Research Guides: RELG 215: The Letters of Paul (HC): Exegesis

Introduction

Some of you may choose to write an exegetical research paper. Pay close attention to the research tools of New Testament scholarship. Many of the resources listed below are in the reference section, and some of them are online. Your first step is to take a look at an Interlinear Bible as this includes translations (often multiple) and the original Greek, but are ordered line by line. Thus, you can find a relevant passage and move from there. Use dictionaries and lexicons (includes expressions) as well as concordances to find more information about the original Greek word, the varying English translations, and other locations within the New Testament. Online interlinear Bibles can be a useful tool for this kind of research because with the click of a mouse, you can find valuable information about a given term.

Scripture 4 all's Greek-English Interlinear Bible The useful thing about this resource is that the passages are in .pdf form, so it is easy to print out and use as a reference source.
NLT Interlinear Bible If you click on the number above the Greek (Strong's number), it will highlight everywhere else that term can be found.

**Please be aware of the English translation you are using. Be sure to look at multiple translations of a term. It is important to be careful to note who the authors or publishers of a website are, as well as any monograph. The following book includes the Greek text as well as SEVEN English translations.

The Precise Parallel New Testament
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ISBN: 0195284127
Publication Date: 1995-03-23
The Precise Parallel New Testament presents seven of the most well-known New Testament translations side by side on each page along with the original Greek text. Comparing these translations verse by verse brings to light important differences in language and interpretation among seven works based on the same original language documents. The translations included in The Precise Parallel New Testament have all at one time been considered the most accurate versions of their eras. This volume reveals how the perception of accuracy has changed over the years. The emergence of new scholarship and the growing importance of issues such as inclusive language have forced revisions of older versions such as the King James and the Rheims. These changes have caused more contemporary translations to emerge including The New American Standard, considered the closest approximation to a word-for-word translation of the original texts, and The Amplified Bible, which reflects word for word accuracy in a different way by providing alternative translations of certain words within the text to make their meaning clearer. The Precise Parallel New Testament includes translations spanning the widest range of Christian perspectives. The Rheims and the more contemporaryNew American Bible are preferred by Catholics. The New International Version and The New American Standard present a more evangelical view in their interpretation. The New Revised Standard Version is favored by mainline Protestants for its accuracy and sensitivity to issues such as inclusive language. This volume gives remarkable insight into the effects time and differet faith orientations have had on translation of this fundamental work. The Precise Parallel New Testament is an invaluable resource for readers with a deep interest in the study of language and the Bible. It is also an excellent reference tool for pastors and language scholars. * Gives insight into the influences of different faiths and social views on translation of the Bible. * Presents seven of the most well-known Bible translations side by side for comparison with the original Greek.

Dictionaries and Lexicons

New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis Set by Moisés Silva (Revised by)
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ISBN: 9780310276197
Publication Date: 2014-11-11
A standard and widely-used reference work for nearly 40 years, the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis has been thoroughly revised and updated to aid today's pastors, students, scholars, and teachers in their study of the New Testament. Offering a wealth of background and information on the meaning of Greek words in the New Testament--as well as related usage in classical Greek sources, the Septuagint, Jewish literature, and more--this important tool offers the following features: * Alphabetical arrangement according to Greek words instead of previous order according to English topics; this ensures that individual Greek words are not discussed in isolation from one another and are easy to access * Expanded to include additional Greek words and concepts not covered in the original work, NIDNTTE includes nearly 800 entries covering over 3,000 Greek words * Discussions have been revised to be in line with modern scholarship and bibliographies are updated * Corrections have been made to inconsistencies and omissions in earlier versions * Updated and added consistency to include--for every entry--all necessary background information from classical Greek, the LXX, and Jewish literature. * A helpful semantic domain index now directs the reader to all of the Greek words that have something to do with a particular English word. For example, under the English word "Anger, Wrath," there is a list of thirteen Greek words that are related to that topic. * Significant changes have been made in the presentation and discussion of linguistic details * and much more!
The Greek of the Septuagint: A Supplemental Lexicon by Gary Alan Chamberlain
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ISBN: 1565637410
For New Testament students and scholars who want to fully exegete the Septuagint, this lexicon will be a welcome addition to their libraries. Used in conjunction with the New Testament (NT) lexicon they already possess, "The Greek of the Septuagint: A Supplemental Lexicon" will bridge the gap with additional information that's needed to translate the Septuagint.

While those who have learned the Greek of the New Testament possess the grammatical skills necessary to read Septuagint Greek, the vocabulary found in the Septuagint differs sufficiently from both that found in the NT and that found in Classical Greek, so that a specialized lexicon is not just of great help, but essential.

Special Features
- Provides definitions and vital lexical information for over 5,000 Septuagint words not found in the NT
- Offers supplemental information on over 1,000 additional words that have unique Septuagint meanings not covered in NT lexicons
- Contains detailed discussions of special, contextual word meanings, Hebrew word equivalents, and Septuagint mistranslations of the Hebrew original
- Includes a number of Septuagint variant words not found in standard classical and Septuagint lexicons
- Includes helpful appendices that list classical parallels to Septuagint words, unique Septuagint words, words first used in the Septuagint, and mistranslated words
- A detailed cross reference index charts the places where Septuagint biblical references (chapter and verse numbering) differ from that found in the Hebrew and English Bibles

Interlinear Bible and exegesis

The Interlinear NRSV-NIV Parallel New Testament in Greek and English by Alfred Marshall
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ISBN: 0310401607
Publication Date: 1994-03-01
The Interlinear NSRV-NIV Parallel New Testament is both a parallel and an inter-linear New Testament. What makes this volume unique is the use of two English translations that generally have a different readership: the New Revised Standard Version, published in 1989, and the New International Version, which has become the best-selling English Bible version. Alfred Marshall's interlinear has become a standard tool for locating the Greek words behind specific passages in the New Testament and for easier reading of the Greek New Testament. The Greek text is the twenty-first edition of Nestle's Novum Testamentum Graece. The interlinear English text is Marshall's own literal translation. The test in the left-hand column is the NRSV text, complete with notes; the text in the right-hand column is the NIV text with notes.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
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This text provides a list of every instance a term is used in the Bible. It includes Hebrew and Greek in the back.

Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament by Horst Balz (Editor); Gerhard Schneider (Editor)
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ISBN: 0802824099
Publication Date: 1990-08-01
3 volumes. This reference tool will be very useful for your exegetical paper as it provides lengthy and extensive entries that go into great detail about the Greek meaning, English translations, and the history of the terms and texts in the New Testament.

A Septuagint Concordance
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A concordance to the Septuagint and the other Greek versions of the Old Testament (including the Apocryphal books): This text includes an extensive Hebrew index which lists all of the Greek words used to translate each Hebrew and Aramaic word.