# Which edition of the Greek New Testament?



## Davidius (Dec 1, 2007)

My fiancee wants to get me a special gift for Christmas this year and asked whether I would like a Greek New Testament since I started learning Greek this semester. This is definitely something I want to have so I was wondering which edition would be best for me. Is there a really fancy, "gifty" edition?


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## fredtgreco (Dec 1, 2007)

David,

Will you be learning Hebrew as well? If so, the best edition - from a binding, clearness of type, and combined edition is:

Amazon.com: Biblia Sacra Hebraica Stuttgartensia with Greek New Testament: Books

It is the critical text, but the fact that it has a good binding, clear print (something *very* hard to find) and both testaments is a huge plus. I don't know where, but I am pretty sure you can get for much cheaper than the Amazon price (link is for information).

Maybe one of the seminary guys might be able to help.

A less expensive, smaller, and not so good of typeface edition is put out by the Trinitarian Bible Society that has the TR/MT.


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## VictorBravo (Dec 1, 2007)

fredtgreco said:


> David,
> 
> Will you be learning Hebrew as well? If so, the best edition - from a binding, clearness of type, and combined edition is:
> 
> ...



 I've got that edition. I love it. It holds up well. I also have a pocket-book sized Greek New Testament with the Stephans text that is easy to carry around and fun to compare with the Greek of the above.

BTW, I saw it last year for sale on Walmart's website for around $87.00. Not there now, but I picked mine up at the local seminary bookstore for $90.


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## greenbaggins (Dec 1, 2007)

My favorite Greek NT is the NA27th in a large-print edition. The helps are amazing, and the apparatus, while taking a bit to get used to, packs in far more information than the UBS edition does. The font is also worlds better, and I really like the large print. It helps ease the eyes when it comes to accents and breathing marks.


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## Jerusalem Blade (Dec 1, 2007)

Davidus,

The Trinitarian Bible Society has a 

Koiné Greek New Testament (Textus Receptus)
Luxury Calfskin, semi-yapp page protection, gilt page edges, 
marker ribbon and supplied in a presentation box. $45.
The Greek Text underlying the Authorised Version
Product Code: GRNT2
ISBN: 9780907861881​
Just go to their site and enter the product code *GRNT2* into the search box.

A caveat: although this is the premiere Greek NT -- I am an AV/Textus Receptus advocate, as you know -- it is not accepted by most of the seminaries. In case you need something that will be accepted by your teachers you should go with Fred's or Lane's suggestions. If you can get both a TR and CT, do.


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## Davidius (Dec 1, 2007)

At the moment I do not have any plans to learn Hebrew. It's something that I would like to do eventually but I don't know when I'll have the time. So how about for just the NT?


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## Davidius (Dec 1, 2007)

Jerusalem Blade said:


> Davidus,
> 
> The Trinitarian Bible Society has a
> 
> ...



Thanks, Steve. At the moment I'm only studying Classical Greek and only need the NT for personal. I'll definitely give this one a look. The manuscript debate is something of which I know little but I love the English of the KJV.


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## jawyman (Dec 1, 2007)

At PRTS we use the UBS with dictionary.







Also, check out this website: scholarly bibles online shop


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## Davidius (Dec 1, 2007)

How is a USB4 version different from NA27?


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## fredtgreco (Dec 1, 2007)

CarolinaCalvinist said:


> How is a USB4 version different from NA27?



Very slight differences.

If you want just a Greek edition, and would rather have a TR/MT, there is a small hardback blue covered edition put out by TBS that is pretty cheap (I think $10). The only real problem that I have with the TBS editions is the font. I just don't like the typeface.

Let me say something in general: do not but an edition based on its helps or (pace Lane) its apparatus. If you are going to use it to read, you'll never use the apparatus. Typeface and font size are WAY more important. Like any other book, if you don't enjoy reading it, you won't. A dictionary is also not as useful. You can by a cheapo Greek dictionary for a couple of bucks and have it at hand. It isn't as important as readability. Remember that you can always have a "self made Loeb" by just putting an NASB on you desk as you read.


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## greenbaggins (Dec 1, 2007)

I agree with Fred, actually. Which makes it all the more important that the critical text purchased be the NA 27th. I can't stand the italic font of the UBS. The Greeks didn't write in italics! The NA 27th has the most beautiful font of any standard edition I've seen. And it's much bigger in the large-print edition.


