Also, I don't agree that Greek is easier than Hebrew. I got further on my own in Greek, but after two classes of Hebrew, it was pretty much all downhill.
I think from what Ive been hearing this is the general consensus. Very good points. Im going to focus on the Hebrew scriptures. But the Hebrew that they translated may have had some of the Pre Babylonian Exile readings. And look out for Exodus 36 through 40 — different order of the text and seems to have more details. David Paul: Hebrew is infinitely more important, mainly because there is so much prophecy locked into the Hebrew language that doesn't translate. I have no idea how well the translators of BC did.
In places it seems that they a very different Hebrew then what we have now. As you know and others have mentioned, and as I will repeat, learning both is the way to go.
The interconnectedness of the Old and New Testaments are such that learning both will open up quite a bit of exegetical insight. Not only books, vocab guides, parsing guides, but also online resources to help you "keep your Greek.
As Denise has said, "nailing" down any foreign language will be a task in itself. It takes years. Considering the amount of commitment needed to get the basic grammar down and the additional years to have a feel for the more complex morphological and syntactical issues, going with Greek will be better because of all the resources available to help you along your way.
Hope your dive into the languages will be as rewarding for you as it has been for me! Both languages are important in their own right. My take on it is this: There are more Christians who study Greek because they are more interested in NT theology, use Greek exegesis in relation to it, and use it to preach from the NT which they find both easier and more relevant.
But the unfortunate result is that instead of reading the NT in light of the OT and only then do the reverse: look back the beginning of the story in light of further revelation , many read the OT in the first and last instance in light of their NT theology usually based on tradition which, of course, claims to be "biblical". This is why there are way more commentaries on the NT, way more Greek manuals, etc. In some ways, Greek calls much more for exegetical minutiae with longer sentences and the convoluted permutations allowed by its cases and syntax.
Perhaps I am very tentative here and happy to be corrected by better experts the surface meaning of Hebrew sentences is textual issues aside usually easier to get Paul is a real pain in Greek. BUT Hebrew thought is more different and alien to many modern interpreters than Greek formulations and modes of expressions and that thought cannot be appreciated aside from the language.
Even if you do not master Hebrew, competence with it would allow you to be able to study the OT and draw from OT studies at a level where you can get past popular mis readings and dubious NT based hermeneutics. The last post by Heiser on Elohim would be an example of the kind of terrain that is still completely foreign territory to many who otherwise happily engage week after week into Greek diagramming and straining the significance of a word or preposition in NT epistles.
I think that Hebrew is therefore more foundational for those of us who think that it is heretical to imagine that one could manage just fine even if they only had the NT. The study of the LXX is a different beast. The LXX can differ quite a bit at times from the Hebrew text and has its own textual history and issues. That young hebrew whipper-snapper depends on some old syntax, vocab, and spellings to appear more old-ish.
On the other hand, the greek language came from hebrew per ancient jewish scholars , so it looks like a problem. Denise: That young hebrew whipper-snapper depends on some old syntax, vocab, and spellings to appear more old-ish.
But, then again, if I had the time to study Hebrew more in-depth, I definitely would. I would tell you to learn both, but start with Hebrew since you are leaning that way. Both Hebrew and Greek is important to scripture, so learn them both.
Learn one really well and learn the other so you can interpret correctly. I have interests in the Ancient Near East so my Hebrew is naturally stronger than my Greek, but I know both languages. Just am more comfortable in Hebrew. That the first-century disciples used the LXX especially in light of the needs of the Diaspora and Gentile mission, no doubt about this. Did Jesus "quote" the LXX? That's a different question. Although a case can be made that Jesus might have been multilingual Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek , it is not easy to determine for sure whether He used Greek in His teaching and preaching.
Certainly one would tend to think that Aramaic is more likely and possibly Hebrew for instance when reading the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue. Example: 1 Timothy mediator ; Ephesians what is of ourselves. The original language will not give you all the answers, and it will not make you right. People can twist, confuse, and misunderstand the original text as easily if not easier as they can English text.
The original text is not necessarily any more clear than the English text. Ambiguities in English can be just as ambiguous in the original language. Knowing Greek and Hebrew will not make you more spiritual. It does NOT make you more serious about your faith. Many churches and Christian organizations teach Greek. Check with your pastor, local community college, Bible college, seminary or adult education center to find out about correspondence courses or classes in your area.
There number of online opportunities for learning biblical Greek is constantly growing and changing. A lot of people ask me what I recommend for learning Biblical Hebrew or Greek. Some are just looking for ways to enhance their personal Bible study. Others are serious students of the Bible who are looking for a good program for long term study. This article is for the latter audience. In the past 20 years there has been a discussion going on among scholars about the need to improve biblical language teaching.
Most textbooks use a centuries-old method that focuses on analyzing verbs and memorizing tables of endings, and all the teaching is done in English. People learn much more quickly when they interact and communicate within a language, so that they internalize its structure by being immersed in it.
Their students typically learn more of the language than students in classical programs and retain it longer afterward too. At this point, only a few university-accredited programs have applied modern methods to Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek. One of the pioneers in the field is the Biblical Language Center. People quickly gain an elementary vocabulary and start communicating in the language, at least in basic ways. In my class we heard it spoken, told stories and acted them out.
We sang songs, danced and prayed. It was a lot of fun! There was a lot of information to learn but we mastered new things surprisingly quickly. I had classmates who had floundered in standard Hebrew classes, but came home from BLC to astound their seminary profs with their newfound skills. Are you interested in taking a course from the Biblical Language Center?
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