How to Look Up Bible Passages in the Original Language
Studying the Bible can be fascinating, allowing you to explore great depths and reach awe-inspiring spiritual heights. Whether studying the Tanakh, which are Jewish Scriptures, or the New Testament, a combination of Jewish and Christian Scriptures, a proper understanding of the original language helps. Most of the Tanakh was originally written in Hebrew with brief sections in Aramaic, and the New Testament was in Greek. Jewish scholars translated the Tanakh into Greek during the second and third centuries. This manuscript is known by the Greek word "Septuagint," which means "translation of the seventy interpreters."
Things You'll Need
Authoritative Biblical source in your spoken language
Biblical index or concordance (optional)
Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek dictionary
Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek transliteration
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Instructions
1
The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures.
Locate a copy of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. The Jewish Scriptures are known as the Tanakh, Torah, Jewish Scriptures or Old Testament. The Christian Scriptures are known as the New Testament. They are available in libraries and online.
2
Different versions may have different translations.
Examine each passage in a variety of sources. Some editions, such as the King James Bible, contain translations that differ slightly from other editions.
3
Proper understanding of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures involves study.
Look up mysterious words or unusual grammatical word forms in a Hebrew, Aramaic and/or Greek dictionary. Refer to a concordance to find other uses of a word or form in other verses in order to achieve a better contextual understanding of its meaning.
4
Hebrew and Greek pronunciations vary.
Find a transliterated copy of a verse in order to pronounce it in Hebrew, Aramaic and/or Greek. Hebrew and Greek words have a variety of pronunciations, as do words in most languages.