Don't Do Word Studies

Barry Hofstetter
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Don't Do Word Studies

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Well, maybe go ahead, but with some qualifications. Here is an excellent video which explores the pitfalls of word studies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gaiJB-0z3w
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
Stephen Carlson
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Re: Don't Do Word Studies

Post by Stephen Carlson »

Is there a summary anywhere? Don't have time to watch (non-cat) videos during working hours.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
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Daniel Semler
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Re: Don't Do Word Studies

Post by Daniel Semler »

Stephen Carlson wrote: June 3rd, 2021, 8:44 pm Is there a summary anywhere? Don't have time to watch (non-cat) videos during working hours.
I watched a good chunk of it, but not all. A quick list :

watch diachronic vs synchronic - you don't want temporally inappropriate definitions
watch context
don't assume etymology tells you contemporaneous meaning
Read Carson - Exegetical Fallacies
Be careful with theological lexica
Don't assume that compounds can be assumed to have a meaning equivalent to the sum of the meaning of their parts
Pay attention to how a writer uses a word, and how his contemporaries do, more than some more remote use
A word in use (in context) will not carry all possible senses a lexicon might report for it - you cannot just go to a lexicon and pick the gloss you like, as it were.

That's about what I remember. Carson's book was mentioned multiple times.

Thx
D
Stephen Carlson
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Re: Don't Do Word Studies

Post by Stephen Carlson »

Ok, That’s helpful. Thanks.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
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Leonard Jayawardena
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Re: Don't Do Word Studies

Post by Leonard Jayawardena »

I listened to the video linked to in its entirety and find the title of this thread to be a misrepresention of what the speaker on the video said. What he actually said is
So I'm not saying, "Don't do word studies." What I am trying to say is "Be very careful when doing word studies and don't fall into these common and foolish traps...."
The relevant part starts at 15:30 on the video.
Barry Hofstetter
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Re: Don't Do Word Studies

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Leonard Jayawardena wrote: June 4th, 2021, 8:01 am I listened to the video linked to in its entirety and find the title of this thread to be a misrepresention of what the speaker on the video said. What he actually said is
So I'm not saying, "Don't do word studies." What I am trying to say is "Be very careful when doing word studies and don't fall into these common and foolish traps...."
The relevant part starts at 15:30 on the video.
The title of the thread is the same as the title given to it by the producers of the video.
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
Jason Hare
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Re: Don't Do Word Studies

Post by Jason Hare »

Barry Hofstetter wrote: June 4th, 2021, 12:16 pm The title of the thread is the same as the title given to it by the producers of the video.
What a cheeky response! :lol:
Jason A. Hare
The Hebrew Café
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Leonard Jayawardena
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Re: Don't Do Word Studies

Post by Leonard Jayawardena »

Barry Hofstetter wrote: June 4th, 2021, 12:16 pm
Leonard Jayawardena wrote: June 4th, 2021, 8:01 am I listened to the video linked to in its entirety and find the title of this thread to be a misrepresention of what the speaker on the video said. What he actually said is
So I'm not saying, "Don't do word studies." What I am trying to say is "Be very careful when doing word studies and don't fall into these common and foolish traps...."
The relevant part starts at 15:30 on the video.
The title of the thread is the same as the title given to it by the producers of the video.
As far as I can, see the title of the video reads, "Bible Study: How Greek word studies can lead you astray." If it says what you say it is, then time to get a new pair of glasses. :)
Barry Hofstetter
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Re: Don't Do Word Studies

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Leonard Jayawardena wrote: June 5th, 2021, 8:05 am
As far as I can, see the title of the video reads, "Bible Study: How Greek word studies can lead you astray." If it says what you say it is, then time to get a new pair of glasses. :)
Such comments are unnecessary, and please avoid them. I originally found the video from someone's posting on facebook, and there it is clearly entitled, in large letters with a humorous picture of the speaker. "Don't do Word Studies." At any rate, what is that Emerson said about foolish consistency? You focus on this instead of the content of the video, which in my humble opinion is excellent (the fact that they cite one of my former professors doesn't hurt). Do you have any comments on the content?
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
Leonard Jayawardena
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Re: Don't Do Word Studies

Post by Leonard Jayawardena »

Barry Hofstetter wrote: June 5th, 2021, 8:27 am I originally found the video from someone's posting on facebook, and there it is clearly entitled, in large letters with a humorous picture of the speaker. "Don't do Word Studies."
At any rate, what is that Emerson said about foolish consistency? Do you have any comments on the content?
My last comments were based on your original explanation, which was, "The title of the thread is the same as the title given to it by the producers of the video." That's not the same as "someone" else posting it on facebook and giving it a frivolous title like "Don't Do Word Studies," is it? Without the latter context, the use of that title for this thread does amount to a misrepresentation. I don't understand why you can't just ackowledge that and move on.

I do have comments on the video which I might make in a future post.
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