BDAG and others...

Hey,

As I've read and chatted to people the BDAG resource keeps coming up.

At the moment I have DBL Greek, Mounce and Vines but I'm wondering whether to buy BDAG.

I'm not coming from a background in knowing Greek but as a lay-preacher and pastor I an always looking up the greek means of English words and I prepare sermons and try to understand more about the authors original intent as they wrote.

Given the resources I already have, do you think it would be a good use of $150 to buy BDAG?

Many thanks in advance for your comments.

In His Grace,

Matt

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

DMB

Well, you'll eventually buy it. So, there's that.

Normally, people recommend either buying it in a package (a bit expensive), or in combination with HALOT (you'll buy HALOT eventually too ... they're the cat's meow for greek and hebrew).

But I think an academic sale is coming up. And while waiting, you might re-review Rick's recommendation in your earlier lexicon post.

Christian Alexander

I would not. I do not have BDAG and am in my seminary program. I only have 5 classes left of 16. I hear the BDAG provides a clear analysis of every word in the NT and the early Christian canons. I have BAGD in print and it is good. I would wait until I could buy the BDAG and HALOT. I always want to do more thorough, academic exploration in Greek lexicography, LSJ is a great tool to employ.

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

I'm not coming from a background in knowing Greek but as a lay-preacher and pastor I an always looking up the greek means of English words and I prepare sermons and try to understand more about the authors original intent as they wrote.

What lacks in translation from original languages into English is nuanced verbal expression. English primary verbal focus is time: past, present, future. Hebrew & Aramaic primary verbal focus is kind of action: e.g. perfect, imperfect, volitional, imperative, intensity, .... Greek verbal focus has primary kind of action with secondary time of action.

Lexicons (e.g. BDAG & HALOT) provide range of word meaning while lacking exegetical range of verbal expression.

The Bible Software Users Companion Pack (2 vols.) has exegetical insights for morphological highlighting, which can be done using visual filters in Reverse Interlinear Bible(s) and original language Bible(s). English verbs have primary time aspect: past, present, future. Hebrew verbs have kind of action primary focus (without expressing when), Greek verbs also have primary kind of action focus with secondary aspect of time.

Logos Wiki has:

Examples of visual filters

Documents option is following Faithlife Group Logos Visual Filters and filtering for tag Logos Morphology VF:

Keep Smiling [:)]

Allen Browne

Given the resources I already have, do you think it would be a good use of $150 to buy BDAG?

Hi Matt. It comes down to how much you will use it.

If you see yourself using the Greek text regualarly over the years ahead, you'll need BDAG, not just the other lexicans. You may be able to pick it up as part of a bundle or pack. It's not perfect, but it is a core resource.

I've probalby used it at least once a week for the last 15 years, sometimes multiple times a day.

Matt Leonard

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1256769#Comment_1256769

I guess I wanted to know why BDAG was better then what I already had and I think you answered that.

Thanks everyone for your advice,

Matt

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1256787#Comment_1256787

I tend to spend more time handling Hebrew than Greek (it's where the best stuff is), but BDAG, as has already been mentioned, is the Greek equivalent of HALOT, meaning the resource the older and supposedly wiser kids use. Not going to chime in on BDAG, but HALOT is an obscenely bloated archaeological dig that rarely (as in almost never) pays off in terms of providing helpful details that other supposedly "lesser" resources don't also provide. I have occasionally called on BDAG, but it isn't nearly as useful to me as DBLG & Zodhiates. Ymmv.

Allen Browne

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1256787#Comment_1256787

I guess I wanted to know why BDAG was better then what I already had and I think you answered that.

Fair question, Matt. For comparision with what you already have, here's the BDAG entry on πίστις:

---

William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 818–820:

πίστις, εως, ἡ (Hes., Hdt.+; ranging in meaning from subjective confidence to objective basis for confidence).
       ①       that which evokes trust and faith
         ⓐ       the state of being someone in whom confidence can be placed, faithfulness, reliability, fidelity, commitment (X., An. 1, 6, 3; 3, 3, 4; Aristot., Eth. Eud, 7, 2, 1237b, 12; Polyb. 7, 12, 9; 38, 1, 8 al.; Herodian 2, 14, 4 al.; SIG 675, 22; OGI 557, 16; PTebt 27, 6; 51 [II B.C.]; POxy 494, 9; 705, 32; other pap M-M. s.v.; Ps 32:4; Pr 12:22; Jos., Ant. 2, 61; TestAsh 7:7) w. κρίσις and ἔλεος Mt 23:23.
           •      (Opp. ἀπιστία as Hes., Op. 370) τὴν πίστιν τοῦ θεοῦ καταργεῖν nullify the faithfulness/commitment of God (cp. Ps 32:4; Hos 2:22) Ro 3:3.
           •      πᾶσαν π. ἐνδείκνυσθαι ἀγαθήν show all good faith(fulness) Tit 2:10 (cp. BGU 314, 19 μετὰ πίστεως ἀγαθῆς).
           •      W. other virtues Gal 5:22 (on πίστις, πραΰτης cp. Sir 45:4; 1:27).
           •      W. ὑπομονή 2 Th 1:4.
           •      τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα I have remained faithful or loyal (πίστιν τηρεῖν as Polyb. 6, 56, 13; 10, 37, 5; Jos., Bell. 2, 121; 6, 345; OGI 339, 46f; IBM III, 587b, 5f [Dssm., LO 262=LAE 309, esp. note 3]) 2 Ti 4:7, though this would be classified by some under 3 below.
           •      S. also 1c below.
         ⓑ       a solemn promise to be faithful and loyal, assurance, oath, troth (X., Cyr. 7, 1, 44; 8, 8, 3, Hell. 1, 3, 12; Diod S 14, 9, 7; Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 86 §362 μεγάλας πίστεις ἔδωκεν=solemn assurances; 3 Macc 3:10; Jos., Ant. 12, 382) τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν 1 Ti 5:12 (s. also ἀθετέω 1 and cp. CIA app. [Wünsch, Praef. p. xv] of a woman who πρώτη ἠθέτησεν τὴν πίστιν to her husband).
           •      Cp. Rv 2:3.
         ⓒ       a token offered as a guarantee of someth. promised, proof, pledge (Pla., Phd. 70b; Isocr. 3, 8; Aristot., Rhet. 1, 1; 3, 13; Epicurus in Diog. L. 10, 63; 85: πίστις βεβαία=dependable proof; Polyb. 3, 100, 3; Περὶ ὕψους 39, 3=p. 74, 20 V.; Epict. 1, 28, 3; Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 119 §500; Jos., Ant. 15, 69) πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν ἀναστήσας αὐτόν (God has appointed a man [Jesus] to be judge of the world, and) he has furnished proof (of his fitness for this office) to all people by raising him (on πίστιν παρέχειν cp. Jos., Ant. 2, 218 πίστιν παρεῖχε; 15, 260; Polyb. 2, 52, 4 πίστιν παρέσχετο=gave a pledge, security; Vett. Val. 277, 29f) Ac 17:31.
           •      JBarton, Biblica 40, ’59, 878–84:
           •      π. in 2 Ti 4:7=bond deposited by an athlete.
           •      But see 3 below.
           •      —WSchmitz, ῾Η Πίστις in den Papyri, diss. Cologne, ’64.
       ②       state of believing on the basis of the reliability of the one trusted, trust, confidence, faith in the active sense=‘believing’, in ref. to deity (Soph. Oed. R. 1445 νῦν γʼ ἂν τῷ θεῷ πίστιν φέροις; Pla., Leg. 12, 966de; Plut. Mor. 402e; 756b; Dio Chrys. 3, 51 παρὰ θεῶν τιμὴ κ. πίστις; Ael. Aristid. 13 p. 226 D.: πίστιν ἐν τ. θεοῖς ἔχειν; Appian, Liby. 57 §248 ἐς θεοὺς πίστις; Ep. 33 of Apollonius of Tyana [Philostrat. I 352, 14]; Herm. Wr. 9, 10 ἐπίστευσε καὶ ἐν τῇ καλῇ πίστει ἐπανεπαύσατο; Porphyr., Ad Marcellam 21 τῆς βεβαίας πίστεως, τὸ μεμαθηκέναι, ὅτι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ προνοεῖται πάντα. The divinity Πίστις in Plut., Num. 70 [16, 1] and in magic [exx. in Rtzst., Mysterienrel.3 234f,   p 819 among them Aberciusins. 12; PGM 4, 1014 ἀλήθεια καὶ πίστις; 12, 228]; Wsd 3:14; 4 Macc 15:24; 16:22; 17:2; Philo, Abr. 270; 271; 273, Mut. Nom. 182, Migr. Abr. 43f, Conf. Lingu. 31, Poster. Cai. 13 [on faith in Philo s. the lit. given under πιστεύω 2aα]; Jos, C. Ap. 2, 163; 169; Just., A I, 52, 1 πίστιν ἔχειν; 53, 11 πειθὼ καὶ πίστιν … ἐμφορῆσαι), in our lit. directed toward God and Christ, their revelations, teachings, promises, their power and readiness to aid.
         ⓐ       God:
           •      πίστις θεοῦ (cp. Jos., Ant. 17, 179.—Cp. π. καὶ φόβος ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ Theoph. Ant. 1, 7 [p. 72, 26]) faith, trust, confidence in God Mk 11:22; cp. Ac 19:20 D; 1 Cl 3:4; 27:3.
