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The Goal of the Harvest
Since the Bible is written in part in Hebrew and in part in Greek, . . . we drink from the stream of both—we must learn these languages, unless we want to be “silent persons” as theologians. Once we understand the significance and the weight of the words, the true meaning of Scripture will light up for us as the midday sun. Only if we have clearly understood the language will we clearly understand the content. . . . If we put our minds to the [Greek and Hebrew] sources, we will begin to understand Christ rightly.
—Melanchthon (1497–1560)1
In 2007 my wife and I celebrated the birth of our first son. Thus we began the journey of parenting. Before our son was born, it seemed like parenting might be doable. Give some direction here, a little correction there, hold regular family devotional times, and voilà, a God-honoring offspring. It only took one night—one night—for us to realize it wasn’t that easy. The first morning after our son was born, my wife and I found ourselves begging my parents to watch our son while we slept for a few hours. They agreed, and when we got to our bedroom, we sat on the bed, looked into each other’s eyes, and began to cry.
We knew vaguely what we signed up for and the journey we just began, but we were overrun with emotion because in that moment, the end goal of parenting was not clear to us. Sure, we knew the intended outcome we wanted from our parenting. We wanted to raise children who love the Lord and who desire to honor him by living for his kingdom. But in that precise moment on our bed, this vision wasn’t driving our emotions.
Several years later, my wife was at a class for wives of students at our seminary, and she heard about “the law of the harvest.” It was presented as a way to persevere in parenting, knowing that there is a goal in the end—namely, the “harvest” of children who love the Lord. She learned that the journey to that harvest would be hard work. It would be dirty labor in muddy fields. It would involve hard soil that requires regular tilling and care. But all of this tedious labor is worthwhile because it leads to an intentional, tangible, and desirable goal. The task of parenting (for us) is more joyful or less joyful to the degree that we keep that goal of the harvest at the front of our minds. There are setbacks and difficulties for sure, but the small progress we see toward the harvest keeps us pressing on. Parenting is not the end goal, but it is the pathway to the end goal.
Likewise, the study of Hebrew is not an end in itself. The end goal of studying Hebrew is to know the God who has revealed himself through his word. God chose to use the Hebrew language to convey his will for his people through the Law, Prophets, and Writings. The goal of learning Hebrew (or Greek) is not to parade one’s knowledge before others, seeking to impress a congregation or friend. Rather, the goal is first and foremost to behold unhindered the grandest sight—God himself revealed through his inspired word. Therefore, the journey of learning Biblical Hebrew has as its goal the most important thing in all of life: the knowledge of God as revealed in the Scriptures. Although we don’t need to read the Bible in the original languages to learn about God, some things are lost in translation. In addition, for those who are planning to preach or teach God’s word on a regular basis, the need for reading the Bible in its original languages is of utmost importance.
Many students ask me if the acquisition of Biblical Hebrew is difficult. The acquisition of any language involves hard work and requires constant attention, but Hebrew seems to need more nurture and care along the way. When we get wrapped up in the jots and tittles of the text, we may feel discouraged or tempted to cast Hebrew aside. However, one of the joys I find in Hebrew is the richness it adds to the “flavor” of the Old Testament. The words I use in classes to describe Hebrew are thick and robust. It is as if Hebrew is rich molasses, so that when it hits the tongue, it provides full-bodied flavor to the text you’re enjoying. This thick joy of seeing God’s character revealed in the Old Testament is worth every minute that you invest in learning and retaining your Hebrew. If we don’t keep that end in sight, we will certainly lose motivation and consider abandoning the path. We don’t need to wait a semester or year to experience the delight of Hebrew. There is joy in the journey! But we also must remember that a solid knowledge of Hebrew will produce a lifetime of benefits both to us and to those we can influence.
The remainder of this chapter consists of three sections. First, we will offer four reasons why the study of biblical languages (focusing on Hebrew) is needed. Second, we will answer three common objections to studying biblical languages. Finally, we will encourage readers to take the responsibility and privilege of studying the original languages seriously. Throughout the chapter we will bring in the testimony of others who likewise see the importance of knowing the languages that God chose to use to convey his word to the world.
Why Study Hebrew?
Hebrew Is the Language of the Old Testament
In the New Testament, God chose to reveal his word (and thus his will) to his people in the Greek language. But the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic. Although we have dozens of good English translations of the Bible, all translations are interpretations. This is because no two languages are the same. There are lengthy conversations about why translation committees choose to translate certain words, phrases, and verses the way they do. Most (if not all) of these explanations are influenced by theological presuppositions and grammatical restrictions of the target language, leading to the translation chosen. Something is inevitably lost when one language is translated into another.
