Hebrew = Aramaic

In the NIV passages below, the Greek term EbraiV (Hebrais) is translated “Aramaic,” even though the word “Hebrew” is the usual rendering (e.g., see John 19:13 in the NASB), and is in fact its literal meaning. However, both in the New Testament and in early theological treatises (e.g., the church fathers), the term “Hebrew” was often used in reference to Aramaic, not biblical Hebrew, as the ensuing information reveals.

Thus, when the authors of the NT used such words as “Gabbatha,” “Golgotha” and “Rabboni,” and labeled them as Hebrew terms, it was actually Aramaic they had in mind, because these terms are in fact Greek transliterations of Aramaic. The translators of the NIV were correct in choosing “Aramaic” as the translation of EbraiV.

Some English translations add a footnote, indicating that the word Hebrew actually refers to Aramaic in the instances cited below.

(1) ^NIV John 19:13 ‘When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement, which in Aramaic ( EbraiV : usually translated Hebrew) is Gabbatha.’ (Gabbatha is a Greek transliteration of an Aramaic term.)

[United Bible Society Lexicon] Gabbaqa; Gabbatha (Jn 19.13) (Aramaic word)

[Friberg Greek Lexicon ] Gabbaqa, to indeclinable; Gabbatha, an Aramaic place-name in Jerusalem called in Greek liqostrwton (Stone Pavement) (JN 19.13)

[Bauer, Dank, Arnt, Gingrich] Gabbaqa indecl. (an Aram. word whose mng. is still uncertain. Acc. to Jos., Bell. 5, 51 Gabaq Saoul is to be rendered loqoV Saoulou ) Gabbatha, a locality in Jerusalem which also had the Gk. name Liqostrwton J 19:13.

(2) ^NIV John 19:14-17 ¹⁴ ‘It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.¹⁵ But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.¹⁶ Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.¹⁷ Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull, which in Aramaic (EbraiV) is called Golgotha.’^‘

[UBS] Golgoqa acc. a/n Golgotha (Aramaic name of a hill near Jerusalem where executions took place.)

[Fri] Golgoqa, h` (also Golgoq [indeclinable], Golgoqa), accusative,, Golgoqan) transliterated from the Aramaic Golgotha; translated into Greek as kraviou topoV (place of a skull), a place near Jerusalem (MT 27.33)

(3) ^NIV John 20:16 ‘Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic (EbraiV), "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).’

(4) ^NIV Acts 21:40-22:2 ‘Having received the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic (EbraiV): "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." ² When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.‘

[UBS] EbraiV, idou Hebrew language (i.e. Aramaic)

[BDAG] EbraiV, idoV, h (e`br- S., M.; VEbr- W-H.—Fem. of ~Ebrai/oj, Jos., Ant. 2, 225f and of EbraikoV, Kühner-Bl. II 274, 1) h ~E. dialektoV (cp. ~E. fwnh 4 Macc 12:7; 16:15; Just., A I, 31, 1 and 3 al.) the Hebr. language Ac 21:40; 22:2; 26:14; Papias (2:16). These passages refer to the Aramaic spoken at that time in Palestine.—Zahn. Einl.³I 18f; Dalman, Jesus 6ff (Eng. 7ff).

[Thayer] EbraiV (WH EbraiV, see their Introductory sec. 408), ebraidoV, h - Hebrew, the Hebrew language; not that however in which the O. T. was written, but the Chaldee (not Syro-Chaldaic, as it is commonly but incorrectly called; cf. A. Th. Hoffmann, Grammat. Syriac., p. 14), which at the time of Jesus and the apostles had long superseded it in Palestine: Acts 21:40; 22:2; 26:14; EbraiV fwnh,, 4 Macc. 12:7; 16:15. (Cf. B. D., under the phrase, Shemitic Languages etc.; ibid. American edition, under the phrase, Language of the New Testament.)*

(5) ^NIV Acts 26:14 ‘We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic (~Ebrai<j: usually translated “Hebrew”), 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

(6) ^NIVRevelation 9:11 ‘They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.’

