Best Resources for Original Language Bible Study

My assumptions here are that people need a variety of resources to conduct Bible study for preaching, teaching, self-edification, reflection, and devotion. At the seminary where I teach (LTSG), about a year's worth of Greek is required. Hebrew is not required but is encouraged as an elective. I am assuming some facility with Greek, therefore, but I am not assuming that people will be 'fluent' in Hebrew or even Greek. I do assume that with the proper resources they will be able to make use of both. I am also assuming here that English is the primary, native language, and so the secondary resources and translations I highlight are English ones. 

BTW, one of the most important things you can do to prepare to learn and understand a foreign language is to be familiar with English grammar. Check the resources on this page.

Resources in bold are resources that are among the first you should get (and often required in classes). For some resources, I indicate that they are "usable." By this term I am indicating that they are not the best resource available, but they are probably cheap and good enough until you can afford getting a better resource. This listing is not exhaustive but is specially intended to be a short list. Resources in green are ones that are relatively expensive (usually $100 or more) but are among the best resources for which you should save up your money. Note that many of these resources are also available as resources in Bible software.

Hebrew Resources

• The basic Hebrew text is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) >> considering costs, you won't need a critical edition, but you will need to check it when doing detailed work
  • The standard morphological tagging of the BHS is the Westminster one. It is available in Ac/BW7/L3.
  • To get a critical edition of the BHS, one needs to buy either a hardcopy or the SESBible from Logos or the Mac Studienbibel from Accordance.
  • NOTE: BHS is in the process of being replaced by the updated Biblica Hebraica Quinta (BHQ). Only a few fascicles are available for now.
• You will need to be able to search the BHS text by word(s) and morphological forms. Most Bible software is now able to handle this easily. Back in the day... the concordances by Lisowski or Mandelkern or Evan-Shoshan were the only ways to get this information. More helpful for English-speakers is the Kohlenberger/Swanson Hebrew-English Concordance to the Old Testament.
• Hebrew-English Lexicon >> With cost considerations in mind...
  • The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (BDB - look for the unabridged or enhanced editions) has been a long-time standard, but it has weaknesses.
  • The best and most up-to-date lexicon is Koehler, Baumgartner and Stamm's Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT). Save up money for it!
  • A lesser but acceptable alternative based on Koehler/Baumgarter  is the Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament by Holladay (often designated simply as Holladay).
  • An excellent, though as-yet incomplete, alternative that is free and online is the UBS Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew. 
  • Another helpful lexicon of sorts is The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) by Harris, Archer & Waltke.
• For a reliable introductory Hebrew grammar, use Basics of Biblical Hebrew by Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt. The best reference grammar is Biblical Hebrew Syntax by Bruce Waltke and M. O’Connor. (Also check Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar available in hardcopy and as a free PDF download.)
• Interlinear Hebrew-English Texts: Bible software provides ways of reading the Hebrew text with English translation in an interlinear fashion. >> you don't need to buy an additional interlinear, but:
  • Some English versions in Bible software--usually KJV and NASB--are keyed to Strong's numbers, a system that allows an English reader to determine the underlying Hebrew.
  • There are a number of interlinear texts, but for someone who does not know Hebrew, the ESV English-Hebrew Reverse Interlinear of the OT is particularly helpful.
• Check the English Bible translations suggested, but also for the OT, the Tanakh by the Jewish Publication Society gives a translation with greater awareness of Jewish traditions. Literarily-aware translations include those by Everett Fox (Schocken Bible) and Robert Alter.
• For more info on Hebrew resources check this excellent reference on "Introductory Hebrew Grammars" and then "Mastering Biblical Hebrew" or this Product Guide for Hebrew Texts and Tools from Logos or this listing by Marc Brettler or this page.

Greek Resources

• Greek Septuagint

  • For the text, start with Rahlf's Septuaginta or the Old Testament in Greek by Swete or the editions of it in Bible software or online. 
    • A morphologically coded text, which generally comes with most Bible software, is needed. The morphological data in electronic editions appear to trace back to that of CCAT at the Univ. of Pennsylvania or are based on the Kraft/Taylor/Wheeler Morphology Database. (For now, the Logos LXX has known coding errors.) 
    • Rahlf and Swete list some variants, but the only real critical edition is the Göttingen Septuagint. (The Göttingen Septuagint is very expensive. Look for it in the library. Another critical edition by A. E. Brooke, N. McLean, and H. St-J. Thackeray was never completed.)
  • You will need to be able to search the LXX text by word(s) and morphological forms. Most Bible software is now able to handle this easily. Back in the day... the Hatch & Redpath Concordance to the Septuagint was the only way to get this information.
  • For a lexicon, you want A Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, 2 vols. by Lust and Hauspie with Chamberlain
  • Get the free, downloadable Selections from the Septuagint by Conybeare and Stock which starts with a helpful grammar of the LXX Greek.
  • For the LXX, Brenton's translation is an old but usable one in the public domain that is readily available. What you really want, however, is the New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS).
  • The Parallel Aligned Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Texts of Jewish Scripture by Emanuel Tov: If you learn both Hebrew and Greek, this will become an important tool for the study of the OT.
  • For more info on the LXX, check The Septuagint Online.
    

