The Transliteration that Restores the Original Messages of Jesus

Have you learned how to transliterate Greek and Hebrew words yet? If you haven’t you should, because it will elevate your Bible study skills tremendously – and learning how is FREE! Just click on the links below and you will soon be working with Greek and Hebrew:

(1) How to Transliterate Hebrew Words: Part 1

(2) How to Transliterate Hebrew Words: Part 2

(3) How to Transliterate Greek Words

We used a very interesting word as an example in the above lessons. It is a Hebrew word that was transliterated into Greek and is often transliterated into English – AMEN (click here to see example). In this blog we are going to focus on the word “AMEN” in the Greek text of the New Testament:

Before we turn to the Greek text, we need to discuss chapter and verse markers in the Bible. They are not found in the ancient Greek manuscripts. Classically, scrolls of the books of the bible have always been divided by blank spaces at the end (petuhoth) or middle (setumoth) of the lines. Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury between 1207 and 1228, is credited with being the one who divided the Bible into the chapters that remains in use today.[i]

Robert Estienne created a verse numbering system in his 1551 edition of the Greek New Testament which was also used in his 1553 publication of the Bible in French. Estienne's system was widely adopted, and his system is found in almost all modern Bibles.[ii] Estienne was a 16th-century printer and classical scholar in Paris. He was a former Catholic who became a Protestant late in his life and the first to print the Bible divided into standard numbered verses.

Chapter and verse markers act like traffic signs. Chapter markers are like “STOP” signs. Many people base their Bible reading schedule on chapters and stop when they come to the end of a chapter. or multiple chapters of their Bible every day.

STOP: CHAPTER BREAK

Verse markers, on the other hand, are more like “SLOW” signs. Readers slow down, but usually coast on by until they encounter the next “STOP” sign. 

SLOW DOWN: NEW VERSE AHEAD

The more you study the biblical text using the BHC linguistic skills, the clearer it becomes that many chapter and verse breaks were inserted in the wrong places. When that happens the context may be adversely affected or destroyed. It is very important to learn to learn how to ignore the chapter and verse markers and define the context by following the flow of what is written.

One of the obvious examples of verse markers being in the wrong place can be seen in contexts where the Greek word “AMEN” appears in the Gospels. However, finding the translation of “AMEN” isn’t always easy. Which word is the translation of “AMEN” in the King James Version of Matthew 5:18:

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

(In The Real Yeshua Blog I explained the meanings of jot and tittle.)  In order to find “AMEN” we are going to learn how to use another very important and valuable Bible study tool – the interlinear Bible. It has the Greek or Hebrew text with an English translation below each word. The interlinear Bible is available online for FREE. Click Here to go a interlinear text of Matthew 5 and then scroll down to verse 18 and find the Greek word “AMEN.”

Did you find it? “AMEN” is the first word in the verse and below it is the English translation “truly.” The King James translators translated it “verily.” Now, instead of using one of the above translations, let’s transliterate  it.

Amen! For I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Keep in mind that Jesus was teaching in Hebrew, not Greek or English. Remember, “AMEN” is also the transliteration of the Hebrew word, which means “so be it.” “AMEN” usually comes at the end of something and is used to highlight or stress something.  But, in this verse “AMEN” is the first word in the sentence. Why? It is first because Robert Estienne inserted a verse marker right in the middle of a point Jesus was making.  As a result, the word he used to stress the point he was making was severed from the statement. Now look what happens when we reconnect the two parts and recreate the original context by combining verses 17 & 18:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Amen! For I say unto you, until heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

There are four words that have cultural meanings that differ from the normal definitions you will find in an English dictionary. (Click Here to see my blog which will provide more information about those words.) Below is a reconstruction that reflects more accurately the cultural meaning of what Jesus really said:

Think not that I am come to misinterpret the Torah or the Prophets (two sections of the Hebrew Scriptures).   I have not come to misinterpret, but to correctly interpret them. Amen! For I say unto you, until heaven and earth pass, neither the smallest Hebrew letter YOD nor one of the even smaller decorative marks on the Hebrew letters shall in no way be removed from the Torah until all is correctly interpreted.

