Machen on Learning Greek

Sydnorphyn · #1 (**permalink**) 09-15-2007, 07:34 AM

For those of us who are teaching languages, this is the answer to the "why" we often get from students. Enjoy.

“It is not the primary purpose of language study to provide the means for
reaching astounding exegetical conclusions, although sound linguistic
training can at least prevent students from adopting inadmissible
interpretations. The true goal of learning New Testament Greek is rather
to build a much broader base of knowledge and understanding than the
student would otherwise have. Occasionally, this knowledge may indeed
supply fairly direct answers to exegetical questions. But what matters
most is the newly acquired ability to interpret texts responsibly on the
basis of comprehensive rather than fragmented (and therefore distorted)
information.” (M. Silva, “Foreword,” in G. Machen, New Testament Greek for
Beginners, 2nd rev. ed. [Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice-Hall,
2004], 11.)

weinhold · #2 (**permalink**) 09-15-2007, 11:32 AM

Here's a little something for students of Greek as well, an encouraging word from Hesiod:

σοὶ δ᾽ ἐγὼ ἐσθλὰ νοέων ἐρέω, μέγα νήπιε Πέρση.
τὴν μέν τοι κακότητα καὶ ἰλαδὸν ἔστιν ἑλέσθαι
ῥηιδίως: λείη μὲν ὁδός, μάλα δ᾽ ἐγγύθι ναίει:
τῆς δ᾽ ἀρετῆς ἱδρῶτα θεοὶ προπάροιθεν ἔθηκαν
ἀθάνατοι: μακρός δὲ καὶ ὄρθιος οἶμος ἐς αὐτὴν
καὶ τρηχύς τὸ πρῶτον: ἐπὴν δ᾽ εἰς ἄκρον ἵκηται,
ῥηιδίη δὴ ἔπειτα πέλει, χαλεπή περ ἐοῦσα.

For your own good, I tell you, Perses, you silly fool,
Badness by the barrel-full one can lay hold of
Easily; the way is smooth and quite close at hand.
But the immortal gods have put sweat before excellence.
The path to that is long and steep
And rough at first, but when one nears the top,
Then it gets easy, though it is still difficult.

bookslover · #3 (**permalink**) 09-15-2007, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sydnorphyn

For those of us who are teaching languages, this is the answer to the "why" we often get from students. Enjoy.

“It is not the primary purpose of language study to provide the means for
reaching astounding exegetical conclusions, although sound linguistic
training can at least prevent students from adopting inadmissible
interpretations. The true goal of learning New Testament Greek is rather
to build a much broader base of knowledge and understanding than the
student would otherwise have. Occasionally, this knowledge may indeed
supply fairly direct answers to exegetical questions. But what matters
most is the newly acquired ability to interpret texts responsibly on the
basis of comprehensive rather than fragmented (and therefore distorted)
information.” (M. Silva, “Foreword,” in G. Machen, New Testament Greek for
Beginners, 2nd rev. ed. [Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice-Hall,
2004], 11.)

Never mind Silva. Machen's original preface is lyrical and informative enough. The one time I saw the Prentice-Hall edition, they'd jacked the price up pretty high - way higher than I had to pay for my Machen back in the '80s.

Scott Opalsky · #4 (**permalink**) 10-11-2007, 10:35 AM

Can anyone clear this up for me.
I understand the 4 conventions of the Greek language as Erasmian or Academic, Historic Attic, Historical Biblical, and Modern. I see the various differences in pronunciation of certain vowels and dipthongs from convention to convention. However, this is my question! Why are there two different schools within the Erasmian or Academic camp, which is the convention taught at seminary? One according to Machen and the other according to Mounce. Why does the Machen camp teach that the sound of both the omicron and omega is the long o as in or and the Mounce/Strong camp distinguishes between the omega and the omicron giving the historic Erasmian pronunciation of the omicron as the short o as in not, and the omega as the long o as in no. Give me some feed back! I understand that Machen represents Westminister and Mounce Gordon Conwell. I also understand that Erasmus in his translation tried to give each letter its own distinct sound, but is his pronunciation supported by the historic biblical pronunciation. It seems to me that the Historic Greek did not have the need for two vowels with the same long o sound. One would have to have been the short o (omicron). Additionally, it is my understanding that none of the accent marks acute or grave give the omicron the long o sound. What thinketh thee?

DMcFadden · #5 (**permalink**) 10-11-2007, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bookslover

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sydnorphyn

For those of us who are teaching languages, this is the answer to the "why" we often get from students. Enjoy.

“It is not the primary purpose of language study to provide the means for
reaching astounding exegetical conclusions, although sound linguistic
training can at least prevent students from adopting inadmissible
interpretations. The true goal of learning New Testament Greek is rather
to build a much broader base of knowledge and understanding than the
student would otherwise have. Occasionally, this knowledge may indeed
supply fairly direct answers to exegetical questions. But what matters
most is the newly acquired ability to interpret texts responsibly on the
basis of comprehensive rather than fragmented (and therefore distorted)
information.” (M. Silva, “Foreword,” in G. Machen, New Testament Greek for
Beginners, 2nd rev. ed. [Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice-Hall,
2004], 11.)

Never mind Silva. Machen's original preface is lyrical and informative enough. The one time I saw the Prentice-Hall edition, they'd jacked the price up pretty high - way higher than I had to pay for my Machen back in the '80s.

Never mind Silva! Oh the wound. My wife and I had him when he was a newly minted PhD (under F.F. Bruce) at Westmont in the early '70s. He was a contagious booster of the OP back then. My wife took her two years of Greek under Moises. What can you say about a Cuban refugee from Castro, educated at Bob Jones, Westminster (PA) and Manchester? He always sounded like Desi Arnez.

3John2 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-16-2007, 11:52 PM

I bought a copy of Machen's for like $21 at ebay. We use Machen at our seminary.