Tips and Resources for Learning Koine/Biblical Greek?

[Severian]

I'm off to the bookstore today, I plan on picking up some books for standardized test prep, Arabic, and Koine Greek. I've always told myself that if I could learn a third language it would be Koine Greek, so I could read the Scriptures, the Fathers, and (many of) the hymns of the Church in their original language. Any ideas on what books I should get to get myself started?

In Christ,
Severian

EDIT: On my Arabic thread Cyrillic gave me the following suggestions:

The Fathers and the Scriptures are a lot easier than the classical works. The best thing you could do is buy a Greek-English dictionary (preferably Liddle-Scott) and learn declensions. Doulos, doulou, douloi, etc. You can always check for words in the dictionary, grammar, and specifically declensions, are very important.

Is there any more advice you guys could give me?

[Arachne]

This or this.

This CD could be useful as well for correct pronunciation.

[Arachne]

There is also the archive at Textkit, free to download.

[Romaios]

This CD could be useful as well for correct pronunciation.

Better yet, and free:

http://www.bible.is/audiodownloader

Just pick Greek - the (Koine) text is the Patriarchal Edition of 1914.

[Arachne]

This CD could be useful as well for correct pronunciation.

Better yet, and free:

http://www.bible.is/audiodownloader

Just pick Greek - the (Koine) text is the Patriarchal Edition of 1914.

Just grabbed it. Will let y'all know how it is.

[ialmisry]

I'm off to the bookstore today, I plan on picking up some books for standardized test prep, Arabic, and Koine Greek. I've always told myself that if I could learn a third language it would be Koine Greek, so I could read the Scriptures, the Fathers, and (many of) the hymns of the Church in their original language. Any ideas on what books I should get to get myself started?

In Christ,
Severian

EDIT: On my Arabic thread Cyrillic gave me the following suggestions:

The Fathers and the Scriptures are a lot easier than the classical works. The best thing you could do is buy a Greek-English dictionary (preferably Liddle-Scott) and learn declensions. Doulos, doulou, douloi, etc. You can always check for words in the dictionary, grammar, and specifically declensions, are very important.

Is there any more advice you guys could give me?

Get a frequency dictionary.  I'll see about digging mine out, to tell you the title. It is excellent as guide to vocabulary learning.

[Arachne]

This CD could be useful as well for correct pronunciation.

Better yet, and free:

http://www.bible.is/audiodownloader

Just pick Greek - the (Koine) text is the Patriarchal Edition of 1914.

Just grabbed it. Will let y'all know how it is.

Hallelujah, they've got a native Greek reading! Perfect pronunciation, no demi-hemi-semi-Erasmian abominations. 500Mb in total, a blip on a modern computer's hard drive.

Mind you, each book is broken down into bite-size chunks. Some audio joining software could help create a few larger, more manageable listening sessions.

Now, I want to spend my remaining two downloads wisely. Which English version should I get?

[Romaios]

Now, I want to spend my remaining two downloads wisely. Which English version should I get?

I haven't listened to their English versions, but I'd go for non-drama - either NRSV or KJV. I occasionally listen to the older KJV recording by Alexander Scourby.

The modern Hebrew version is nice. It's the latest and best translation of the Biblical Society of Israel. 

They also have a Nova Vulgata NT, but Latin spoken with an American/British accent is abominable (to my ears at least).

[Cyrillic]

When I was perusing the library of the University of Leiden I accidentally (well, it wasn't really accidentally) ended up in the patristics section where I found a huge Patristic Greek dictionary. It was the biggest book I've ever seen. I found a digital copy on the internet. You might find it useful. It has a lot of words you'll find in the Fathers but not in Liddle and Scott.

Oh, and welcome to the select few that are learning Greek. We have cookies.

[Romaios]

Here's the Psalter according to the LXX (Koine Greek), recorded by the same reader. IIRC it used to be available from the same site (?) for free at one point. On the site of the Greek Bible Society they say there's a recording of the entire LXX Old Testament coming up.

[Romaios]

Mind you, each book is broken down into bite-size chunks. Some audio joining software could help create a few larger, more manageable listening sessions.

Here's the same version in book-size chunks instead of single chapters. Sorry about the names of the books - they were originally in Latin, but I changed them to Romanian.

[ialmisry]

When I was perusing the library of the University of Leiden I accidentally (well, it wasn't really accidentally) ended up in the patristics section where I found a huge Patristic Greek dictionary. It was the biggest book I've ever seen. I found a digital copy on the internet. You might find it useful. It has a lot of words you'll find in the Fathers but not in Liddle and Scott.

Oh, and welcome to the select few that are learning Greek. We have cookies.

No Baklava?

You never came across Lampe befoe?

[Cyrillic]

You never came across Lampe befoe?

Nope. I was completely taken by surprise.

No Baklava?

Baklava - no. We do have gyros.

[Arachne]

Mind you, each book is broken down into bite-size chunks. Some audio joining software could help create a few larger, more manageable listening sessions.

Here's the same version in book-size chunks instead of single chapters. Sorry about the names of the books - they were originally in Latin, but I changed them to Romanian.

I've already done the same myself. I love my FormatFactory.

[Arachne]

Oh, and welcome to the select few that are learning Greek. We have cookies.

Cookies are for amateurs. We have brownies.

[Romaios]

Get a frequency dictionary.  I'll see about digging mine out, to tell you the title. It is excellent as guide to vocabulary learning.

Robert E. Van Voorst - Building Your New Testament Greek Vocabulary?

[Cyrillic]

The best advice I can give is: learn Greek in a classroom setting. That's the only real way to learn it, I think.

And I've heard good things about this book You should see if your library has it. I've read it a bit and it looks like something you really want to have.

[Arachne]

And I've heard good things about this book You should see if your library has it. I've read it a bit and it looks like something you really want to have.

Definitely something to get in paperback - and used.

[Severian]

The best advice I can give is: learn Greek in a classroom setting. That's the only real way to learn it, I think.

That's what I thought too. I just wanted to introduce myself to the basics of the language before I got serious about studying it. That being said, I want to focus a lot more on my Arabic, as I have a strong foundation in that language.

Thank you all for your advice, especially you, Cyrillic.

[Cyrillic]

Thank you all for your advice, especially you, Cyrillic.

No problem.

If you're getting better at Greek I recommend the Patristic Greek Reader. It's a book with some nice Patristic texts (St. Gregory the Theologian, the Didache, the Sayings of the Desert Fathers, etc.) with a word list at the end of the book and notes at the bottom of each page what difficult passages and words mean. Oh, and there are translations of those passages in there too so you could check your work.

[ialmisry]

Get a frequency dictionary.  I'll see about digging mine out, to tell you the title. It is excellent as guide to vocabulary learning.

Robert E. Van Voorst - Building Your New Testament Greek Vocabulary?

No.  Warren C. Trenchard "Complete Vocabulary Guide to the Greek New Testament."

[Servos]

Baklava - no.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM5m8s5bbn0

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