Interpreting the Bible-Step 1: Original Languages

As I had indicated in my last essay, the next several essays will be devoted to having us explore the steps that we need to take to have a broader understanding of the Scriptures.  These steps will not render us infallible, but they will, at the very least, help us to understand the Bible in a more analytical and critical manner.  They will help broaden our thinking in terms of understanding the biblical message.

This particular essay deals with the original languages of the Bible, i.e. Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek.
The bulk of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and a few passages were written in a related language, i.e. Aramaic.  The New Testament was written in koine Greek, the language spoken by the common folk in the time of Jesus and the first-century Church.

Some may wonder if they need to be discouraged about ever understanding the Bible because they have never studied the Bible in its original languages.  My answer to that is "absolutely not."  Those who have never studied Aramaic, Greek, or Hebrew can do one of three things, or perhaps all three:

1.  Purchase a lexicon which is a dictionary of biblical languages, providing words and terms in those languages with translation into English.

2.  Compare the different translations of the English Bible (King James, Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, New International Bible, Living Bible, etc.) by focusing on the differences and similarities between each translation.

3. Compare the different Bible commentaries which are written by people who have studied the original languages of Scripture and made comments based on their understanding of the Bible in its original language.

Some may ask, "What is the big deal about studying the Bible in its original languages as opposed to studying it in the languages that we know?"  That is a valid question, but it is a question that is asked, for the most part, by people who want to limit themselves to a cursory and very simple approach to Scripture. Unfortunately, many, if not most students of the Bible do not want to engage in a lot of "razzle dazzle" when it comes to biblical study.  They are either adverse or allergic to rigorous examination of Scripture, and prefer the "two and two is four" approach to Bible study.

The answer to the above question is that lack of knowledge of the original languages can cause us to not be aware of some of the apparent contrasts that exist between the original languages of the Bible, and the translations which most of us rely on to do and carry out Bible study.  Below, are some examples of the problems between the original languages and the translations that we use.

1.  We are told in Genesis 1 that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The word for God in the original Hebrew is "Elohim," which translated into English or any other language is plural, therefore, meaning "gods."  Why would the writer of Genesis say that gods created the heavens and the earth? The reason why the writer uses "Elohim" instead of "El" (singular for God) is because in the Middle Eastern culture, God was described in terms of Her/His various attributes, including majesty and power.  It is not that the Arabs, Jews, or other Middle Eastern people were believing in a multiplicity of gods, but rather that the one God was was thought of in terms of many attributes and dimensions.

2.  In most of the English translations, the twenty-third Psalm tells us that "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."  In the Hebrew it says "Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want."  Why do the English translations get away from the original by using the the term "Lord?''  The Spanish translations use the term "Jehova," which is Spanish for Yahweh or as has been translated into English "Jehovah."  The reason why most of the English translators use the word "Lord," is because they knew that one of the commandments which the Hebrew/Jewish people had received was not to take the name of God in vain.  Whenever they read the name "Yahweh," they would substitute it by pronouncing the word "Adonai," which is the Hebrew word for "Lord."  While the translators of the Bible into other languages tended to do a "word for word" translation of the original Hebrew, the translators of the English Bibles preferred to be sensitive to the needs of the Hebrew people to avoid pronouncing God's name, and therefore, taking the risk of using God's name in vain.

3.  In Colossians 1, Paul refers to Jesus as the "firstborn" of every creature. This has led some groups, such as the Jehovah's witnesses to affirm believe that Jesus is a creature.  The issue here is that in Greek (the original language of the New Testament), there are two words for "firstborn."  One is "protogenes," which means the eldest or the first to be born.  The other words is "prototokos," which means "inheritor." A literal interpretation of Colossians 1 into English, would be that Jesus is the "inheritor" of every creature.

These are just three of many examples that point to the importance of being acquainted with the Bible in its original languages.  There are others, of course, but for the sake of space and time, we will not cover them in this essay.  The main issue here is that for us to exercise responsible study of Scripture, we must have some acquaintance with the original languages.  That acquaintance might come through direct study of these languages or indirectly by reading commentaries and other literature written by those who have studied the original languages.

It is hoped that this first of many steps will help the reader to dig deeper into the Scriptures, which are a written witness to the Word, which is Jesus the Christ, the Word made flesh.  Please feel free to comment on this approach or to share any concerns which you may have.  Remember, this is a dialogue, not an argument or a debate.

In the name of the Creator, and of the Word, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dr. Juan A. Ayala-Carmona