While the title sounds like a mouthful of 19th-century academia, this resource remains one of the most accessible and detailed tools for anyone wanting to understand the original language of the Christian scriptures.
What is this Lexicon?
At its core, this work is a translation and heavy expansion of a German lexicon.
Christian Wilke: Wrote the original Clavis Novi Testamenti (Key to the New Testament).
C.L.W. Grimm: Extensively revised Wilke’s work in the mid-1800s.
Joseph Henry Thayer: A Harvard professor who translated Grimm’s German/Latin work into English, adding his own massive amount of research and references.
Published in its final form in 1889, it was the "gold standard" for nearly a century.
The Best Way to Use It for Bible Study
You don't need to be a Greek scholar to use Thayer’s, but you do need a strategy.
1. Use the "Strong’s" Bridge
If you don't know the Greek alphabet, look up your English word in a Strong’s Concordance first. Find the number (e.g., Greek #1577 for ekklesia). Most versions of Thayer’s are indexed by these numbers, allowing you to jump straight to the entry.
2. Trace the "Sense" of the Word
Thayer’s organizes entries logically. Usually, it starts with the etymology (where the word came from) and then lists different "senses" or nuances.
Sense A: The literal or physical meaning.
Sense B: The metaphorical or spiritual meaning.
Always check which category the specific verse you are studying falls under.
3. Cross-Reference the "Extra-Biblical" Usage
One of Thayer’s strengths is that he tells you how a word was used by secular writers like Homer, Plato, or Plutarch. This helps you see if the New Testament writers were using a word in a common way or if they were "baptizing" the word with a brand-new Christian meaning.
Can It Be Used Reliably for the Septuagint?
The Septuagint (LXX)—the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament—is a different beast than the New Testament. If you are wondering if Thayer's is the right tool for Old Testament Greek study, the answer is: Yes, but with caution.
The Good: Thayer frequently cites the Septuagint.
If a New Testament word appears in the LXX, Thayer will often list those references and explain how the Hebrew word was translated into Greek. This is invaluable for seeing the continuity between the two Testaments. The Bad: Thayer’s is not an exhaustive Septuagint lexicon. There are thousands of words in the LXX that do not appear in the New Testament, and Thayer simply won’t have entries for them.
The Verdict: Use it as a secondary resource for the Septuagint. For a truly deep dive into the Old Testament in Greek, you are better off using a specialized tool like the Lust-Eynikel-Hauspie (LEH) Lexicon.
A Note of Caution
Because Thayer’s was completed in 1889, it missed the "Papyri Revolution." Shortly after its publication, thousands of ancient Greek scraps (receipts, letters, contracts) were found in Egypt. These showed that "Biblical Greek" was actually the common language of the street (Koine), not a special "Holy Ghost language."
Additionally, Joseph Henry Thayer held Unitarian views, and some scholars argue his theological leanings occasionally color his definitions of words related to the divinity of Christ.
Bottom Line: Thayer’s is a brilliant, deep-reaching tool that brings the world of the first century to life. Just remember it’s a product of its time—a beautiful, slightly aged window into the Word.
No comments:
Post a Comment