This book provides a verse by verse analysis of the Greek NT. Greek words are printed in Greek letters throughout, flowed by a short (one word) definition and partial parsings. There is also coding to Biblical Greek's . So if you get one book, it would be best to get the other as well.

The information is helpful but hard to follow. There is just too much information packed in, with lots of abbreviations and notations that have to be remembered. And as with Zerwick's "Biblical Greek," this is an advanced exposition. Beginners will get lost in it. A similar but easier to follow resource is Fritz Rienecker' s New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, The.

I only rarely referred to either of these volumes as I was working on my Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament: Third Edition (ALT). So I cannot really recommend either. I just think there are easier to use resources available. I present a full list of all of the resources I consulted in working on the ALT in my Companion Volume to the Analytical-Literal Translation: Third Edition, with asterisks indicating the ones I found most helpful.

It should also be noted that Zerwick's theological orientation is Catholic. This can be seen in his attempt to get around the clear meaning of Matt 1:25, where it says of Joseph and Mary, "and he was not knowing her [fig., was not having sexual relations with her] until she gave birth to her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus" (ALT3). The natural reading of this is that after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary began having sex like any normal married couple. This is then confirmed by Jesus having four brothers and at least two sisters (Matt 13:55,56).

But Zerwick comments, "... until (the time when) but not excluding the continuation of action beyond the time indicated; author only concerned here to indicate virginal conception."

Notice that Zerwick does not give any examples of when "until" (Gr., eos ou) does not exclude the continuation of the action. But compare the other places where this Greek phrase occurs in Matthew: 13:33; 14:22; 17:9; 18:30,34; 26:36. In all six of these verses this phrase does exclude the continuation of the action after the time period indicated.

To be clear, this means the phrase indicates a change in behavior after the time period indicated. So in Matt 13:33, the woman mixes yeast into flour; but once it is thoroughly mixed, she stops mixing. Here, Joseph was not having sex with Mary; but once Jesus was born, he began having sex with her.

The meaning of the Greek phraseology is clear, but Zerwick is allowing his pre-conceived theology, not Greek word studies, to color his comments. This is yet another reason I cannot recommend this book.

This is simply a must for the student of intermediate Greek (i.e., one who has just completed his introductory grammar). Here's why I say this:

This is the ideal tool for learning NT Greek through induction. I love studying grammar deductively, that is, studying the principles and rules (a priori), but the average person will find that deductive study isn't quite enough. Even with examples, the rules tend to get lost in the heap. One needs also to gather up particular instances of the manifestations of those Greek rules of grammar in a real text (a posteriori) as he goes in order for the principles and rules to really take root (IMHO). Here's where 'the Jesuit' comes in.

As you read the NT you will encounter--invariably--forms you can't parse and words whose definitions you have not yet memorized. While having a lexicon handy, and consulting it liberally, also consult Zerwick's Grammatical Analysis and you will identify the word and its parsing. He will then possibly refer you to a section from his companion book (which you must get!) called Biblical Greek (ISBN 8876535543), and it will tell you what the deductive intermediate grammars have also told you, but quickly and succinctly. By studying an intermediate grammar plus this book you wind up with a double whammy of inductive/deductive study!!

If you're learning independently (you're a working stiff, not a student preparing for exams), I recommend that right after finishing your introductory grammar, you try my routine, and it seems to be most profitable and enjoyable (again, just IMHO, and you should take note that I am merely a self-study who is barely into intermediate stuff now).

1. Pick up a SECOND introductory grammar (e.g., if you learned from Mounce, now go out and find a used J. Gresham Machen, or someone else's grammar), so as to revisit the fundamentals from another perspective and methodology. I'm a believer in hammering fundamentals. Even an intro Attic grammar, such as Mastronarde, will do. As you are casually working through it (while doing the exercises, especially the English into Greek), also do the following,

2. Read as much as you can in the Gospels (starting with John) and in John's epistles. Use your Zerwick as you go (both this Analysis and his Biblical Greek), inductively learning grammar at the intermediate level. Picking up Funk's "Greek Grammar of the NT and other Christian Lit'" in conjunction with Zerwick will really further this aspect of study. Then move to Galatians and Romans and other Pauline stuff. Save Luke-Acts and Hebrews for last (God knows when I will get to Hebrews!).

3. For deductive study, pick up Wallace and/or another intermediate textbook and start reading through it/them. I'm all about multiple perspectives in tackling such things, so grab two or three intermediate/advanced texts, such as Goodwin's grammar and his syntax of the Greek verb, or Dana-Mantey, or A.T. Robertson (lots of used copies of all these floating around out there, too!).

4. Vocab. Crush those 'down to 10 word occurences' NT word lists. Mounce's vocab cards are great.

So, use multiple sources both in inductive and deductive method, and for the former you simply must have Zerwick's Grammatical Analysis and his Biblical Greek (ISBN 8876535543). I have, in fact, only one criticism of this publication: it is not physically user-friendly. One cannot open it up and lay it out next to one's Greek NT. It's kind of laborious, putting down, picking up, putting down, picking up, when you're basically just doing the same one or two pages of text in a sitting. But, whatever. Get it!


Note- Don't fret (if you are so inclined) about the fact that this is issued by Rome and that the scholar is a Jesuit. As a Roman Catholic turned Calvinist, I can tell you that it is my impression that Zerwick goes where he believes the Greek points, period. He's a true scholar, rip.

A very helpful and handy companion to the Greek New Testament. Not only it locates the conjugations of every verb in the Greek NT, it also serves as a grammatical commentary where applicable. You must own one if you are serious in studying the New Testament.