If you had to pick one: BDF or Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics?

Hey all,

If you had to pick one Greek Grammar to have electronically in Logos, would you get BDF or Wallace's Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics? I already have Wallace's in print (and also Robertson's grammar), and I'm debating whether to try to get BDF in print, or pay more and get it electronically. Ditto for the Wallace book (and then I guess I could sell my print copy). In either case, I probably can't get both in Logos for now, so I'm trying to see if I had just one, which one would it be.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Jason

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Alan Macgregor

BDF in Logos format. It has been for years the standard reference work for academic work. In my experience I make far more use of lexicons and grammars when they are linked into the biblical text, than when they are on the shelf.

Hapax Legomena

I have used BDF, Robertson, and Wallace in Logos. If I were to chose only one, I would choose Wallace. I find it to be the most comprehensive and comprehendible. BDF, although standard and authoritative, is criptic and dense. If I'm trying to understand a concept or a construction, I use Wallace.

si_cochran

Jason,

I was mulling over the same questions a few weeks ago, and decided to purchase Wallace's Grammar in Logos. I have both Wallace and BDF in print, but began to see the benefit of having the grammars in Logos. I may get BDF in Logos in the future, but chose Wallace for a number of different reasons. 1) Wallace is easier to use. BDF was written during a time when many had a classical education that included classical Greek. The grammar presupposes that you have a working knowledge of classical Greek. Though you can use it without this background knowledge, it makes it more difficult to use because of this. 2) I have personally benefited more from Wallace than from BDF in their paper incarnations (probably because of reason #1). 3) Wallace is less expensive. I believe Wallace is $40 and BDF is $75.

While I often sell my paper copies when I purchase the same volume in Logos, I decided to keep Wallace in paper because it is handy to have a physical copy. Wallace is not only a good reference grammar, but it is also very readable. If I had BDF in Logos, I would likely sell my paper copy because it is not very readable. For me, BDF is a good reference grammar, but a poor companion. So my suggestion for you would be to keep you paper Wallace and purchase the Logos Wallace. Live in this grammar, and when you have some available funds, purchase the Logos BDF.

Alan Charles Gielczyk

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/94012#Comment_94012

This is interesting that this has come up. I just purchased BDF, it was my valentines present from my wife, don't be jealous, anyway. I am taking a Colossians exegesis class. I have used Wallace for a couple of years and love it. What I do now is translate the verse for example today I did 2:1-5 and then I do a basic search in each grammar for the verse I just translated. Even when I don't have a particular syntactical question I still am getting insight and learning from each verse. Having said that I would definitely go with Wallace first, much easier to read.