• Greek New Testament

  • The basic Greek text with which you will be working is the Nestle-Aland 27th (NA27) or the nearly identical United Bible Societies 4th ed. (UBS4). Note that most electronic versions do not include the text critical apparatus for these texts.
    • You will need a morphologically coded text. There are a number of different morphological coding schemes (Friberg, Gramcord, Logos, Swanson, Robinson, etc.) depending on the base Greek text you use. Multiple coding schemes will help you ask different questions of the text.
    • You will need to be able to search the Greek NT text by word(s) and morphological forms. Most Bible software is now able to handle this easily. Back in the day... the Moulton & Geden Concordance to the Greek Testament was the only way to get this information.
    • You will also need a text critical version of the Greek NT.
      • The NA27 critical edition is the most widely used, but to get it, one needs to buy either a hardcopy or the SESBible from Logos or the Mac Studienbibel from Accordance. The required NET Bible Diglot is the best way to obtain the NA27 critical edition and comes with helpful text critical notes.
      • The UBS4 version provides notes on some of the more important variant readings. A very helpful resource linked to the UBS4 is A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2nd ed.) by Bruce M. Metzger. 
      • A critical apparatus from the  Center for New Testament Textual Studies is forthcoming that promises to be quite thorough.
      • Another way to compare Greek texts is to obtain various Greek versions, in particular: the Textus Receptus (the basis for the KJV translators; cf. Erasmus of 1516; Stephen's of 1550 or Elezevir of 1624 or Scrivener's of 1894) and the Byzantine (or Majority) text (Robinson-Pierpont, 2005).
      • There are a number of free resources to obtain digital access to text critical matters:
        • Download and install LaParola which provides considerable data for textual variants.
        • Check out A Student's Guide to NT Textual Variants
        • Download the excellent resources from An Online Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels by Wieland Willker.
  • There are a number of Greek NT lexicons.
    • The one you really want is the Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (3rd ed.) designated as BDAG. (Earlier editions are denoted as BAGD.)
    • As a fine complement or alternative to BDAG, check out the Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (3 vols. - EDNT) by Balz and Schneider.
    • Until you can buy one of the prior two texts, two acceptable alternatives include:
      • Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (2nd ed.) by Gingrich/Danker is an abridged version of BDAG and will give you most of the info you need. 
      • Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament by the Fribergs will also provide a solid lexical foundation.
      • A number of other lexicons regularly appear in Bible software packages that are helpful but not really sufficient for your work:
        • Newman's A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament (also indicated as the UBS Dictionary) is helpful but provides little more than a gloss to the Greek.
        • Thayer's A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament has some good information, but it is an old work (1889) superseded by 20th century discoveries.
    • You will also need the Louw-Nida Greek New Testament Lexicon based on Semantic Domains. It provides a way of grouping Greek concepts together to help you find and contrast near-synonymns. 
    • The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT) by Kittel, Friedrich & Bromiley is a well-known standard available in a single abridged volume (aka Little Kittel) or in its full 10 vol. glory. (The full Kittel is indeed an invaluable reference work, but it is a "theological" dictionary, and it does have its flaws.)
    • A Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell and Scott is a dictionary of classical Greek that comes in 3 editions: an abridged (aka Little Liddell), an intermediate (aka Middle Liddell), and the unabridged (aka Great Scott). It is a helpful resource but not necessary for strictly NT work. Many Bible software packages include the intermediate version. The unabridged text is available online and searchable, and you can also download the free Diogenes program (info here) which includes it.
  • You will need a synopsis resource when working with the Gospels that lays out the parallel passages in Matthew/Mark/Luke/John. Most Bible software includes such a tool and you can always create your own. This or this is the hardcopy version.
  • There are many NT Greek grammar resources available online. For a quick reference grammar, download the free Boyce grammar (PDF - Also online HERE and in DOC HERE.)
  • For an advanced Greek grammar, consider Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics - An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament by Daniel Wallace. (This is a required text in the Advanced Greek class.)
  • The Lexham Discourse Greek NT also offers another valuable way of looking at the Greek syntax.
  • For more online NT Greek learning resources, check out the NTGateway.

English Bibles

Students need a range of English Bible translations.

• For a more literal translation, use the NASB.
• For a more balanced translation, use the NRSV (or the TNIV or REB).
• For a more dynamic translation, use the GNT=TEV or NLT or CEV or The Message.
• Because of its venerable tradition and familiar wording and because its underlying Greek New Testament uses the Textus Receptus, use the KJV.
• For its useful text notes, use the NET. (note below and also note the free online version, the neXt Bible)
• Recommended but not required: For insight into what the Latin Vulgate renders, use the Douay-Rheims translation.
• Along with the Hebrew or Greek original, you will want to be able to lay out these versions in some kind of parallel manner for easy comparison.