Knowing that the Greek word “AMEN” is in the verse and that it usually appears after a significant statement or point is made allows you to reconnect the parts and reconstruct the words of Jesus. You will be able to see what he wanted to emphasize. (Keep in mind that when you need to use a Greek or Hebrew interlinear Bible, CLICK HERE to go to the Biblical Heritage Bible Study Tools Page and you will find the link to interlinear Bibles, different versions of the Bible, dictionaries, encyclopedias and much more.)

Now it’s your turn. Below is a list of some other verses in the King James Version in which the Greek word “AMEN” was translated “verily.” You will find an online version of the King James Bible on our Bible Study Tools Page too. You can use it and your word processor to copy and paste verses in documents, so you can start working on your own translation of the Bible. Be sure to set up a folder and save all of your work. As you look at each appearance of “AMEN” in the verses below do the following:

(1) Replace the translation “verily” with “Amen!”

(2) See if a verse or chapter marker was inserted in the wrong place.

(3) Reconstruct the context by reconnecting the parts  & see what Jesus wanted to stress.

I think you will be amazed by how much power is added to the teachings of Jesus by simply doing this exercise. Have fun as you reconstruct the original contexts of the following verses:

(1) Matthew 5:26

(2) Matthew 6:2

(3) Matthew 6:5

(4) Matthew 6:16

(5) Matthew 10:15

What do you think? Does this help you better understand the words of Jesus? Please let us know you like this blog by going to our Facebook page by clicking here and – “Like” it & “Sharing” it with others.  Post your comments about this exercise or whether this helps you or not on our Facebook page too. Just hearing from you lets us know you care about what we are doing to try and help people increase their Bible study skills.

We would appreciate your help in funding our work, which is completely funded by the gifts of individuals. For information about how to make donations click here.  Your gifts are greatly appreciated – especially during this holiday season.

Shalom & Be Empowered!

---

[i] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Langton#Chapters_of_the_Bible

[ii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapters_and_verses_of_the_Bible

Looking at Christianity From the Other End of the Timeline

When we look back down the timeline of Christianity to the period in which Jesus lived, an inch on the timeline can cover centuries.  The importance of many of the events that took place during that inch are unknown today, along with the people that lived in that inch. This is a reality that every genealogist comes to understand very quickly. We also learn another very important truth – every one of the people in my line of ancestors had to live for me to exist. It took them all to create my DNA.

But, there is more to each of us than a collection of genes that made their way across time to become our part of our DNA – our beliefs were also making their way across time to become part of our Belief Systems.  Genes and beliefs both affect how we understand, view and understand our world and the things that happen in it. Until we learn about the journeys of our genes and beliefs, we live our lives completely unaware of their origins and roles. Read the complete blog at -- http://fromonejesus.blogspot.com/2013/11/looking-at-christianity-from-other-end.html

Part 2: How To Transliterate Hebrew Words

In the first part of this series – Howto Transliterate Hebrew Words – we learned how to use the BHC Hebrew-English Transliterator. If you haven’t done this lesson yet, please do it first before you continue. You will also need your BHC Hebrew-English Transliterator for this lesson, so download and print one by clicking here.

The purpose of this lesson is to make you more familiar with specific Hebrew letters. You have probably noticed that some of them look very similar and that there are cases where two Hebrew letters are transliterated by the same English letters.

The little dots are very important in Hebrew. The only difference between #2 and #3 is the dot, but it is what makes #2 a “B” and #3 a “V.” 

Look at the upper left side of #6 and #9 and you will see that #6 has a “gap” and #9 does not. #6 is transliterated as “H” and #9 is “C.”

The Hebrew letter “Kaf” is found in three forms -- #12, #13 & #14. #12 has a dot that makes it “K.” #13 has no dot and it is pronounced as a hard Kaf which is transliterated as “Kh.” Hebrew has five consonants that change shape if the letter is the final letter in a word, which is called “sofit” (so-feet).  #14 is the first of those five final forms of a letter. #12 and #14 are the same letter, except #14 is the final letter of a word.

#16 (Mem) is the second letter with a “sofit” #17. Both are transliterated “M.”

#18 (Nun) is the third letter with a “sofit” #19. Both are transliterated “N.”

