The Elements of New Testament Greek

As a teacher of New Testament Greek, I have found The Elements of New Testament Greek by Jeremy Duff to be the most effective and reliable resource available. Its structured and logical approach makes it ideal for guiding students through the complexities of the language, and its clarity ensures that even challenging concepts are accessible. The book is exceptionally well-organised, beginning with the basics of the Greek alphabet and moving steadily into more advanced grammar and syntax. Each chapter builds on the last, making it easy to plan lessons and ensure students are progressing at a manageable pace. The exercises are particularly valuable, providing ample opportunities for students to practise and solidify their understanding. Many of these are drawn directly from the New Testament, which not only reinforces the material but also gives students the rewarding experience of engaging with the text in its original language. The vocabulary lists are thoughtfully curated, focusing on the most frequently used words in the New Testament. This ensures that students can quickly build a working knowledge of the language while feeling that their efforts are immediately relevant to the texts they are studying. What sets this book apart is its balance. It introduces grammar and syntax in a rigorous yet approachable way, avoiding unnecessary complexity while still providing the depth needed to read the New Testament with understanding. The layout is clear and uncluttered, which is especially helpful when teaching, as it allows students to focus on the material without distraction. While the book is primarily a grammar, it also encourages critical thinking about the language, which is invaluable for deeper engagement with the text. For students seeking additional context, I supplement this book with other resources, but as a core textbook, it is unparalleled. I highly recommend The Elements of New Testament Greek to any teacher or student of the language. It has been an indispensable tool in my teaching, consistently delivering excellent results and enabling students to achieve their goals in reading and understanding the Greek New Testament. A truly outstanding resource.

This is a really well thought out and student-centred textbook, slightly let down by the quality of the design / printing, especially page number which are white on pale grey box and barely legible. The only significant improvement I would suggest is more exercises with answers (or answers to ALL the exercises, not just some of them)

I keep coming back to New Testament Greek. I've worked through the predecessor to this book (John Wenham) several times and it's always hard-going. This newer version makes matters a little more clear, and you feel that the teacher is very much on your side, anticipating what you may find difficult. The book will enable you to read some parts of the New Testament, especially early parts of John's gospel and letters. It doesn't open up the entire New Testament to you, but it will give you an understanding of biblical translation.

I have been studying Classical Greek for eight months and have been alternating between Peter Jones's book and that of John Taylor, both available on Amazon. However I have also found this volume to be an extremely valuable tool for a number of reasons. Firstly the text is packed with apt tests and practices throughout for which the answers are provided. As I am not in a class nor have a teacher I find that this is extremely useful aid. Also as I have a Roman Catholic upbringing the biblical phrases given as grammatical examples have the added effect of driving home the point. The grammar is taught in a logical and helpful manner and a real sense of progress is experienced. The layout and print used is pleasing on the eye which is important when one is likely to spend some hours gazing over the text. It is a pleasure finally to hear the spoken Greek in the CD but I was slightly disappointed that this was spoken in an American accent given the English University background to the book. Also I have some issues with the pronunciation. I think I prefer Peter Jones's tape to this CD. You can buy the book independent of the CD

I can't recommend this book too highly. Jeremy Duff has produced a brilliant textbook. The book is extremely clear, concise and well laid out. Key learning points are emphasised, the grammar tables are helpful, and vocabulary lists are well organised - with useful mnemonics given at the bottom. After working my way through this book I felt confident to start reading the New Testament in Greek - with a dictionary at hand. I had learned all the key grammar and gained a working vocabulary of 600 words in just a few months. I wish you well in your studies of New Testament Greek.

I bought the second edition (not realising that there was a 3rd Durh!) in order to pick up enough Greek to understand the points made by biblical commentators. I had tried several different books before and found them all far to obtuse and difficult. This book definitely does what it says on the tin! The 3rd edition is a big improvement in layout and style but still keeps to the intent of the original (and the 2nd edition). Having revisited reading Latin at the OU (having had a dreadful Latin master at school who put me right off the subject) I found the approach and the language fairly simple and certainly easier than Latin (although is that because I have studied Latin first?) Only 1 minor gripe so far - the answers to the exercises are only there for the "A" ones - as a remote student I do wish I could find the answers to the "B" exercises somewhere to check mine. As an introduction to Greek I have found no better.

This book is by far the clearest introduction to N.T. Greek I have seen, especially for home study without access to a tutor. By contrast, I found Mounce utterly impenetrable. It assumes no prior knowledge at all, and takes you right from first principles (alphabet etc), explaining grammatical terms as they arise. The only slight point which bothers me is that the book does not give stress marks, so if you are studying at home you have no guidance as to how words sound. I find this a drawback, becuase it is easier to learn vocabulary if you can hear the words in your mind. Very highly recommended.

This is an honest attempt to present New Testament Greek to the learner without frightening him/her off within the first few pages. If one is prepared to concentrate, spend time and do the exercises then slowly but surely the excitement grows and one really does begin to understand the glorious truths of the New Testament in their original tongue. This is the third edition but there is still room for improvement. Those who were taught Greek early in life usually accepted the fact of having to grind their way through the multitudinous Greek conjugations and declensions; indeed as youngsters under the rule of their master or mistress they had no choice. However, as an adult coming to greek for the first time (and as a modern languages teacher for over 40 years) at times I was irritated by the rushed approach. For example: practice exercises are often given where the necessary vocabulary has not yet been presented (one constantly has to refer to the end of the chapter to find the new words. A short glossary before the exercise would solve this irritation). One meets this situation as early as Practices 2.1; 2.2; 2.3.3 In chapter 3, Cases and Gender, the feminine and neuter nouns are clumped together. There should be a short separate exercise on the feminine; then the neuter could be presented. Overall the declension grids are clearly set out but at times it can be dizzying to have so many on a double page (for example pp.36 - 37. And, by the way, the page numbers are too faint - white on light grey!) I wondered if the timing of the presentation of the variant feminine noun forms were essential but on reflection they are necessary at that point as long as one takes a deep breath (doxa IS a glorious word!). p. 39 section 3.6 is introduced too soon. An exercise needs to precede it practising masculine, feminine and neuter nouns. p.44 the diagram helps the learner to remember the basic prepositions. No doubt if one were in a classroom there would be a lot of movement and miming but the solitary learner such as myself needs all the help he can get. p.46 The grids of prepositions here are a massive and daunting overdose. This is a genuine threat to progress. They need to be broken down into bitesize chunks, preferibly with memorable NT phrases that will stick in the mind, or even illustrations ( I drew my own). I could go on but I'm sure you get the points. To be fair, the explanations of the grammar try to break down or warn of the problems and irregularities. Sometimes they come too thick and fast, e.g. p.56 top but the author means business and he means us to mean it too.

Easy to follow koine primer, I’m going through it chapter by chapter.

very good

The book is good - The binding is horrible. I hope I will be able to reach the end of it before it falls apart.

This is NOT A REVIEW. I HAVE A QUESTION. The "CONTENTS" show pages 1 - 339. However, ALAS! there is NOT ONE PAGE NUMBER "ON THE *PAGES*! How do you explain this? Finding a section of the Book is A CHALLENGE! It is a GREAT BOOK.....BUT...... Thank You

happy with purchase