We frequently want to see communication as black and white, but the more we experience miscommunication, the more we realize how tough communication is. Moving to a new location, getting married, working with infants, or training a dog will quickly remind you of the complexities of language, listening, and communication skills. Communication is challenging enough when we all speak the same language, but it becomes even more difficult when we try to communicate with someone who speaks another language. However, learning a different language opens up new avenues of understanding and facilitates communication. Through this viewpoint, I’d want to highlight five advantages of studying biblical languages.
An exercise in humility
The reasons for not studying biblical languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) are typically rather practical: money, time, priorities, and competing commitments. One of my seminary instructors opened each semester of study with a real reminder to consider the cost, asking, “Is this the right time for you and your family?” It is critical to distinguish between difficult and unwise. It not only gives accountability, but it also provides tenacity when the tasks grow difficult. Many pastors and Bible teachers are expected to study biblical languages. As a layperson, I appreciate that. Don’t we want to see this love for the Word reflected in those who educate us?
My own Hebrew studies were really humbling. In some areas, we may wonder if we are actually learning anything or if we are simply becoming more conscious of how little we know. Learning Hebrew challenged my assumptions. It helped me see new things while reading the Old Testament. It provided me a better understanding of God’s covenant language. It broadened my perspective of how God spoke with His people throughout time and space. To truly grasp a language other than your home tongue, you must first learn to “think” in it. If we want to “think God’s thoughts after Him,” studying biblical languages is one approach to deepen our grasp of what and how God thinks. Language is more than just a set of symbols to learn; it is also a methodical means of thinking about and sharing ideas. In that philosophical perspective, the English translation of Psalm 33 is even more beautiful: “Let all the earth fear the LORD, and all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!” For he spoke, and everything came to pass; he commanded, and it stood fast (Psalm 33:8-9).
Context and Recognition of Error
Is this biblical verse presenting a human model to follow, or is something higher being personified? Did the author overlook any details, or is another point of view on display? Is this instruction still applicable, or is it a cultural practice? These and many other good questions are best answered in the context of their native languages. We can improve our understanding of teaching by learning more about the tools. The Reformer Huldrych Zwingli advocated for biblical languages in youth education, stating, “Those who are ignorant of Hebrew forms of speech have great difficulty in attempting to draw out the true sense of Scripture.”1 Even minor attempts to increase our grasp of the original text honor God.
Studying biblical languages is a difficult undertaking, but the rewards are eternal
It is often a difficult principle to apply, as modern students are heavily influenced by reader-response theory, which tends to ignore the intent of the author in favor of the effect of the text on the reader. We often do not even realize we’ve skipped over the original content or laid our limited personal experience over the setting of a text. While there are many fantastic Bible study tools and commentaries out there, personal study of the biblical languages can bring unique and important insight to grasp the original authors, their context, and how the original audience heard Scripture. When we study biblical languages, we learn not only about terms and conjugations, but also about various types of literature and literary devices, as well as their importance in communicating the truth. This study can help us improve our discernment skills when we read commentaries, prepare to teach, and apply interpretation principles. Studying biblical languages is a difficult undertaking, but the rewards are eternal.
Translation Skills
Ad fontes is a well-known Reformation theme that calls for biblical studies to return to the original sources, the “fountainhead” of knowledge and revelation. It is derived from Renaissance humanism. As a result, the Reformers were motivated to provide the Bible in common language so that every Christian could read, understand, and study it for themselves. In his well-known campaign to translate the Bible into English, William Tyndale defended his efforts to the pope, saying, “If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy who drives a plough to know more of the Scriptures than you do.” The underlying idea was that the Lord uses His Word to reveal Himself, and the perspicuity, or clarity, of Scripture made it a resource for all believers, regardless of social or educational status.
We now have so many English versions of the Bible available that we frequently don’t know where to begin when selecting one for study. Choosing a true translation is a critical responsibility, but because good English translations of the Bible are widely available, we frequently ignore the importance of understanding biblical languages. Martin Luther warned, “We shall not long keep the gospel without the languages. The languages are the sheath that contains the sword of the Spirit [Eph. 6:17].
If we wish to reach people with the gospel, we must understand how to faithfully communicate biblical truth across cultures. The study of biblical languages not only helps us recognize translation and doctrinal errors, but it also allows us to communicate biblical principles more accurately, bringing this living and active Word to God’s people all over the world, because “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).
Accessibility
One compelling incentive to learn biblical languages is that it is now more accessible than ever. Christian publishing, as well as distant and online education, provide more opportunities for language acquisition than ever before. These tools are accessible for a wide range of learning stages and ages, and many are free, allowing you to start learning right away. Furthermore, the vast availability of resources for learning biblical languages makes it easier than ever to include this study into your schedule and budget.
For many, a regular program or class provides evaluated feedback as well as venues for queries and corrections, making learning not only more possible but also more encouraging due to the presence of a student community. You might be shocked to learn that many seminary and Bible college classes are filled with retired auditors, stay-at-home moms, and business professionals, rather than just those pursuing full-time ministry. For others, assignments and grades are so intimidating that the notion of enrolling in a specific program or class may deter them from ever trying. Fortunately, there are numerous workshops, books, flashcards, websites, and newsletters available outside of traditional graded classes and programs that can assist you in starting with smaller study sets such as the Hebrew names for God, a basic overview of biblical literature genres, the Hebrew and Greek alphabets, “key” words, and much more. For Christians, studying biblical languages can be a basic step toward becoming aware of fresh mercies and exercising a childlike faith that never stops learning. It’s not too late to start, and it’s no longer too far away.
Eternal purposes
Finally, we should learn biblical languages since “the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isa. 40:8). It’s unusual when we develop biblical interpretations based solely on “me”: my culture, my language, my time in history, and my concerns, despite the fact that the Bible was delivered to us in another culture and language. This was part of God’s plan to form a people for Himself from “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes, peoples, and languages” (Revelation 7:9, emphasis added).
For the vast majority of us, the Bible was not written in our culture or native dialect, therefore learning the biblical languages can help us understand it more accurately. However, Scripture was written for us. Throughout history, men and women have given their lives to ensure that this Book reached us in our own language. There is a message that transcends culture and time, and it is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). We can honor those who came before us and the Scriptures by, inasmuch as we are able, attempting to know it in its original languages in order to better know and express its truth to others.
