Tobit: Reading outside the Canon

One of the best things you can do to work on your Greek is to read outside the canon. Why? Because it forces you to translate every word rather than to rely on your memory of the English Bible. Dr. Doug Penney, Associate Professor of Classical Languages at Wheaton College, is an expert in reading Greek and reading outside the canon. He joins me on “Exegetically Speaking” to discuss how he encourages students to read outside the canon of Scripture in order to sharpen their translation skills. Reading Tobit, a book of the Apocrypha, takes them to a text they do not know. There are also a few surprises here as well that help us understand better the world of the Bible.

To hear the podcast click here.

“Exegetically Speaking” is a weekly podcast of the friends and faculty of Wheaton College, IL and The Lanier Theological Library. Hosted by Dr. David Capes, it features language experts who discuss the importance of learning the biblical languages—Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek—and show how reading the Bible in the original languages “pays off.” Each podcast lasts between seven and eleven minutes and covers a different topic for those who want to read the Bible for all it is worth.

If you’re interested in going deeper, learn more about Wheaton’s undergraduate degree in Classical Languages (Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) and our MA in Biblical Exegesis. 

You can hear Exegetically Speaking on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. If you have questions or comments, please contact us at exegetically.speaking@wheaton.edu.