1. “_It is all Greek to me_,” is often said with a quality of
facetiousness in tone and manner which is evidently intended as a
compliment to the exceeding difficulty of learning the language. Or,
it may be a _quasi_ tribute to the very picturesqueness of the Greek
letters and word-forms as they appear in the sentence. Or, it may
be said by one who is overwhelmed at the erudition of some academic
“Greek” flourishing a Greek Testament, and suggesting in manner a
certain layman of Lynn, who once took from the parlor table a book
printed in French, and asked his astonished hostess, “Is this Latin or
French? For if it’s Latin I can read it.” Or it may be possible the
superstition that the mysteries of religion are themselves in some
manner connected with the very forms of Greek words, has its influence
in producing the expression; however, it is a fact that the phrase is
found on the lips of even cultured persons, “_It’s all Greek to me_.”
2. _Misapprehension._—The fact is, many people misapprehend the nature
of the language and of the real difficulties in the way of mastering
its secrets. For the new scholar will invariably assert that Greek,
especially New Testament Greek, is _not_ a difficult study, because of
the language forms or idioms. The _real_ difficulties are to be found
in other places, than in the gardens of the text.