Aramaic

אֲרָמִית · a.ra.mit · H0762Ἑβραϊκός · Hebraikos · G14442 other spellings15 mentions in 8 books, most in John (5)

Who they were

Aramaic and Hebrew are closely related Semitic languages that play significant roles in the Bible. Hebrew is the primary language of the Old Testament, while Aramaic appears in some later texts, such as portions of Ezra and Daniel.

In the Old Testament, Hebrew is mentioned as the language of the Israelites (2Ki.18.26; 2Ch.32.18; Isaiah 36:11, 13). It is also referred to as the "language of Judah" (Nehemiah 13:24). Hebrew was the primary language used in religious texts, such as the Torah and the Prophets.

Aramaic became increasingly important during the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Persian empires. It served as a lingua franca, a common language for communication among various peoples in the ancient Near East. In the Bible, Aramaic appears in some passages, such as Ezra 4:7 and Dan.2.4-7:28. Jesus likely spoke Aramaic, as evidenced by his words on the cross (Mrk.15.34) and the use of Aramaic terms in the New Testament (e.g., "Talitha cumi" in Mrk.5.41).

The New Testament also mentions Aramaic in several instances. Aramaic inscriptions were written on the cross of Jesus (Luke 23:38; Jhn.19.20). Some place names in the Gospels, such as Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36) and Golgotha (Jhn.19.17), are derived from Aramaic. The book of Acts records the apostle Paul addressing a crowd in Aramaic (Act.21.40; 22:2) and Jesus speaking to Paul in Aramaic during his conversion experience (Act.26.14).

In the book of Revelation, Aramaic terms appear, such as "Abaddon" (Revelation 9:11) and "Armageddon" (Revelation 16:16). These instances demonstrate the continued use and influence of Aramaic in the early Christian era.

Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Every mention

15 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)

2 Kings1 mention

2 Kings 18:26Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Jews’…

Ezra1 mention

Ezra 4:7In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Syrian and delivered…

Isaiah1 mention

Isaiah 36:11Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Don’t speak to us in the Jews’ language in the hearing of the people who…

Daniel1 mention

Daniel 2:4Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”

Luke1 mention

Luke 23:38An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

John5 mentions

John 5:2Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda”, having five porches.John 19:13When Pilate therefore heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called “The Pavement”, but in Hebrew, “Gabbatha.”John 19:17He went out, bearing his cross, to the place called “The Place of a Skull”, which is called in Hebrew, “Golgotha”,John 19:20Therefore many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.John 20:16Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him, “Rabboni!” which is to say, “Teacher!”

Acts3 mentions

Acts 21:40When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. When there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,Acts 22:2When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,Acts 26:14When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

Revelation2 mentions

Revelation 9:11They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is “Abaddon”, but in Greek, he has the name “Apollyon”.Revelation 16:16He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew, “Harmagedon”.

What the dictionary says

ar-a-ma'-ik lan'-gwaj ('aramith; the King James Version Syrian, Syriac; SYRIAN in the Revised Version (British and American)): 1. Early Notices of Aramaic in…

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

Read the article →

Sources

STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data