The Hebrew Language
Here are reasons why it is important to learn the Hebrew language.
1. Hebrew is the language of the Hebrew Scriptures (original Bible) and the Israelite Nation.
Torah was written originally in the Hebrew Language. In NT times, there was no recognized Scripture other than what is now commonly known as the Tanahk(Torah, Prophets, and Writings), which is almost entirely written in Hebrew and a small portion in Aramaic. This is important. Learning Hebrew uncovers the actual meaning and intent of the Holy Scriptures. With each level of translation, a good deal of the meaning is lost and is often misinterpreted or mistranslated because of this.
2. Hebrew helps us understand the NT writings.
There are a number of early witnesses who report that the life of Yeshua/Yahshua was originally written down in Hebrew. Among them is Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor (circa 130 A.D.), who says, “Matthew put down the words of Yeshua in the Hebrew language, and others have translated them, each as best he could.” However, since the mid-nineteenth century it has become fashionable to believe that Hebrew was not the primary language of Yeshua and his contemporaries. Therefore, Dr. Robert Lindsey, a senior member of the Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research and author of Jesus, Rabbi & Lord, writes, “Passages in the Gospels have become unclear and are easily misunderstood, or the meaning entirely missed, because their interpretation has become separated from an understanding of their Hebrew linguistic and cultural traditions.” Recent analysis by scholars of the Jerusalem School has shown that there is indeed a Hebrew “undertext” lying behind nearly half of the New Testament at least the first three Gospels and probably, also, the first half of the book of Acts). This is a significant point for Messianics and Torah-based Israelites.
3. Hebrew helps us to understand the use of Hebrew Scriptures of the NT and letters, for using the Scriptures properly ourselves.
Have you ever been puzzled that writers of the gospels and letters often go beyond the apparent contextual meaning of the Tanahk passages which they quote? If we are to use the word of YHWH correctly (Deut. 4:2), wouldn’t we do well to recover, for ourselves, the ancient methods of interpretation which writers of the word used with such creativity?
4. Hebrew gives firsthand access to early Hebrew Israelite history, literature and culture.
The sages and teachers of Israel have preserved important information about the historic, religious, cultural and linguistic context in which all the Patriarchs and Yeshua/Yahshua taught. They complement the Scriptures and often fill important gaps in our understanding, yet much of this literature remains unavailable in English.
5. Hebrew enables us to participate in and benefit fully from the Hebrew services, Holy Days and feasts.
Temple attendance remained habitual for the forefathers and foremothers (beginning with the tent-of-meeting), Yeshua/Yahshua, followers of the Nazarene Sect in the land of Israel until the exile in 135 C.E. Elsewhere, both Gentiles and Hebrews continued to take part in synagogue services until at least the fourth century C.E.
1. Hebrew is the language of the Hebrew Scriptures (original Bible) and the Israelite Nation.
Torah was written originally in the Hebrew Language. In NT times, there was no recognized Scripture other than what is now commonly known as the Tanahk(Torah, Prophets, and Writings), which is almost entirely written in Hebrew and a small portion in Aramaic. This is important. Learning Hebrew uncovers the actual meaning and intent of the Holy Scriptures. With each level of translation, a good deal of the meaning is lost and is often misinterpreted or mistranslated because of this.
2. Hebrew helps us understand the NT writings.
There are a number of early witnesses who report that the life of Yeshua/Yahshua was originally written down in Hebrew. Among them is Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor (circa 130 A.D.), who says, “Matthew put down the words of Yeshua in the Hebrew language, and others have translated them, each as best he could.” However, since the mid-nineteenth century it has become fashionable to believe that Hebrew was not the primary language of Yeshua and his contemporaries. Therefore, Dr. Robert Lindsey, a senior member of the Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research and author of Jesus, Rabbi & Lord, writes, “Passages in the Gospels have become unclear and are easily misunderstood, or the meaning entirely missed, because their interpretation has become separated from an understanding of their Hebrew linguistic and cultural traditions.” Recent analysis by scholars of the Jerusalem School has shown that there is indeed a Hebrew “undertext” lying behind nearly half of the New Testament at least the first three Gospels and probably, also, the first half of the book of Acts). This is a significant point for Messianics and Torah-based Israelites.
3. Hebrew helps us to understand the use of Hebrew Scriptures of the NT and letters, for using the Scriptures properly ourselves.
Have you ever been puzzled that writers of the gospels and letters often go beyond the apparent contextual meaning of the Tanahk passages which they quote? If we are to use the word of YHWH correctly (Deut. 4:2), wouldn’t we do well to recover, for ourselves, the ancient methods of interpretation which writers of the word used with such creativity?
