Beginner’s Grammar of the Greek New Testament, Revised and Expanded

by William Hersey Davis; David G. Shackelford

Publisher:

Wipf and Stock

, 2005

Overview

Beginner’s Grammar has served as an excellent standard for beginning students in the study of New Testament Greek. The Greek of the New Testament is the Koine of the first century A. D, and it is presented as such in this book.

This resource was designed to lay down a firm foundation for those students who will be progressing onward in their Greek studies. One of the benefits of this text is that it pays special attention to the meaning of the cases, the prepositions and the tenses, areas where most beginner Greek books have been faulty. Revised and expanded, this edition of a classic grammar includes a variety of improvements. These include additional examples, expanded paradigms and glossaries, a new section on English grammar, exercises, and a parsing guide. Dr. Shackelford has shown adroitness in combining the great work Davis has done with the most up-to-date perspective regarding the present status of Greek study. The text ends with a large list of Greek verbs, an English index, a Greek-English Vocabulary and an extensive bibliography.

Contents

Top Highlights

“present, indicative, active, second person, singular, from λέγω,” (Page 8)

“All substantives of the first declension whose nominatives end in α or η are feminine in gender.” (Page 36)

“The Greek verb has three voices: active, middle, and passive. The active and passive” (Page 21)

“Nouns that have an acute accent on the last syllable (ultima) are called oxytones (sharp tones); e.g., φωνή, ζωή. Learn that all oxytones of the first declension have the circumflex accent over the ultima in all the genitives, ablatives, locatives, instrumentals, and datives. See ¶ 40.” (Page 37)

“Adjectives agree with the substantives which they modify in gender, number, and case; e.g., τοῦ πιστοῦ δούλου; τῇ πρώτῃ ἡμέρᾳ; καλῇ ὁδῷ. Cf. ¶ 36.” (Page 45)

Endorsements

Professor Davis is absolutely at home in the new science of language and, I may add, is the most brilliant student of Greek that I have ever had. [T]he New Testament is the chief glory of the Greek tongue, and one can begin it in the right way under Professor Davis’s tutelage.

—A. T. Robertson

Product Details

• Title: Beginner’s Grammar of the Greek New Testament
• Authors: William Hersey Davis; David G. Shackelford
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock
• Publication Date: 2005
• Pages: 335

About the Authors

William Hersey Davis was Associate Professor of New Testament Interpretation in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author of A Source Book of Interbiblical History and Greek Papyri of the First Century.

David G. Shackelford is Chair of the New Testament and Greek Department at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, TN. He received his B.S.E. from University of Arkansas; an M.Div. from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary; and a Ph.D., Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary.