How much time does it take to do a word study?
There is a big difference between learning the process of thorough lexical analysis and then putting it into practice. The textbook, How to Use Greek & Hebrew Study Tools, is designed to take an entire semester to learn and practice the steps needed for an accurate lexical analysis. Once learned, however, a person could analyze the meaning and usage of a term within a matter of a few hours.
How is lexical analysis (word studies) different from a topical study?
Studying the meaning and use of a word in a passage of Scripture is tightly bound to a specific biblical passage. While quite a bit of information is learned about the meaning and possible uses of a word, an accurate analysis will, of necessity, summarize its findings as the word relates to the passage being studied. Topical studies go beyond individual passages to consider a range of contexts in which a key word is used. Topical studies also remain focused at a higher level of the semantic domain to which related terms belong. For a discussion of semantic domains, refer to chapter six in How to Use Greek & Hebrew Study Tools. Chapter 18 of the book also discussion different types of word-level studies (other than the more technical, grammatically focused lexical analysis detailed throughout the book), including topical studies. The chapter provides guidelines and important questions to consider when engaged with any type of word-level study of Scripture.
Can you help with word studies?
Yes! The caveats with providing help, though, include restrictions such as available time and the nature of the help you are requesting. Feel free to send an email with your specific information and the specific question you are trying to answer. You also need to provide information about your educational background since many people have had Greek and/or Hebrew classes, but many people have not. How familiar are you with English grammar and grammatical terms? That sort of information is pertinent to the kind of help to be provided.Use the Contact Us form to send your information.