What I found in A Reader's Greek New Testament, 3rd Edition (hereinafter "RGNT"):
(1) The footnotes in the RGNT define every word that occurs less than 30 times in the text. This makes it possible to avoid a lexicon when an unfamiliar word crops up. Readers like me with a limited vocabulary in Greek can read many tough sections in the RGNT using applicable definitions in the footnotes. Right off, I discovered I could painstakingly read RGNT passages in Luke, Acts, and Hebrews that I found incomprehensible in my UBS Greek N.T. without a lexicon or interlinear.
It's true some of the footnotes do require turning the page to get the definition. But this only happens if you're reading where there are a lot of definitions and not enough page for all of them. It only takes a second to turn the page to get the definition. Most of the time no page turning is required. As a feature, if you wish to consult a lexicon, you can do so quickly because the RGNT footnote gives the exact form of the word that you need to find it in a lexicon (i.e., first principle part, etc.). The RGNT parses it for you.
(2) The Greek text on which the RGNT is based is the eclectic text that underlies the New International Version. The RGNT textual apparatus is very abbreviated. It includes source citations for the OT and Apocrypha; and short notes regarding variants in the footnotes of the NIV and UBS5/NA28. The RGNT, however, is not intended to be a critical edition of the GNT; it's a reader's NT. If you want to study textual variants, this is the wrong book. If you want to increase your proficiency in reading the Greek NT, this book may be for you.
(3) The RGNT includes a skimpy seven-page Greek-English lexicon in the back. I consulted it maybe ten times looking for a word not defined in the footnotes. Maybe about one time out of ten did I find my word in the lexicon. The seven-page lexicon is simply too abbreviated to be helpful. (Hint: Due to the fact I find it tedious to stumble around in a lexicon while reading in the RGNT, I've adopted this strategy --- I put a Greek-English interlinear on the desk opened to the RGNT passage. If the RGNT doesn't footnote an unfamiliar word, I sneak a peak at the interlinear, pick up the definition then jump quickly back into the RGNT. So why, you ask, don't I just read it all from the interlinear? Good question. I have to admit I'm too proud to do it all in the interlinear. If the early church mastered the uncials, I figure I should be able to master a crisp, versified printed edition of the Greek NT.)
(4) The RGNT font in the main text is clean and crisp even to my old eyes. In my opinion the quality of the book is excellent: the cover is flexible and its edges neatly sewn; the book flops open easily; it's well stitched, and none of the stitches are showing in the creases as far as I know. There's one ribbon marker. The RGNT has four color maps depicting the eastern Mediterranean in NT times. I think the size of the RGNT is also appealing. It's more like a thin book than a typical Bible. In short, the RGNT looks and feels like quality. Good job, Zondervan!
Conclusion:
If you're reading your Greek NT like it was the Codex Sinaiticus, try the RGNT. It just might be the tool you need to ratchet up your reading proficiency in the GNT.
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Great for its intended, stated purpose (not for textual criticism).
Was shipped almost instantly and arrived very quickly (sold by biblestore) . The text itself is useful for practicing reading the GNT and gaining more comfort and familiarity with it. Unlike the UBS or NA texts, there is no critical apparatus in the footnotes. Rather, there is in the footnotes a definition(s) of every Greek word appearing on that page, if its frequency in the GNT is, I think, 30 or fewer times. This is in fact what makes it a "Reader's" version. The Greek text itself is its own eclectic/critical edition, following neither the NA nor UBS but charting its own course. Additional footnotes indicate departures from these "standard" critical editions. I believe there is also an occasional footnote commenting on the manuscript witness for or against a particular reading. This is very minimal and not nearly what I would call a critical apparatus. Rather it is about on par with the footnotes in the ESV or NKJV that provide little more detail than "some mss contain..." or "most mss omit..." or "NU omits...."Some have lamented the larger-but-thinner design. I like it however. Seems easier to pack into a bag than a smaller but thicker book. I also like the faux leather cover. My copy came with a bookmark ribbon; it is slightly too long in my opinion though.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2019
- Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2024
- Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2018
Was shipped almost instantly and arrived very quickly (sold by biblestore) . The text itself is useful for practicing reading the GNT and gaining more comfort and familiarity with it. Unlike the UBS or NA texts, there is no critical apparatus in the footnotes. Rather, there is in the footnotes a definition(s) of every Greek word appearing on that page, if its frequency in the GNT is, I think, 30 or fewer times. This is in fact what makes it a "Reader's" version. The Greek text itself is its own eclectic/critical edition, following neither the NA nor UBS but charting its own course. Additional footnotes indicate departures from these "standard" critical editions. I believe there is also an occasional footnote commenting on the manuscript witness for or against a particular reading. This is very minimal and not nearly what I would call a critical apparatus. Rather it is about on par with the footnotes in the ESV or NKJV that provide little more detail than "some mss contain..." or "most mss omit..." or "NU omits...."
Great for its intended, stated purpose (not for textual criticism).
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2018
Some have lamented the larger-but-thinner design. I like it however. Seems easier to pack into a bag than a smaller but thicker book. I also like the faux leather cover. My copy came with a bookmark ribbon; it is slightly too long in my opinion though.
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2022
Top reviews from other countries
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- Nathan KaterReviewed in Germany on September 28, 2018
Sehr Hilfreich - Very Helpful
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- Paul MunroReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 18, 2017
Invaluable. It's still Greek to me!
- William HCReviewed in Australia on June 6, 2018
Faithful reproduction but hard to navigate
