Do you think studying the Bible in its original languages is worth it? We do!

Learning a new language can feel daunting. Whether you’re learning a new language to study the Bible or in seminary classes we know sometimes it doesn’t seem worth it. All your time and effort doesn’t feel like it’s going to pay off. We believe there is a rich kind of accuracy and insight that await those who study the biblical languages. In short—it’s worth it

If you’re working towards a Biblical Languages degree or your seminary program requires biblical language credits—we want to encourage you with this book. If you’ve never studied biblical languages and you’re not sure why you ever would, the following free excerpt will show you why studying them will deepen your understanding of the Bible! If you teach biblical languages, these excerpts are also perfect for encouraging your students!

Enjoy this excerpt from The Rewards of Learning Greek & Hebrew—all compelling reasons to take the plunge into learning the biblical languages and diving deeper into the Bible’s true meaning!

HEBREW

Do you believe a single word can change the entire meaning of a sentence?

In Chapter 1, co-author Catherine L. McDowell with Philip H. Towner points out the important grammatical features in Gen 1:26-27.

Chapter 1: ‘There’s Adam, and Then There’s ׳adam’ by Catherine L. McDowell 

“Genesis 1:26-27 is rightly quoted in a wide array of religious and secular contexts, from political speeches, to advertisements, to human rights manifestos. We are created in God’s image, and this affords us significant dignity and value that is not shared with the rest of creation, despite its goodness (Gen 1:10, 12, 18, etc.). Across the translations, our English Bibles convey with clarity humanity’s God-given dignity. However, there are important grammatical features in Gen 1:26-27 that impact how we interpret the relationships between Adam, humanity, male, and female in Gen 1:26-28. Regrettably, these features have gone largely unnoticed by most of our English Bibles.

The ESV translates Gen 1:26-27 as follows:

"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

After “man” in v. 26, the ESV includes a footnote alerting the reader that the Hebrew term refers to “mankind.” For clarity’s sake, both in terms of modern English usage and the author’s original intent, it is preferable for “mankind” to be in the body of the text, as in the NIV and NRSV (“humankind”), rather than confining it to a footnote which fewer people will notice. A more significant issue, however, lies in the following verse. God creates “man” in his (God’s) image. Does “man” here refer to mankind, as in v. 26, or to the man, Adam? It is ambiguous in most English Bibles. The Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV), the Geneva Bible (GB), and Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) opted for the latter, as reflected in their translations, “God created (EHV, GB)/prepareth (YLT) the man in his (own) image . . .” (v. 27).

What informs our understanding of “man” in v. 27a is the translation of the following pronoun, “him” in v. 27b, “in the image of God he created him,” as most English Bibles render it. However, there is another way to understand the Hebrew that remains faithful to the text and conveys its meaning lucidly in modern English:

"God said, “Let us create humanity in our image, according to our likeness. Let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky and over the beasts, and over all the earth, and over everything that creeps on the earth.” So God created humanity in his image. In the image of God he created it. Male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. Subdue it and rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the skies and over all living creatures that creep on the earth.”" (author’s translation)

The confusion in the English translations results from the fact that the Hebrew term ׳adam refers both to “humanity” and to the individual man, Adam. Which meaning the author intends must be inferred from the context, which is usually but not always determinative.”

Further complicating the issue is that the addition of the definite article (“the”) to ׳adam, in Gen 1:27 (ha-׳adam), does not limit the meaning to “the man,” as might be expected by an English-speaking audience. Instead, the Hebrew definite article (as in English) can be used anaphorically. For example, “I bought a new book today. When I finish reading the book, you may borrow it.” The first sentence refers to “the book.” Because the first sentence mentions the book, the reader or listener knows to which book the second sentence refers—the book in the previous sentence. Hebrew exhibits this same use of the definite article. Gen 1:3-4 states, “And God said, ‘Let there be light (׳or),׳ and there was light. And God saw the light (ha-׳or), that it was good . . .” In Gen 18:7-8 Abraham takes “a calf” (baqar), but in the following verse the narrator refers to it as “the calf” (hab-baqar). The book of Ruth begins by introducing Elimelech and his family. In Ruth 1:1, he is “. . . a man (׳ish) of Bethlehem in Judah” but Ruth 1:2 uses the definite article, “The names of the man (ha-׳ish) was Elimeelech.” As a final example, 1 Sam 6:3 refers to a guilt offering (׳asham), but in v. 4 the narrator identifies it as ha-׳asham, “the guilt offering.”

Returning to Gen 1:26, God says, “Let us create humanity (׳adam),” with no definite article preceding the object. This phrase is followed by, “So God created humanity (ha-׳adam).” Like the examples above, the second occurrence of ׳adam likely includes the definite article because the object was mentioned in the previous verse, not because it is referring to Adam. In other words, the author probably intends, “Let us create humanity . . . so God created the humanity.” In English, however, “humanity” is an uncountable noun, of which there is only one. Adding a definite article in English would be superfluous.

How do we explain the masculine pronoun “him” in v. 27, which suggests that “man” in “So God created man (ha-׳adam)” refers to “the man” rather than “(the) humanity”? The Hebrew word translated “him” (׳otho) also represents the third common singular pronoun, “it.” If the author used the definite article on ha-׳adam anaphorically, then the pronoun ׳otho refers to humanity, not to the man, Adam. We should thus translate Gen 1:26-28 as:

"God said, “Let us create humanity in our image, according to our likeness. Let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky and over the beasts, and over all the earth, and over everything that creeps on the earth.” So God created humanity in his image. In the image of God he created it. Male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. Subdue it and rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the skies and over all living creatures that creep on the earth.”" (author’s translation)

This translation suits the grammar and the context far better than most traditional renderings of this passage. In v. 26, God pronounces that he will create humanity (׳adam) and that together they will rule over the earth and its creatures. In the following verse, he fulfills that pronouncement. God creates humanity in his image. The author then repeats the statement for emphasis, with the prepositional phrase fronted for additional stress: “In the image of God he created it.” Both sentences state the same idea. The emphasis is on God’s creation of humanity as its own class, as a creature distinct from the birds, sea life, and land animals. Male and female announces the two types of humans within the class. To read these verses as supporting male hierarchy or superiority, as some have done, is to ignore the Hebrew grammar.

Although our English translations are reliable and trustworthy, they are not perfect. Translation always involves interpretation. Understanding Hebrew grammar gives us insight into the interpretative choices translators face so that we can think critically and carefully about the options. Further, because the Bible informs our thinking and practice, we want to understand it well. Hebrew helps us plumb the depths of God’s self-revelation in ways that are simply inaccessible in translation. Although learning Hebrew can be arduous, it is a delightful and rewarding adventure. It brings you closer to God’s word and to God himself!"

In subsequent chapters including, “When God Uses Italics”, “Say What? Hebrew Euphemisms and Idioms”, and “The Septuagint Beckons”, Catherine and Philip cover more fascinating rewards of learning these Biblical Languages. We hope you’ll find encouragement in The Rewards of Learning Greek & Hebrew by Catherine L. McDowell and Philip H. Towner! Throughout the book they cover 20 reasons why investing in learning biblical languages is more than worth your time and effort!