[B-Greek] Re: Machen's NT Greek for Beginner

Libws15 Workstudy15 libws15 at dbu.edu
Wed Feb 18 18:54:26 EST 2004


I believe that Machen's New Testament Greek is a good beginning Greek
grammar.  I am by no means a grammarian, in fact, I am only in second
year greek, but I do know that it did help me.  I like how he will list
some of the principal parts for certain verbs in his vocabulary section
(this can be quite helpful).  My school used Ray Summers' first year
grammar, and I definitely prefer Machen over Summers.  Summers follows
A.T. Robertson and accepts the eight case system (so do Dana-Mantey, the
book my school uses in Intermediate Greek...I personally prefer
Wallace), while Machen accepts the five case system.  I guess you could
say that I do harbor a personal prejudice since Machen is one of my
heroes (I will be attending the Seminary he founded, and I am also a
member of the denomination he founded), but in my analysis I try to be
as unbiased as possible.  For first year Greek, I do prefer Mounce. 
Most people (that I have talked to anyway) do not like his obscure
references to the development of the language, but since I am wanting to
go into New Testament studies (and the Greek language in particular), I
actually enjoy this.  Machen's book is for an older day (he was
classically educated, which is something I wish I could say for the
majority of my peers and myself), but I personally believe that you can
gain much profit from it.   

David Paul Fahrenthold II   

cor meum tibi offero Domine prompte et sincere



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