Reading Koine Greek: An Introduction and Integrated Workbook

by Rodney J. Decker

Publisher:

Baker Academic

, 2014

Overview

This in-depth yet student-friendly introduction to Koine Greek provides a full grounding in Greek grammar, while starting to build skill in the use of exegetical tools. The approach, informed by twenty-five years of classroom teaching, emphasizes reading Greek for comprehension as opposed to merely translating it. The workbook is integrated into the textbook, enabling students to encounter real examples as they learn each new concept. The book covers not only New Testament Greek but also the wider range of Bible-related Greek (LXX and other Koine texts). It introduces students to reference tools for biblical Greek, includes tips on learning, and is supplemented by robust web-based resources through Baker Academic’s Textbook eSources, offering course help for professors and study aids for students.

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Uses the latest in Greek pedagogy and aspect theory
• Makes learning Greek easier with helpful drawings and background material
• Includes workbook with practice questions

Contents

Top Highlights

“Declension refers to different ways to change the ending of a word to indicate its function in the sentence, or we could say that it is a set of endings in a fixed pattern used to indicate case and number.” (Page 35)

“In summary, remember that content words ‘mean,’ function words ‘do.’” (Page 24)

“When no article precedes an adjective used with an articular noun, the adjective is said to be in predicate position and is translated as a predicate adjective,⁵ supplying the verb is/are.” (Page 97)

“Case identifies the function of a noun or pronoun in a sentence. Function refers to whether a word is the subject, direct object, or indirect object, and so on, in a sentence.” (Page 32)

“A verb that takes a direct object is called a transitive verb. Verbs that do not have a direct object are called intransitive verbs.” (Page 77)

Praise for the Print Edition

Reading Koine Greek is readable and user friendly yet remarkably sophisticated linguistically. Students learn not just forms and paradigms but, far more important, how language works and how the text as a whole functions as a communicative event. Students will also benefit from the hands-on workbook approach, which teaches by using Greek examples from the New Testament, the Septuagint, and other Koine texts. This is a pedagogically effective, accurate, and comprehensive text.

—Mark L. Strauss, professor of New Testament, Bethel Seminary San Diego

Rodney Decker has written a wonderful Koine Greek grammar for the twenty-first century. Unlike most grammars currently in print, Decker's work is up to date with the cutting-edge issues in Greek linguistics, including verbal aspect, voice, lexical semantics, and pronunciation. The grammar draws on text beyond the Greek New Testament—including the Septuagint, Pseudepigrapha, and the Apostolic Fathers—and provides extension for advanced students on topics such as accentuation and grammatical diagramming. Decker demonstrates clear pedagogical concern, making the material accessible and teachable. This is a modern grammar by a scholar-teacher with a true concern for his students.

—Constantine R. Campbell, associate professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Rodney Decker’s Reading Koine Greek reflects the most recent discussion of the Greek language, presented in a clear and practical way. Naturally, it will be especially attractive to Greek instructors in colleges and seminaries who share his understanding of Greek verbal aspect. Even those who understand the topic differently may be tempted to use this work, given the attractive features of this introductory grammar.

—Roy E. Ciampa, Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Product Details

• Title: Reading Koine Greek: An Introduction and Integrated Workbook
• Author: Rodney J. Decker
• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Print Publication Date: 2014
• Logos Release Date: 2015
• Pages: 704
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Greek language, Biblical › Grammar; Greek language, Biblical › Grammar--Problems, exercises, etc
• ISBNs: 9781441220769, 9780801039287, 1441220763, 0801039282
• Resource ID: LLS:RDNGKNGRK
• Resource Type: Grammar
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:36:36Z

About Rodney J. Decker

Rodney J. Decker received his ThD from Central Baptist Theological Seminary and served as professor of Greek and New Testament at Baptist Bible Seminary in Pennsylvania. He authored Temporal Deixis of the Greek Verb in the Gospel of Mark with Reference to Verbal Aspect and several major Greek study books, including A Koine Greek Reader and the forthcoming Mark volumes in the Baylor Handbook on the Greek New Testament.