           •      π. θείου πνεύμαπος faith in the divine spirit Hm 11:9.
           •      ἡ π. τοῦ κυρίου Hs 6, 3, 6.
           •      π. (καὶ ἐλπὶς) εἰς θεόν 1 Pt 1:21.
           •      π. ἐπὶ θεόν Hb 6:1.
           •      ἡ πίστις ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεόν 1 Th 1:8 (on the constr. w. πρὸς τ. θ. cp. Philo, Abr. 268; 271; 273; Just., D. 121, 2 διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον π.).
           •      —πίστις can also be characterized as faith in God by the context, without the addition of specific words;
           •      so in connection w. OT personalities:
           •      Abraham Ro 4:5, 9, 11–13, 16, 19f (s. also 2dα below); 1 Cl 10:7; 31:2;
           •      of Rahab 12:1, 8;
           •      of Esther 55:6 (ἡ τελεία κατὰ πίστιν).
           •      The OT heroes of faith Hb 11:4–33, 39 (w. this catalogue of heroes cp. Il. 4, 457–538; 2 Km 23:8–39; 1 Ch 11:10–12:18; CGordon, Homer, and the Bible: HUCA 26, ’55, 83).
           •      —But in Hb it is also true that God is specifically the object of the Christian’s faith, and Christ 12:2 is ὁ τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸς καὶ τελειώτης.
           •      Cp. 10:38; 11:3; 13:7.
           •      (On faith in Hb s. Schlatter, Der Glaube im NT4 1927, 520ff; BHeigl, Verfasser u. Adresse des Hb 1905, 109–18; GHoennicke, Die sittl. Anschauungen des Hb: ZWT 45, 1902, 26ff; Windisch, Hdb. exc. on Hb 11; Riggenbach and Michel on Hb 11; Strathmann on 10:38. S. ὑπόστασις end.)—ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν Mt 17:20.
           •      Opp. doubt 21:21.
           •      αἰτεῖν ἐν πίστει μηδὲν διακρινόμενος Js 1:6.
           •      ἡ εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως 5:15 (εὐχή 1).
           •      ἡ πίστις τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead Col 2:12.
         ⓑ       Christ
           α.       of belief and trust in the Lord’s help in physical and spiritual distress;
             •      oft. in the synopt. gospels:
             •      Mt 8:10; 9:2, 22, 29 (κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν); 15:28; Mk 2:5; 4:40; 5:34; 10:52; Lk 5:20; 7:9, 50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42.
             •      —Cp. ἔχει πίστιν τοῦ σωθῆναι (the lame man) had faith that he would be cured Ac 14:9.
           β.       of faith in Christ, designated by the addition of certain words.
             •      By the obj. gen. (s. Just., D. 52, 4 διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς τοῦ χριστοῦ) πίστις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ faith in Jesus Christ (and sim. exprs. On interp. as obj. gen. s. AHultgren, NovT 22, ’80, 248–63 [lit.]; response SWilliams, CBQ 49, ’87, 431–47.) Ro 3:22, 26; Gal 2:16ab, 20; 3:22; Eph 3:12; Phil 3:9a; Js 2:1; Rv 14:12; cp. 2:13 (ἡ πίστις μου=faith in me, the Human One [Son of Man]); IMg 1:1.
             •      (The πίστις Χριστοῦ in Paul is taken as a subj. gen. by JHaussleiter, Der Glaube Jesu Christi 1891, Was versteht Paulus unter christlichem Glauben?: Greifswalder Studien für HCremer 1895, 161–82 and GKittel, StKr 79, 1906, 419ff. See also Schläger, ZNW 7, 1906, 356–58; BLongenecker, NTS 39, ’93, 478–80 [lit. since ’81]; DCampbell, JBL 113, ’94, 265–85; response BDodd, 114, ’95, 470–73.—ADeissmann, Paulus2 1925, 125f [Paul, tr. WWilson, 1926, 162ff], speaks of the mystical gen., ‘faith in Christ’. Likew. HWeber, Die Formel ‘in Christo Jesu’: NKZ 31, 1920, 213ff, esp. 231, 3; WWeber, Christusmystik 1924, 82. S. also LAlbrecht, Der Glaube Jesu Christi 1921; OSchmitz, Die Christusgemeinschaft des Pls im Lichte seines Genetivgebr. 1924, 91–134; OHoltzmann, D. Glaube an Jes.: Stromata 1930, 11–25; GTaylor, JBL 85, ’66, 58–76: the passages in Gal=Christ’s reliability as a trustee. Cp. GHoward, HTR 60, ’67, 459–65; MHooker, NTS 35, ’89, 321–42.)—By prepositional phrases:
             •      πίστις εἰς Χριστόν (and sim. exprs.) faith in Christ Ac 20:21; 24:24; 26:18; Col 2:5 (Just., D. 40, 1).
