Abstract
The field of Greek grammar studies has enjoyed much growth over the last few decades. While there have been a number of publications on specific topics, especially related to verbal aspect, one scarcely finds an intermediate grammar that is both accessible and useful. To be accessible, a grammar needs to be understandable for those who have completed the first year of Greek studies. To be useful, a grammar would need to push second-year students to greater depth of understanding. Unfortunately, some grammars are useful but not accessible, and vice-versa. Mathewson and Emig have written Intermediate Greek Grammar with the goal of providing a book with enough depth to stretch students to new levels of understanding while remaining readable. In my opinion, they have been largely successful in this endeavor.
The authors approach Greek grammar from a “minimalist” position, “where maximal meaning is not attributed to the individual linguistic units but is found in their broader context” (p. xix). Thus, they emphasize the range of possibilities with regard to grammar and rely on the context to determine the precise function of verb tenses, prepositions, noun cases, etc. In grammatical terms, they make a clear distinction between semantics and pragmatics. As such, this book is devoid of excessive labels that one finds in many intermediate and advanced grammars. In my opinion, this is a helpful corrective as it pushes readers of the Greek NT to consider the context over finding the precise category for an individual word. Rather than listing and describing labels (i.e. “ingressive aorist,” “constative aorist,” etc.), which risk blurring the lines between semantics and pragmatics, the authors describe the primary functions of grammatical forms and illustrate these functions with NT examples.
Each chapter begins with a brief overview of the grammatical concept in focus, followed by discussion of the primary functions of the cases/prepositions/verb tenses highlighted in the chapter. The explanations emphasize the pragmatic options within the semantic range of the grammar point. Again, this is helpful because readers are encouraged to consider the function of words in context rather than isolating grammatical points. Moreover, the authors help students become aware of the scholarly discussion of grammar, affirming and correcting as necessary. At the end of each major section of the chapters, a practice NT passage is provided.
Approximately one-third of the book is given to the discussion of the Greek verb system. This is probably appropriate since much recent Greek language scholarship has focused on verbs and since many students find the verb system to be the most challenging part of learning Greek. These chapters on Greek verbs are probably the strongest of the book. Readers will find a very lucid discussion of complex matters, especially chapter 6, which focuses primarily on verbal aspect. The authors demonstrate that Greek grammar, especially the verb system, is not nearly as cut and dry as some exegetes have claimed. The discussion on verbal aspect alone is worth the price of the book. While not claiming originality—the authors follow scholars such as Stanley Porter, Rodney Decker, and Constantine Campbell—the information is made readable and is demonstrated through NT examples. Following the introduction to verbal aspect, the remaining discussion of the Greek verb applies insights from aspectual theory to the study of the Greek verb system. Thus, the chapter on participles shows the usefulness of verbal aspect in interpretation.
The last three chapters of the book are given to specific features of Greek syntax on the levels of clause, sentence, and larger discourse. Chapters 11 and 12 provide discussion of various types of clauses as well as a brief discussion of the most significant conjunctions. Finally, chapter 13 serves as a helpful introduction to discourse analysis. Discourse analysis, the study of texts in units beyond the level of the sentence, is a growing area of Greek study and the authors provide a useful entryway into the discussion for students of Greek grammar. The footnotes refer readers to the most important scholarship on the topic.
While the authors are largely successful in their stated goals, a couple of omissions could be mentioned. First, there is no discussion of sentence diagramming, which seems to be a necessary skill for second-year Greek students. Chapters 11 and 12 focus on clauses and chapter 13 introduces discourse analysis, but there is little information on sentence-level analysis of the text (except for an overview of conditional sentences). Given the clarity of the book, a discussion and demonstration of diagramming would have been helpful. Second, for classroom use, intermediate vocabulary lists would have made this book a sort of “one-stop” textbook for a syntax and exegesis class. Of course, this is a minor point, but such lists would have increased the usefulness for professors.
In the end, these minor issues detract very little from the overall success of the book. The authors have provided students with a reliable guide for building their knowledge of New Testament Greek by sharpening their knowledge of Greek grammar and leading readers to put basic grammar to use in exegesis. The book could be used as a supplemental textbook for exegetical courses of particular NT books as well as the primary textbook for a syntax course. All things considered, this book is one of the most accessible intermediate grammars currently available and should be used in a variety of settings. The authors are to be commended for producing a volume that is readable rather than simply serving as a reference work.