Translations are good and helpful, but they are God’s word only insofar as they accurately reflect the Hebrew and Greek originals. John Owen (1616–1683) says, “Translations contain the word of God, and are the word of God, perfectly or imperfectly, according as they express the words, sense, and meaning of [the] originals.”2 Bruce K. Waltke expresses the importance of this: “Shortly after I began the study of Hebrew, . . . I became motivated to comprehend the biblical languages when I realized that most of my knowledge of God was derived from Holy Scripture, and the accuracy of that knowledge was contingent upon the correctness with which I handled its languages. . . . The logic of this Christian theology, that God revealed himself through the Scripture, inescapably led me to the conclusion that the authenticity of that knowledge rested on a precise understanding of the biblical languages.”3
In a very real way, then, the biblical languages are the means by which the gospel message is preserved throughout the canon. The great Reformer Martin Luther (1483–1546) testified to this reality:
We will not long preserve the gospel without the languages. The languages are the sheath in which this sword of the Spirit [Eph. 6:17] is contained; they are the casket in which this jewel is enshrined; they are the vessel in which this wine is held; they are the larder in which this food is stored; and . . . they are the baskets in which are kept these loaves and fishes and fragments. If through our neglect we let the languages go (which God forbid!), we shall . . . lose the gospel.4
Luther later added, “It is inevitable that unless the languages remain, the gospel must finally perish.”5 For Luther, it was while reading the original language of the Greek New Testament that his eyes were opened to the reality of God’s righteousness being revealed in the gospel. Because we believe in the inspiration of all sixty-six books of the Bible, Luther refers to a gospel that can be seen throughout the canon. For our purposes, then, to put aside the Hebrew language is to put aside our surest guide to the truth of the gospel from the Old Testament.
Hebrew Helps Us to Rightly Interpret the Bible
Although knowledge of Hebrew increases our ability to rightly interpret the Bible, we don’t mean that knowledge of Hebrew guarantees that we will come to a correct interpretation. Knowing Hebrew does not solve all the interpretive questions. It does, however, help us to eliminate certain interpretations and allow us to see for ourselves what are the strengths and weaknesses of various possible positions. Jason DeRouchie rightly notes, “Knowing the original languages helps one observe more accurately and thoroughly, understand more clearly, evaluate more fairly, and interpret more confidently the inspired details of the biblical text.”6 The goal of the exegete is to be able to carefully evaluate the text by using all the tools at one’s disposal. Likewise, the goal of the pastor is to be able to deliver that careful evaluation of the inspired text to parishioners via the preaching of God’s word. John Piper argues that translations tend to discourage pastors from careful analysis of the text. If a pastor doesn’t refer to the original languages in preparation, “the preacher often contents himself with the general focus or flavor of the text, and his exposition lacks the precision and clarity which excites a congregation with the word of God. Boring generalities are a curse in many pulpits.”7 Scott Hafemann convincingly states that studying the Bible in the original languages
provides a window through which we can see for ourselves just what decisions have been made by others and why. Instead of being a second-hander, who can only take someone else’s word for it, a knowledge of the text allows us to evaluate, rather than simply regurgitate. . . . [Consequently] we will be able to explain to ourselves and to others why people disagree, what the real issues are, and what are the strengths of our own considered conclusions. It will allow us to have reasons for what we believe and preach, without having to resort to the papacy of scholarship or the papacy of personal experience.8
Those without knowledge of the original language are necessarily limited and must rely on others for the interpretation of various texts. Thus, they become “second-handers.” A. T. Robertson explains, “The only alternative is to take what other scholars say without the power of forming an individual judgment.”9 Our goal is to be able to evaluate and thus come to a studied and reasoned opinion regarding the meaning of a text. But neither the gift of the Holy Spirit nor personal piety assures a correct interpretation. We must work hard to learn the languages of the Bible so that we can know for ourselves what the inspired text says. We still hold our conclusions with an open hand, but with the languages, we are able to hold our conclusions with conviction. We study Hebrew so that we can better interpret God’s holy and infallible word.
