# Who else is studying the original languages?



## Greaserbilly (Nov 9, 2011)

I'm now studying Biblical Greek, and hope to also get into Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic. (ONE AT A TIME, though).

Anyone else doing this? I'm finding it REALLY rewarding.


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## apoint (Nov 12, 2011)

My wife taught herself Hebrew.


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## leemckinney (Jan 13, 2012)

I have tried several times but never made much progress.  Weird to me that it is about impossible to find it taught in churches.


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## 1gr8bldr (Jan 14, 2012)

Strange that at CARM, under the biblical Languages sub forumn, those knowing greek, debate constantly about different greek issues. It seems that knowing greek does not settle the issues. Just like with the English, they somehow make it read as they wish. That is surprising to me. You would think that it would put everybody in agreement, but it doesn't


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## gordon 2 (Jan 14, 2012)

1gr8bldr said:


> Strange that at CARM, under the biblical Languages sub forumn, those knowing greek, debate constantly about different greek issues. It seems that knowing greek does not settle the issues. Just like with the English, they somehow make it read as they wish. That is surprising to me. You would think that it would put everybody in agreement, but it doesn't




Perhaps  the ever changing and exchanging of words are just poor brothers to the Spirit? Mules to the thoroughbred.


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## mtnwoman (Jan 14, 2012)

I'm not, I'll leave that to the menfolk and to the ones who's brains can grasp it. Then I'll take their word for it, especially if enough men say the same thing in translation.
I just don't think it's that hard to translate any language into Englay(english)....I mean for those who know the other languages. Some people act like Hebrew cannot be translated, or Aramaic, or even Greek into English.


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## mtnwoman (Jan 14, 2012)

1gr8bldr said:


> Strange that at CARM, under the biblical Languages sub forumn, those knowing greek, debate constantly about different greek issues. It seems that knowing greek does not settle the issues. Just like with the English, they somehow make it read as they wish. That is surprising to me. You would think that it would put everybody in agreement, but it doesn't



Thanks for that information....I guess that does make sense.


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## Greaserbilly (Jan 15, 2012)

> I just don't think it's that hard to translate any language into Englay(english)....



As a polyglot, suffice it to say, no it isn't that easy.

There is no 1:1 mapping in language, otherwise computers could translate. There are multiple problems in translation - 

1) The words might not exist. German doesn't have an expression meaning "fluffy". That's a specific word that evokes a specific texture that I cannot express if I was speaking in German.

2) An expression that is smoothly written in one language in a few words might take many many more in English. In French, "capitulard" is someone whose nature it is to give in, to shrug his shoulders and simply go with whatever other people are doing. "Surrenderer" doesn't cut it.

Because of the nuances in language, something expressed really well in one cannot always be translated with the same meaning into another. Kind of like reducing a photograph to a line drawing.

3) Greek, for example, stresses the relative importance of concepts in a sentence by word order. Greek's inflected, which means that you can assemble the words in a sentence in any order and the sentence still makes sense, because the function of the word is encoded in its inflection.

We say SUBJECT VERB OBJECT, usually. "I hit him." With a simple sentence like this which does work, I can point out that if I say "I hit him" the important thing is that I hit him. "Hit I him" would mean the important thing is that hitting took place, "Him I hit" would stress the importance of the person being hit. One of the things I would lose in translating it into English is the word order, and therefore relative importance of the concepts. 

The reason why people argue like crazy about the Greek with respect to the New Testament is that the New Testament is not written as you'd expect.

ITISWRITTENASONEVERYLONGSTRINGOFLETTERSTHATYOUNEEDTOBREAKAPARTYOURSELFINTOWORDSANDSENTENCESANDYOUDONOTNECESSARILYKNOWFORSUREWHATWORDSBELONGINWHATSENTENCE

GODISNOWHERE <--- "God is now here", or "God is nowhere?"

Paul made up some words and used others in ways that we're still arguing over what Paul meant by them. He wasn't a native speaker of Greek.


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## gordon 2 (Jan 15, 2012)

Greaserbilly said:


> As a polyglot, suffice it to say, no it isn't that easy.
> 
> There is no 1:1 mapping in language, otherwise computers could translate. There are multiple problems in translation -
> 
> ...



It must be very difficult for persons with only one language to realize that language has a great influence on the way we think and see outwardly, also cage in and frame realities. Good thing the Spirit falls on all equally.


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## jmharris23 (Jan 15, 2012)

I took them both in seminary, found Greek to be much easier to deal with and retain. I still use it, but other than a familiarity I must use helps when dealing with Hebrew.


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## mtnwoman (Jan 16, 2012)

Greaserbilly said:


> As a polyglot, suffice it to say, no it isn't that easy.
> 
> There is no 1:1 mapping in language, otherwise computers could translate. There are multiple problems in translation -
> 
> ...



I can see that. I took a year of french and a year of spanish in HS, couldn't grasp the verb/noun thing at that time....so I understand what you mean.

I guess what I'm saying if you know english and also another language as you were growing up, then it would be easier to translate. I know it's not easy, and I know I cannot do it, I've tried, I've got adhd and can hardly read a book without started over on every page.
Thanks


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