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Thursday, February 10, 2011

Hebrews at 22

"It is finished" (Jn 19.30). Our Advanced Greek class has finally completed translating Hebrews, semi-complete with categorizations of participles, infinitives, and genitives according to Daniel Wallace's Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics. Having done this as an undergraduate student at the age of 22 gives me a feeling of accomplishment, but I feel there is much more to be done here. While our little group of Greek nerds is about to move on to Acts, I would like to go back and do revisions.

Throughout this school year, we began with participles, then added infinitives, genitives, and datives, in that order. Thus, I want to return to the earlier parts of my translations to review what I have already categorized and add in the materials I have now learned (but not mastered by any means).

I would not wish upon any but my greatest foes the punishment which comes from translating Hebrews, but I feel I am better for it. One of the most interesting parts of the translating process came, oddly enough, out of the fact that I have never completely read Hebrews before. Actually, I can say with a fair amount of confidence that the only books I have read in their entirety and order are Genesis and Exodus.

If anything were to grow out of this attempt, I hope it would be something along the lines of the work of M. C. Parsons and M. M. Culy, who wrote a book which includes the categorizations of the participles, etc., in Acts.

This translation of Hebrews is what my professor has deemed "baptism by fire," and now I feel prepared for further study in Greek texts. Many thanks to my friend and teacher Dr. Michael Martin at LCU. Grace and peace upon all.

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