Of course, the end goal is not merely to interpret the Bible correctly but to better know the God who revealed himself to us in the Bible. Thus, we learn the biblical languages so that we can learn of the Triune God of Scripture. But as A. M. Fairbairn (1838–1912) once said, “No man can be a theologian who is not first a philologian. He who is no grammarian is no divine.”10 The earliest Hebrew grammarians—Saadia Gaon (882–942), Menahem ibn Saruq (ca. 910–970), Dunash ben Labrat (ca. 929–990), Yehuda Hayyuj (ca. 940–1010), Jonah ibn Janah (990–1050)—argued that a proper knowledge of Scripture depended on Hebrew grammar. According to David Tene, these early grammarians believed that “(1) language is the means for all discernment and linguistics is the means for all investigation and wisdom; (2) the fulfillment of the commandments depends upon the understanding of the written word, and in turn, the proper knowledge of the language is impossible without the aid of linguistics.”11
The earliest scholarly Hebrew grammarians understood that the end goal of grammatical study was gaining proper wisdom and behaving as those who love God (fulfillment of the commandments). Even so, those goals were dependent on linguistic study of the “written word.” Our goal is to know the Bible so that we can know the God we love and serve, and subsequently live as those who believe that what he has said in his word matters.
Hebrew Is a Ministry Time-Saver
On average, pastors are extremely busy, with many important issues vying for their time. Preparing sermons, counseling church members, visiting the sick, attending various meetings, and answering phone calls and emails are just some of the things that fill a pastor’s schedule. With all of these responsibilities, is it realistic for someone in ministry to spend valuable time in the original languages of the Bible?
Learning Hebrew well enough to use it effectively, however, can save time in sermon or teaching preparation. In my opinion, many pastors shy away from preaching the Old Testament because of the time it takes to carefully study large swaths of Old Testament narrative. Often, application points may not come for several chapters as one considers the flow of the narrative and the overall message of the Old Testament author. If the pastor is going to work from the original Hebrew, translating (or even just referencing) large portions of Hebrew narrative will prove to be time consuming. Consider, though, how empowering it would be to translate large sections of the Old Testament, precisely because you have devoted yourself in earlier years to learning the language well. The time you spend now to learn Hebrew well will pay off in future studies. With enough study on the front end, pastors can begin to enjoy the preparation of an Old Testament passage from the original Hebrew rather than dreading it.
In addition to helping you translate long sections of Scripture quickly, a knowledge of Hebrew can help you save time when navigating commentaries. The danger of relying on commentaries is that they often do not agree at certain points. Thus, when preparing a message, the pastor is often compelled to read commentary after commentary to make sure all bases are covered. It would be better—and much quicker—for pastors to be like the Bereans and check the Scriptures for themselves to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11), instead of only reading the opinions of others.
In his inaugural address at Southern Seminary on October 3, 1890, titled “Preaching and Scholarship,” A. T. Robertson observed, “If theological education will increase your power for Christ, is it not your duty to gain that added power? Never say you are losing time by going to school. You are saving time, buying it up for the future and storing it away. Time used in storing power is not lost.”12 The time you spend “storing power” in the biblical languages will not be wasted time.
Hebrew Emphasizes the Value of God’s Word
For the Christian, the ultimate source of authority is God’s word. One of the ways a pastor communicates to the congregation that the Bible is the foundation of all we believe is by carefully preaching and teaching it weekly. Additionally, when a pastor labors in the original languages to carefully exegete the text, it highlights that the pastor’s authority is found in the Bible. Hafemann explains this reality: “Learning the languages affirms the nature of biblical revelation, restores the proper authority of the pastor as teacher, and communicates to our people that the locus of meaning and authority of the Scriptures does not reside in us, but in the text, which we labor so hard to understand. We learn the languages because we are convinced of the inerrancy, sufficiency, and potency of the Word of God.”13
Our authority is not our favorite scholar or commentary series or the commentary that happens to be in our library. As Enoch Okode notes, “It is hard to maintain the centrality of the word if we view biblical languages as a non-essential and optional extra. Similarly, if preachers don’t invest in Hebrew and Greek, their hearers will be deprived of some of the treasures of the word as well as the informed and informative exposition that they deserve.”14
Objections to Studying Hebrew
Hebrew Is Excessively Difficult
I must agree that Hebrew is difficult. However, I would argue that Hebrew is more intimidating than difficult. If you can overcome the intimidation of the language, then learning Hebrew can actually be a delight. I have a dear friend who lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Bruce was an information technology professional for nearly forty-five years and has recently retired. In 1980, Bruce began studying New Testament Greek in order to interact with members of the local Kingdom Hall (Jehovah’s Witness). After seeing the rewards of learning Greek, Bruce desired to learn Hebrew, but as a result of supporting and raising a young family, he was unable to return to school that following year for his Hebrew studies. As a layman, Bruce had no plans for pastoral ministry; he simply wanted to know God’s word in order to share it accurately in doctrinal conversations.
