| By: Jeff A. Benner We all are aware that behind the English translation of our Bibles are Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek words. But what many may not have considered is that behind those ancient words were cultures and philosophies vastly different from our own. The Biblical authors’ perspectives on life and the world around them were steeped in their traditions, lifestyles, manners and thoughts. When reading and studying this ancient text, we cannot interject our cultural perspectives into the narrative without bringing about interpretations and conclusions far removed from the authors’ intended meaning.To illustrate the importance of this, let’s examine a passage from the New Testament and interpret it from within its original cultural and linguistic contexts.“Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment.” (Matthew 9:20-22, NIV)Have you read a passage and found yourself asking questions that nobody else is asking? “Why is the text so specific that she needed to touch the edge of his garment?” Or, “How did she know that she would be healed if she touched this edge?” Questions like this deserve answers and oftentimes, these answers can only be found in the culture and/or language behind the translations.Let’s begin with the “cloak” or, as some translations say, “garment.” This would be the rectangular, poncho-like garment worn by all Jewish men. More on this a little later. Behind the English word “edge” is the Greek word κρασπεδον (kraspedon, Strong’s #G2899), which means “edge“ or “border.”However, when we examine how this Greek word was used in the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament and contemporary to the New Testament period, we find that it was used to translate the Hebrew word ציצית (tsiytsiyt, Strong’s #H6734), which is usually translated as “fringe,” such as can be seen in the following passage:“[S]peak to the sons of Yisra’eyl, and you will say to them, and they will make for themselves fringes (tsiytsiyt in Hebrew and kraspedon in Greek) upon the wings of their garments…” (Numbers 15:38, RMT)The Hebrew word for “wing” is כנף (K.N.Ph, Strong’s #H3671) and does mean “wing,” such as the “wing” of a bird, but it can also mean “corner;“ which in the context of this passage refers to the four corners of Hebrew males’ garments. In the image below (Figure 4), we see an example of the tsiytsiyt or “fringe” tied to the “corner” of the garment.  Figure 4. A tsiytsiyt (Image is in the Public Domain)We now know that the woman in the passage from Matthew was reaching for the “corner” of his garment where the tsiytsiyt would have been tied, but we still do not know why she reached for the corner. To answer this question, we turn to the Book of Malachi:“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings…” (Malachi 4:2, KJV)And now we are back to the word “wings,” the Hebrew word being kanaph. As this word also means “corners,” we now know the why; he, Yeshua, had healing in the “corners” of his garment. But why would Yeshua be referred to as the “sun of righteousness?” When we do a little investigation into this word, we find our answer. The Hebrew word for “sun” is שמש (shemesh, Strong’s #H8121). However, while not used in the Bible, this Hebrew word can mean “minister.” Now let’s take another look at Malachi 4:2, but this time with new understanding:“But unto you that fear my name shall the minister of righteousness arise with healing in his corners…”Before moving on, we need to take a closer look at the Hebrew word tsiytsiyt. As we have seen previously, this word is used for the “fringes” on the corners of the garments, but that is not what this word means literally. It specifically means “blossom.” In the same way that the function of the blossom is to produce fruit, the function of the tsiytsiyt is to remind the wearer that he is to produce fruit, just as is stated in the verse that follows the command to wear the tsiytsiyt:“And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them…” (Numbers 15:39, KJV)In the above word study, we have experienced the importance of understanding the Bible from its original cultural and linguistic perspectives. In the pages that follow, we will continue to excavate the Bible, uncovering its many riches by digging into the meanings behind the words and phrases. Gear up and let’s get started! |
The above, is the introduction to Mr. Benner’s book, A Cultural and Linguistic Excavation of the Bible.  Dig deep into the history of the Bible, its people, their culture, and their language, and uncover hidden truths that have been lost through centuries of mistranslations, misinterpretations, and textual manipulation. (332 pages)“This is a deep dive with so much information…”“Bringing Ancient Hebraic understanding of scripture to modern-day enthusiasts.” “Excellent study material.” |