Uncovering the Hidden Sources of the Canonical Gospels
The canonical Gospels, composed in Greek, reveal hints of non-Greek origins. Jesus’ teachings, likely delivered in Hebrew/Aramaic, influenced the earliest records of his life, written in the same languages. A clue to this heritage lies in the numerous foreign words transliterated into Greek from Hebrew or Aramaic. Modern translations often conceal these transliterations, obscuring the significant presence of non-Greek influences.
Examples of Transliterated Words/Phrases
Several examples illustrate this phenomenon:
- “Hosanna” (Ὡσαννά) – a transliteration of the Hebrew phrase “Hoshana” (הושענא), meaning “Save us!” (Matthew 21:9, Matthew 21:15, Mark 11:9, Mark 11:10, John 12:13)
- “Maranatha” (Μαρανάθα ) – a transliteration of the Aramaic phrase “Maran Atha”(ܡܪܢ ܐܬܐ), meaning “Our Lord, come!” or “Come, Lord!” (1 Corinthians 16:22, Revelation 22:20)
- “Amen” (Ἀμήν) – a transliteration of the Hebrew word “Amen” (אָמֵן), meaning “So be it” (Matthew 6:13, Matthew 28:20, Mark 16:20, Luke 24:53, John 21:25, Romans 11:36, 1 Corinthians 16:24, 2 Corinthians 1:20, Galatians 1:5, Ephesians 3:21, Philippians 4:20, 1 Timothy 1:17, 2 Timothy 4:18, Hebrews 13:21, 1 Peter 4:11, 1 Peter 5:11, Revelation 3:14, Revelation 5:14, Revelation 7:12, Revelation 19:4)
- “Abba” (Ἀββά) – a transliteration of the Aramaic word “Abba” (אבא), meaning “Father” (Mark 14:36, Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6)
- “Rabbi” (Ραββί) – a transliteration of the Hebrew word “Rabbi” (רַבִּי), meaning “Teacher” (Matthew 23:7-8, Matthew 26:25, Matthew 26:49, Mark 9:5, Mark 11:21, Mark 14:45, John 1:38, John 1:49, John 3:2, John 3:26, John 4:31, John 6:25, John 9:2, John 11:8)
- “Rabboni” (Ραββουνί) – a transliteration of the Hebrew word “Rabboni” (רַבּוֹנִי), meaning “My Teacher” or “My Master” (John 20:16)
- “Raka” (Ρακά) – a transliteration of the Aramaic word “Reka” (רֵיקָא), meaning “Empty one” or “Fool” (Matthew 5:22)
- “Kan’an” (Καναν) – not a direct transliteration, but related to the Hebrew word “Kana’an” (כָּנָעַן), meaning “Canaan” or “Lowland”
- “Effatha” (Εφφαθά) – a transliteration of the Aramaic word “Ephthakh” (ܐܦܬܚ), meaning “Be opened!” (Mark 7:34)
- “Satan” (Σατανάς) – a transliteration of the Hebrew word “Satan” (שָׂטָן), meaning “Adversary” (Matthew 4:1, Matthew 12:26, Matthew 16:23, Mark 1:13, Mark 3:23, Mark 3:26, Mark 4:15, Mark 8:33, Luke 4:2, Luke 4:8, Luke 11:18, Luke 13:16, Luke 22:3, Luke 22:31, John 13:27, Acts 5:3, Acts 26:18, Romans 16:20, 1 Corinthians 5:5, 1 Corinthians 7:5, 2 Corinthians 2:11, 2 Corinthians 11:14, 1 Thessalonians 3:5, 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 1 Timothy 1:20, 1 Timothy 5:15, Revelation 2:9, Revelation 2:13, Revelation 2:24, Revelation 3:9, Revelation 12:9, Revelation 20:2, Revelation 20:7)
- “Ge’enna” (Γέεννα) – a transliteration of the Hebrew word “Ge Hinnom” (גֵּי הִנּוֹם), meaning “Valley of Hinnom” (Matthew 5:22, Matthew 5:29-30, Matthew 10:28, Matthew 18:9, Matthew 23:15, Matthew 23:33, Mark 9:43-48, Luke 12:5, James 3:6)
- “Boanerges” (Βοανηργές) – a transliteration of the Aramaic phrase “Bo’anerges” (ܒܘܥܢܪܓܣ), meaning “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17)
- “Korban” (Κορβάν) – a transliteration of the Hebrew word “Qorban” (קָרְבָּן), meaning “Offering” or “Gift” (Mark 7:11)
- “Kepha” (Κηφάς) – a transliteration of the Aramaic word “Kepha” (ܟܹ݁ܐܦ݂ܵܐ), meaning “Rock” or “Stone” (John 1:42)
The Aramaic/Hebrew New Testament Family
In contrast to the variances within Greek New Testament texts, the Aramaic/Hebrew family exhibits remarkable consistency across 360 manuscripts spanning nearly 1800 years. The Aramaic texts demonstrate a clear precedence over Greek versions in hundreds of verses, revealing how Greek readings emerged from Aramaic/Hebrew originals.
The Evolution of the Biblical Canon
The Old Testament entered Christian use through Greek Septuagint translations and original books, with differing lists of texts. Christianity added various writings to form the New Testament. Synods in the 4th century established a list of texts, later refined by Jerome’s Latin edition (Vulgate). Despite some exceptions, the Eastern Church largely accepted this canon by the 5th century. However, full dogmatic articulations of the canon only emerged in the 16th and 17th centuries with the Canon of Trent, Gallic Confession of Faith, Thirty-Nine Articles, and Synod of Jerusalem.
https://www.hebrewgospels.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbinical_translations_of_Matthew
http://www.jerusalemperspective.com/12404/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_of_the_New_Testament
http://ancient-hebrew.org/nt_origins.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_of_the_New_Testament_canon