In 2008, Bruce decided to give Hebrew a run—on his own initiative! He purchased an introductory grammar and began to work through it slowly. After years of learning Hebrew and reading the Hebrew Bible, Bruce and his wife, Bonny, now attend a weekly reading group on Saturday mornings to read Hebrew and Greek alongside other faithful believers. The reading group is made up largely of non-clergy. Bruce and his wife are part of a group of people who read the original languages simply because they love the God of the Bible and they cherish the inspired Scriptures in the original languages. Each Saturday around 6:45 a.m., the group begins with a Hebrew reading followed by some discussion from whatever intermediate grammar they are studying. They then move to a Greek reading, all the while helping one another read and translate God’s word in the original languages.
Since Bruce and Bonny joined the reading group in 2013, the group has studied several Hebrew and Greek grammars in addition to their Scripture reading in the original languages. The point to understand here is not that every Christian must study Hebrew to this degree to be a good Christian. The point is that learning Hebrew is doable. Yes, it is difficult, but many people with varying abilities and vocations have accomplished the goal of learning Biblical Hebrew, and some of those people have done it from their own volition.
Why don’t pastors keep up their Hebrew? One reason is that they never learned enough Hebrew to be confident in their skills. We would recommend at least one semester of syntax beyond the foundational semester or year of elementary Hebrew. Because Hebrew is intimidating, many pastors-in-training opt to take only the minimum amount of Hebrew, and even then they devote minimal effort to it. The time you spend in the beginning to learn Hebrew well can produce years of competence and joy while using Hebrew in ministry.
Another reason pastors don’t keep up their Hebrew is the time it takes to review and retain. The objection that Hebrew is difficult is true! However, something being difficult doesn’t mean that it is impossible—or that it’s not worth every moment of effort devoted to it. Pastors are busy with many other worthwhile responsibilities, and keeping up with an ancient language can often take the back burner. Even though Hebrew takes time and effort to retain, we cannot succumb to laziness while blaming our busyness. A. T. Robertson voiced this indictment regarding Greek students, but it might apply even more to Hebrew students: “The chief reason why preachers do not get and do not keep up a fair and needful knowledge of the Greek New Testament [add also the Hebrew Bible] is nothing less than carelessness, and even laziness in many cases.”15 To be fair, most pastors are not lazy, but if they lack a purposeful and strategic plan to use their Hebrew, it will certainly fall by the wayside. Hebrew is difficult, but proficiency is definitely attainable for most people if given the proper amount of time and attention.
I Can Serve the Lord without Hebrew
With over fifty English translations of the Bible and hundreds of good commentaries that rely on the original languages, is it really necessary to spend years learning the biblical languages? This is perhaps one of the most common objections offered. While this objection may initially seem to have teeth, it can easily be shown that its bark is far worse than its bite. Hafemann explains,
It is precisely because there are so many excellent commentaries available today that the use of the biblical languages in preaching becomes more important, not less. The proliferation of commentaries and resource materials simply means a proliferation of opinions about the biblical text. The same reality confronts us with the expanding number of English translations, since every translation is the embodiment of thousands and thousands of interpretive decisions; a translation is a commentary on the Bible without footnotes. What this means is that the busy pastor will be confronted with an ever expanding mountain of secondary literature on the Bible, not to mention different renderings of the Bible itself. Thus, given the many commentaries and Bible resources available today, not to use the languages in our preaching will either cost us too much time and cause frustration in the end, redefine our role as pastors altogether, or deny the very Bible we are purporting to preach.16
In other words, there is no perfect translation of the Bible, and there are no perfect commentaries. Multiple translations and commentaries may make our library look well stocked, but it does not assure that our interpretation of the Bible will be correct. Our point is not to out-translate the translations (or out-comment the commentaries) but to see for ourselves how exegetical decisions are made by others and why.
One of the first things missionaries do when entering the mission field is learn the language of the area in which they will be working. This may seem like a purely practical task, but the goal of this task is fundamental to effective communication. Missionaries could spend the rest of their ministries serving, preaching, and counseling through a translator. However, meaningful communication will only occur when they speak the language of the people they’re serving. The parishioners will be able to understand (at a heart level) what the missionary is preaching and applying from God’s word to them. Once missionaries learn the language, they will be able to hear (and perhaps feel) the pain and hurt in the inflection of the people’s voices as they express their spiritual needs. At the end of the day, learning the language is not just necessary to convey information, but it is necessary for significant communication to take place. If missionaries are willing to go through that year (perhaps years) of language school in order to genuinely communicate with their target people group, shouldn’t we be willing to work hard to understand God’s word to us in its original languages?