[UBS] Ebraisti adv. in Hebrew or Aramaic

[Fri] Ebraisti adverb; in the Hebrew language (JN 5.2), in contrast to ~Ellhniko,j (Greek language); possibly in the Aramaic language

[BDAG] Ebraisti ~Eb- W-H. adv. (Sir., Praef., ln. 22; Jos., Ant. 10, 8; Sb VIII/2, 9843, 14 [Bar-Kokhba revolt]; PGM 5, 475; 13, 81; 150 a`braisti,) in Hebrew/Aramaic (s. on EbraiV) J 5:2; 19:13, 17, 20; 20:16; Rv 9:11; 16:16; AcPl Ha 10, 24.—New Docs 5, 22f. M-M. TW.

[Thayer] Ebraisti (WH Ebraisti, see their Introductory sec. 408), adverb, (ebraizw), in Hebrew, i. e. in Chaldee (see the foregoing word and references): John 5:2; 19:13,17,20; (xx. 16 T Tr WH L brackets); Rev. 9:11; 16:16. (Sir. prol. line 13.)*

According to my sources[1], various sections of Daniel and Ezra are written in Aramaic; this is also true of a large number of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Additionally, much of the Talmud is written in Aramaic (although I don’t know which passages), along with early works of Christian theology.

Beth is another commonly used Aramic term in the Bible. It means house or place, and appears in such names as Bethlehem (place of bread), Behsaida (place of fishing), Bethany (the place of the poor) and Bethphage (the place of ripe fruit).

The name Bartholomew, one of the original disciples, is mentioned four times in the New Testament (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). In Greek, the name is read Bartholomaios, behind which lies the Aramaic name Bar Tolmai. Bar is the Aramaic word for son, and Bar Tolmai means the son of Tolmai.

Among the Aramaic-based names of people in the New Testament are those that begin with bar. These include Barabbas, Barjona (the surname of Peter), Barnabas, Barsabbas and Bartimaeus.

Aramaic puts the definite article the at the end of words, rather than at the beginning. Keph means rock, in Aramaic, and when the article “a ” is added, kepha (the rock) is the result, which is the Aramaic name given to Peter.

This is also true of Golgotha (the skull), Martha (the lady) and Tabitha (the Gazelle). Jesus is the anointed one (meshiha).

(7) ephatha (Mk. 7:34: be opened) The Aramaic word is given with a translation. In Greek, the Aramaic is written “εφφαθα.” This is from the Aramaic “ethpthaħ,” the passive imperative of the verb “pthaħ,” (to open).

[UBS] evffaqa, (Aramaic word) be opened!

[Fri] evffaqa, indeclinable; an Aramaic word translated dianoi,cqhti be opened (MK 7.34)

[BDAG] effaqa

• effaqa Aram. word, translated dianoi,cqhti be opened Mk 7:34. It is understood as a contraction of the form of the ethpeel (xt;P.t.a,); s. Wlh. ad loc.—Dalman, Gramm.²278; IRabinowitz, ZNW 53, ’62, 229-38; JEmerton, JTS 18, ’67, 427-31; but s. MBlack, BRigaux Festschr., ’70, 57-60.—Hott, NovT 9, ’67.

[Thayer] evffaqa,

evffaqa,, ephphatha, Aramaic xt;P't.a, (the ethpaal imperative of the verb xt;P., Hebrew xt;P', to open), be thou opened (i. e. receive the power of hearing; the ears of the deaf and the eyes of the blind being considered as closed): Mark 7:34. (See Kautzsch, Gram. d. Biblical-Aram., p. 10.)*

(8) Talitha koum (Mk. 5:41) Within the text of the Greek New Testament a few words and phrases in Aramaic are included untranslated. These are mainly words of Jesus, and perhaps had a special significance because of this.

(Mk. 5:41) ‘And taking the hand of the child, he said to her, "Talitha koum" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!").’

This verse gives an Aramaic phrase, used by Jesus in the healing of a girl, with a translation into Greek. The Greek transliteration of the phrase is “taliqa koum” The Aramaic is ţlîthâ qûm. The word 'ţlîthâ' is the feminine form of the word 'ţlê'. meaning 'young'. 'Qûm' is the Aramaic verb to rise, get up. In the feminine singular imperative, it was originally 'qûmî'.