4. Hebrew gives firsthand access to early Hebrew Israelite history, literature and culture.
The sages and teachers of Israel have preserved important information about the historic, religious, cultural and linguistic context in which all the Patriarchs and Yeshua/Yahshua taught. They complement the Scriptures and often fill important gaps in our understanding, yet much of this literature remains unavailable in English.
5. Hebrew enables us to participate in and benefit fully from the Hebrew services, Holy Days and feasts.
Temple attendance remained habitual for the forefathers and foremothers (beginning with the tent-of-meeting), Yeshua/Yahshua, followers of the Nazarene Sect in the land of Israel until the exile in 135 C.E. Elsewhere, both Gentiles and Hebrews continued to take part in synagogue services until at least the fourth century C.E.
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6. The Hebrew language gives insight into the world view of the people who spoke it.
Dr. Clifford Denton is editor-in-chief of Tishrei, a quarterly journal which explores the Christian faith through its Hebraic origins. He writes, “Immersion in a language produces far more than conversation. A language determines the very mind-set of a person. A person who thinks in Hebrew is a different person from one who thinks in English, all other things being equal. Thus, the Hebrew language gives more than an accurate understanding of words.”
7. Hebrew is the official language of modern-day Israel.
It goes without saying that anyone who visits or lives in Israel will do better if he or she speaks the language of the people. Even a little modern Hebrew will be helpful, because people tend to be warmer and more responsive if one tries to communicate with them in their own language. Modern Hebrew and Biblical Hebrew are very similar. One forms an excellent foundation for learning the other.
8. Hebrew is relatively easy to learn.
David Bivin, co-author of a Hebrew language course and of the book Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus, writes, “Hebrew is to a large extent a phonetic language with a relatively small vocabulary. Generally it is based on a simple three-letter root system which provides a helpful memory aid in the formation of various verbs and nouns; nothing like the complexity of many modern European languages.”
9. There is something special about reading the scriptures in their original language.
But you’ll only find out if you learn the language. The student begins to reap the benefits of learning Hebrew immediately. However, language learning is a cyclic process. At times one is elated by the advances one has made, at others one seems to be getting nowhere. In either case, to make further progress it is essential to push steadily on, even if slowly. “He who gathers little by little will become rich.” Mishle (Proverbs).13:11
10: Hebrew is the language of creation. It was also the first spoken language of mankind.
"And the Lord God said: 'Open his mouth and his ears, that he may hear and speak with his mouth, with the language which has been revealed'; for it had ceased from the mouths of all the children of men from the day of the overthrow (of Babel).
12:26 And I opened his mouth, and his ears and his lips, and I began to speak with him in Hebrew in the tongue of the creation.
12:27 And he took the books of his fathers, and these were written in Hebrew, and he transcribed them, and he began from henceforth to study them, and I made known to him that which he could not (understand), and he studied them during the six rainy months" (The Book of Jubilees 12:25-27).
11. Paleo-Hebrew alphabet is derived directly from the Phoenician alphabet. They are very similar. They both are Semitic.
The Phoenician alphabet is the oldest verified alphabet. The Paleo-Hebrew alphabet is a kind of Phoenician alphabet, if that makes sense. The two scripts are nearly identical. It should be interesting to know that the Phoenician alphabet was actually called the Proto-Canaanite alphabet (before 1050 BCE). While the Paleo-Hebrew script and spoken language was used only by the Hebrews, the Phoenician alphabet was used by the Canaanite traders for doing business all around the Mediterranean. The Phoenician languages formed the basis for all other languages and their scripts in the world. It is the oldest of spoken/written language belonging to the Afro-Asiatic language family (comprised of 300+ currently spoken/written dialects and languages).
Dr. Clifford Denton is editor-in-chief of Tishrei, a quarterly journal which explores the Christian faith through its Hebraic origins. He writes, “Immersion in a language produces far more than conversation. A language determines the very mind-set of a person. A person who thinks in Hebrew is a different person from one who thinks in English, all other things being equal. Thus, the Hebrew language gives more than an accurate understanding of words.”
7. Hebrew is the official language of modern-day Israel.
It goes without saying that anyone who visits or lives in Israel will do better if he or she speaks the language of the people. Even a little modern Hebrew will be helpful, because people tend to be warmer and more responsive if one tries to communicate with them in their own language. Modern Hebrew and Biblical Hebrew are very similar. One forms an excellent foundation for learning the other.
