Advice wanted - priority order for lexicons
Any students/teachers of Hebrew and Greek willing to share a decent prioritization list for lexicons? I'm needing to rethink my current choices for the Verbum Search tips.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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Hi.
Perhaps you'll want to establish how much Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek you already know since the beginner lexicons aren't always so helpful in the eyes of a seasoned scholar. The next step is to consider your focus or the particular project you are working on (for instance, MT versus DSS, NT versus Migne), and here the choices seem to be a little more obvious.
Beginner:
LXHEBANLEX (Hebrew, Aramaic)
LXGRCANLEX (NT Greek)
ANLEX (NT Greek)
Holladay CHAL[OT] (Hebrew, Aramaic)
Louw-Nida (NT Greek)
Swanson (Hebrew, Aramaic and NT Greek)
The Lexham Analytical Lexicon to the Septuagint (LXX Greek)
LEH LXX Lexicon (LXX Greek)
CAL (Targumic Aramaic)XIX-Century erudition (Gen. 6:4):
BDB (Hebrew, Aramaic)
Gesenius (Hebrew, Aramaic)
Moulton & Milligan (NT Greek)
LSJ (Classical+ Greek, LXX, Migne)Current MT:
HAL[OT] Hebrew / HAL[OT] Aramaic
Current DSS:
DCL
Targumim, Talmud, Midrashim:
Jastrow (Late Hebrew, Aramaic)
Current NT:
BDAG
Current Classical+ Greek, LXX, Migne:
GE / BrillDAG
Muraoka Lexicon (LXX Greek [ποῦ; ubi?])
Lampe (Migne Greek [ποῦ; ubi?])Disclaimer: I always recommend some scepticism with the "wisdom" of men. While doing exegesis, it's a great idea verifying by yourself the way the particular author (or the whole Bible) uses the word, and it's also a good idea always listen to the theological and exegetical dictionaries as well.
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Hi M.J.
I am not a scholar, much less a original language scholar, but I am a typical Logos user. I have adopted Mike Heiser- who is a scholar- word study method. Because of his method- or at least my interpretation of what he is doing- I have prioritized my Greek and Hebrew lexicons in this order. At the top of my Greek order is DBL Greek and Louw-Nida. I use them to get a list of gloss words so I can look them up in a bible search and create a list of verses so I can see possible ways the lemma could be, or is interpreted. I put BDAG next to get more of the possible nuances I am looking at. And finally I list my theological word dictionaries (NIDNTT, TLNT) so I can check my findings and get a fuller discussion on the lemma I may be looking at. I have the Hebrew set up the same way with DBL Hebrew at the top for a list of glosses, followed by theological word dictionaries- TWOT, TLOT, NIDOTTE. My prioritization list is not according to best or better, but the order in which I use them for doing word studies.
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Lucian Benigno said:
Targumim:
Jastrow (Late Hebrew)
Nice list. I'm out in the middle of the Mohave desert, but I thought the targums/Jastrow was aramaic?
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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MJ. Smith said:
Hebrew and Greek willing to share a decent prioritization list for lexicons
How'd you end up on latin? I've not been satisfied yet with latin prioritizing in Logos, as you move forward from Turtulian (if I remember right).
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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Hi, Denise. You're right, of course.
Different from the CAL Targumic Lexicon, Jastrow is half Late Hebrew, half Aramaic. Anyway, I should have written all the details, lapsus calami. I'm editing the list lest it mislead someone. Thank you!
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Lucian Benigno said:
Perhaps you'll want to establish how much Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek you already know since the beginner lexicons aren't always so helpful in the eyes of a seasoned scholar. The next step is to consider your focus or the particular project you are working on (for instance, MT versus DSS, NT versus Migne), and here the choices seem to be a little more obvious.
Suppose that I know a rounding error more than nothing of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and have no specific project in mind, but habitually read the Bible and the Fathers (albeit in English and Latin, chiefly)... what order would you counsel me to prioritize my Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek lexicons in, supposing I happened to own all of the ones in your post?
“The trouble is that everyone talks about reforming others and no one thinks about reforming himself.” St. Peter of Alcántara
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It will always depend on who you are. If you're a beginner who just wants quick answers, Swanson will surely do it for the Bible, and you could use the more specialized lexica only when you need. If you're a beginner who checks everything or is somewhat sceptical about lexicographers, you cannot skip the analytic Bible lexicons to get the idea of the word in context.
After the first contact, I think it's good to hear the giants who knew what they were doing (BDB or Gesenius, Moulton & Milligan) and even also take a look at what the newbies discovered (HALOT and BDAG).
As for Patristics, Moulton & Milligan and even Liddell & Scott are weaker. BDAG is better on the NT but can also serve you here; BrillDAG is a good surprise, but we still need Lampe.