Another illustration is provided by Jacques B. Doukhan. He writes, “Who would question the pertinence of learning the English language in order to understand the world of Shakespeare? Or, to be more up-to-date, who would ignore the need for learning English to be able to understand and handle the current intricacies of the political and economic life in America?” He continues, “Yet, when it comes to the Bible, it seems that ignorance is allowed and even recommended.”17
It is abundantly clear that the English language possesses many helpful tools that aid one in using the original languages of the Bible. Consequently, some argue that students should not spend their time and resources learning the grammar and syntax of Hebrew. Instead, in one semester (or less) they can simply learn to use the most important tools. But according to Okode, such an approach is misguided: “It is a mistake to introduce students to [the] ‘tools-approach’ after one semester of Hebrew and/or Greek. Tools are for experts who have gone through the required training. Without adequate training tools can be dangerous.”18
To illustrate an inefficient (and dangerous) use of tools, my wife and I decided to install a large pull-up bar in our yard. We have a ceiling-mounted pull-up bar in our garage, but I am such a large man that I nearly pull the garage ceiling down with each pull. In order to install a pull-up bar in the yard large enough for me, I had to use four-by-six-inch posts that were twelve feet long. To get the uprights sturdy in the ground, I had to bury about four feet of the post. This required my wife and me to venture into our first attempt at using an auger. I was getting ready to use a tool with which I was neither familiar nor trained.
I went to a local hardware store to rent the auger, and being a man’s man, I didn’t let the workers know I was a novice. I must have worn the concern on my face, though, because they even showed me how to start the thing. It was a pull start like a lawnmower; they must have assumed I didn’t even know how to do that! (For the record, I know how to start a lawnmower.) As I was putting the auger in the truck, the store associates continued to give me pointers on how to use it, and in about thirty-five seconds I was “fully trained” on using this auger to dig four feet down in my rock-hard yard. As we began digging, the auger repeatedly locked up on hard ground or embedded rocks. It pulled my wife and me around in circles like a Disney Tilt-A-Whirl. All in all, our venture at using this new tool looked like a Tennessee hoedown while holding on to a gas engine with a massive drill bit protruding from the middle of it. We accomplished the goal, but it was inefficient. If we were honest with ourselves, we had no idea what we were doing.
This story illustrates how tools, without adequate foundational knowledge, can be dangerous. At one point in our hole-digging adventure, the auger spun around quickly after ratcheting loose from a rock and wrenched our wrists. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but using this tool without proper training was dangerous. The same is true for using tools in biblical languages without the proper training. Not only can those who are trained use the tools more efficiently, but they can use more advanced tools to accomplish more precise tasks with greater efficiency. Just because you have a tool doesn’t mean you know how to use it, nor does it mean you can use it efficiently or correctly. In fact, language professors often talk about the time when students know just enough to be dangerous in their exegesis. They usually say this about students who are taking Hebrew! How much more, then, is this true of those who neglect the study of the language for the sake of using tools?
Hebrew Is Not Practical
A final objection that we will consider is the charge that the study of Hebrew is not practical but merely consists of memorizing vocabulary, paradigms, and complex grammatical rules. Now, I have no doubt that some professors are guilty of teaching Hebrew as a dry, lifeless academic exercise. But it certainly shouldn’t be this way! Furthermore, those who teach Hebrew cannot simply assure students that somewhere down the road (in a semester or two), they will see the payoff of learning Hebrew. Indeed, it is the job of the teacher to demonstrate from the first week that Hebrew is not only immensely important but also extremely practical.
Learning Hebrew is practical for the following reasons. First, it can be the source of personal spiritual blessing. After all, the very reason for learning Hebrew is to be able to read the Old Testament in its original language. Since when is reading and studying the Bible not practical? David Mathis provides the illustration of “digging for gold” in the Scriptures versus “raking for leaves.”19 The deeper we mine into the depths of the biblical languages, the more rewarding our studies will be. Our spiritual affections will soar as we delight in God’s word in the original Hebrew. Psalm 19:7–10 says that God’s “law,” “testimony,” “precepts,” “commandments,” and “rules” are “more to be desired . . . than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.” Surely, as we devote ourselves to the study of the biblical languages, we will personally reap the rewards of this fruitful labor.