             •      —Also πίστις ἐν Χριστῷ (and sim.) Gal 3:26; Eph 1:15; Col 1:4; 1 Ti 3:13; 2 Ti 3:15; 1 Cl 22:1.
             •      In ἱλαστήριον διὰ πίστεως ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι Ro 3:25, ἐν κτλ.
             •      prob. goes not w. πίστις, but w. ἱλαστήριον (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.; W-S. §20, 5d).
             •      —πίστις, ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς τ. κύριον Ἰησοῦν Phlm 5.—πίστις διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰ. Χριστοῦ Ac 20:21 D;
             •      sim. ἡ πίστις ἡ διʼ αὐτοῦ 3:16b (cp. 1 Pt 1:21).
             •      —Jesus Christ is called ἡ τελεία πίστις ISm 10:2.
         ⓒ       πίστις can also be characterized by an objective gen. of the thing:
           •      ἡ πίστις τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ faith in his (Jesus’) name Ac 3:16a.
           •      ἡ πίστις τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Phil 1:27.
           •      εὐαγγελίων πίστις Dg 11:6.
           •      πίστις ἀληθείας 2 Th 2:13.
         ⓓ       πίστις is found mostly without an obj., faith, firm commitment
           α.       as true piety, genuine devotion (Sextus 7a and 7; ParJer 6:7), which for our lit. means being a Christian (τὸ ἀληθινὸν πάσχα … πίστει νονούμενον Hippol., Ref. 8, 18, 1; Did., Gen. 54, 11) Lk 18:8 (s. Jülicher, Gleichn. 288); 22:32; Ac 6:5=vs.
             •      8 v.l.; cp. 11:24.
             •      —6:7; 13:8; 14:22; 15:9; 16:5; Ro 1:5, 8, 12, 17ab (ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν does not mean a gradation [as, in a way, Appian, Mithrid. 40 §154: Sulla came upon ἕτερον ὅμοιον ἐξ ἑτέρου=one wall, i.e. fortification, after another similar one] or a transition from one kind to another [Himerius, Or.=Ecl. 10, 6 ἐκ ᾠδῆς εἰς ᾠδὴν ἄλλην μετέβαλον=they changed from one kind of song to another], but merely expresses in a rhetorical way that πίστις is the beginning and the end; s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc., and a grave-ins [ANock, Sallust. p. xxxiii, 94] ἐκ γῆς εἰς γῆν ὁ βίος οὗτοσ=‘dust is the beginning and the end of human life’.—AFridrichsen, ConNeot 12, ’48, 54); 17c (here and in Gal 3:11 the LXX of Hab 2:4 [DCampbell, JBL 116, ’97, 713–19] is not followed literally, since it has ἐκ πίστεώς μου=‘as a result of my faithfulness’; even in Hb 10:38, where μου does occur, it goes w. δίκαιος, not w. πίστεως); Ro 3:27f (Luther’s addition of the word ‘alone’ in vs. 28 is hard to contest linguistically. Cp., e.g., Diog. L. 9, 6: Heraclitus wrote his work in very obscure language ὅπως οἱ δυνάμενοι προσίοιεν αὐτῷ=in order that only the capable might approach it. S. also Fitzmyer, ABComm. 360–64), 30f; 4:5–20 (s. also 2a above); 5:1f; 9:30, 32; 10:6, 17; 11:20 (opp. ἀπιστία); 12:3, 6 (s. ἀναλογία; for a difft. view 3 below); 14:1, 22 (s. ἐνώπιον 2b; others would place in 2dε), 23ab (but s. ε below); 16:26; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 16:13; 2 Cor 1:24ab; 4:13; 10:15; 13:5; Gal 3:7–26; 5:5, 6 (s. ἐνεργέω 1b); 6:10 (οἱ οἰκεῖοι τῆς πίστεως, s. οἰκεῖος b); Eph 2:8; 3:17; 4:5, 13; 6:16; Phil 1:25 (χαρὰ τῆς πίστεως); 2:17; 3:9b; Col 1:23; 2:7; 1 Th 3:2, 5, 7, 10; 2 Th 1:3, 11; 3:2; 1 Ti 1:2, 4, 5 (π. ἀνυπόκριτος), 19ab; 4:1; 5:8; 6:10, 12, 21 (but s. 3 below); 2 Ti 1:5 (ἀνυπόκριτος π.); 2:18; 3:8; Tit 1:1, 4, 13; 3:15; Phlm 6 (s. κοινωνία 4); Hb 6:12; 10:22, 39 (opp. ὑποστολή); Js 1:3; 2:5; 1 Pt 1:5, 7, 9; 5:9; 2 Pt 1:1; 1J 5:4; 1 Cl 1:2 (ἡ πανάρετος κ. βεβαία π.); ISm 1:1 (ἀκίνητος π.); Hm 5, 2, 1; 12, 5, 4 (both πλήρης ἐν τῇ πίστει full of faith); 5, 2, 3 (π. ὁλόκληρος); 9:6 (ὁλοτελὴς ἐν τ. π.), 7 (opp. διψυχία), 12 (π. ἡ ἔχουσα δύναμιν); 12, 6, 1; Hs 9, 19, 2 (ἀπὸ τῆς π. κενοί); 9, 26, 8 (κολοβοὶ ἀπὸ τῆς π. αὐτῶν).
             •      —τὸ ῥῆμα τ. πίστεως Ro 10:8.
             •      οἱ λόγοι τῆς π. 1 Ti 4:6.
             •      τὸ μυστήριον τῆς π. 3:9.
             •      ὁ θεὸς ἤνοιξεν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν θύραν πίστεως God has opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, i.e. opened the way for them to participate in a new relationship w. God Ac 14:27 (s. also θύρα 1bγ).