(9) “eli eli lam sabachthani” Mt. 27:46 / Mk. 15:34).

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (eli, by the way, should rhyme with daily.)

(10) Mark 14:36 ‘And he said,” Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” ‘

Abba in Greek, and 'abbā in Aramaic), is immediately followed by the Greek equivalent (Pathr) with no explicit mention of it being a translation. The phrase “Abba, Father” is repeated in Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6.

[UBS] avbba, m Father (of address to God) (Aramaic word)

[Fri] avbba,, o` (also avbba/) indeclinable; transliterated from the aramaic Abba (father); translated into Greek as o` path,r (father); used as a vocative (MK 14.36)

‘But I say unto you, that “whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” ‘ Raca, or Raka, in the Aramaic of the Talmud means ‘empty one, fool, empty head.’

[Thayer] r`aka, (Tdf. r`aca,; (the better accentuation seems to be r`aka,; cf. Kautzsch, Gram. d. Biblical-Aram., p. 8)), an Aramaic word aq'yre (but according to Kautzsch (as above), p. 10) not the stative emphatic of qyre, but shortened from !q'yre (Hebrew qyrI), empty, i. e. a senseless, empty-headed man, a term of reproach used by the Jews in the time of Christ (B. D., under the word Raca; Wünsche, Erläuterung as above with, p. 47): Matt. 5:22.*

Mt. 6:24 ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’

Luke16:9-13 ‘And I say unto you, “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” ‘

Now the Lord declares, "No servant can serve two masters." If we desire, then, to serve both God and mammon, it will be unprofitable for us. "For what will it profit if a man gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" This world and the next are two enemies. The one urges to adultery and corruption, avarice and deceit; the other bids farewell to these things. We cannot, therefore, be the friends of both; and it behoves us, by renouncing the one, to make sure of the other. Let us reckon that it is better to hate the things present, since they are trifling, and transient, and corruptible; and to love those [which are to come,] as being good and incorruptible. For if we do the will of Christ, we shall find rest; otherwise, nothing shall deliver us from eternal punishment, if we disobey His commandments. (Roberts-Donaldson)

[Fri] mamwna/j, a/, o` (also mammwna/j) transliterated from the Aramaic; usually in a derogatory sense property, wealth, earthly goods (LU 16.9); personification Mammon, the Syrian god of riches, money (MT 6.24)

[BDAG] mamwna/j

• mamwna/j, a/, o` (Aram. !Amm', emphat. state an"Amm') wealth, property Lk 16:9, 11 (SColella: ZNW 64, ’73, 124-26). Personified, ‘Mammon’ Mt 6:24; Lk 16:13; 2 Cl 6:1.—EbNestle, EncBibl 2912ff; here (2914f) the etymology of the word is also treated in detail. S. also EKautzsch, Gramm. des Bibl.-Aram. 1884, 10; Dalman, Gramm.²170f, RE³XII 1903, 153f; HZimmern, Akkadische Fremdwörter²1917, 20; ERiggenbach, ASchlatter Festschr. 1922, 21ff; MBlack, An Aramaic Approach, 102.—The word is also found Mishnah Aboth 2, 17 and in the Damascus document p. 14, 20 Schechter 1910=LRost (Kl. T. 167) ’33, p. 26, which cannot be dated w. certainty (s. Bousset, Rel. 15f); EMeyer, ABA 1919, 9, Abhdlg. p. 50; HRüger: ZNW 64, ’73, 127-31 (Canaanite loanword w. orig. mng. ‘food, maintenance, provisions’ fr. the root !wm).—M-M. TW.

^NIV 1 Corinthians 16:22 If anyone does not love the Lord-- a curse be on him. Come, O Lord! (marana tha) Å

.. Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God (Son) of David! If any one is holy, let him come; if any one is not so, let him repent. Maranatha. Amen. (Roberts-Donaldson)

[UBS] mara,na qa (in Aramaic) our Lord, come! or maran aqa our Lord has come!

