About the biblical languages

• The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew and some portions in Aramaic.
Following the Babylonian captivity, the Jews used the standardized Aramaic square
script, which is still used today.
Nehemiah 13:24 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews'
language, but according to the language of each people. (KJV)

Why did God give His word in Hebrew mainly in the Old Testament?
Because God chose Israel of all nations at that time to be His witness on earth and to be the guardians of His
word (Deuteronomy 7:6-7; Romans 3:2).

• The New Testament was written in Greek (‘the Greek’ in the New Testament is often
translated as ‘the Gentiles’).
Why did God give His word in Greek mainly in the New Testament?
 Because the dominant Roman empire during the first century used mainly Koine Greek* (=common Greek)
even though there were many other languages in used even among early Christians. God wanted those outside
Israel to also have His word, with the New Testament comprising a large part the teaching of the apostles.
*There is a difference between Classical Greek (used during the time of Alexander the Great), Koine Greek and Modern Greek

 Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (ESV)
Acts 2:8-11 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes,
and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia,
and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (KJV)

The next pages will be a view of the Hebrew and Greek alphabets… 
Hebrew
alphabet

Read from right to left Some existing Hebrew texts

come with vowels, others do
not. “Protestant literalists who
believe that the Hebrew text of
the Old Testament is the
Hebrew vowels  inspired Word of God are
divided on the question of
whether or not the vowel
points should be considered an
inspired part of the Old
Testament” (Wikipedia)
 Uncials = Capital
Read from left to right
letters

Miniscules = Small
letters
 He is Lord, He is Lord

‫הוא אדון‬
(adon hu)

‫ הוא אדון‬,‫הוא אדון‬

(adon hu, adon hu)
‫הוא אדון הוא קם מן המתים והוא אדון‬
(adon we-hu hamatim min qam hu adon hu)
‫כל ברך כרעו‬
(kara-oo berekh kol)
‫כל לשון מודה‬
(madua lishon kol)
‫כי ישוע ואדון‬
(we-adon ye-shua ki)

ΕΣΤΙΝ ΚΥΡΙΟΣ
(estin kurios)

ὅς κύριος,
(hos kurios)
ὅς κύριος,
(ho s kurios)
ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν καί ἐστί κύριος.
(aneste ek nekron kai esti kurios)
πάν γόνυ κάμψει, πάν γλῶσσα ἐρεῖ,
(pan gonu kampsei, pan glossa erei)
ὅτι Ἰησοῦς κύριος.
(oti yesous kurios)