             •      ἀκοὴ πίστεως Gal 3:2, 5 (s. ἀκοή 2 and 4b).
             •      (τὸ) ἔργον (τῆς) π. 1 Th 1:3; 2 Th 1:11 (s. ἔργον 1b).
             •      οἱ ἐκ πίστεως the people of faith (s. ἐκ 3b) Gal 3:7, 9.
             •      πῶς οὐν [πίστιν εὑρ]ίσκομεν; Ox 1081,   p 820 25f (but here [ταῦτα γιγν]ώ̣σκομεν is the preferable restoration w. Till after the Coptic SJCh 90, 2); 32.
             •      Of gnostics τοῦ ὄφεως πίστιν ἔχουσιν AcPlCor 2:20.
             •      —If the principal component of Christianity is faith, then π. can be understood as the Gospel in terms of the commitment it evokes (cp. SIG 932, 7 [II/I B.C.]) νῦν εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν πίστιν ἥν ποτε ἐπόρθει Gal 1:23 (s. 3 below).
             •      Perh. also Ro 1:5.
           β.       Hb 11:1 defines πίστις as ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων.
             •      There is here no qu.
             •      about the mng. of π. as confidence or assurance (s. 2a above), but on its relation to ὑπόστασις as its predication s. under that word.
             •      —(Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 6, 18 interprets πιστεύειν in someth. as incapability to see someth. that is apparent only to God.) Paul contrasts walking διὰ εἴδους (εἶδος 3) as the lower degree, with διὰ πίστεως περιπατεῖν 2 Cor 5:7 (s. KDeissner, Pls. u. die Mystik seiner Zeit2 1921, 101ff).
             •      On the other hand πίστις is on a higher level than merely listening to Christian preaching Hb 4:2.
           γ.       πίστις abs., as a Christian virtue, is often coupled w. others of the same kind, esp. oft. w. ἀγάπη:
             •      1 Th 3:6; 5:8; 1 Ti 1:14; 2 Ti 1:13; Phlm 5; B 11:8; IEph 1:1; 9:1; 14:1; 20:1; IMg 1:2; 13:1; IRo ins; ISm ins; 6:1; 13:2;
             •      AcPl Ha 8, 35.
             •      W. ἀγάπη and other abstracts 2 Cor 8:7; Gal 5:22; Eph 6:23; 1 Ti 2:15; 4:12; 6:11: 2 Ti 2:22; 3:10; Tit 2:2; Rv 2:19; IPhld 11:2; Pol 4:2; Hm 8:9;
             •      cp. v 3, 8, 2–5.
             •      The triad πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη 1 Cor 13:13;
             •      cp. also Col 1:4f; 1 Th 1:3; 5:8; B 1:4 (on this triad see s.v. ἀγάπη 1aα).
             •      W. ἐλπίς only (cp. 1 Pt 1:21) 1 Cl 58:2.
             •      The ζωῆς ἐλπίς is called ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος πίστεως ἡμῶν B 1:6.
             •      —W. ἀλήθεια (TestLevi 8:2) 1 Ti 2:7 (cp. the combination POxy 70, 4f [III A.D.]); 1 Cl 60:4.
             •      W. δικαιοσύνη Pol 9:2.
             •      W. ὑπομονή Rv 13:10;
             •      w. ὑπομ.
             •      and other abstracts 2 Pt 1:5f; Pol 13:2 (cp. also the following passages already referred to in this section: 1 Ti 6:11; 2 Ti 3:10; Tit 2:2 and Js 1:3 [α above]).
             •      W. γνῶσις (Just., D. 69, 1) et al. 2 Pt 1:5f [s. above]; D 10:2.
             •      ἵνα μετὰ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν τελείαν ἔχητε τὴν γνῶσιν B 1:5.
             •      W. φόβος and ἐγκράτεια Hm 6, 1, 1.
             •      —(Distinguished from θεία σοφία: Orig., C. Cels. 6, 13, 23.)
           δ.       faith as fidelity to Christian teaching.
             •      This point of view calls for ἔργα as well as the kind of πίστις that represents only one side of true piety:
             •      Js 2:14ab, 17, 18abc, 20, 22ab, 24, 26 (ἔργον 1a); Hv 3, 6, 5; Hs 8, 9, 1ab.
           ε.       Ro 14:22 and 23 π. as freedom or strength in faith, conviction (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.; but s. α above).
           ζ.       In addition to the πίστις that every Christian possesses (s. 2dα above) Paul speaks of a special gift of faith that belongs to a select few 1 Cor 12:9.
             •      Here he understands π. as an unquestioning belief in God’s power to aid people with miracles, the faith that ‘moves mountains’ 13:2 (cp. Mt 17:20.—21:21; s. 2a above).
             •      This special kind of faith may be what the disciples had in mind when they asked πρόσθες ἡμῖν πίστιν Lk 17:5;
             •      cp. vs. 6.
             •      τῇ πίστει φερόμενος ὁ Παυλος AcPl Ha 5, 1.

