Lecture Notes: Lexical Resources and Strong's Dictionary Limitations

Key Topic: Limitations of Strong's Dictionary

• Inability to find derived words
  • Strong's Dictionary cannot find words derived from a given root.
  • Example: Verb "Amon" (Strong's number 539).
  • Unable to locate derived words from "Amon."

Alternative Lexical Resources

• Justinian's Lexicon and Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB) Lexicon
  • These lexicons fill in gaps present in Strong's Dictionary.
  • Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB):
    • Identifies root verb "Amon."
    • Lists all derived words below the root.
    • Provides more detailed definitions than Strong's.
    • Example definition: "artificer, architect, master workman"; one firm and sure in workmanship.
    • References: Proverbs 8:30.

Comparison of Translations

• King James Version (KJV) vs. Newer Translations (ASV, RSV)
  • KJV uses "brought up" for "Amon."
  • Newer translations use BDB for a more accurate translation.

Usage and Accessibility

• Hebrew Alphabet Requirement
  • BDB requires knowledge of Hebrew alphabet for word lookup.
  • New edition: Brown-Driver-Briggs Justinian’s Lexicon indexed by Strong’s numbers.
    • Index of Strong’s numbers in the back.
    • Example: Strong's number 539.
    • Allows non-Hebrew readers to look up words.

Practical Application

• Using New Lexicons
  • Enables students unfamiliar with Hebrew to still effectively use these resources.
  • Enhances understanding of derived words and accurate translations.