Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Volume IX

It says that's volume 1 but it's actually volume 7. That wouldn't be bad but I already own 7. It truly is like brand new. I only took 1 star off, since it's a great book otherwise it would be 5 stars.

A couple gave me the full set for Christmas in 1977. They thought it would provide me insights for preaching that also benefit them as hearers of the sermons. I used it by means of the index volume for many years. Finally, I decided to read all nine text volumes cover-to-cover. It took me six years to finish, but I found things I did not find through the index and would never have known to seek. At times articles in Kittel can numb the mind with boredom. At other times they can cause it to soar with new insights based in an array of factual information. The reader will probably not agree with everything. Certainly, individual contributors of the articles do not always agree with one another. Still, I would not be without Kittel. My copy is drenched in ink from underlinings and notes I have made as I read it. I know it would be tempting to buy the one volume "baby Kittel" and skip the extra expense of the larger set, but there are key pieces of information that did not make it into the editors' view of what should be included in the one volume edition. Spend the money and get the real thing. There have been some tremendous discount specials that make the whole set little more than the list price of the "baby" version.

Students of New Testament Greek should purchase this book. The one volume abridged addition is suited for quick word studies and for those looking for short background history on Greek phrases and words. The outline of the book is easy to follow. Kittel looks at every major usage of the Greek word from its cultural setting to its biblical usage. While I concur that sometimes Kittel's theology is not orthodox, his background history of the Greek word and its root usage is worth the price of the book. True New Testament Greek students will still enjoy diving into the Greek text yourself without seeing Kittel's word studies but it is helpful to see how he compares to your own exegesis.

If you are looking for an exhaustive reference work for NT Greek usage, then Kittel & Friedrich provide it in their Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Nothing even comes close to the scope of scholarship in this work. However, one note of caution is in order. Many of the theological points made in the work are from a liberal, Neo-orthodox point of view. Therefore, this type of reference is for the advanced Bible or seminary student that possesses a strong foundation in the Christian faith and at least a working knowledge of New Testament Greek.

This is the 10-volume "Kittel" dictionary minus the footnotes. The history of each word from the Greek New Testament is surveyed beginning with its Hebrew roots and usage in the Septuagint. Its usage is then decribed in secular Greek. Then its use is surveyed through the New Testament, grouped according to Pauline use, Johanine use, use in the Gospels, etc. In the process the reader can see the scope of meanings of a given word, and how those meanings developed, revealing the rich "flavors" attached to many Greek words.Regarding the Nazi affiliation of its editor and some of its authors, we are all a mixed bag. Do we refuse to listen to music conducted by Herbert von Karajan because he was a Nazi, or of Strauss because he was a womanizer? As James Sveda said on a "Record Shelf" program on NPR years ago on this subject, "Perhaps the last word on this subject was said by a carpenter who lived two thousand years ago, 'Judge not, lest you yourselves be judged.'"This is a wonderful resource, especially for those lacking the expertise (or the $$) to tackle the full 10-volume work.