Posted on 01/17/2015 9:07:56 AM PST by Salvation
This week we leave the Culture Wars behind and return to some basic apologetics…well, some interesting information about the Scriptures that informs our apologetics.
I once had a discussion with a person who insisted that Our Divine Lord spoke only Hebrew. The conversation had begun centered around the word “rock” in St Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 16:18), but quickly devolved into a debate about ancient languages. My friend held that the word “rock” couldn’t possibly refer to St. Peter because the Gospel was written in Greek, and the Greek words used in that passage are “petros” and “petra,” which mean “rock” and “small rock,” respectively. I pointed out that Jesus didn’t speak Greek, He spoke Aramaic, and the Aramaic word for rock is “kepha,” which means “big rock” or “boulder.”
My friend was thunderstruck, he had never considered that a Jew in that time would speak any other language but Hebrew.
By the time Christ arrived on the scene, the Jewish people had been through a series of calamities that fundamentally altered their society. The Jewish state, Judah, was a rump of Israel’s former glory under King David, having been invaded and imprisoned a number of times by the Persians, the Greeks, the Assyrians, and the Romans. During the Babylonian Exile and the subsequent occupation by the Assyrians (700-330 BC), the Imperial Language of Aramaic became the common language of the Jews. In fact, the books of Ezra and Daniel were written in Aramaic. Similar to the way that the Church’s official language is Latin even today, the Rabbis and Temple officials maintained the Hebrew language of worship and the Scriptures, but the people spoke Aramaic in their daily lives.
The linguistic patchwork of first century Judea was complicated by two more civilizations…Greek and Roman. Greek was the common language used by the Roman elites in the conduct of business in the Empire. Latin, of course, was the official language of the Empire spoken by Roman officials and military forces, as well as the Roman citizens.
History aside, how do we know from the Scriptures that Christ spoke Aramaic? Simple. In several places He is quoted speaking Aramaic. In St. Matthew’s and St. Mark’s Gospels, some of Christ’s words are rendered in the language the people spoke. “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” (Mt 27:46, Mk 15:34), “Talitha cuom” (Mk 8:41), and “Ephphatha” (Mk 7:34) are all Aramaic phrases. Even the word “Abba” which Christ uses often to refer to the Father is the Aramaic word roughly translated as “Daddy.” Incidentally, the Arabic word “Abu” has the same meaning… so “Abu Sulieman” means “Father of Solomon.”
Why is all this language study important to defense of the Faith? Just this: properly translating the Scriptures leads to proper interpretations. For example, when the “brothers of Jesus” are referred to in Scripture, it’s important to know that they are cousins, not children of Mary. We know this because Aramaic has no word for “cousin” and Semitic cultures usually consider all male relatives as “brother” or “uncle.” In fact, not to refer to a male relative as “brother” or “father” or “uncle” is a way of distancing oneself from them. If we try to go with the English word, or even the Greek one, then we run the risk of drawing the wrong conclusion from the word “brother” or “rock,” and that weakens our personal understanding of the faith.
The Church recognizes the need for linguistic variety in her worship. It’s also a reason the Latin Rite uses Aramaic (Amen), Greek (Kyrie), Latin (Sanctus, Gloria, Angus Dei), and the vernacular (mostly English or Spanish in the USA) during Holy Mass. Words have power and real meaning…how else could we believe what someone tells us if words do not mean real ideas?
So the language Jesus Christ spoke on earth is important, both for our heads and our hearts. If words were not important, then the Father wouldn’t have spoken the Eternal Word. We are thankful He did.
Those are most definitely not “Anglo names”, whatever that means. Peter comes from Greek “Petros”; Paul from Latin “Paulus”; Matthew from Hebrew “Matityahu”, Mary from Hebrew “Miriam”, Joseph from Hebrew “Yosef”; Luke from Greek “Loukas” and so on. Regional names.
The Holy Spirit had the New Testament written in Greek not Aramaic. The Greek has specific words for cousin and for brother. In the Greek the Holy Spirit called them brothers, not cousins. Now you want to question the Holy Spirit with words like “probably”?
I can see translating the body of text, but why would the names be changed?
** The conversation had begun centered around the word rock in St Matthews Gospel (Mt 16:18), but quickly devolved into a debate about ancient languages. My friend held that the word rock couldnt possibly refer to St. Peter because the Gospel was written in Greek, and the Greek words used in that passage are petros and petra, which mean rock and small rock, respectively. I pointed out that Jesus didnt speak Greek, He spoke Aramaic, and the Aramaic word for rock is kepha, which means big rock or boulder.**
These are puzzling arguments - “Peter” supposedly being derived from “Petra”. The first person claims that the use of the word “Petra” cannot refer to Peter - an odd argument. The author, in an apparent attempt to prove that the reference is to Peter says that Jesus actually used the word “kepha” - which certainly must prove that it is Peter to whom he is referring.
Logically, the first argument supports the reference to Peter more than it disputes it, and the second, “kepha”, argument casts doubts on the reference rather than supporting it.
This guy claims to use basic apologetics...but apologetics demands a sound logical foundation, and he clearly has none. This is not apologetics, it is confusing.
The Holy Spirit inspired the writers to use the Greek for a reason. It’s nothing short of blasphemy to second guess the word choices of the Holy Spirit.
“In all the movies Ive seen, he has spoken English.”
You never saw The Passion of the Christ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7v5bWzx4yE
He still speaks my language.
Same here, except for the Passion of Christ in which the actor portraying Jesus spoke Aramaic.
When drawing on his powers, he could speak any language.
In daily use, he spoke several. Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek, which was the lingua, franca of the area when addressing Jews visiting Jerusalem from foreign parts. Also, some Latin, the language of the current conquerors.
well said. Glad someone stated the obvious. People can believe what they wish but use of of intentional deception in arguments is not in their best interest if they wish to persuade.
RE: What Language Did Jesus Speak?
That one’s easy.
South Philly-ese, with a touch of Hoboken dialect thrown in so New Jersey guys could understand him.
Aramaic language resembles modern Hebrew about as much as Latin resembles Italian. Clearly the more modern language has roots in the formerly spoken tongue, but communication would be faltering, at best.
Even American English and that version spoken in Great Britain are approaching the degree of mutual incomprehensibility. And that separated only about a couple of hundred years.
And you have all of the original manuscripts to prove this?
For example, when the brothers of Jesus are referred to in Scripture, its important to know that they are cousins, not children of Mary. We know this because Aramaic has no word for cousin and Semitic cultures usually consider all male relatives as brother or uncle. In fact, not to refer to a male relative as brother or father or uncle is a way of distancing oneself from them. If we try to go with the English word, or even the Greek one, then we run the risk of drawing the wrong conclusion from the word brother or rock, and that weakens our personal understanding of the faith.
Proof? Live link?
LOL!
Source for your four language?
Translations, I would think.
RE: “...In all the movies Ive seen, he has spoken English...”
Yeah... with a Bronx dialect in some of them...
Author’s error?
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