Greek WORD STUDY RESOURCES

Not only is Louw & Nida my top recommendation, but it is also the most affordable lexicon in Logos. What is great about Louw & Nida is that, more than any other lexicon, Louw & Nida is integrated into Logos. The LN numbers are part of the interlinear lines for Logos interlinear bibles. What this means for beginning students is that scholars at Logos have done the work to determine which possible meaning of each word is most likely for each instance.

Louw & Nida has limitations, like every lexicon. It is focused solely on the NT canon, and does not stray any further into Greek literature. The lexicon is also focused on definitions, and so it does not provide bibliography or citations back to the NT.

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The Swanson Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains for Greek (DBL Greek) is a wonderful, I think of it is as essential, supplement for making use of Louw & Nida in Logos. I think of this lexicon as the bridge between Louw & Nida and Logos. Another way to think of it as an expansion on volume 2 of Louw & Nida. For example, whereas a words variety of possible meanings in Louw & Nida vol. 2 is a simple list of possible glosses, DBL Greek has the same list, but includes a brief definition, some citations for example uses, and a direct link to the fuller definition in volume 1 of Louw & Nida. Truth be told, this is almost always the first lexicon I open.

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The Greek-English Lexicon, regularly called BDAG, is considered by many the top Lexicon for the NT, and for good reason. BDAG, like Louw & Nida, covers the semantic range of each word, but the advantage of BDAG is increased citations back to the NT which Louw & Nida lacks. BDAG, like other lexicons, also includes the other forms or principal parts of words. BDAG also includes bibliography for words for further research, and also casts a wider eye in its presentation. Unlike Louw & Nida which is solely focused on the NT corpus, BDAG makes some comments on earlier classical usage, and moves into our Koine literature as well.

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BDAG is also bundled with HALOT, the standard Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, for an increased discount. Here’s the link to purchase

BrillDAG, as it is often referred to, is the newest Greek lexicon and rivals the LSJ lexicon for Ancient Greek. BrillDAG is comprehensive in that it looks at the entire ancient Greek corpus. This is an essential dictionary for those who seek a wider-angle look at word usage, and also for those doing work outside of the New Testament, like in the classics, the Septuagint, Apocrypha, Josephus, and Philo.

For a very helpful article comparing BrillDAG to the LSJ lexicon, see here.

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The NIDNTTE is my top recommendation for a theological dictionary. Not only is this a relatively recent resource, but it aims at being more concise than something like the TDNT.

All words are for the most part grouped together into groups of words, with each article broken into three sections: classical literature, OT, and NT, and concluding with a brief bibliography. Each entry is also placed into larger conceptual categories at the top of the article so that you can see other words within the larger theological concepts.

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NIDNTTE is bundled with NIDOTTE for an increased discount. Here’s the link to purchase

The abridged version (TDNT-A, or sometimes called “little Kittel”) of the massive 10-volume TDNT (see below) is a great choice for those looking for a concise theological dictionary that doesn’t break the bank. This abridged version boils down the much larger articles from TDNT into a single volume resource.

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The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT), or sometimes called “Kittel”) continues to be a mainstay for word study research. At 10 volumes, TDNT offers comprehensive articles on Greek words and word groups. If you are looking to do exhaustive word study on words, you can’t avoid this monumental work.

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TDNT is also bundled with the TDOT for increased discount. Here’s the link to purchase

The Lexham Theological Wordbook (LTW) is a unique resource published by FaithLife’s Lexham Press. It is designed with the non-academic in mind. Like Louw & Nida and the NIDNTTE, it organizes into larger concepts of meaning. LTW is also unique in that it treats Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic all together. As is true of theological dictionaries, not every Greek word will be treated (unlike a Lexicon), and LTW contains even less than some of the other theological dictionaries. But for those just stepping into word studies, and especially those with no knowledge of the original languages, this is a wonderful choice.

Here’s the link to purchase