Second, the knowledge and use of Hebrew gives confidence to one who preaches or teaches the Bible. Piper argues that when “the original languages fall into disuse . . . the confidence of pastors to determine the precise meaning of biblical texts diminishes. And with the confidence to interpret rigorously goes the confidence to preach powerfully.”20 In addition, when we become less dependent on others, and consequently borrow less from the thoughts of others, our preaching will become increasingly fresh and original. Luther believed this to be true when he said, “Although faith and the gospel may indeed be proclaimed by simple preachers without a knowledge of languages, such preaching is flat and tame; people finally become weary and bored with it, and it falls to the ground. But where the preacher is versed in the languages, there is a freshness and vigor in his preaching. Scripture is treated in its entirety, and faith finds itself constantly renewed by a continual variety of words and illustrations.”21
Indeed, “Preaching without original language exegesis is like wielding a blunt sword.”22 E. Earle Ellis tells of a pastor who confided in him that he never made use of the biblical languages in his preaching. Ellis comments, “Having heard him preach, I have no doubt that he was telling the truth.”23
Third, the Hebrew language is practical in ministry because it helps those who use it to defend the truth of the gospel. To adequately and compellingly refute false teachings, one must have a knowledge of the original languages. This includes not only the ability to defend the truth against cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses but also protection against the subtler intrusions of pharisaical tradition or liberal theology. Piper explains, “Weakness in Greek and Hebrew also gives rise to exegetical imprecision and carelessness. And exegetical imprecision is the mother of liberal theology.” He elaborates, “Where pastors can no longer articulate and defend doctrine by a reasonable and careful appeal to the original meaning of biblical texts, they will tend to become close-minded traditionalists who clutch their inherited ideas, or open-ended pluralists who don’t put much stock in doctrinal formulations. In both cases the succeeding generations will be theologically impoverished and susceptible to error.”24
This Marvelous Privilege
Not everybody who desires to study Hebrew has the opportunity. My PhD supervisor reports that prison inmates have written him to ask for a copy of his introductory Hebrew grammar. They request it, and he’s glad to send it. Those who have the opportunity to study with all the tools and qualified teachers need to take their privilege seriously. I tell my students that to squander this opportunity to learn Hebrew is a display of foolishness and ingratitude. Though the illustration is not exact, I’m reminded of the prodigal son, who “squandered” his inheritance in “reckless living” (Luke 15:13 ESV). If we have been afforded such a marvelous privilege of learning Hebrew, we ought not to squander it in reckless affections or imprecise preaching that is not grounded in the text of Scripture. Like the prodigal son, let’s return to the Giver of this privilege and start studying Hebrew once again. There are many people who wish they were in such a situation to learn the biblical languages. Luther exhorts believers by stating,
Since it becomes Christians then to make good use of the Holy Scriptures as their one and only book and it is a sin and a shame not to know our own book or to understand the speech and words of our God, it is a still greater sin and loss that we do not study languages, especially in these days when God is offering and giving us men and books and every facility and inducement to this study, and desires his Bible to be an open book. O how happy the dear fathers would have been if they had had our opportunity to study the languages and come thus prepared to the Holy Scriptures! What great toil and effort it cost them to gather up a few crumbs, while we with half the labor—yes, almost without any labor at all—can acquire the whole loaf! O how their effort puts our indolence to shame! Yes, how sternly God will judge our lethargy and ingratitude!25
If Luther could make such a statement in the sixteenth century, how much more could we make it in the twenty-first century? Luther not only exhorted Christians generally to know the languages, but he put a special emphasis on those who are to be “prophets.” Luther says,
There is a vast difference therefore between a simple preacher of the faith and a person who expounds Scripture, or, as St. Paul puts it, a prophet. A simple preacher (it is true) has so many clear passages and texts available through translations that he can know and teach Christ, lead a holy life, and preach to others. But when it comes to interpreting Scripture, and working with it on your own, and disputing with those who cite it incorrectly, he is unequal to the task; that cannot be done without languages. Now there must always be such prophets in the Christian church who can dig into Scripture, expound it, and carry on disputations. A saintly life and right doctrine are not enough. Hence languages are absolutely and altogether necessary in the Christian church, as are the prophets or interpreters; although it is not necessary that every Christian or every preacher be such a prophet, as St. Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4.26
In other words, for those of us who have been given the privilege to study the original languages, there seems to be a special onus to use those languages to interpret Scripture rightly, to expound it powerfully, to dispute false claims accurately, and to feed the sheep with this gift of God’s grace.