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Lonnie Spencer said:
Hi M.J.
I am not a scholar, much less a original language scholar, but I am a typical Logos user. I have adopted Mike Heiser- who is a scholar- word study method. Because of his method- or at least my interpretation of what he is doing- I have prioritized my Greek and Hebrew lexicons in this order. At the top of my Greek order is DBL Greek and Louw-Nida. I use them to get a list of gloss words so I can look them up in a bible search and create a list of verses so I can see possible ways the lemma could be, or is interpreted. I put BDAG next to get more of the possible nuances I am looking at. And finally I list my theological word dictionaries (NIDNTT, TLNT) so I can check my findings and get a fuller discussion on the lemma I may be looking at. I have the Hebrew set up the same way with DBL Hebrew at the top for a list of glosses, followed by theological word dictionaries- TWOT, TLOT, NIDOTTE. My prioritization list is not according to best or better, but the order in which I use them for doing word studies.
Thank you Lonnie. I have arranged it according yours. It is better than I had.
Blessings in Christ.
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Tes said:Lonnie Spencer said:
Hi M.J.
I am not a scholar, much less a original language scholar, but I am a typical Logos user. I have adopted Mike Heiser- who is a scholar- word study method. Because of his method- or at least my interpretation of what he is doing- I have prioritized my Greek and Hebrew lexicons in this order. At the top of my Greek order is DBL Greek and Louw-Nida. I use them to get a list of gloss words so I can look them up in a bible search and create a list of verses so I can see possible ways the lemma could be, or is interpreted. I put BDAG next to get more of the possible nuances I am looking at. And finally I list my theological word dictionaries (NIDNTT, TLNT) so I can check my findings and get a fuller discussion on the lemma I may be looking at. I have the Hebrew set up the same way with DBL Hebrew at the top for a list of glosses, followed by theological word dictionaries- TWOT, TLOT, NIDOTTE. My prioritization list is not according to best or better, but the order in which I use them for doing word studies.
Thank you Lonnie. I have arranged it according yours. It is better than I had.
Thanks Tes. But I have to give all of the credit to Dr. Heiser. It is a method that has certainly helped me.
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Well done.
Blessings in Christ.
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Is there somewhere I can see Dr. Heiser's method?Lonnie Spencer said:Hi M.J.
I am not a scholar, much less a original language scholar, but I am a typical Logos user. I have adopted Mike Heiser- who is a scholar- word study method. Because of his method- or at least my interpretation of what he is doing- I have prioritized my Greek and Hebrew lexicons in this order. At the top of my Greek order is DBL Greek and Louw-Nida. I use them to get a list of gloss words so I can look them up in a bible search and create a list of verses so I can see possible ways the lemma could be, or is interpreted. I put BDAG next to get more of the possible nuances I am looking at. And finally I list my theological word dictionaries (NIDNTT, TLNT) so I can check my findings and get a fuller discussion on the lemma I may be looking at. I have the Hebrew set up the same way with DBL Hebrew at the top for a list of glosses, followed by theological word dictionaries- TWOT, TLOT, NIDOTTE. My prioritization list is not according to best or better, but the order in which I use them for doing word studies.
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David Taylor Jr said:
Is there somewhere I can see Dr. Heiser's method?Lonnie Spencer said:Hi M.J.
I am not a scholar, much less a original language scholar, but I am a typical Logos user. I have adopted Mike Heiser- who is a scholar- word study method. Because of his method- or at least my interpretation of what he is doing- I have prioritized my Greek and Hebrew lexicons in this order. At the top of my Greek order is DBL Greek and Louw-Nida. I use them to get a list of gloss words so I can look them up in a bible search and create a list of verses so I can see possible ways the lemma could be, or is interpreted. I put BDAG next to get more of the possible nuances I am looking at. And finally I list my theological word dictionaries (NIDNTT, TLNT) so I can check my findings and get a fuller discussion on the lemma I may be looking at. I have the Hebrew set up the same way with DBL Hebrew at the top for a list of glosses, followed by theological word dictionaries- TWOT, TLOT, NIDOTTE. My prioritization list is not according to best or better, but the order in which I use them for doing word studies.
It was in the Learn to Use Biblical Hebrew in Logos 6, Mobile Ed course 151. I assume it is in Learn to Use Biblical Hebrew, Mobile Ed Course 171, since they are identical as the Mobile 6 courses except they use Mobile 8. And here is the original article Dr. Heiser wrote in Logos Talk, 2010. Seems his article caused some controversy. I don't care to defend his article or his conclusions. I just found his methodology in how he uses the lexicons for doing Word Studies in Logos is helpful for me. https://blog.logos.com/2010/06/you_are_smarter_than_a_lexicon/
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