Aramaic has been in some ways a forgotten language in biblical studies, except at a very high academic level. The New Testament is written in Greek; nearly all the Old Testament is written in Hebrew, while the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the LXX) is significant to biblical studies. Yet 268 verses of the Bible were written in a language called Aramaic.

Aramaic was originally the language of the Arameans, who were comprised of tribes that lived along the Euphrates River. Two of the most prominent of these tribes were the Syrians to the northwest, and the Chaldeans to the southeast. The word Aramaic is derived from Aram, a son of Shem who was the progenitor of the Arameans. In the earliest stages of the history of Aramaic, the language was only spoken in Aramean locales, including the area where Laban lived (cf. Gen 31:47; Deut 26:5). However, as the Syrians and Chaldeans gained prominence in the ancient Near East, their tongue became established as an international language of commerce and diplomacy, gradually displacing Akkadian. Akkadian was still the official language of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, although 2 Kings 18:26 indicates that Aramaic was already becoming established as a lingua franca of the ancient Near East by 700 BC. When the Chaldeans subsequently conquered Assyria, it was natural for them to use their own language of Aramaic as the administrative language of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, rather than adopting Akkadian. This is why Daniel 2:4 says the wise men of Babylon addressed the king in Aramaic, and why the following section of the book of Daniel is written in Aramaic. After the conquest of Babylon by Persia, the Persians also chose Aramaic as the official administrative language of their vast empire. This is why the portions of Ezra which record official correspondence are written in Aramaic.

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At the time when the books of Daniel and Ezra were written, most Jews could speak and understand both Hebrew and Aramaic. They understood Hebrew as the language spoken at home, among themselves, and in the reading of the Scriptures, while Aramaic was the language spoken in broader society. Over time, Aramaic replaced Hebrew as the primary language spoken by the Jews who lived in Palestine and regions to the east. The Jews had not learned Aramaic in Palestine (cf. 2 Kgs 18:26), but they had to learn it in exile, since it was the language of their captors. Thus, the parts of the Old Testament which were composed in Aramaic were written in that language as a result of the Babylonian captivity.

After the resurrection of Jesus, the Syriac dialect of Aramaic became the language of the Syrian church. Aramaic also remained an important language for the Jews. Because of this, there are two major Aramaic translations of the Old Testament, the Jewish Targums and the Syriac Peshitta. There are a number of important Syriac versions of the New Testament. Much of Jewish rabbinic literature, and nearly all Syrian Christian literature, was written in Aramaic. Some of the Dead Sea Scrolls were also written in Aramaic.

Because of the very long linguistic history of Aramaic, and the diverse number of groups that have spoken it, there are quite a variety of Aramaic dialects, of which Syriac is the most prominent. Some eighty percent of extant Aramaic writing is in Syriac, a language which is still spoken today (in various dialects) and is used in the liturgy of some Eastern churches. There are also distinct differences between different chronological periods of Aramaic. Although critical scholars have long attempted to deny it, the Aramaic of both Daniel and Ezra is of the Imperial Aramaic dialect that was in use in the sixth and fifth centuries BC. It is noticeably different from both the Aramaic of Qumran and first-century AD Jewish Palestinian Aramaic.

Although there is only a limited amount of biblical material composed in Aramaic, the influence of the Aramaic language is felt throughout the Old and New Testaments, as it was present in the background from Genesis until Revelation. Aramaic also held a prominent place in the early church and in postbiblical Judaism. But insofar as it is directly used in the Bible, Aramaic is the language of the captivity and of the Redeemer.

Postscript: Aramaic is a much more cross-disciplinary language than Greek or Hebrew. It is highly relevant to OT studies, NT studies, intertestamental studies, Jewish studies, Patristics, historical theology, archaeology, Semitics, ancient Near Eastern history, and Middle Eastern studies. As a bridge between diverse fields of study, and the original language of important parts of the Old Testament, Aramaic is a very useful language to know. For recommended resources for the study of Biblical Aramaic, see this post.