8. Hebrew is relatively easy to learn.
David Bivin, co-author of a Hebrew language course and of the book Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus, writes, “Hebrew is to a large extent a phonetic language with a relatively small vocabulary. Generally it is based on a simple three-letter root system which provides a helpful memory aid in the formation of various verbs and nouns; nothing like the complexity of many modern European languages.”
9. There is something special about reading the scriptures in their original language.
But you’ll only find out if you learn the language. The student begins to reap the benefits of learning Hebrew immediately. However, language learning is a cyclic process. At times one is elated by the advances one has made, at others one seems to be getting nowhere. In either case, to make further progress it is essential to push steadily on, even if slowly. “He who gathers little by little will become rich.” Mishle (Proverbs).13:11
10: Hebrew is the language of creation. It was also the first spoken language of mankind.
"And the Lord God said: 'Open his mouth and his ears, that he may hear and speak with his mouth, with the language which has been revealed'; for it had ceased from the mouths of all the children of men from the day of the overthrow (of Babel).
12:26 And I opened his mouth, and his ears and his lips, and I began to speak with him in Hebrew in the tongue of the creation.
12:27 And he took the books of his fathers, and these were written in Hebrew, and he transcribed them, and he began from henceforth to study them, and I made known to him that which he could not (understand), and he studied them during the six rainy months" (The Book of Jubilees 12:25-27).
11. Paleo-Hebrew alphabet is derived directly from the Phoenician alphabet. They are very similar. They both are Semitic.
The Phoenician alphabet is the oldest verified alphabet. The Paleo-Hebrew alphabet is a kind of Phoenician alphabet, if that makes sense. The two scripts are nearly identical. It should be interesting to know that the Phoenician alphabet was actually called the Proto-Canaanite alphabet (before 1050 BCE). While the Paleo-Hebrew script and spoken language was used only by the Hebrews, the Phoenician alphabet was used by the Canaanite traders for doing business all around the Mediterranean. The Phoenician languages formed the basis for all other languages and their scripts in the world. It is the oldest of spoken/written language belonging to the Afro-Asiatic language family (comprised of 300+ currently spoken/written dialects and languages).
A note about modern Hebrew:
Many courses today teach what is called "modern" Hebrew, the Assyrian/Ezra dialect and script, which came about in 6 BCE (after Judah, the Southern Kingdom, went into the Babylonian exile). This is not the Hebrew language in its earliest form, which was originally a pictorial script, pre-dating Phoenician Paleo-Hebrew. Meanwhile after the Babylonian exile, it is said that Israel (the Northern Kingdom) kept on using the ancient form of the language. Ancient Israelites spoke and wrote in ancient Hebrew, commonly referred to as "Phoenician Paleo-Hebrew." While there are similarities there is a difference between ancient (proto/paleo) and its modernized Assyrian form typically spoken and used in Israel today. Also, as you learn the ancient dialect and script you will discover what the Torah is really saying and see the many mis-translations present in English bibles today. There were many words that would not lend to an accurate translation from ancient Hebrew into English.
For ancient Hebrew teaching and learning resources, see: HIH Educational Resources Support. Scroll down to "Foreign Languages" to "Hebrew." It is also recommended that you speak with your Rabbi or local teacher to learn more about the History of the Hebrew Language.
Many courses today teach what is called "modern" Hebrew, the Assyrian/Ezra dialect and script, which came about in 6 BCE (after Judah, the Southern Kingdom, went into the Babylonian exile). This is not the Hebrew language in its earliest form, which was originally a pictorial script, pre-dating Phoenician Paleo-Hebrew. Meanwhile after the Babylonian exile, it is said that Israel (the Northern Kingdom) kept on using the ancient form of the language. Ancient Israelites spoke and wrote in ancient Hebrew, commonly referred to as "Phoenician Paleo-Hebrew." While there are similarities there is a difference between ancient (proto/paleo) and its modernized Assyrian form typically spoken and used in Israel today. Also, as you learn the ancient dialect and script you will discover what the Torah is really saying and see the many mis-translations present in English bibles today. There were many words that would not lend to an accurate translation from ancient Hebrew into English.
For ancient Hebrew teaching and learning resources, see: HIH Educational Resources Support. Scroll down to "Foreign Languages" to "Hebrew." It is also recommended that you speak with your Rabbi or local teacher to learn more about the History of the Hebrew Language.
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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES & SUPPORT
HEBREW ISRAELITE HOMESCHOOL BLOG
HEBREWISRAELITEHOMESCHOOL.ORG
© 2014 - 2017 Hebrew Israelite Homeschool. All Rights Reserved.
