Rating: 
Summary: Helps explain Christian origin slang
Review: Certain words, like homosexual and its corollaries, were easily understood by comparison to local usage. My own proper exegesis depends on this tome.
Rating: 
Summary: Consider the 1979 edition at half the price (used)!
Review: Danker brings tremendous industry and learning to this new edition of what is, without question, the ultimate lexicon of New Testament Greek in English. Since so many other reviews appraise the (very great) absolute value of the 3rd edition, I feel that it's appropriate to sound a cautionary note about whether the 3rd edition really shines that much relative to the 2nd edition. (...)In short, the 2nd edition is a monument of scholarship, a rock of scholarly solidity and clarity that has not been suddenly rendered obsolete. One's enthusiasm for shelling out for the 3rd edition is a bit dampened when you consider several issues: (...)To conclude, there is obviously an audience who needs to have the absolute most current edition: namely, scholars who are going to follow up all the references in the bibliography, who need to have the published record (the 3rd edition) of every iota of deepened reflection reached by Danker. But the 2nd edition is not just a book now useful only to "unscholarly" readers. It was published in 1979, making use of Qumran material, etc., and it continues to offer its users a lucid and authoritative account of the NT lexicon. I am not a NT specialist, but a Classics professor. I think my demands for quality philological information with which to read the NT are pretty high. The 2nd edition meets them to my satisfaction. I'd not be distressed to have only the 3rd edition--on the whole, its advantages outweigh its annoyances--but there is certainly not $50 worth of difference in the value of these editions.
Rating:
Summary: This one is a must
Review: Don't listen to one reviewer's suggestion to save some money and buy a used second edition. Gordon D. Fee in his masterful introduction to exegetical method, says very strongly:
"This third edition of Bauer is a considerable improvement over the first two editions--so much so that if you have not yet purchased a lexicon, THIS ONE IS A MUST (rather than a secondhand second edition, for example)."
There simply isn't anything that beats this one, and so if digging into the bible is what you want, you have to get the right tools. This is the shovel for you. Save up and accept no alternatives. You will be happy you got this work.
Rating:
Summary: Quite Usable
Review: I am reviewing the second edition of this book, having only recently discovered the third edition, which may have a number of differences. This lexicon is one of the more thorough lexicons of the New Testament. It gives a wealth of information about each word, including several definitions as well as examples of its use in various places in scripture and other ancient writings. Even opinions of various scholars about meanings are found. The book is touted as the lexicon that gives you the information that you need to make a personal decision about what the word means, discovering the definition on your own. The most common complaint about the lexicon is that it is so exhaustive that it can be difficult to use, and people often prefer to have a smaller dictionary that will just give them a quick definition. I have personally been quite impressed by the usability of this lexicon, however. For each word there are short, concise definitions in italics, and one can ignore all the supplementary information if one wills. If one can only afford one lexicon, I would hope they would get this one. It is the standard lexicon, and the complaints about it being cumbersome are unfounded.
Rating:
Summary: Confirmation of proper usage is very important
Review: If it were not for this lexicon the serious, but "linguistically challenged" scholar, would have a hard time understanding the correct usage of just about any Koine Greek word. By comparring the usage in the NT and the writings of Josephus and early Christian writers, we can discern how the early church used a certain Greek word, in fact, what the Apostle's intended to convey in their writings. No other lexicon in existance does this. If there is such a thing a "truth" this lexicon shows what the early church taught that it was. Throw out all of your other lexicons and buy this one.
Rating:
Summary: Confirmation of proper usage is very important
Review: If it were not for this lexicon the serious, but "linguistically challenged" scholar, would have a hard time understanding the correct usage of just about any Koine Greek word. By comparring the usage in the NT and the writings of Josephus and early Christian writers, we can discern how the early church used a certain Greek word, in fact, what the Apostle's intended to convey in their writings. No other lexicon in existance does this. If there is such a thing a "truth" this lexicon shows what the early church taught that it was. Throw out all of your other lexicons and buy this one.
Rating:
Summary: A Useful Ministry Tool
Review: If you are looking for Lexicon this one is probably the best you'll find on amazon. The Lexicon gives detailed meanings and interpretation of key greek words and some historical background. It does fail to note when certain translations are recent and still controversial as other translations of Bauer's work do (User Beware). This book is useful for anyone who is interested in getting deeper into what the Bible really means. I would also recommend obtaining a book that teaches the basics of Biblical Greek. This will allow you to unlock the full potential of a Lexicon.
Rating:
Summary: A Useful Ministry Tool
Review: If you are looking for Lexicon this one is probably the best you'll find on amazon. The Lexicon gives detailed meanings and interpretation of key greek words and some historical background. It does fail to note when certain translations are recent and still controversial as other translations of Bauer's work do (User Beware). This book is useful for anyone who is interested in getting deeper into what the Bible really means. I would also recommend obtaining a book that teaches the basics of Biblical Greek. This will allow you to unlock the full potential of a Lexicon.
Rating:
Summary: Like the OED, but for Greek.
Review: In a word, thorough. Owning this, you won't use your smaller Greek lexicons anymore. Besides definitions (multiple definitions, showing the range of meaning of each word), there are copious examples taken from actual usage, both in and out of the NT. This is THE lexicon of koine Greek.
Rating:
Summary: Like the OED, but for Greek.
Review: In a word, thorough. Owning this, you won't use your smaller Greek lexicons anymore. Besides definitions (multiple definitions, showing the range of meaning of each word), there are copious examples taken from actual usage, both in and out of the NT. This is THE lexicon of koine Greek.
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