Book Notice: BIBLICAL GREEK MADE SIMPLE: ALL THE BASICS IN ONE SEMESTER, by H. Daniel Zacharias

A Brief Book Notice from Books At a Glance

Why and How This Grammar is Different

(from the Introduction, pp.xiv-xv)

The approach of Biblical Greek Made Simple is unique. It is different from other grammars not only in layout, but its distinct pedagogical approach and breakdown.

1. Biblical Greek Made Simple is designed for a 12- week (or so) class or self- learner. That is why there are only 11 chapters in this book. Most (not all) Greek textbooks, certainly all of the popular ones used in seminaries today, are designed for a full year (i.e., two semester) course and span from 20 to 35 chapters or more.  
2. Biblical Greek Made Simple teaches you to work with Logos Bible Software. Although some Greek professors want you to avoid Bible software because it is a crutch (and it certainly can be!), it is increasingly a reality that students, pastors and laypersons are using Bible software to aid their study of the Bible. Instead of fighting that trend, I am embracing it and trying to equip you to use Logos Bible Software to its full potential. If you are about to embark on learning Greek with this grammar, purchase of a Logos Bible Software base package is highly encouraged. If you are a student, Logos is generous with student discounts, so be sure to sign up for their academic discount.    
3. Because of the above two realities, Biblical Greek Made Simple employs a conceptual, or wide- angle approach to teaching you Greek. It is by no means a dumbing down of Greek— there is still plenty of memorization work to be done. But the questions asked are different from a typical grammar. For instance, a typical grammar would ask a student “what is the parsing of λύομαι?” To which your answer would be “present, middle/passive, indicative, first- person, singular, from λύω.” Instead, this grammar will say, “Your Bible software tells you that λύομαι is present, middle/passive, indicative, first- person, singular, from λύω. How does Logos know that? What does it mean to be present? What does it mean to be middle/passive? What does it mean to be indicative? And how good of a job did your English translation do in translating that word?” This textbook will strive to give you a solid overview of the entire NT Greek system, and challenge you to answer questions relevant to meaning and translation, while still helping you understand the basics of how Greek works and how Greek words are formed.
4. Biblical Greek Made Simple accommodates those who want to go on to further Greek studies, in particular those who want to spend another 12 or so weeks to increase their competency in Greek such that they are at the level of other students using a traditional full- year grammar. This is done by going through the book twice. At the end of each chapter, there is a Second Time Around section for those who are doing their second pass through the grammar, to suggest some things to focus on and any applicable additional information.

Table of Contents

1.  Signs and Sounds of Greek Made Simple
2.  Greek Nouns Made Simple
3.  Case Functions Made Simple
4.  Greek Indicative Verbs Made Simple
5.  Principle Parts and Alternative-Pattern Indicative Verbs Made Simple
6.  The Article, Adjectives, Pronouns, and Numbers Made Simple
7.  Adverbs, Prepositions, Phrases, and Clauses Made Simple
8.  Participles Made Simple
9.  Participle Functions Made Simple
10.  Nonindicative Verbs Made Simple
11.  Infinitives Made Simple
12.  Where Do I Go from Here?

Biblical Greek Made Simple is a one-semester textbook that teaches the basics of biblical Greek. Designed with the modern student and curriculum in mind, this grammar introduces all the essential elements of biblical Greek while also utilizing the tools and features of Logos Bible Software to help retain and enhance knowledge of Greek.

Buy the books

Biblical Greek Made Simple: All the Basics in One Semester

Lexham Press, 2018 | 192 pages

From: Amazon ( Hardcover )