The Heart
Language of Jesus
Aramaic – the language of the Assyrians, Babylonians,
and Persians (cf. Ezra 4:7; 2 Kings 18:17, 26) – was adopted by the Jews during
and after the 70-years’ Babylonian exile. While the majority of the Old
Testament was written in Hebrew, large portions of Ezra (4:8–6:18; 7:12-26) and
Daniel (2:4b–7:28) appear to have been penned in Aramaic. By the time of
Christ, although Hebrew continued to be used among the rabbis in Jerusalem,
Aramaic had replaced pure Hebrew as the everyday vernacular of the Palestinian
Jews (cf. Acts 1:19). Jesus could read and understand Hebrew (Luke 4:16-21),
but he apparently spoke Aramaic (cf. Mark 5:41; 7:34; 15:34; Acts 26:14).1
Koinē Greek and the Hellenization of Palestine
The Greek term koinē, meaning
“common,” is used to describe hē koinē diálektos (“the common language”) or the lingua franca of the 1st-century Greco-Roman world. From
the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, Koinē Greek
developed and spread throughout most of the Mediterranean world. It was the
language of post-classical Greek literature, the Septuagint version of the Old Testament,
the New Testament, and most early ecclesiastical writers.
The Hellenization of Jewish
territory started when Judea surrendered to Alexander’s forces in 332 BC and it
continued under the dominance of the Ptolomies and the Seleucids through the 2nd century BC.
Herod the Great, who controlled Judea from 37 BC to 4 BC, made deliberate
attempts to further Hellenize the region.
Once known as “Galilee of the
Gentiles” (Isa. 9:1; cf. Matt. 4:15), the district where Jesus spent his
formative years was saturated by Greek influences. Within its borders were Hellenistic centers, such as Tiberias and the township of Sepphoris
– only 6 km/3.7 miles northwest of the Lord’s hometown of Nazareth. As Jesus
worked in the carpentry trade (Mark 6:3), any tradesman
in the area would presumably need a working knowledge of the accepted language of commerce.
Koinē Greek was widely used in
1st-century Palestine and most of the populace appear to have been bilingual.2
Hellenistic Jews of the diaspora made frequent visits to the homeland, bringing
with them Greek culture and language (cf. Acts 2:5; 6:9). Among the
Lord’s immediate disciples, Andrew and Philip had distinctively Greek names,
while Matthew,3 John, and Peter contributed documents to the New Testament
in the Greek language.
Evidence of
Jesus Speaking Greek
Except for the transliteration of a few Aramaic
words and phrases, the record of all that Jesus said has been preserved in
Greek translation. Nevertheless, in his conversation with a Syro-Phoenician
Greek woman (Mark 7:24-30), it is interesting to note that the term kunárion (“little dog”) was employed. There was only one word for “dog” in Hebrew and
Aramaic speech, referring to an unclean animal (Lev. 11:27), viz. a dirty,
mangy, flea-infested scavenger (cf. Ex. 22:31; 1 Kings 14:11; 16:4; 21:19; etc.).
In the Greco-Roman world, in contrast to the Jewish aversion, dogs were common
pets. There are two words for “dog” in NT Greek: (a) kuōn, equivalent to the Jewish concept
and thus derogatory (Matt. 7:6; Phil. 3:2), and (b) kunárion, referring to a house dog, pet, or puppy. Jesus’ use of the latter
term (Matt. 15:26; Mark 7:27), for which there is no Aramaic equivalent, demonstrates that
he was apparently speaking in this Greek woman’s native tongue (see What Great Faith Looks Like).
When Jesus stood
before the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate, there is no indication that an interpreter was used in
the dialogue (Matt. 27:2, 11-14; Mark 15:1-5; Luke 23:1-3; John 18:33-38).
While Latin was the spoken-language of Rome, educated Romans used Greek as a
second language and had little tolerance for those in their provinces who spoke
neither Latin nor Greek.4 The most natural reading of the Gospel
accounts is that Jesus and Pilate understood one another as they conversed, and
the common (koinē) Greek language would have made this possible (cp. Acts
21:37-40). Jesus’ comparatively brief responses may be indicative of one for whom Greek is a second language and therefore not spoken as fluently.
Conclusion
Jesus lived in a Jewish environment that was controlled by the
Romans and heavily influenced by Greek language and culture. Although his local
vernacular was Aramaic and there is no specific reference to him speaking
Greek, the evidence suggests he would also have been conversant in the Greek language.
--Kevin L. Moore
Endnotes:
1 When Hebraisti
(the “Hebrew” language) is mentioned in the New Testament, it most likely
refers to Aramaic as the spoken language of the Hebrew people at this time
(John 5:2; 19:13, 17, 20; Acts 21:40; 22:2; 26:14; Rev. 9:11; 16:16). The
respective Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John employ Aramaic expressions (Matt.
5:22; 6:24; 16:17; 27:33, 46; Mark 3:17; 5:41; 7:34; 14:36; 15:22, 34; John
1:42; 20:16). Mark and John go on to translate the words into Greek, while
Matthew mostly leaves these words untranslated. See Aramaic.
2 A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of
the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research. 5th ed. (Nashville, TN: Broadman, 1934): 26-29; cf. also D. A. Caron
and D. J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament. 2nd
ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005): 240, 624, 644-45; J. D. G.
Dunn, The Parting of the Ways: Between
Christianity and Judaism and Their Significance for the Character of
Christianity (London: SCM, 1991); J. M. Ross, “Jesus’ Knowledge of Greek,” IrBibStud 12 (1990): 41-47; G. R. Selby,
Jesus, Aramaic and Greek (Doncaster,
UK: Brynmill, 1989). In contrast to the ancient eastern convention of sitting on the floor at meals, Jesus and his disciples appear to have adopted the Greco-Roman custom of reclining (cf. Luke 7:36-37; 22:27; 24:30).
3 See Original Form of Matthew's Gospel.
3 See Original Form of Matthew's Gospel.
4 Michel
Dubuisson, “Some Aspects of Graeco-Roman Relations: The Attitude of Roman
Administration Toward Language Use. Xenophobia and Disparaging Words in Greek
and Latin,” Prudentia 15 (1983):
35-47.
Related Posts: Hebrew, Aramaic, The Education of Jesus the Rabbi
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https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/what-language-did-jesus-speak.html
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