THE POWER OF DIGITAL RESOURCES: DO MORE WITH LESS

One Regent Student Submitted for this request on 11 February:

Hi Justin,

I was wondering if you could look something up in logos for me (the weekend library staff doesn’t know which computers have logos). I just need the initial listing that logos gives for the Greek word arrabwn.

I have all the lexical/dictionary info, etc. My Professor just wants to show how it comes up in logos when you’re searching for a word (to put in a slide on ppt).

Thanks!

Regent Student

This request was a real soft-ball! You want to hear about my 30-second research task on this one word? Be glad to relay it, here it is:

First, I popped into the "Bible Search" (spy-glass at the top left) in 4 different versions to find where this was used in the Greek NT by using the transliteration she gave (I typed the command-- g:"arrabwn" where "g:" tells logos that "its sounds this way in the Greek"). Here's a snapshot of the search results:

From there I clicked into one of them, in this case, 2 Cor 5:5, so I could get the Scripture to open up which allows me to right click the word to look up the lemma in my dictionaries: BDAG, NIDNTT, TDNT, EDNT, Louw-Nida, et al. Since all the lexicons/dictionaries are set in a customized "parallel resources" set, I simply hit the right-arrow key to jump to the next resource when I'm done reading each article. (Logos automatically jumps to the specific article in that resource regarding that word every time I arrow to the next lexicon)

As I arrow through each and every one of the articles, I simply highlighted them and right-clicked them directly into a single "clippings" document in the software (a doc that resembles individual 3x5 cards where each highlight is quoted, the resource is noted, and you can add personal notes to each one), then "exported" the entire 7-page document with all the articles on the word into a word doc. file (one of the functions of Logos Library). 

Here's a sample page of the exported 7-page clippings document I sent her which only covers two articles on the word: Theological Dictionary of the NT (TDNT) and a partial one (because it extended onto the next page) from the New International Dictionary of the NT Theology (NIDNTT):

ἀρραβών

TDNT: ἀρραβών

† ἀρραβών^*1

A loan word from the Semitic, Heb. צֵרָבוֹן.² Gn. 38:17 ff. (LXX, ἀρραβών), Lat. arrha or arrhabo (B Gn. 38:17 ff.). The word is a commercial term (Isaeus 8:23: Aristot. Pol., I, 11, p. 1259a, 12; esp. pap.). It signifies a “pledge” which is later returned (only Gn. 38:17–20); a “deposit” which pays part of the total debt and gives a legal claim (BGU, 947, 6; Ostraka, II, 1168); “earnest-money” ratifying a compact (P. Oxy., 299, 2 f.; BGU, 446, 5). It always implies an act which engages to something bigger.³ It occurs figur. in Antiph. Fr., 123, 6 (CAF, II, 60): ἔχοντες ἀρραβῶνα τὴν τὲχνην τοῦ ζῆν; Menand. Fr., 697 (ibid., III, 200): τοῦ δυστυχεῖν … ἀρραβῶνʼ ἔχειν.

Paul uses it figuratively at 2 C. 1:22: ὁ … δοὺς τὸν ἀρραβῶνα τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν; 5:5: ὁ δοὺς ἡμῖν τὸν ἀρραβῶνα τοῦ πνεύματος (→ πνεῦμα). In the latter τοῦ πνεύματος is gen. appos.: “the earnest, i.e., the Spirit” (like → ἀπαρχὴ τοῦ πνεύματος in R. 8:23). The Spirit whom God has given them is for Christians the guarantee of their full future possession of salvation. Similarly in Eph. 1:14: τῷ πνεύματι …, ὅς⁴ ἐστιν ἀρραβὼν τῆς → κληρονομίας ἡμῶν.

In 2nd century Christian literature it is found only in Pol., 8, 1: τῷ ἀρραβῶνι τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἡμῶν ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, Christ by His death is a pledge that Christians will attain to righteousness at the last judgment.

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Edited by Kittel, Gerhard, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and Gerhard Friedrich. electronic ed., V 1, p 475. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964-.

Tags: G728

Clipped: February 11, 2012

NIDNTT: ἀρραβών

ἀρραβών G775 (arrabōn), first installment, down payment, deposit, pledge, earnest.

^{CL & OT} The Gk. word arrabōn (borrowed from the Semitic, cf. Heb. ‘ērāḇôn) is a legal concept from the language of business and trade. It is found only rarely (Isaeus, Aristotle and later grammarians such as Suidas) and means: (1) an instalment, with which a man secures a legal claim upon a thing as yet unpaid for; (2) an earnest, an advance payment, by which a contract becomes valid in law; (3) in one passage (Gen. 38:17ff.) a pledge. In each case it is a matter of payment by which the person concerned undertakes to give further payment to the recipient (Arndt, 109). A metaphorical use is also possible (e.g. skilfulness as an arrabōn of life, Antiphon, Frag. 123, 6).

Brown, Colin. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, V 2, pp 39–40. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986.

As you might imagine, her project is well on its way now, and we'll be sitting down very soon to discuss the best way for Samantha to be able to do this at her own home, on her own laptop,  with her own digital library. 

Now that she has experience with TDNT, and NIDNTT, do you think she'll be intimidated by these resources when entering the library? No. I'll tell you what will happen--the same thing that happens to everyone else--> she becomes more confident with her experience, more proficient with their use, gets her own digital library, and ends up becoming the leader for the both the next generation of scholars AND those who want to become scholars but are too scared to get their own digital library!! LOL!!

Way to go Samantha, we'll always be routing for you!

Either way, having your own digital library cannot be beat--either for scholarship, ministry, or personal development. There's just no two-ways around it. Amen. 

Be blessed. 

JW.