Hebrew Discussion
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Liberty University *
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505
Subject
Religion
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
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Uploaded by CountAnteaterPerson668
Hebrew is the language through which God chose to reveal himself and to create his people.
Chet Roden’s statement about Hebrew being God’s chosen language to communicate with
humans is thought-provoking. The fact that God does nothing by happenstance causes one to
consider the significance and sacredness of the Hebrew language. For example, are Hebrew
speakers God’s chosen people today? Must believers speak Hebrew? Interestingly, the Hebrew
language is a revived spoken language, while various attempts to revive other languages failed.
In his affirmation of Hebrew as a sacred language, Rabbi Pini Dunner notes, “Hebrew stands out
as the unique exception, spoken today as a first language by millions, and constantly evolving as
a vibrant and exciting vernacular that pulsates with vitality and depth.”
1
Such a disposition is
extreme, as the language likely developed before God’s communication with Israel, e.g., writing
on the tablets with His fingers (cf. Ex.31:18). Furthermore, several languages evolved to create
an acrophonic alphabet which enabled the development of the Hebrew language. Chet Roden
explains, “The acrophonic principle was the driving force behind the development of the Sinaitic
and Northwest Semitic alphabets.”
2
The Israelites would later use a form of such alphabets to
develop the Hebrew language.
It is paramount to acknowledge and see the significance of what God does and whom He uses.
Such an understanding is motivation to learn and investigate Hebrew because God used that
specific language to “reveal Himself and to create His people. Roden adds, “Surely if God
thought it important enough to use Hebrew as the writing medium for his self-revelation to
humanity, it should be important enough for us to learn.”
3
The significance of learning the
language God used to communicate with Israel is delving deeper into a dialogue and culture
between the Creator and His creation, gaining more insight and hopefully drawing closer to
Yahweh. However, to assert Hebrew as a sacred or spiritual language has no validity. Just as the
Incarnate Word did not make all flesh holy, Yahweh’s utilization of Hebrew does not make the
language holy.
____________________
1
Pini Dunner, Hebrew is a Sacred Language.
2
Chet Roden,
Elementary Biblical Hebrew: An Introduction to the Language and its
History
(Solana Beach, CA: Cognella Publishing, 2017), 5.
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