On Learning the Biblical Languages

“Can I really understand Scripture without knowing the original biblical languages?”

This was actually the question that a dear friend in seminary asked me during our weekly coffee meetings. This friend and I would try and get together once a week (we were not always successful) to touch base with one another, check in spiritually, and hold each other accountable. One morning we were discussing our classes, and my friend expressed some worry about this topic of studying the original languages.

But first, some context. At Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, my alma mater, those enrolled in the Master of Arts in Religion program (such as my friend) are required to take one biblical language – Hebrew or Greek. Those enrolled in the Master of Divinity program, such as myself, were required to take both biblical Hebrew and Greek. My friend and I were in Hebrew class together, and I had already learned biblical Greek. My friend was in a class on “Biblical New Testament Theology,” and in short, the professor was making a very strong case for learning both biblical languages, particularly Greek for this class.

My friend, who wanted to take Hebrew and was already partway through the course, was a bit distraught by this. She was beginning to feel that she perhaps made a mistake, and that she should have learned Greek instead of Hebrew. Or, she should have given up another “elective” course (a “free slot” course, essentially, where you can take whatever you want) to take both languages.

As we sat there discussing this, and my friend expressed her worry and concern over not being able to fully understand and interpret Scripture without having the knowledge of both biblical Hebrew and Greek.

My response to her was this: “How long have you had that NIV bible?” “Since third grade.” “If God has been speaking to you through the English words of that NIV bible since you got it in third grade, why would He stop now? Why would He add a requirement for you to understand His words in that book?”

If God has been speaking to you through your English translation for however long you’ve been reading it, why would He stop now?

Now, am I saying that you should never learn the original languages? No. I find them incredibly helpful and illuminating. Am I saying that it is necessary to learn them to understand Scripture? Absolutely not. Is it helpful to have a deeper understanding of Scripture? I would argue yes.

I am not saying that those who have learned Greek and Hebrew always have a better understanding of Scripture, but I would say that perhaps they have a deeper understanding. Can one perform good exegesis (critically interpreting Scripture in its original context) without knowledge of the original languages? Yes, you can. Can you perform good exegesis, or even a higher and more developed level of exegesis with the added knowledge of the original languages? Yes, you can.

Our English translations are good. They are very good. Teams of translators and very intelligent people in academia have spent years of their lives on the work of bible translation. For that work, a deep and robust knowledge of the original languages is necessary.

For the everyday layperson, a deep knowledge of the original languages is not necessary. Can it be useful? Yes. Can it be helpful to your personal spiritual growth? Absolutely. Can you manage without this knowledge? Yes.

For the pastor, is a knowledge of biblical Greek and Hebrew necessary? That, my friends, is a highly debated and quite subjective argument.

What do I think? Honestly, it depends. I would say that having a working knowledge of biblical Greek and Hebrew is incredibly useful to pastors and ministers. But there are some phenomenal preachers and ministers who do not have this knowledge. There is loads of software and study resources out there that essentially do this work for the pastor. However, I would argue that not all study resources and software programs are equal, and it may be worth it to come to the conclusions yourself based on knowledge of the language. Not to mention the gratification of looking at a page of what appears to be scribbles rather than letters, and being able to actually understand it.

Having a working knowledge, and by this I mean a reading comprehension and general understanding of biblical Greek and Hebrew, is indeed very useful.

Essentially, for a pastor to have knowledge of biblical Greek and Hebrew in their arsenal of tools cannot harm their work of the gospel, it can only aid them. It will help you in understanding some of those odd footnotes in your bible (i.e. translation notes). It will help you in your reading of commentaries, particularly those that rely heavily on language study (i.e. the Word Biblical Commentary series). It unlocks a whole new world of resources and commentary sets that will be of great use to you (i.e. the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament). You will gain the ability to see the writing personalities of each author in the Old and New Testaments. It will change the way you study the bible.

But I must add to this a word of caution, and some honesty based on my own experience. Learning biblical Hebrew or Greek is hard. It is not easy. It is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But it is also one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Having a base knowledge of another language like French or Spanish will help you in understanding some of the nuance in Greek and Hebrew.

For those who are interested, here is a Google Doc that lists out all of the resources I’d recommend in learning and studying the biblical languages. Just a note - I do not know Aramaic, and have never learned it, so there are no resources for that language. Hopefully some of you will find something useful on this list - whether you are interested in learning the biblical languages, you already know them, or you’re looking to refresh your skills.

Learning these languages has helped me in my academic journey, my spiritual walk, and my research skills. I will always be grateful, and endeavor to use this knowledge of biblical languages well and to the glory of God.

Until next time:

ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ μεθ’ ὑμῶν. (1 Cor. 16:23)

-C