Study Bible

There are a number of fine choices (including a Lutheran Study Bible coming in 2009; also check this survey), but I would highlight the following:

• The NET Bible - Novum Testamentum Graece Diglot (Greek / English - more info here, but LTSG bookstore has best price): This is a required text at LTSG. It provides a critical edition of the NA27 Greek along with the NET translation and its excellent notes. The NET English text with notes is also available in Ac/BW7/L3.
• The HarperCollins Study Bible (2006 ed.)
• The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha (3rd ed.) NRSV
• Others to consider:
  • The NET Bible First Edition: This is an English only text but it includes both the OT and NT along with all the excellent translator and text-critical notes.
  • The Jewish Study Bible, ed. Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler includes the Tanakh (JPS) translation

Bible Commentaries

• I do recommend that you have a one-volume Bible commentary for quick reference. For value and quality, the HarperCollins Bible Commentary is a reliable resource I suggest. 
  • Here is a listing and brief description of a number of other one-volume commentaries. Of these, I would highlight the Oxford, Eerdman's, and the People's NT Commentary. Note that a number of these commentaries are available in Bible software packages. 
  • Many Bible software packages include the Matthew Henry commentary. Note that it was written in 1708-1710. It is a fine devotional commentary, but it is not reliable for critical study.
• There are many multi-volume series, and often the quality varies depending on the author. Some of the more reliable ones are the Hermeneia series (quite technical), the Anchor Bible series, Word Bible Commentary, New Interpreter's , New International Greek Testament Commentary... 
• You can find links to lists of recommended commentaries here. For further discussion of commentaries in general, cf. here and here.

Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• I do recommend that you have a one-volume Bible dictionary for quick reference. For value and quality, the one I suggest is the HarperCollins Bible Dictionary.
  • There are many other helpful dictionaries available. Note that many Bible software packages include Easton's Bible Dictionary published in 1897, the Faussett Bible Dictionary in 1888, or the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) which was first published in 1915. They may contain some useful information, but their observations need to be validated by more recent work. 
• The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (6 vols.): This is the one you really want. Save up your money! It's available in both hardcopy and digital editions.
• Another resource you might consider is the IVP Essential Reference Collection 2. (Windows/Libronix or Mac)

Bible Atlas

• Hardcopy books: The Carta Bible Atlas is one of the authoritative references (but do not get the outdated digital version). Also consider the Oxford Bible Atlas, the Zondervan NIV Atlas of the Bible, and the HarperCollins Atlas of Bible History among others. HERE are links to Amazon.
• Digital Mapping Resources: Most Bible software comes with some maps, and there are plenty of online resources. GoogleEarth (free) with biblical overlays and KMZ files is particularly appealing. Check this comprehensive listing.
• For more info on hardcopy atlases, check here.

Other Texts and Resources

• Dead Sea Scrolls:
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls Today by James C. Vanderkam
  • The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English by Geza Vermes
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible: The Oldest Known Bible Translated for the First Time into English by Martin G. Abegg and Peter Flint (an English translation of the DSS Bible texts)
• Targums: A collection of Aramaic translations of the Hebrew Bible. It is a bit difficult to locate English translations for some of the books.
• Philo and Josephus: These Jewish authors wrote in Greek at about the same time as the NT authors and provide important insight into the history of the time and Jewish biblical interpretation. (More online links HERE.)
• Old Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha: There is a usable public domain version of English translations by R. H. Charles, but what you really want is the two volume set by James Charlesworth. (Online links HERE and HERE.)
• Latin Vulgate: A literal English translation of this text is the Douay-Rheims.
• Syriac Peshitta: This includes the Syriac of both the OT and the NT. Read the info HERE.
• The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK) provides an abundance of cross-references of texts within the Bible. It's not perfect, but it is a good start.
• Old Testament Quotations in the New Testament: There are a number of different ways to present this information, but the best is the one by Archer & Chirichigno.
• Nave's Topical Bible/Index provides a fast way of looking for topics (instead of passages or words) in the Bible.
• Apostolic Fathers: These are among the most important, earliest Christian works that are not in the NT canon. Ideally you want a morphologically tagged Greek text along with English translation. There are fine, old Greek/English editions by J. B. Lightfoot and by Kirsopp Lake, but the best is a modern edition by Michael W. Holmes. (Online links HERE and HERE.)
• Early Church Fathers: This usually refers to the many volumes of the Ante-Nicene Fathers (10 vols.) and the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (in 2 separate series of 14 vols. each) which are English translations of early Christian works up through the 8th century. (Online links HERE and HERE.)
• New Testament Pseudepigrapha: Books in this varied collection have been popularized of late for some of their non-orthodox views. It includes such texts as the Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Thomas, Nag Hammadi Library, and many more. (Online links HERE and HERE.)
• Vulgate: This is the Latin translation of the Bible that was the translation of the Bible
• Sentence diagrams: These are more widely available for the Greek NT than the OT. They can be helpful in seeing the larger sentence structure. OpenText.org has provided quite a bit of the background work. Check what is in your software package (either specialized texts or ones from OpenText or Lexham).
• For more info on many of these works, start HERE or HERE.

mgvhoffman - 2008.07 - www.scrollandscreen.com