I'm studying Greek exegesis as part of my M.Div, and i've been lamenting my lack of a really good software tool for translation and exegesis. The way my workflow (following a manual, pen & paper process) generally unfolds as follows:
- Read through the verse in Greek.
- Parse the forms of nearly all verbs (excluding some of the most common ones).
- Check my parsing against the morphology in my Pocket e-Sword or Logos 2.1 software.[1]
- Note any vocabulary unfamiliar to me, including parsing the particular form in the text and noting the definition.
- Translate the verse for myself.
- Note any questions, comments on translation, or points of debate from an exegetical perspective.
- Check the textual variants in the NA27 and/or UBS4. If any of them present themselves as likely alternatives to the text, repeat steps 1-6 for the changed text.
- Check my translation against a more literal English translation such as ESV, NASB, or RSV.
- When i've reached the end of the pericope or chapter, read through some commentaries and revise my translation, textual choices, and notes in the light of my reading.
This is a fairly laborious process that could use some software assistance. Here are the parts of the process i think could benefit most:
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