[1] Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, there has been a debate over the extent to which Aramaic had displaced Hebrew in Palestine by the first century AD. However, first-century AD inscriptions in Palestine are almost exclusively in Aramaic (or Greek), and Aramaic is consistently used by Jesus, rather than Hebrew. Jesus probably understood Hebrew, but as a literary, rather than spoken, language. He would have known Greek as well and spoke it on some occasions (as when dealing with Gentiles), but He would have been more at home in Aramaic.

Yes, Aramaic and Arabic are both part of the Semitic language family, and knowledge of Arabic will help one learn Aramaic. However, Biblical Aramaic is actually much closer to Biblical Hebrew in terms of vocabulary, phonology, and grammar.

The last books of the Old Testament were written at a time of linguistic transition, when both Hebrew and Aramaic were understood by most Jews in Israel/Judah. Thus, while either language could have been used, Hebrew was generally preferred as the traditional national language.

Some scholars have attempted to do word studies based on what they think were the Aramaic words behind the Greek words used in the Gospels, but these studies are too conjectural. We know that Jesus spoke Greek as well as Aramaic, but the Gospels normally do not state which language he was speaking on a particular occasion. Since the inspired text that we have is in Greek, it is best to just do exegesis from the Greek text, with an awareness of Aramaic influence or background. As an inspired text, the Greek Gospels are the Word of the Lord, even if they may be recorded in a different language (at times) than what speakers in the narrative originally used. The black letters of the Bible are no less the Word of God than the black letters; thus, the inspired words are the ones that are written. The Old Testament contains similar instances of translated dialogue, such as in Genesis 42:23.

Could you answer the following questions?

How rich in vocabulary was Aramaic language as Jesus spoke in comparison to Greek or later Latin?

Could there be a relationship between the limited vocabulary of the common people and the need to use parables, idioms and hyperbole to paint pictures of ideas for which no words existed in that language?

The fact that people still speak certain language is no indicator of richness of that language. Otherwise, one would have to conclude that emoticons or other texting slang is a rich language merely because millions of people worldwide use it every day.

Here is a quote from Ellis R. Brotzman and Eric J. Tully, Old Testament Textual Criticism: A Practical Introduction, Second Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2016), 83.

We do not know the exact date or circumstances of the translation. The OT must have been translated before the fourth century, when the Syriac church fathers Aphrahat and Ephrem quote from it. Most scholars place it in the first or second century CE. Internal evidence suggests that the translators were somehow connected to both Judaism and Christianity. The translation was made from Hebrew and sometimes reflects Jewish exegetical traditions. This suggests that the translators were Jewish since it would be very unusual for non-Jews to know Hebrew. On the other hand, the Peshitta was used and transmitted in the Christian church, and it appears to be uninterested in rabbinic dietary laws and other Jewish theological emphases. Therefore, Michael Weitzman has argued that it was created by nonrabbinic Jews who converted to Christianity.

I am so fascinated by this and really want to learn more. Unfortunately, I am still somewhat confused and not sure how to determine which Aramaic dialect Jesus spoke. I am wanting to search specific words used (enunciation and written language) by our Lord, but not sure how to proceed.

Thank you,

Sheri

Dear Steven,

Thank you so much for this insight. I speak Aramaic, as it is my mothers tongue. I grew up in the Netherlands as a Christian, but my international career did not give me much time to deepen my knowledge of the bible and Jesus Christ my lord. I am in London now and started to take time to focus the next chapter of my life on this. I signed up to a few biblestudies to become a true Christen en grow closer to Jesus. I was just checking online to see if there are bibles written in the original language to buy, instead of NLT/ ESV / Archaeology study bible which I have. While I do speak Aramaic I cannot read it well. My siisters can though. But I thought to learn it. You have helped me grately by given me options to get started. So thank you for this and keep up the great work!

#1. I had read (I think I have the book somewhere in my bookcase) that the Hebrew language was almost a dead language that had revived. That this is the only language that has come back from the brink of death like this. Is this true?

There have been some other languages on the brink of death that have been revived, such as some of the indigenous languages of the Americas. However, I believe Hebrew is the only language that ceased to be used in regular daily speech for more than a thousand years that was later revived on a large scale. 152ee80cbc

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