#22 (Pey) is the fourth letter with a “sofit” #24. Notice that #22 has a dot and #23 does not have a dot. #23 is a “Fey” and transliterated “F.” The sofit #24 is also transliterated “F.”

#25 (Tzade) is the fifth letter with a “sofit” #26. Both are transliterated “Tz.”

Find the dot above these letters. #29 has the dot on the left side and is called Sin (pronounced “seen”). It is transliterated “S.” #30 has the dot on the right side and is called Shin (pronounced “sheen”). It is transliterated “Sh.”

#7 (Vav) is a very interesting letter.  Anytime you see it, stop and see if there is a dot above on in it. #7 is transliterated “V.” #41 has a dot above it and is transliterated “O,” while #45 has a dot in it and is transliterated “U.”

Now it’s time to take your knowledge of the Hebrew language to the next level by learning the Hebrew Alphabet Song. Use the BHC Hebrew-English Transliterator as your songbook. You will notice a couple of things on the video that are different from the Transliterator. First, the names used on the video are phonetic instead of literal transliterations. Second, the order of letters #29 and #30 are reversed. So in the song you will sing #30 and then #29. Click Here to sing the Hebrew Alphabet Song.

Nothing makes learning about a new language more fun than doing it with a friend. Find a “Hebrew language buddy” for your new adventure.

Use your new skills to view words of the Hebrew Bible. Below you will find a link to a Hebrew-English Version Online of the Bible, which you can use for FREE. You can view it online or download sections in a pdf file. If you look at it online you will probably need to use the “Zoom” on your browser to see the Hebrew letters better. Practice transliterating a few words. If you have a question about a transliteration email me at jim@biblicalheritage.org . Click here to go to the Hebrew-English Online Version of the Bible.

We will examine some more letters in the lesson 3.

If you like BHC Bible Studies – please let us know! Go to our Facebook page by clicking here and – “Like” it & “Share” it with others.  Leave a comment of our Facebook page too & let us know if you are learning how to transliterate. Just hearing from you lets us know someone cares about what we are doing.

Our work is completely funded by donations from individuals who want to help us share this information with others and continue to add new information too. If you would like to help, make a donation of any size by clicking here.  Your help is greatly appreciated.

Shalom & Be Empowered!

How to Transliterate Greek Words

Learning how to work with transliterations of Greek and Hebrew words will elevate your level of Bible study skills tremendously. In our November 8, 2013 Bible Study Blog we have learned how to use the first BHC Bible Study Tool -- the BHC Hebrew Transliterator. If you haven’t completed that lesson, we recommend that you do it first and then return.

In this blog, we will learn how to us the second BHC Bible Study Tool – the BHC Greek Transliterator -- click here to download / print.   Print the BHC Greek Translator so you can use it for this exercise.

Your BHC Greek Transliterator is divided into two sections of columns:

Section 1 – Columns A, B, C & D

Section 2 – Columns E, F, G & H

Now let’s learn about the Columns:

1. Columns A & H contain the lower case Greek letters.
2. Columns B & G contain the English letters that are the equivalent of the Greek letters.

3. Columns C & F contain the upper case Greek letters.

4. Columns D & E contain the names of the Greek letters.

Information about the first letter of the Greek alphabet is found in Columns A-D on Row 1.

1. The first letter is found in Column A on Row 1. It is the lower case letter.

2. The second letter is found in Column C on Row 1. It is the upper case letter.

3. The English equivalent of the Greek letter is found in Column B on Row 1 – “A.”

4. The name of this Greek letter is found in Column D on Row 1 – “Alpha.”

Now let’s transliterate a Greek word into English.

Greek, like English, is read from left to right   →     →    → .

Use your BHC Greek-English Transliterator as you look at the example below.

Follow the sequence below. The number of the letter or symbol is indicated by “#.”

(1) #1 3C

#1 = the first letter or symbol

3C = the Row & Column of the letter – upper case Beta

Column B indicates that the English transliteration of Beta is “B.”

(2) #2 11A

#2 = the second letter or symbol

11A = the Row & Column of the letter – lower case Iota

Column B indicates that the English transliteration of Iota is “i.”

