[B-Greek] Lexica, Dictionaries, Glossaries and Worth/Utility (long ...)
Jonathan Robie
jwrobie at mindspring.com
Fri Jul 18 16:07:37 EDT 2008
Carl W. Conrad wrote:
> To illustrate the difference between these resources, let me cite
> entries for a relatively simple word, TECNH:
>
> UBS Dictionary (Barclay Newman): τέχνη, ης f craft, trade;
> artistic ability, craftsmanship
>
That's not much better for me than just seeing what English word a
particular translation uses.
> BDAG: τέχνη, ης, ἡ (Hom.+; loanw. in rabb.) skill, trade Ac
> 17:29; Rv 18:22. Pl. Dg 2:3. σκηνοποιὸς τῇ τ. α σκ.
> by trade Ac 18:3. τέχνην ἔχειν have and practice a skill
> or trade (Eur., Suppl. 381; X., Mem. 3, 10, 1 al.) Hs 9, 9, 2; D 12:4.
> —JKube, ΤΕΧΝΗ und ΑΡΕΤΗ ’69.—DELG. M-M. Sv.
>
One thing I really appreciate is that BDAG has become very accessible.
It doesn't take much more time to read this than to read the Barclay
Newman, but I have references to the major uses of the word, the
definitions are more meticulous and precise, and there are references to
significant literature that will help me get a deeper understanding. Of
course, when needed, entries can take pages and can be quite complex,
but there always seems to be a good reason for that.
And since I focus on the GNT, and sometimes the LXX or early Patristic
writings it gives me just what I need for the corpus I care about.
> LSJ: techn-ê, hê, (tektôn) art, skill, cunning of hand, esp. in
> metalworking, Od.3.433, 6.234, 11.614; also of a shipwright, Il.3.61;
> of a soothsayer, A.Ag.249 (pl., lyr.), Eu.17, S.OT389, etc.; technai
> heterôn heterai Pi.N.1.25; ôpase t. pasan Id.O.7.50.
> 2. craft, cunning, in bad sense, doliê t. Od.4.455, Hes.Th.160: pl.,
> arts, wiles, Od.8.327.332, Hes.Th.496,929; doliais technaisi
> chrêsamenos Pi.N.4.58; technais tinos by his arts (or simply by his
> agency), Id.O.9.52, P.3.11; technên kakên echei he has a bad trick,
> Hes.Th.770, cf. Pi.I.4(3).35(53), S Ph.88, etc.
> 3. way, manner, or means whereby a thing is gained, without any
> definite sense of art or craft, mêdemiêi t. in no wise, Hdt.1.112;
> itheêi t. straightway, Id.9.57; pasêi t. by all means, Ar.Nu.1323, Th.
> 65, Ec.366; pantoiai t. S.Aj.752, etc.; ouk apostêsomai ..oute t. oute
> mêchanêi oudemiai IG12.39.22; pasêi t. kai mêchanêi X.An.4.5.16;
> mête t. mête mêchanêi mêdemiai Lys.13.95.
> II. an art, craft, pasai technai brotoisin ek Promêtheôs A.Pr. 506,
> cf. IG12.678; tên t. epistasthai to know the craft, Hdt.3.130;
> phlaurôs echein tên t. ibid.; tês t. empeiros Ar.Ra.811; tautên
> technên echei he makes this his trade, Lys.1.16, cf. 6.7; en têi t.
> einai practise it, S.OT562, Pl.Prt.317c; epi technêi mathein ti to
> learn a thing professionally, opp. epi paideiai, ib.312b, cf. 315a;
> technai kai ergasiai X.Mem.3.10.1; technên to pragma pepoiêmenoi
> having made a trade of it, D.37.53; technas askein, meletan,
> ergazesthai, to practise them,X. Cyr.1.6.26,41 (Pass.), Oec.4.3;
> patrôian technan ergazesthai halieuesthai Praktika Arch. Het.1932.52
> (Dodona, iv B.C.); iatros tên t. POxy. 40.5 (ii A.D.); tetherapeukôs
> anenklêtôs têi t., of a barber, PEnteux. 47.3 (iii B.C.); paramenô
> pros hupêresian tês t. (viz. weaving) Sammelb. 7358.20 (iii A.D.);
> apo technôn trephesthai live by them, X.Lac. 7.1.
> III. an art or craft, i.e. a set of rules, system or method of making
> or doing, whether of the useful arts, or of the fine arts, Epich.
> 171.11, Pl.Phdr.245a, Arist.Rh.1354a11, EN1140a8; hê empeiria technên
> epoiêsen, hê d' apeiria tuchên Polus ap. eund.Metaph. 981a4; hê
> peri tous logous t. the Art of Rhetoric, Pl.Phd.90b; hoi tas t. tôn
> logôn suntithentes systems of rhetoric, Arist.Rh.1354a12, cf. Isoc.
> 13.19, Pl.Phdr.271c, Phld.Rh.2.50 S., al.; hence title of various
> treatises on Rhetoric (v. VI; but rather tricks of Rhetoric, in
> Aeschin. 1.117); technêi by rules of art, Pl.Euthd.282d; ê phusei ê
> technêi Id.R. 381b; technêi kai epistêmêi Id.Ion532c; aneu
> technês, meta technês, Id.Phd.89e: t. defined as hexis
> hodopoiêtikê, Zeno Stoic.1.20, cf. Cleanth. ib.1.110.
> IV. = technêma, work of art, handiwork, kratêres .., andros
> eucheiros technê S.OC472; hoplois .., Hêphaistou technêi Id.Fr. 156,
> cf. Str.14.1.14, PLond.3.854.4 (ii A.D.), Paus.6.25.1, al.
> V. = suntechnia, hê t. tôn lithourgôn, tôn sakkophorôn, Dumont-
> Homolle Mélanges d' archéol. et d' épigr.p.378 No.65,66 (Perinthus);
> t. burseôn, suropoiôn, IGRom.1.717,1482 (both Philippopolis); tous
> kataleipomenous apo têis t. BGU1572.12 (ii A.D.); ho chalkeus apo tês
> t. SIG 1140 (Amphipolis).
> VI. treatise on Grammar, D.T. tit., or on Rhetoric, Anaximenes
> Lampsacenus tit.
>
I'm usually just a little overwhelmed by LSJ if I try to use an entire
definition. It is hard for me to know exactly how much of this applies
to the time period and the place that I am most interested in. How do I
know which of these definitions are unlikely at the time and place of
the Greek New Testament?
Jonathan
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