Those who study the Bible, especially in a theological college or seminary, should make the most of the opportunity that God has given them. We must be good stewards of the gifts that God has given to us and remember that the purpose of studying the Hebrew language is to draw us closer to the one who spoke the Scriptures. Benjamin B. Warfield, in a lecture titled “The Religious Life of Theological Students,” delivered to the students of Princeton Seminary on October 4, 1911, made this impassioned plea to the students:
Are you alive to what your privileges are? Are you making full use of them? Are you, by this constant contact with divine things, growing in holiness, becoming every day more and more men [and women] of God? If not, you are hardening! And I am here today to warn you to take seriously your theological study, not merely as a duty, done for God’s sake and therefore made divine, but as a religious exercise, itself charged with religious blessing to you. . . . You will never prosper in your religious life in the Theological Seminary until your work in the Theological Seminary becomes itself to you a religious exercise out of which you draw every day enlargement of heart, elevation of spirit, and adoring delight in your Maker and your Savior.27
Chapter Reflections
- Are you convinced that a knowledge of Biblical Hebrew can provide a lifetime of fruitful study of God’s word?
- What reason do you find most compelling for learning Hebrew? What other reasons can you think of?
- What are some examples of how knowing Hebrew aids in proper interpretation of the Bible?
- Have you ever heard someone tell you that they never use their Hebrew? What strategies can you put into place so that this doesn’t happen to you?
- Do you truly believe that studying Hebrew is a privilege? Does your resolve to study Hebrew reflect that reality?
The Causal כִּי Clause in Nahum 2:2[3]
“For the LORD is restoring the majesty of Jacob just as the majesty of Israel; for those who empty (plunder) have emptied (plundered) them and their branches they have destroyed.”
כִּ֣י שָׁ֤ב יְהוָה֙ אֶת־גְּא֣וֹן יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּגְא֖וֹן יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֤י בְקָקוּם֙ בֹּֽקְקִ֔ים וּזְמֹרֵיהֶ֖ם שִׁחֵֽתוּ׃
—Nahum 2:2[3]
In the book of Nahum, the Lord delivers an oracle against the Assyrians, one of Israel’s primary enemies.28 The book is chock-full of woes and curses on Assyria because of the devastation they caused to their neighbors, including Israel. However, in Nahum 2:2[3],29 we get a כִּי clause that provides the ground or reason for why the Lord will destroy Assyria.
Two כִּי clauses occur in Nahum 2:2[3], but the first one is the one we are interested in here. In Nahum 2:1[2], the Lord tells the Assyrians that the scatterer has come against them and they should prepare for battle even though they will be utterly destroyed. The Lord has already told Israel that someone stands on the mountain who brings good news and publishes peace (Nah. 1:15[2:1]), so the message of Assyria’s devastation already implies rescue and peace for Israel. However, in Nahum 2:2[3], the Lord provides this explicit ground for why he will destroy Assyria: “For/because (כִּי) the LORD is restoring the majesty of Jacob just as the majesty of Israel” (כִּ֣י שָׁ֤ב יְהוָה֙ אֶת־גְּא֣וֹן יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּגְא֖וֹן יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל).
כִּי clauses can come in several forms. Russell Fuller and Kyoungwon Choi say that כִּי expresses result rather than purpose. They say, “The result clause, by contrast [to the purpose clause], expresses outcome, eventuality, or effect of another action or situation.”30 Indeed, the effect of God destroying Assyria is to restore the majesty of Jacob. Purpose and result clauses are therefore closely related and sometimes difficult to distinguish. Ronald Williams begins his discussion of the כִּי clauses with the causative כִּי clause.31 The causative is likely the best grammatical identifier for the clause we have in Nahum 2:2[3]. Why does the Lord warn Assyria to “man the ramparts”? “Because” he is restoring the majesty of Jacob. Gesenius says that the conditional clause with the perfect tense (שָׁב) “refers to clauses already brought fully into effect.”32 So, while most English translations communicate a progressive aspect of the verb (“is restoring”), the perfect within the causal כִּי clause indicates the surety of God’s work on behalf of his people.
In Nahum 2:2[3], we see that the Lord restores his people by destroying their enemies. Paul tells New Testament believers that our primary struggle is not against flesh and blood but “against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12 ESV). We know that our primary enemy is sin and death, but in the same way that the Lord destroyed Nineveh in order to restore the majesty of Jacob, he also will destroy our enemies of sin and death in order to restore the majesty of those who trust in Christ. Indeed, he has already conquered sin and death at the cross; therefore, we can be confident that he will gain the victory for his people when he returns again.
