This entry is part 1 of 6 in the series Biblical LanguagesSince 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 refreshe...

This entry is part 1 of 6 in the series Biblical LanguagesGrammar Many figures of speech and rhetorical devices in the OT are more intelligible if one is familiar with the structure of Hebrew. (1) Alphabet and Script. The Hebrew alphabet consists of twenty-two consonants; signs for vowels were devised and added late in the language’s history. The origin of the alphabet is unknown, although until the discoveries at Ebla the oldest examples of a Canaanite alphabet were preserved in the Ugaritic cuneiform alphabet of the fourteenth century BC. Brief remains of a linear (non-cuneiform) alpha...

This entry is part 2 of 6 in the series Biblical LanguagesThe name Hebrew is not applied by the OT to its own language, although the NT does use the name that way. In the OT, Hebrew means the individual or people who used the language. The language itself is called “the language of Canaan” (Is. 19:18), or “the language of Judah” (Neh. 13:24). [Some modern translations render 2 Kings 18:26, 28 "the language of the Jews," some "Hebrew."] Origin and History In the Middle Ages, a common view was that Hebrew was the primitive language of humankind. Even in colonial America,...

This entry is part 2 of 6 in the series Biblical LanguagesA secondary OT language is Aramaic, found in sections of Daniel (2:4b-7:28) and Ezra (4:8-6:18; 7:12-26). Aramaic phrases and expressions also appear in Genesis (31:47, Jeremiah (10:11), and the NT. OT Use Genesis 31:47 reflects usage of Hebrew and Aramaic by two individuals who were contemporaries: Jacob, the father of the Israelites, referred to a certain memorial or “witness heap” by the Hebrew term; his father-in law, Laban, called it by its Aramaic counterpart. Aramaic is linguistically very close to Hebrew. Aramaic tex...

This entry is part 4 of 6 in the series Biblical LanguagesThe Greek language is beautiful, rich, and harmonious as an instrument of communication. It is a fitting tool both for vigorous thought and for religious devotion. During its classic period, Greek was the language of one of the world’s greatest civilizations. In that cultural period, language, literature, and art flourished more than war. The Greek mind was preoccupied with ideals of beauty. The Greek language reflected artistry in its philosophical dialogues, its poetry, and its stately orations. Greek was also characterized by...