![]() ![]() It is safe to assume that He must have known some Greek or even Latin. He encountered Greeks and Romans on His path, as we know from the Gospels. On top of that, we need to be mindful of the fact that Jesus lived in cities full of foreigners. Additionally, Jesus addressed the apostle Paul in Hebrew when He appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Those conversations likely happened in Hebrew, considering this was the language of the Holy Scriptures. We read that young Jesus debated the scholars in the Holy Temple for several days. Nevertheless, it is also very likely that the Jewish (as well as Samaritan) families of that day continued to use Hebrew. ![]() Some of Jesus’ statements in the Gospels were recorded in Aramaic, which means His disciples knew it and used it as well. It was the common tongue of the people in the region at the time. It is generally believed that Jesus spoke Aramaic in His everyday life. Does that mean He spoke Hebrew as well? Many biblical stories could suggest that Jesus in fact spoke (or at least understood) three languages!ĭespite being brought up in a small village and a humble family, He would have been exposed to more than just His mother tongue. Jesus was born with a Hebrew name and in a hebraic culture. It is thus that much more poignant whenever the word salvation – yeshua – appears in the Old Testament! The Old Testament and the New Testament are full of special Hebrew names. His name in Hebrew is Yeshua, which literally means “Salvation.” It was a powerful word, but it was not unfamiliar. Let us not forget that the name Jesus was not a foreign-sounding word to Mary and Joseph. If Jesus was the second Adam, could He also be called “the second man”, as the head of mankind? Because if man was the crown of God’s creation, that would make Jesus – the second, perfected man – the true crown of creation!Īnd since we are talking about names. It sounds consistent with when the apostle Paul calls Jesus in his letters – the second Adam.īut here also we could look at the Hebrew and draw another conclusion. But the Hebrew connects it also with the idea that Jesus was “son of Adam”. Take for example the fact that “son of man” describes Jesus in the Gospels. The setting and the culture was still very hebraic. Although the New Testament was written in Greek, the context remains the same. Is that of any significance? Well, it may affect how you interpret some other parts of the Bible as well. The name of the first woman, Chava (in English usually Eve or Eva), comes from the word chai – Hebrew for life. Which, coincidentally, that is what God made Adam out of. At the same time, the word adama means earth or soil. The first man was called Adam, which in Hebrew simply means “man”. That is, the names of the first people that appear in the Bible have a specific meaning in Hebrew. Nevertheless, there is a very strong argument for it. Today, it is the official language of a country and the native tongue of about five million people.ĭid God really speak Hebrew to the first people He created? We cannot know that for sure (but we do know that the story of creation was written in Hebrew). It is hard to believe that only scholars and religious practices used the language of the Bible for centuries. And every generation discovers them anew. This ancient tongue held the greatest spiritual truths that guided our lives through the ages. With the use of the Hebrew language God revealed Himself to mankind. But before we share what they are, let’s answer the question WHY. And imagine how much deeper you could dive into the Word of God with basic understanding of Hebrew! To get you started, in the coming weeks we want to introduce you to seven Hebrew words every Christian should know. If you have travelled to Israel, you know how much a trip like that enhances your comprehension of Scripture.Īll the blessings above are unique to our generation. Most of us a have a Bible at home-or even several. ![]() We can connect with Israel and Hebrew speakers easily. We have a sea of knowledge at our fingertips. More and more believers today study the Bible and wonder, am I getting the complete understanding of the Hebrew words? The Meaning of Hebrew Words and Scripture
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