1: Reading Greek Aloud
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1: Reading Greek Aloud Welcome to New Testament Greek! You’re joining the ranks of thousands across the ages who have deepened their work with Scripture by learning the language used by writers of the New Testament (NT). Even if there is dispute about how Greek was pronounced in Jesus’ day (i.e. exactly how various letters of the alphabet actually sounded), we will reap practical benefits by fastening upon some consistent pattern of pronunciation. Experience has shown that it’s hard to learn something we can’t pronounce with confidence. Consistent pronunciation enables us to: •
memorize words more easily
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communicate with each other about Greek more effectively
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sense the connected flow and artistry of the text more readily
The Alphabet Our primary job in this chapter is to learn how to pronounce the sounds of the letters of the alphabet as we actually find them joined together as words and sentences in the NT. As you will soon see, there were 24 letters in the Greek alphabet in NT times. This particular set of letters (and their order) was officially adopted in Athens around 400 BC. The order of letters as we find them in this alphabet is best described as “random.” Vowels and consonants are scattered about and intermingled with each other. Neither vowels nor consonants are grouped according to the nature of their sounds. But since this traditional order of letters stands as the organizing principle of Greek dictionaries, we need to memorize the standard order of letters to make good use of these tools. Just before we engage the alphabet directly, here’s some great news that makes our job easier than you would think!
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There are almost no silent letters in Greek. Nearly every letter is to be pronounced cleanly and clearly.
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No exotic accent is required or encouraged. There’s no need to sound ancient, or Mediterranean, or sophisticated.
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The pronunciation of Greek letters is consistent from word to word. No nightmares like the English “-ough-,” which is pronounced differently in each of the following: cough, though, tough, bough, thought, and through.
Now it’s time to get to work! Push your way through the alphabet chart carefully, repeatedly, and aloud. A solid hour spent here will get you on the right track, giving your eyes, ears and mind sufficient time to absorb the new reality of the Greek alphabet. Remember that a pathway through the woods is made only by repeatedly traveling in the same groove over time.