Early Christian Views on the Hebrew Language
Early Christian writers usually treated Hebrew as the language of the Jews, their fathers, and their Scriptures. Irenaeus, Origen, Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian all connect Hebrew with biblical names, translated books, and Jewish speech. They do not all explain it the same way, but they agree that Hebrew was a real and important language for the old covenant people.
48 early-church witnesses · 78 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about the Hebrew Language?
Early Christian writers usually treated Hebrew as the language tied to the Jews, their fathers, and their Scriptures. Irenaeus, Origen, Clement of Alexandria, Justin Martyr, and Tertullian all speak of Hebrew when discussing biblical names, translated Scriptures, or Jewish speech. Some writers also say parts of Scripture were first written or preserved in Hebrew, while others focus more on Hebrew words being translated into Greek.
The evidence is broad for Hebrew as the sacred and ancestral Jewish language, but thinner on exact details about every biblical book or phrase. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Early Christian writers linked Hebrew with the Jews, their ancestry, and their Scriptures.
- Justin Martyr and Clement of Alexandria speak of the Old Testament being translated from Hebrew into Greek.
- Origen says Hebrew was the fathers’ language before Egypt and that Jewish names came from Hebrew.
- Some details, like exact book origins or name meanings, are discussed differently by different writers.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did early Christians say Hebrew was the language of the Jews and their fathers?
These sources say Hebrew belonged to the Jews, their fathers, or their national language, and that Jewish names came from Hebrew usage. They present Hebrew as an ancestral and identity-marking language.
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Origen, Against Celsus Direct teaching
For Hebrew was the language of their fathers before their descent into Egypt;
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Tertullian, Apology Direct teaching
Now in ancient times the people we call Jews bare the name of Hebrews, and so both their writings and their speech were Hebrew.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness
Now the Hebrew dialect, like all the rest, has certain properties, consisting in a mode of speech which exhibits the national character.
More related quotations from this section 3 shown
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Acts 22:2 Direct teaching
And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said:
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2 Kings 18:26 Supporting witness
And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, Speak now to thy servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it; and speak not with us in the Jewish language: and why dost thou speak in the ears of the people that are on the wall?
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Nehemiah 13:24 Supporting witness
And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.
Did early Christians say the Scriptures were written in Hebrew and translated into Greek?
These sources say the prophetic writings were in Hebrew and were translated into Greek, with Jewish scholars or translators involved. The Bible cards also show Hebrew and other languages being used for inscriptions or public reading.
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book II Direct teaching
If anyone objects that the Scriptures in the Hebrew language use different expressions for God, like Sabaoth, Eloë, and Adonai, as well as other such terms, and tries to argue that these indicate different powers and gods, let them understand that all these expressions are just names and titles for the same Being. Eloë in Hebrew means God, while Elōeim and Eleōuth signify "that which contains all." The term Adonai sometimes means something that is nameable and admirable, but when the letter Daleth is doubled and the word begins with a guttural sound, like Addonai, it means "One who bounds and separates the land from the water," so the water doesn't flood the land. Similarly, when Sabaoth is spelled with a Greek Omega as Sabaōth, it means "a voluntary agent," but with a Greek Omicron, like Sabaŏth, it means "the first heaven." Likewise, the word Jaōth with a long and aspirated last syllable means "a predetermined measure," but when written shortly with Omicron as Jaŏth, it means "one who puts evils to flight." All other expressions also refer to the same Being, such as The Lord of Powers, The Father of all, God Almighty, The Most High, The Creator, The Maker, and so on. These are no
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book II Direct teaching
For the term Eloë in the Jewish language denotes God, while Elōeim and Eleōuth in the Hebrew language signify “that which contains all.” As to the appellation Adonai, sometimes it denotes what is nameable and admirable;
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Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness
...e than the sacred books of the Jews! Moreover, the phrases "the God of Israel," and "the God of the Hebrews," and "the God who drowned in the Red Sea the king of Egypt and the Egyptians," are formulas often used against demons and certain wicked powers. And we learn the history of the names and their interpretation from those Hebrews, who in their national literature and national language dwell with pride on these things and explain their meaning. How, then, should the Jews attempt to derive their origin from the first race of those whom Celsus supposed to be jugglers and deceivers, and shamelessly try to trace themselves and their beginning back to these? Their names, being Hebrew, are evidence to the Hebrews, who have their sacred books written in the Hebrew language and letters, that their nation is akin to these men. For up to the present time, the Jewish names belonging to the Hebrew language were either taken from their writings, or generally from words whose meaning was made known by the Hebrew language.
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Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness
But we are well assured that none can establish anything of the sort, it being manifest that these names are derived from the Hebrew language, which is found only among the Jews.
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Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness
For up to the present time, the Jewish names belonging to the Hebrew language were either taken from their writings, or generally from words the meaning of which was made known by the Hebrew language.
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Justin Martyr, The First Apology Supporting witness
And the name Jesus in the Hebrew language means (Saviour) in the Greek tongue.
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Justin Martyr, The First Apology Supporting witness
This word Amen answers in the Hebrew language to [so be it].
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book II Supporting witness
for Jesus in the ancient Hebrew language means “heaven,” while again “earth” is expressed by the words sura usser.
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book II Background
... earth is Jesus. Their explanation of the Episemon is false, and their numerical calculations are clearly incorrect. In their language, Soter is a Greek word of five letters, but in Hebrew, Jesus contains only two and a half letters. Thus, the total they calculate, eight hundred and eighty-eight, is invalid. Furthermore, Hebrew letters do not match Greek letters in number, although Hebrew, being more ancient and constant, should maintain the calculations linked to the names. These ancient, original, and sacred Hebrew letters are ten in number (but are written using fifteen), with the last letter joined to the first. They write some letters in sequence like we do, but others in reverse, from right to left, tracing the letters backwards. The name Christ should also align with the Æons of their Pleroma, as He was produced for the establishment and correction of their Pleroma, according to their claims. Likewise, the Father should contain the number of those Æons produced by Him through letters and numerical value, as should Bythus and Monogenes. Especially the name above all others, which refers to God, and in Hebrew is expressed by Baruch, also contains two and a half letters. The
Common Questions
Did early Christians think the Bible was first written in Hebrew?
Many of them did, especially when speaking about the law, the prophets, or Jewish names. Justin Martyr and Clement of Alexandria describe Hebrew as the original language before Greek translation.
Did early Christians connect Hebrew with the Jewish people?
Yes. Origen says Hebrew was the language of their fathers, and Tertullian says the Jews were called Hebrews and that their writings and speech were Hebrew.
Source Index for the Hebrew Language
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 78 ranked source links for deeper study.
Source index 78 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 48 included
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
Bible Passages 30 included
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.