Transcript Slide 1

grammar
Initial Considerations
Definition: The syntactical relationship of
words in a sentence.
Meaning of words (lexicography); form and
function of words (morphology); order of
words (syntax)
grammar
Important Considerations
Types of sentences: Declarative, questions,
imperative, exclamatory
Word order & parts of speech. English = sub,
verb, obj; Heb – verb, subj, obj; Gk = anything
Punctuation: While not in the original, it can
radically alter meaning
The teacher said Johnny is an idiot
Cf. Lk 3:23; Rom 9:5, etc.
grammar
Grammatical
Considerations
1. Grammar is not generally most important
2. Study of grammar may not solve all problems
but will narrow our range of possibilities.
3. English (only) readers are often more
balanced in exegesis because they do not
spend too much time on original languages.
grammar
Grammatical
Considerations
4. Identify theme, verb tense (Jn 20:23), and
subject (Rom 8:26) of the sentence.
5. Observe carefully conjunctions (Heb 12:1),
prepositions (Acts 2:38), and pronouns (Acts
2:1)
6. Helps to identify the original syntax:
Translations, commentaries, interlinear, and
analytical lexicons.
grammar
Grammatical
Considerations
For Greek Students
7. Understand the basic elements of a verb.
8. Understand the basic elements of the noun.
9. Have a well-marked grammar
grammar
Diagrammatical Analysis
What is it?
A rewriting of the text with a series
of indentations which help to
show grammatical relationships
This works best with Epistles & Psalms
grammar
Diagrammatical Analysis
Why Use It?
1. It isolates the main idea in a way
that can be seen at a glance.
2. It identifies grammatical relationships in a non-technical way.
3. It allows the structure of the text
to drive the outline of lessons.
Rules
grammar
Grammatical Analysis
1. Independent clauses go to the left margin
2. Dependent clauses are indented on the
following line under the word they modify or
placed in brackets if kept on the same line.
a. Prepositional phrases, adverbial phrases,
relative clauses.
b. There may be additional sub-clauses which
are further indented.
Rules
grammar
Grammatical Analysis
3. Connectives are placed above the line they
modify
4. Observations and comments are placed in a
different color ink in-between the lines.
5. The fewer phrases to the left the better.
6. Circle the subject, underline the main verb,
and box the connective words. Vertical
arrows can be used to show connections
of words between lines.