Ground Report

Greek vs. Hebrew: Which language is more essential for Bible study?

The essential and foremost of Bible study is to get to the core and receive Jesus’ free salvation offer. The reason why Jesus is not being accepted as Savior has plenty to do with the lack of understanding the Old Testament Hebrew.

All major world religions of Islam, Hindu and Buddha recognize Jesus as great teacher or prophet but fall short of acknowledging him as savior. The very main factor is they only concentrate their understanding of Christ in New Testament Greek and totally ignorant in the Old Testament Hebrew. 

The whole Old Testament Hebrew is the history of the preparation of Christ’s coming. With out the understanding of the history correctly, they simply can not really see Christ and hence the rejection of his Divine being.

This, in a sense, is also true to many Christians. Old Testament actually leads to the New, and the New is in fact immersed in the Old. Hebrew is not only a study of the language but the culture as well. We would probably not be able to understand many passages in the New Testament Greek without the full understanding of Hebrew. Some of Jesus’ Beatitude would not be able to explain.

The Hebrew wedding celebration is a non stop event that may last 24 hours a day for at least a week and even a month for the well to do. Name is also important. Hebrew will not name their born baby until they have observed some obvious personal characteristic of the child and name him/her after that nature. So when they call name their God YHWH מּﭐלּשּ (Shalom), they really means God is peace. They actually saw and experienced God that way, not just giving a name they like.

Wordings also play a major role in understand New Testament. Sincerity is being expressed in the kidney not in the heart. How about giving a heap of burning of coals on the head of hungry and thirsty in Rome 12:20

Old Testament Hebrew is the beginning to be follow by the New Testament Greek. If we compare this to reading a book or seeing a movie, would one be better understand reading the first 75 % and leave out the rest 25 % or the other way round. The last 25 % will probably give you a quick picture, but the 75 % will be in a better position to tell the how and why and what and then and this and that with a better picture.

We like to jump into conclusion and this creates problem sometime. Reading Bible is a life and death issue and we should go into details right from the כּרּאּשּתּ (beginning).

So, I would say, in terms of Greek vs. Hebrew: Which language is more essential for Bible study, Hebrew is.