02.4. How to do word studies

2.4. How to do word studies Are there general rules for doing Hebrew and Greek word studies through ES and TW? No, but there are some guidelines. As a beginner it is important to walk with the giants. This point cannot be emphasised enough. The purpose of this book is to show you how to walk with the giants in your study of biblical languages. The following guidelines may be helpful when you are doing word studies.

2.4.1. Guidelines for word studies

1. Select the English word you want to study. This is your first step. It should be a word that is important to help you understand the passage. A word study on the Greek word behind the English word ‘the’ may not be helpful. However, sometimes the meaning of a preposition can be crucial in understanding a passage. What about the word ‘lifted up’ in John 12:32? It is the basis for a well-known English song.

Lift Jesus higher, Lift Jesus higher, Lift Him up for the world to see, He said if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me.

What was Jesus saying? Is the meaning that was given to the words in the song the right meaning?

2. Identify the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek word. Once you have selected the English word, you should be able to find the original language word behind it. The original language should be your point of departure for a word study. If you do a search on the English word, you may end up with more or fewer hits than you would find in the original language. The English word in John 12:32 with Strong’s number is: I be lifted up G5312 [G5686]. The lexical code G5312 according to Thayer is hupsoō. He gives the following definitions:

1) To lift up on high, to exalt 2) Metaphorically 2a) to raise to the very summit of opulence and prosperity 2b) to exalt, to raise to dignity, honour and happiness

3. Find other appearances of the word. The next step should be to find all the appearances of the word in the specific book. In this case we should find all appearances of hupsoō in the Gospel of John. The search can always be expanded to other writings of the same author, and then to the rest of the New Testament and also the Old Testament (LXX). The word appears five times in four verses in John (John 3:14; John 8:28; John 12:32; John 12:34). The word is always translated as ‘lift up’ in the King James Version of John. If the search was based on ‘lifted up’, the hits would have been twelve in ten verses. Another word is also translated as ‘lifted up’, for example in John 6:5, when Jesus ‘lifted up his eyes’. A full search of the New Testament gives twenty-two hits in sixteen verses.

4. Study and classify the usage of the word. It is important to study the different ways in which the word is used. In this exercise the study is limited to John’s Gospel. In John 3, John speaks about Moses literally lifting up the serpent, by putting it on a tree. In like manner must the Son of Man be lifted up. Does the lifting up of the Son of Man, then, mean lifting up from the earth and hanging on a tree? Let’s consider the other references. John 8 also speaks about the Son of Man being lifted up. John seems to be referring to an event in which the Son of Man will literally be lifted up. In John 12, the reference is also to the Son of Man being lifted up.

5. Summarise your conclusion. Even though the references are not always clear, John 12 seems to be very clear, because of the explanation given in verse 33. John 12:33 says: ‘Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die’ (NET). The phrase then refers to the kind of death Jesus was going to die. This agrees with John 3, which refers to Him dying on the cross. So, ‘lifted up’ in John 12:32, does not mean ‘to exalt’, it means ‘hanging in the air’ (on a cross).What do you think about the explanation of the word given in the song ‘Lift Jesus Higher’?

6. Consult your resources. Vincent made the following comments on the word in John 12:32: ‘The primary reference is to the cross, but there is included a reference to the resurrection and ascension’. Robertson agrees with this interpretation.

2.4.2. Good and bad Etymology

What is etymology? It is the study of the origin and history of words. Etymology has its value, but also its limitations in the interpretation of Scripture. The original language sources in ES and TW put substantial emphasis on the use of etymology. This is one of their weaknesses. The use of etymology was very strong in biblical scholarship of the past generation. However, new studies and especially linguistic research have revealed some of the limitations of this approach.

If the older sources are used carefully and with wisdom, that problem can be solved. I remember reading a book that explained the word that Judas used when he greeted the Lord Jesus, in Matthew 26:49. Judas said ‘Hail, master’ (KJV). The Greek word translated ‘hail’ is chairō. The writer explained the etymology of the word, which means ‘to rejoice, be glad’. According to him, Judas, who knew that he was going to betray Jesus, told him ‘Rejoice, be glad master’. He explained that Judas was a hypocrite. He knew that he was going to betray the Lord yet still asked him to rejoice. The etymology of the word as explained by the writer was correct. However, the word was used as a normal greeting in those days. The root meaning of ‘rejoice, be glad’ was not taken into consideration by the speaker. It is the same thing with the English greeting ‘goodbye’. It is derived from ‘godbwye’, a contraction of ‘God be with ye’. Even atheists greet people with ‘goodbye’. And surely their intention is not to say ‘God be with ye’. ‘Goodbye’ is a modern way of greeting. We do not take account of the etymology of the word in the present-day greeting.

There are, however, words where the etymology can be very helpful. The word for ‘gospel’ in Greek is euangelion. It is composed of eu (good) and angelion (announcement). Euangelion is a good announcement, hence Good News. The Greek word for Christ is Christos. It is derived from the verb chriō meaning ‘to anoint’. Christ is the anointed one.

Etymology can be useful, but we have to be very careful not to base the meaning of a word solely on that. Consider the use of the word in its context.