(3) #3 13H

#3 = the third letter or symbol

11H = the Row & Column of the letter or symbol – smooth breathing mark

Column G indicates that there is no English transliteration.

(4) #4 3A

#4 = the fourth letter or symbol

3A = the Row & Column of the letter or symbol – lower case Beta

Column B indicates that the English transliteration is “b.”

(5) #5 13A

#5 = the fifth letter or symbol

13A = the Row & Column of the letter or symbol – lower case Lambda

Column B indicates that the English transliteration is “l.”

(6) #6 17A

#6 = the sixth letter or symbol

13A = the Row & Column of the letter or symbol – lower case Omicron

Column B indicates that the English transliteration is “o.”

(7) #7 3H

#7 = the seventh letter or symbol

3H = the Row & Column of the letter or symbol – lower case Sigma

Column G indicates that the English transliteration is “s.”

Let’s put all of the letters together and create the English transliteration of the Greek word –

B+i+b+l+o+s = Biblos

Translators drop the Greek case ending “-os” and replace it with an “e” to create the very familiar word “Bible.” Our word Bible is a transliteration – not the translation – of a Greek word.

OK, now it’s your turn to transliterate the word below:

Check your answer by clicking here.

If you would like to practice your transliterating skills click here to go to Matthew 1 in the Greek Bible. It is a genealogy, and since names are usually transliterations, they are easy to check.

If you like BHC Bible Studies – please let us know! Go to our Facebook page by clicking here and – “Like” it & “Share” them with others.

This study was made possible by the donations of individuals who want to help us share our information with as many as possible – without charging them before they read it. If you would like to join this “gathering of people” who make it possible to provide these studies for others & themselves -- donations may be made by clicking here.  

Shalom & Be Empowered!

How to Transliterate Hebrew Words

Learning how to work with transliterations of Greek and Hebrew words will elevate your level of Bible study skills tremendously. We have created a number of Bible Study Tools to help you and the first tool we will use is the Hebrew Transliterator -- click here to download / print.   Print the Hebrew Translator so you can use it for this exercise.

The transliterator is divided into columns and rows.
    Columns A, E & I show the number of the Hebrew letter or symbol.
    Columns B, F & J show the Hebrew consonants, vowels & other symbols.
    Columns C, G & K show the equivalent English letters for the corresponding Hebrew letters.
    Columns D & H show the names of the Hebrew letter and the lexicon page numbers.
    Column K also shows the names of the Hebrew vowels.

Now let's transliterate the following Hebrew word:

The graphic below will show you the sequence in which we read the Hebrew letters and vowels. The first thing to know is that Hebrew is read from right to left, instead of left to right like English. 

The first letter is located on the right side where you will find a hand followed by "#1 B-1." This will help you find the letter on the transliterator. "#1 B-1" is explained below:

    #1 is the number of the letter in the word.
    B is the column in which the Hebrew letter is located.
    1 is the number of this letter and is found in column A.
    The letter is an "Aleph" (see D-1).
    It is a silent letter and has no English equivalent, so we use "/" to indicate that we transliterated it.

We now go the symbol located below the letter -- "#2 J-34."
    #2 indicates it is the second letter.
    J is the column in which it is located.
    34 is the number of the letter.
    Its English equivalent is "A."

To this point, our transliteration is "/A."

Find "#3 B-5".
    #3 indicates it is the third letter.
    B is the column in which the Hebrew letter is located.
    5 is the number of the letter.
    Its English equivalent is "D."

Our transliteration now is "/AD."

We now go the symbol located below the letter -- "#4 J-34."
    #4 indicates it is the second letter.
    J is the column in which it is located.
    34 is the number of the letter.
    Its English equivalent is "A."

Our transliteration now is "/ADA."

The last letter "#5 F-17."

    #5 indicates it is the second letter.
    F is the column in which it is located.
    17 is the number of the letter.
    Its English equivalent is "M."

Our transliteration now is "/ADAM." This is the Hebrew transliterated "Adam" in the Bible. However, when it isn't the name of a man, it is translated as either "man" or "mankind," depending in its context.

Now I have one for you to transliterate:

For the answer CLICK HERE.

Congratulations!