③       that which is believed, body of faith/belief/teaching (Diod S 1, 23, 8 ἰσχυρὰν πίστιν καὶ ἀμετάθετον=an article of faith that was firm and unshakable [concerning Orpheus and Dionysus]; Mel., HE 4, 26, 13; Ath. 8, 1; Iren., 1, 10, 2 [Harv. I, 92, 1]; Orig., C. Cels., 1, 42, 26; Did., Gen. 156, 23).
         •      So clearly Jd 3 (τῇ ἅπαξ παραδοθείσῃ τοῖς ἁγίοις πίστει), 20 (τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ὑμῶν πίστει.—ἅγιος 1aα).
         •      πίστις θεοῦ=that which, acc. to God’s will, is to be believed IEph 16:2.
         •      —This objectivizing of the term πίστις is found as early as Paul:
         •      Ro 1:5; Gal 1:23 (s. 2dα end) and perh. Gal 3:23–25 (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.).
         •      ASeeberg, D. Katechismus der Urchristenheit 1903, 110f, understands 1 Ti 1:19; 4:1, 6; 6:10, cp. 21; 2 Ti 2:18 in this manner.
         •      Ro 12:6 (but s. ἀναλογία) and 2 Ti 4:7 are also interpreted in this way by many.
         •      —EBurton, ICC Gal 1921, 475–86;
         •      ASchlatter, D. Glaube im NT4 1927;
         •      APott, Das Hoffen im NT in seiner Beziehung zum Glauben1915;
         •      ANairne, The Faith of the NT 1920;
         •      RGyllenberg, Pistis 1922;
         •      WKümmel, D. Glaube im NT:
         •      ThBl 16, ’38, 209–21;
         •      Dodd 65–68;
         •      TTorrance, ET 68, ’57, 111–14;
         •      CMoule, ibid. 157.
         •      —Synoptics:
         •      TShearer, ET 69, ’57, 3–6.
         •      —Esp. for Paul:
         •      BBartmann, Pls, die Grundzüge seiner Lehre u. die moderne Religionsgeschichte 1914;
         •      WMorgan, The Religion and Theology of Paul 1917;
         •      WHatch, The Pauline Idea of Faith in Its Relation to Jewish and Hellenistic Religion 1917;
         •      Ltzm., Hdb. exc. after Ro 4:25;
         •      FKnoke, Der christl.
         •      Glaube nach Pls 1922;
         •      ERohde, Gottesglaube u. Kyriosglaube bei Pls:
         •      ZNW 22, 1923, 43–57;
         •      EWissmann, Das Verh. v. πίστις und Christusfrömmigkeit bei Pls 1926;
         •      MDibelius, Glaube u. Mystik b. Pls:
         •      Neue Jahrb. f. Wissensch. u. Jugendbildg. 7, ’31, 683–99;
         •      WMundle, D. Glaubensbegriff des Pls ’32 (p. xi–xvi extensive bibliog.);
         •      RGyllenberg, Glaube b. Pls:
         •      ZWT 13, ’37, 612–30;
         •      MHansen, Om Trosbegrebet hos Pls ’37;
         •      LMarshall, Challenge of NT Ethics, ’47, 270–77; 298–300;
         •      RBultmann, Theologie des NT ’48, 310–26 (Engl. tr. KGrobel I ’51, 314–30; for the Johannines II, 70–92, ’55);
         •      MMassinger, BiblSacra 107, ’50, 181–94 et al. S. also δικαιοσύνη 3a.
         •      —For the Fourth Gosp.:
         •      JBuswell, The Ethics of ‘Believe’ in the Fourth Gospel:
         •      BiblSacra 80, 1923, 28–37;
         •      JHuby, De la connaissance de foi chez S. Jean:
         •      RSR 21, ’31, 385–421;
         •      RSchnackenburg, D. Glaube im 4.
         •      Ev., diss. Breslau ’37;
         •      WHatch, The Idea of Faith in Christ. Lit. fr. the Death of St. Paul to the Close of the Second Century 1926.
         •      —EGraesser, D. Glaube im Hebräerbrief, ’65.
         •      —ABaumeister, D. Ethik des Pastor Hermae, 1912, 61–140.
         •      —ESeidl, π. in d. griech.
         •      Lit. (to Peripatetics), diss. Innsbruck, ’53;
         •      HLjungman, Pistis, ’64;
         •      DLührmann, Pistis im Judent., ZNW 64, ’73, 19–38.
         •      On faith in late Judaism s. Bousset, Rel.3 534a (index);
         •      also DHay, JBL 108, ’89, 4611–76;
         •      DLindsay, Josephus and Faith ’93.
         •      On the Hellenistic concept πίστις Rtzst., Mysterienrel.3 234–36.
         •      —DELG s.v. πείθομαι.
         •      M-M. EDNT. TW. Spicq. Sv.