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## fredtgreco (Dec 1, 2007)

greenbaggins said:


> I agree with Fred, actually. Which makes it all the more important that the critical text purchased be the NA 27th. I can't stand the italic font of the UBS. The Greeks didn't write in italics! The NA 27th has the most beautiful font of any standard edition I've seen. And it's much bigger in the large-print edition.



That is a most curious thing. For some reason Biblical Greek editions must have bad typeface. I contrast that with the wonderful typeface of almost every Classical Greek edition I have seen - Loeb, OCTs, etc.


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## NaphtaliPress (Dec 1, 2007)

fredtgreco said:


> greenbaggins said:
> 
> 
> > I agree with Fred, actually. Which makes it all the more important that the critical text purchased be the NA 27th. I can't stand the italic font of the UBS. The Greeks didn't write in italics! The NA 27th has the most beautiful font of any standard edition I've seen. And it's much bigger in the large-print edition.
> ...


I don't know Greek but do have to work with it (book/journal layout etc). Fred, can you give some gifs or jpegs illustrating the poor and then what you find to be good Greek fonts? I don't use Greek extensively in print but do you have an opinion on where the Greek font used in CPJ falls in the good not so good range?


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## brymaes (Dec 1, 2007)

If you're just learning Greek you may be interested in this edition.


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## greenbaggins (Dec 1, 2007)

Chris, I won't speak for Fred, but I think you have a good font in CPJ.


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## fredtgreco (Dec 1, 2007)

theologae said:


> If you're just learning Greek you may be interested in this edition.



I don't know about the edition itself, but the typeface is a good (standard) one.



greenbaggins said:


> Chris, I won't speak for Fred, but I think you have a good font in CPJ.



I agree. I just looked at it again and it is good.


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## DMcFadden (Dec 1, 2007)

theologae said:


> If you're just learning Greek you may be interested in this edition.



I like using the diglot for several reasons. The NA27 has the best apparatus available for a critical text. Unless you want a TR, the NA27 has more to offer than the virtually identical (but apparatus challenged) UBS text. Second, the NET, although not my favorite English translation, is certainly a serviceable one to have on opposite pages from the Greek text. The bonded leather binding is quite decent and has seemed to stand up pretty well. The type face is easy to read and of a good size.


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## Reformed Covenanter (Dec 1, 2007)

The English Bible was good enough for Paul and Silas, so its good enough for me.

Seriously though, while I was doing a bit of research for my next book, I sat in on a couple students at Reformed Theological College (Knockbracken, Belfast) trying to translate Hebrews 12 out of Greek into English....It took them 2 hours.


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## Wannabee (Dec 1, 2007)

I didn't see this one listed. While I prefer the MT, this UBS is a great idea, with definitions like the Zondervan Greek Reader (includes all words used less than 30 times in footnotes), some technical info and a dictionary at the end for all words used over 30 times. I wish someone would get this aggressive with the MT.


> Based on the highly-respected United Bible Society text, this Reader's Edition combines the Bible text of the latest edition of the UBS4 Greek New Testament, along with a running Greek-English Dictionary featuring translations of all vocabulary items occurring less than 30 times in the New Testament on each page, compiled by Barclay M. Newman. Translations are given according to context, definitions of idiomatic word combinations are given, along with a grammatical analysis of all difficult verb forms. This reader-friendly layout enables you to easily transfer from text to dictionary, and an appendix providing translations of all vocabulary items occurring more than 30 times in the New Testament is provided.


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## 3John2 (Dec 1, 2007)

I got one of the cheap little blue ones Greco mentioned. I don't mind the print though. Then again I'm just starting at Greek so don't know any better.


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## Sydnorphyn (Dec 1, 2007)

Na 27


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## MW (Dec 2, 2007)

The TBS also has a combined OT Hebrew and NT Greek (traditional texts), and it is very clear print.


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## JohnOwen007 (Dec 2, 2007)

Daniel Ritchie said:


> The English Bible was good enough for Paul and Silas, so its good enough for me.





The English or Greek wasn't good enough for Augustine. He hated Greek and just stuck with the Latin.

Alas, if he'd known Greek it may've not caused the doctrine of justification to go off on a wrong track for a long time ...


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## JohnOwen007 (Dec 2, 2007)

armourbearer said:


> The TBS also has a combined OT Hebrew and NT Greek (traditional texts), and it is very clear print.



I *love *this one, and take it everywhere.


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