[Fri] mara,na qa/ (also mara,na qa,, mara.n avqa, or mara.n avqa/) an aramaic formula used in early christian liturgy; either (1) at the lord's supper our Lord is present or (2) as a petition for the Lord to return O Lord, come! the latter seems preferable in the context of 1C 16.22 (cf. RV 22.20)

[BDAG] mara,na qa,

• mara,na qa, =at' an"r;m' (our) Lord, come! (mara.n avqa, [some mss. and edd.] renders at'a] !r;m' [our] Lord has come) an Aramaic formula which D 10:6 associates with what appears to be the early Christian liturgy of the Lord’s Supper. Used without explanation by Paul 1 Cor 16:22. (On D 10:6 s. JEmerton, Maranatha and Ephphatha, JTS 18, ’67, 427-31 and Moule below. On both passages P-ÉLangevin, Jésus Seigneur, ’67, 168-208; 236-98.)—EKautzsch, Gramm. d. Bibl.-Aram. 1884, 12; 174, StKr. 74, 1901, 296; EbNestle, Theol. Studien aus Württemb. 5, 1884, 186ff; TNöldeke, GGA 1884, 1023; Dalman, Gramm.²152, 3; 357, 1, Worte 269; FSchulthess, D. Problem d. Sprache Jesu 1917, p. 28, 50; Dssm., D. Urgeschichte d. Christentums im Lichte der Sprachforschung 1910, 26ff; Zahn, Einl. I³216f; WBousset, Jesus der Herr 1916, 22ff; EHommel, ZNW 15, 1914, 317-22ff (at'a' !r;m'=‘our Lord is the sign’=‘the a and the t’. So earlier CBruston, Rev. de Théol. et des Quest. Rel. 22, 1913, 402-8); FDölger, Sol Salutis 1920, 153ff;

The place where Jesus takes his disciples to pray before his arrest is given the

Greek transliteration “Geqshmani” (Gethsêmani). It represents the Aramaic 'Gath-Šmânê', meaning 'the oil press' or 'oil vat' (referring to olive oil).

Acts 1:19 And this became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that field was called, in their own dialect, Akeldama, that is Field of Blood.

[Fri] ~Akeldama,c, to, (also ~Akeldaima,c, VAke,ldama, VAkeldama,, ~Akeldama,k, VAkeldama,c, VAceldama,c) indeclinable; Akeldama, transliterated from the Aramaic phrase meaning Field of Blood; formerly the potter's field, traditionally located near Jerusalem on the southern side of the Valley of Hinnom (AC 1.19)

[BDAG] ~Akeldama,c

• ~Akeldama,c (v.l. Akeldaimac, Akeldama, Akeldamak, Aceldamac), Aram. am'D. lqex] (=field of blood; cp. lyqx Dalman, Grammar²137; alqx MLidzbarski, Handbuch d. nordsem. Epigr. I [1898] 279) Akeldama, expl. as cwri,on ai[matoj (Mt 27:8 avgro.j ai[matoj) Field of Blood, of the field bought w. Judas’ money Ac 1:19 (formerly called [for this type of formulation cp. Diod. S. 4, 9, 6] the potter’s field Mt 27:7; cp. Papias [3:3]); located by tradition south of the valley of Hinnom. Cp. EKautzsch, Gramm. d. Bibl.-Aramäischen 1884, 8; Dalman, Gramm.²137, 1; 202, 2; JSickenberger, Judas als Stifter des Blutackers: BZ 18, 1929, 69-71; MWilcox, The Semitisms of Ac, ’65, 87-89.

Outside the gospels, Aramaic is rarely quoted. The apostle Paul uses the sentence “marana tha,” (our Lord, come!) in I Corinthians 16:22. That's the word mar, "lord," with the suffix ana, "our," and the verb "to come" in the imperative.

As the early church quickly came to include Gentiles, it was not usual to speek Aramaic, which is why the New Testament was originally written in Greek. Nevertheless, the Aramaic language left its imprint on its pages.

(Note: The preceding information has been extracted from various web sites, and is not the result of independent research.)

[1] Most of the information in this paper is drawn from various web sites dealing with the use of Hebrew and Aramaic in the New Testament.