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1256792#Comment_1256792

I'm sorry...did I say "bloat"? I meant to say "BLOAT".

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1256789#Comment_1256789

... but HALOT is an obscenely bloated archaeological dig that rarely (as in almost never) pays off in terms of providing helpful details that other supposedly "lesser" resources don't also provide.

Ah ... but in humanland, quoting matters. On Sunday morning concise-anything isn't even going to work in Bible class. Myself, I'm a fan of Gesenius, BDB's dad ... and Samuel Tregalles' translation..

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1256792#Comment_1256792

I guess I wanted to know why BDAG was better then what I already had and I think you answered that.

Fair question, Matt. For comparision with what you already have, here's the BDAG entry on πίστις:

Lacking from BDAG is cognate (related) words: noun πίστις has related adjective πιστός , verb πιστεύω , ... as shown in the Lexham Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament:

πίστις (pistis), faith. Cognate words: ἀπιστέω, ἀπιστία, ἄπιστος, ὀλιγοπιστία, ὀλιγόπιστος, πιστεύω, πιστικός, πιστός, πιστόω. Heb. equiv. fr. LXX: אֱמוּנָה (13×), אֱמֶת (5×), אמן (1×), אֲמָנָה (1×)

31.43 (1) proof Ac 17:31

31.85 (245) faith Mt 8:10; 9:2, 22, 29; 15:28; 17:20; 21:21; Mark 2:5; 4:40; 5:34; 10:52; 11:22; Lk 5:20; 7:9, 50; 8:25, 48; 17:5, 6, 19; 18:8, 42; 22:32; Ac 3:16 (2); 6:5; 11:24; 14:9; 15:9; 20:21; 24:24; 26:18; Rom 1:17 (3); 3:25, 28, 30 (2), 31; 4:5, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 (2), 19, 20; 5:1, 2; 9:30, 32; 10:6, 8, 17; 11:20; 12:3, 6; 14:22, 23 (2); 1 Co 2:5; 12:9; 13:2, 13; 15:17; 16:13; 2 Co 4:13; 5:7; 8:7; Gal 2:16 (2), 20; 3:7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 22, 23 (2), 24, 25, 26; 5:5, 6; Eph 3:17; 6:23; Php 1:27; 2:17; 3:9 (2); Col 1:4; 2:5, 12; 1 Th 1:8; 3:5, 6; 5:8; 2 Th 1:3, 4; 2:13; 3:2; 1 Ti 1:5, 14, 19; 2:15; 4:12; 6:12; 2 Ti 1:5, 13; 2:22; 3:10, 15; Tt 1:1; Philem 5; Heb 4:2; 6:1, 12; 10:22, 38, 39; 11:1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (2), 8, 9, 11, 13, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 39; 12:2; Jas 1:3, 6; 2:14 (2), 17, 18 (3), 20, 22 (2), 24, 26; 5:15; 1 Pe 1:5, 7, 9, 21; 2 Pe 1:1, 5; 1 Jn 5:4; Rev 2:13, 19; 14:12; 1Cl 1.2; 3:4; 5:6; 6:2; 10:7; 12:1, 8; 22:1; 26:1; 27:3; 31:2; 32:4; 35:2; 42:5; 55:6; 58:2; 60:4; 62:2; 64:1; 2Cl 15.2; IEph 1.1; IPhld 8.2; 11:2; ISmyr, Salutation; 1:1; 6:1; 13:2; IPoly 6.2; Poly 9.2; Did 10.2; Barn 1.4, 5, 6; 2:2; 4:8, 9; 6:17; 11:8; 16:9; Herm, V I, iii, 4; Herm, V III, v, 4, 5; 6:5; Herm, M VIII, 9; Herm, M IX, 7, 9, 10 (2), 11, 12; Herm, M XI, 4, 9; Herm, M XII, iii, 1; 4:5; 5:4; 6:1; Herm, S VI, i, 2; 3:6; Herm, S VIII, ix, 1 (2); Herm, S IX, xv, 2; 16:5; 17:4; 18:4; 19:2; 23:2; 26:8; Diog 8.6; 10:1; 11:5, 6

