Evidence for Hebrew Roots of Matthew 1:21

The oldest known manuscripts of the New Testament were written in Greek, but by comparing Matt. 1:21 in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek with the knowledge of the naming formula so common in the Hebrew Bible, we see that this verse only makes sense in Hebrew. Since the naming formula depends on a wordplay that does not work in Greek or Aramaic, Matt. 1:21, or the oral tradition behind it, had to be in Hebrew.

Many have argued over which language(s) Jesus spoke. Many will say He spoke Greek because the New Testament was written in Greek. Some will argue that Jesus spoke Aramaic, which was the lingua franca of the time, while a growing number are coming to believe that Jesus spoke Hebrew, at least with His disciples and fellow Israelites. In this short essay it is not my intention to examine all the evidence for each of these arguments, but to present just one case which I hope will add to the discussion.

Paid Content
Premium Members and Friends of JP must be logged in to access this content: Login

If you do not have a paid subscription, please consider registering as a Premium Member starting at $10/month (paid monthly) or only $5/month (paid annually): Register

One Time Purchase Rather Than Membership
Rather than purchasing a membership subscription, you may purchase access to this single page for $1.99 USD. To purchase access we strongly encourage users to first register for a free account with JP (Register), which will make the process of accessing your purchase much simpler. Once you have registered you may login and purchase access to this page at this link:

Comments 5

mellon

06Nov2017 at 5:33 am

Excellent insight? How close is Aramaic to Hebrew in your estimation?

Is it like Italian vs Spanish, or is it like Greek vs Russian (where the similarities are simply due to borrowed Greek characters, but otherwise completely different?)

Dee Alberty

22Dec2015 at 11:20 pm

Thanks, Adam, i have now made the correction my English NASB!

magdasut

26May2015 at 12:23 am

Thanks Adam! ! Keep up the wxcellent contribution. Every little bit is a pearl of great price! Enjoyed this article!