Here's Bock and Fanning on how one determines which words require closer analysis in the exegetical enterprise (Interpreting the New Testament Text, 143):
1. One could study any words whose English definition is unclear.
2. Words with apparent synonyms or antonyms in the context make good candidates for word analysis.
3. Words used rarely or only once (hapax legomena) are also good candidates, especially if they seem to carry conceptual weight in the passage.
4. Words used figuratively make a good choice, since their precise meaning is often not transparent.
5. Words that are repeated or that may bear a passage’s conceptual weight are the most crucial to analyze, since understanding the passage's meaning hangs on understanding them.
6. Another way to discern potential key terms for further study is to compare English translations. If the translations render a word in clearly non-synonymous terms, the word may well merit closer examination.
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