31.88 (16) faith Mt 23:23; Rom 3:3, 22, 26; Gal 5:22; Eph 3:12; 1 Ti 3:13; Tt 2:10; IEph 10.2; 13:1; 14:1 (2); IMag 1.2; 6:1; 13:1; ITr 8.1

31.102 (82) faith Acts 6:7; 13:8; 14:22, 27; 16:5; Rom 1:5, 8, 12; 3:27; 14:1; 1 Co 15:14; 2 Co 1:24 (2); 10:15; 13:5; Gal 3:2, 5; 6:10; Eph 1:15; 2:8; 4:5, 13; 6:16; Php 1:25; Col 1:23; 2:7; 1 Th 1:3; 3:2, 7, 10; 2 Th 1:11; 1 Ti 1:2, 4, 19; 2:7; 3:9; 4:1, 6; 5:8; 6:10, 11, 21; 2 Ti 3:8; 4:7; Tt 1:4, 13; 2:2; 3:15; Philem 6; Heb 13:7; Jas 2:5; 1 Pe 5:9; Jude 20; IEph 3.1; 8:2 (2); 9:1; 14:2 (2); 16:2; 20:1, 2; IMag 1.1; Poly 1.2; 3:2; 4:2, 3; Did 16.2, 5; Herm, V III, viii, 3, 4, 7; 12:3; Herm, V IV, i, 8; 2:4; Herm, M V, ii, 1, 3; Herm, M VI, i, 1; 2:1, 10; Herm, M VIII, 10; Herm, M IX, 6

31.104 (6) faith Gal 1:23; 2 Ti 2:18; Jas 2:1; Jude 3; Re 13:10; Poly 13.2

33.289 (1) oath 1 Ti 5:12

The Lexham Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament (Logos Bible Software, 2011).

Keep Smiling [:)]

Dave Hooton

At the moment I have DBL Greek, Mounce and Vines but I'm wondering whether to buy BDAG.

I'm not coming from a background in knowing Greek but as a lay-preacher and pastor I an always looking up the greek means of English words and I prepare sermons and try to understand more about the authors original intent as they wrote.

I have a similar background and a similar aim in preparing a bible study. I use DBL Greek + DBL Hebrew/Aramaic, though I also have LSJ and Enhanced BDB. The LSJ article on pistis is 5x longer than that in DBL Greek, but:-

I needed a wildcard VF (gloss:*) to highlight the gloss words

the first gloss occurs on line 3 after a lot of meaningless acronyms

Then I needed to highlight bible references (bible:mt-rev),

the first occurred on line 22 after bypassing the classical references.
this is also needed to understand that something like Ev.Luc.11.42 ---> Luke 11:42

It also helps to highlight the lemmas (field.lemma:*)
The article in BDAG appears to be better arranged, but still presents a formidable challenge to assimilate the information.
DBL Greek has a builtin Outline Formatting VF to separate the LN semantic domains (meanings)

this expands the article on pistis from 7 lines to 10 lines, all devoted to NT use.

For Hebrew, Enhanced BDB also presents a formidable challenge and needs its builtin Outline Formatting VF plus VF similar to those for LSJ.

DBL gives me a quick lookup on meaning in context and I gain a better understanding of a passage from commentaries (not necessarily technical), reflection and Holy Spirit inspiration. I would not get what I value from BDAG/HALOT.