God’s desire is that his people would reflect his glory. For Israel, that primarily meant living as a holy nation. For New Testament believers, reflecting God’s glory also comes by living holy lives under the direction and aid of the Holy Spirit. As we walk according to the Spirit, we are made more and more Christlike and subsequently reflect more and more of the majesty of our Savior. Indeed, when the Lord conquers our enemies of sin and death, he is restoring the majesty of his people and displaying his ever-present glory through the church. We can, with confidence, ask the Lord to scatter “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places,” accessing the same vengeance with which he destroyed Assyria.
1. Melanchthon’s inaugural address on “The Reform of the Education of Youth” (1518), quoted in Hans J. Hillerbrand, ed., The Reformation: A Narrative History Related by Contemporary Observers and Participants, new ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987), 59–60.
2. John Owen, “The Hebrew and Greek Text of the Scripture,” in The Works of John Owen, ed. William H. Goold, (1678; repr., Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1968), 16:357.
3. Bruce K. Waltke, “How I Changed My Mind about Teaching Hebrew (or Retained It),” Crux 29, no. 4 (1993): 10–11.
4. Martin Luther, “To the Councilmen of All Cities in Germany That They Establish and Maintain Christian Schools,” in The Christian in Society II, ed. Walther I. Brandt, trans. Albert T. W. Steinhaeuser and Walther I. Brandt, Luther’s Works 45 (Philadelphia: Muhlenberg, 1962), 360.
5. Luther, “To the Councilmen,” 360.
6. Jason S. DeRouchie, “The Profit of Employing the Biblical Languages: Scriptural and Historical Reflections,” Themelios 37, no. 1 (2012): 36.
7. John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry, updated and expanded ed. (Nashville: B&H, 2013), 100.
8. Scott Hafemann, as part of “The SBJT Forum: Profiles in Expository Preaching,” SBJT 3, no. 2 (1999): 87–88.
9. A. T. Robertson, The Minister and His Greek New Testament (1923; repr., Birmingham, AL: Solid Ground Christian Books, 2008), 81.
10. Address before the Baptist Theological College at Glasgow, reported in The British Weekly, April 26, 1906, quoted in A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (Nashville: Broadman, 1934), x. Also cited in Robertson, Minister and His Greek New Testament, 81.
11. David Tene, “Hebrew Linguistic Literature,” in Encyclopedia Judaica, ed. Fred Skolnik and Michael Berenbaum (Jerusalem: Keter, 1971), 1360–61.
12. S. Craig Sanders, “A. T. Robertson and His ‘Monumental Achievement,’” Baptist Press, September 22, 2014, http://www.bpnews.net/43400/at-robertson-and-his-monumental-achievement.
13. Hafemann, “Profiles in Expository Preaching,” 88.
14. Enoch Okode, “A Case for Biblical Languages: Are Hebrew and Greek Optional or Indispensable?,” African Journal of Theology 29, no. 2 (2010): 92.
15. Robertson, Minister and His Greek New Testament, 16.
16. Hafemann, “Profiles in Expository Preaching,” 86–87.
17. Jacques B. Doukhan, Hebrew for Theologians: A Textbook for the Study of Biblical Hebrew in Relation to Hebrew Thinking (New York: University Press of America, 1993), ix–x.
18. Okode, “Case for Biblical Languages,” 93.
19. David Mathis, “More Than Just Raking,” Desiring God, November 25, 2013, https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/more-than-just-raking.
20. Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, 99.
21. Luther, “To the Councilmen,” 365.
22. DeRouchie, “Profit of Employing the Biblical Languages,” 49.
23. E. Earle Ellis, “Language Skills and Christian Ministry,” Reformed Review 24, no. 3 (1971): 163.
24. Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, 100.
25. Luther, “To the Councilmen,” 364.
26. Luther, “To the Councilmen,” 363.
27. Benjamin B. Warfield, The Religious Life of Theological Students (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 1992), 7.
28. This devotional originally appeared at https://adamjhowell.wordpress.com on October 25, 2016.
29. The verse nomenclature here indicates that the versification in Hebrew differs from the versification in English. In English Bibles, this is Nah. 2:2, but in the Hebrew Bible, this is Nah. 2:3. The bracketed number indicates the Hebrew verse number.
30. Russell Fuller and Kyoungwon Choi, Invitation to Biblical Hebrew Syntax: An Intermediate Grammar (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2017), §51.
31. Ronald J. Williams, Williams’ Hebrew Syntax, 3rd ed., rev. and exp. John C. Beckman (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007), §444. See also GKC §158b and Joüon §170d–da.
32. GKC §158d.