“If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.”
This might seem a strange way to begin a blog post about Biblical languages … but most versions of contemporary Islam require their adherents to learn Classical Arabic. This is because they are expected to read the Quran in the original. To Muslims, translations of the Quran are not even the “Quran” at all. Reading the “Quran” in English would thus be unsatisfactory to them. Some versions of Judaism have a similar reverence for the Hebrew language, with even the characters of the Hebrew alphabet being considered sacred. By contrast, most Christian religions would be totally fine with their members reading the Bible in translation. More to the point, reading the Bible in translation does indeed count as “reading the Bible” in most Christian denominations.
The caves at Qumran, where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered
It’s true that the clergy of many churches might be expected to learn the original languages of the Christian Bible. And there are some churches where “lay” members, as they are called, are at least encouraged to learn the languages. But I have never yet heard of a church that requires its “lay” members (that is, its non-clergy members) to do so. And, even if such a church does exist, it seems safe to say that such expectations would be fairly rare in the Christian world. There are even some Christian churches (including the Latter-Day Saints) that permit their clergy to stick entirely to translations, because their leaders are not professional clergymen. That is, they support themselves via some other means, rather than by being clergymen.
Excavated ruins at Ras Shamra in Syria
But even the Latter-Day Saints have professional Biblical scholars, who study Hebrew and Greek, at one of the church’s schools. Incidentally, like their counterparts in other faiths, they also study the relevant history and archeology, among other things. (But that’s a subject for another post.) And, again, many other Christian churches routinely require their clergymen to have a background in the Biblical languages, as well as these other related subjects. Why is it important, even in these kinds of faiths, to have a few people around who have indeed studied the original languages? What are the advantages and disadvantages of learning the Biblical languages today? And why am I personally motivated to study the original languages of the Christian Bible? These are the questions that I will be trying to address today. I will start with the issues of proper understanding of the original text. Later on, I’ll be making some brief comments about the added layer of beauty, and the distinctive flavor, of reading the Bible in the original Hebrew and Greek.
Dwelling foundations unearthed at Tell es-Sultan in Jericho
First and foremost, getting as close as possible to the original meaning of the text
The most prominent issue may also be the single most important one to be involved herein. Specifically, one wants to get as close as possible to the original meaning of the text. When reading the Christian Bible (or anything else) in the original, this means being able to pick up some of those nuances that are lost in translation. It’s possible to read high-quality translations, or even the “best” ones available – however one defines this word. But, even with the best translations, some things are inevitably going to be lost in translation. Although the Bible can be translated, I’m convinced that no text of any appreciable length can be translated perfectly. The very nature of translation from one language to another … seems to render this impossible. The difficulties can sometimes be mitigated through things like helpful footnotes, or some other commentaries that are external to the text itself. But there may also be some nuances that will only be available to those who try to study these things in the original. This is probably the most important issue surrounding the academic study of the original languages.
A copy of the Hebrew Bible in the original
Investigating the merits of particular translations, in both objective and subjective ways
This can also allow you to see for yourself how good your church’s approved translations are in a particular instance. Obviously, this can be important for religious discussions with outsiders (including nonbelievers), whenever that is one’s purpose. But they can also be fairly important for one’s own personal interest in the text. Specifically, translation seems to be more of an art than a science. To be clear, there can be a certain objectivity here, which may condemn a wildly inaccurate translation. But, even when the translation is as faithful as possible to the original text, there may still be multiple correct ways of expressing a particular idea. This is where the inherently-subjective elements of translation can come into play. This is what I mean, when I say that translation seems to be “more of an art than a science.” This applies with the degree of modern language used (as contrasted with, say, Elizabethan English), and even with the target language of the translation itself (for example, English vs. Spanish). This sort of thing is inherently subjective. Some good translations from centuries past (for example, the King James Version of the Bible) may also be using phrases that have since shifted in meaning or acceptability. Studying the original languages can thus help you to avoid some of the confusion that may surround Shakespearean English, Cervantine Spanish, or other older dialects of important modern languages – all of which I admire.
The trade-offs involved in one translation vs. another, including with figures of speech
Moreover, there are often trade-offs involved with one particular translation versus another. Translation A may actually be better than Translation B on one particular part of the same verse, while Translation B may actually be better than Translation A on another part of this same verse – even when the target language is the same. Even within the same target language of the same particular verse, it’s sometimes hard to definitively declare any translation as “uniformly” superior in every instance. Studying the original language allows you to have somewhat greater awareness of some of these trade-offs, and a better appreciation for how some of the best translators have handled these issues in centuries past. Although literal translations can sometimes have their place, I personally believe that an elegant paraphrase is sometimes more helpful for a particular modern audience. This is particularly true when there are idioms, metaphors, and other figures of speech that might sound ridiculous when they are literally translated into a particular modern language. In instances like this, a good paraphrase may sometimes be far more helpful to the reader, allowing them to get a greater amount of spiritual benefit from a particular verse of scripture. This is another benefit that can come from a diligent study of Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic. (More about Aramaic here.)
