Studies expanding listing of links to in depth Greek Word Studies on this
website
Englishman's Greek (offsite)
- course for laymen to help
understand Greek
How to do Word Studies (offsite)
- guidelines on performing
and applying word studies
Greek Quick Reference Guide:
Summary of Greek Verb Parsing (Tense, Voice, Mood)
It's Greek to Me:
collection of links to various sources related to language studies
Reference Search :
Multiple search engines on one page to facilitate Word Studies
Introduction
to Inductive Bible Study
Observation:
What
does it say?
Interpretation:
What does it mean?
Application:
How
do I respond?
Bob Smith's well written, online book
Basics of Bible
Interpretation
Devotional on Redeem from Our
Daily Bread
Devotional
from Back to the Bible
Hymns from
Cyberhymnal:
Read (or sing) the words of two of
Fanny Crosby's
hymns below:
Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It!
Redeemed, how I love
to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of
the Lamb;
Redeemed through His
infinite mercy,
His child and forever I
am.
Redeemed
and with the Price of Blood
Redeemed, and with the price of blood,
Which Thou hast shed for
me,
I stand, a monument
of grace,
A witness, Lord,
for Thee.
Redeemed, I’ll tell
it o’er and o’er;
Redeemed my song
shall be,
My watchword
through the vale of death,
My passport home to
Thee.
Below are James Gray's great lyrics from
Nor Silver Nor
Gold
I am redeemed,
but not with silver,
I am bought, but
not with gold;
Bought with a
price, the blood of Jesus,
Precious price of
love untold.
Nor silver nor gold
hath obtained my redemption,
Nor riches of earth
could have saved my poor soul;
The blood of the
cross is my only foundation,
The death of my
Savior now maketh me whole.
To add a
"song" to your "word studies", enter the word you are studying in
the query box below to search Cyberhymnal's expanding list of
hymns. For example enter "redeem" or "redemption"
below and click "Start" (Search results open in a new window)
|
|
