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138 of 141 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent portable copy of the Greek NT, April 23, 2003
This small book is nevertheless very well designed. First, the print is large and very readable. No question about whether you're looking at rough or a smooth breathing marks, for example. Second, the textual apparatus is rather daunting but fascinating. It really lets you see why certain words are included or excluded from certain translations based on the original text. It also has a good intro listing the various sources used in the apparatus; to those who have little or no background in textual criticism this is invaluable to understanding what you're looking at and, in general, the unprecedented range of manuscript evidence for the New Testament. If you think the New Testament is the product of the fourth century church, you'll think again after reading through the apparatus (which is why no reputable scholar holds that opinion). Finally, the dictionary in the back is quite good for its small size, separately listing many of the principal parts of verbs. One of the toughest parts of reading the Greek NT (especially for a student of Greek like myself) has to be parsing verbs you don't recognize, and this makes the task much easier. Postscript: There has been a review that says that this is "really" the NA27. Well, it's not. There are two distinct common versions of the Greek NT: NA27 and UBS4. This book is the latter. The actual text is identical: the difference is in the critical apparatus. Which is better? It depends on your purposes. If you are doing detailed historical studies where you need to know the maximum amount about the various manuscripts of the NT, then buy the NA27. It has a wealth of information on each page that covers virtually every existing variant. But for most of us, who primarily want the text and would like to understand the most significant variants, buy this edition. I have found the text of this UBS4 version easier to read, and the apparatus MUCH easier to read. The arcane coding system used by the NA27, while necessary to fit so much information into a manageable size, makes it much harder to use for the average user.
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178 of 187 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
useful for those who want to read Bible in Greek, December 22, 1998
A good edition for those interested in reading the new testament in the original Greek. Other options: The Greek New Testament from United Bible Society now in 4th edition Novum Testamentum Graece et Latine (same as this but together with Latin Vulgate) The difference between the one offered by UBS and this one is that this has more footnotes on differences between manuscripts. In this newest edition, the actual textual decisions between the two are the same. The UBS is better for those who want to use the text for translation, and this one is better for those who are interested in studying textual critical issues. Also keep in mind there are many interlinear Bibles out there that are probably better for those whose knowledge of Greek is limited. Take care, however, to distinguish between those which are based on Stephen's 1550 Textus Receptus and those which give a complete apparatus for comparing many manuscripts. Most biblical scholars feel the Textus Receptus was flawed in many ways.
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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Arguably the BEST "Critical Edition" of the Greek N T, March 27, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: The Greek New Testament (Vinyl Bound)
I own both the UBS text and the Nestle Aland text. As noted by the previous reviewer, there are some differences in how the UBS text notes variant readings. I find the UBS method to be both more complete and easier to read. (See below on the commentary available). I also find the text to be easier to read (slightly larger print, and I think the style of print is easier to read too). A point of clarification, though, regarding the basic Greek Text. My understanding is that there is very little if any difference IN THE GREEK TEXT between these two editions. They BOTH rely and build upon the work of Wescott and Hort in textual criticism, and reach very similar conclusions about the "best readings" for any given variant. The companion volume (A Textual Commentary) also published by UBS is a GREAT addition. It helps you understand why the committee reached the conclusions they did about which reading may be the best reading. Note; whenever a variant reading exists in the extensive library of ancient manuscripts, it is noted in the footnotes (Critical Apparatus). There is also a note as to how comfortable the committee was about their selection of the best text. An "A" rating means that there is no question in their minds. A "D" rating might mean that the selected reading is only very slightly more likely to be the original reading than one of the other variants. (I hope that is clear). In some cases I have taken exception with their decision on "D" readings, and it helps to know that they were not completely comfortable with the choice they had made. One advantage of the Nestle text is that it is just slightly smaller and easier to carry (a vest pocket edition. (As noted above, you pay for the size in it being not as easy to read.) My copy of Nestle is cloth bound while the UBS text is bound in vinyl/plastic. My UBS text has proven to be very durable. A word of caution... don't leave it on the dashboard or seat of your car on a hot day. The heat WILL damage the binding.
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