Brown driver Lexical Resources and Limitations

Oct 14, 2024

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.