Since I’m on the topic of textual criticism and the like, I felt that now would be the appropriate time to go more in-depth with the biblical languages. I’m going to attempt to give a comprehensive, albeit surface-level, overview of the languages and their characteristics. For anyone that hasn’t studied these languages (or any language), this should be a helpful starting place and maybe will interest you in going further with your studies. For those that have studied the languages presented, this may be a good refresher of the basics for you. Any additions or corrections would be greatly appreciated from the readers.

Christians believe that God has revealed himself through a book. Hence, those who read the Bible can profit from learning as much as possible about the languages in which it was written. The two major languages of Scripture, Greek and Hebrew (a few passages are written in Aramaic), represent two major language families, Indo-European and Semitic. Their contrasting linguistic traits combine to produce a thorough, progressive, propositional revelation of God. That revelation is characterized by simplicity, variety, and power.

The connection between language and though is not a loose one; language is a product and reflection of the human soul. Language is not just a dress for thought to put on or off at pleasure, but the body, of which thought is the soul. Each language that God ordained to transmit divine revelation had a personality that made it suitable for such a purpose.

No translation can replace the original languages of the Bible in primary importance for conveying and perpetuating divine revelation. Those languages should be learned not merely from the outside, with grammar and lexicon, but also from the inside, with proper appreciation for the uniqueness of each one.

In addition to my own series, I suggest for further reading and study the following books:

A New Testament Greek Primer by S. M. Baugh

Pocket Dictionary for the Study of New Testament Greek by Matthew S. DeMoss

Learn New Testament Greek by John H. Dobson

Basic Greek in Thirty Minutes a Day by James Found

Biblical Hebrew Step by Step by Menahem Mansoor

Basics of Biblical Greek: Grammar by William D. Mounce

Pocket Dictionary for the Study of Biblical Hebrew by Todd J. Murphy

Basics of Biblical Hebrew: Grammar by Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt

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