The introductory textbook about Ancient Greek that I read
Disadvantages: It’s difficult (and somewhat time-consuming) to learn these languages
The primary disadvantage of learning Biblical languages … is simply the difficulty of doing so. It took me roughly three years to read an introductory Greek textbook, and another three years (roughly) to read an introductory Hebrew textbook. It may have taken me longer, for the reason that I was learning these things exclusively from textbooks. Nonetheless, it’s fairly typical to have to dedicate multiple years to learning a language. Biblical languages can also involve learning different writing systems, different vocabulary, and even some different kinds of grammar. If you’re going to learn a Biblical language from scratch, be prepared to dedicate a lot of time to it, particularly if you’re beginning such studies as an adult. But, if you’re dedicated (and have some native talent in this area), you may still be able to overcome these obstacles, and succeed in this endeavor.
The introductory textbook about Biblical Hebrew that I read
Unless you’re a professional clergyman or a professional scholar, it may not pay your bills
Another disadvantage is the one mentioned earlier. Specifically, such things tend normally to be optional. As you might imagine, this has some implications for the career benefits (or, rather, the lack thereof) involved here. You might be rewarded for this if you’re planning to become a professional clergyman, or if you’re instead trying to become a scholar in a field related to Biblical Studies. In this situation, these things would be mandatory, rather than optional. But you’re fairly unlikely to be financially rewarded for learning a Biblical language (or any other ancient language) in some other situation. In this way, learning ancient languages is very different from learning languages like Spanish or Chinese – both of which are fairly lucrative today. But not many other hobbies will carry a financial payoff, either. Thus, if you can instead pay your bills in some other way that satisfies you, then you can probably afford to do these things on the side – at least, if you’re willing to dedicate the necessary time to them. These things can have compensation of many other kinds, and may pay off more than you now realize.
A copy of the Greek New Testament
A surprising advantage: The beauty of getting as close as possible to God’s original word
There’s also another surprising benefit from learning the original languages of the Bible. Specifically, there’s a certain layer of flavor and beauty that may only be available through the original text. For me, the beauty comes from reading God’s word in the original – or, at least, from getting as close to the original text as it’s possible to get today. There are some words that we still don’t understand today – such as “selah,” a word that occurs often in the Psalms. But, even with these gaps in our collective knowledge, there’s still something beautiful about getting closer to God’s word. There’s also something magnetic about the various time periods involved, and the light that can be shed on them via history and archeology. Obviously, there is some beauty in Biblical translations as well – as I’ve seen from reading the King James Version of the Bible. I’ve also enjoyed the beauty of the Reina-Valera edition of the Bible, by reading their Spanish translation of the New Testament. But, again, some things are always going to be lost in translation. And, among other things, this can include the aesthetic flavor and nuances of the original text.
Greek alphabet
Biblical languages can particularly help with the poetic books, such as Psalms or Isaiah
When you get past the initial difficulties of learning the ancient grammar, there are many rewards from reading the Old Testament in the original Hebrew, or the New Testament in the original Greek. And one of those things, as it turns out, is the sheer beauty of the language. I can personally testify that this is another (sometimes-forgotten) benefit of learning the Biblical languages, and grappling with the complicated nuances of the original text. It was far more beautiful than I could have imagined – and I imagine that studying the Biblical poetry will involve some further benefits of this particular kind. Poetry, of course, is notoriously difficult to translate – which is why I look forward to the prospect of reading Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and Isaiah in the original. Perhaps the Hebrew language will eventually allow me to wrap my mind around these important poetic books, and to finally understand what certain difficult passages have been saying.
Hebrew alphabet, which is basically the same as that used by Aramaic
My hopes that you’ll find some meaning in studying the Bible, in one language or another
To be clear, I’m still not trying to convince anyone to learn the Biblical languages. As I mentioned earlier, most churches agree that it’s perfectly acceptable to read the Bible in translation. Thus, I send this brief meditation out there for the benefit of my valued readers. This is in the hopes that they may then be able to make a more informed decision, about whether this kind of endeavor is right for them. Whatever they end up deciding, I wish my readers great success, and hope that they will find some satisfaction in studying the Bible – in whatever language or languages that they choose to use.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
If you liked this post, you might also like:
Part of a series about
My own experiences
Things to consider if you’re wanting to learn Biblical languages
Note: These posts do not have to be read in any particular order. Since time periods overlap, there isn’t much chronological order to observe here.
See also this series about
Modern languages
Note: These posts do not have to be read in any particular order. Since time periods overlap, there isn’t much chronological order to observe here.
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