The wonder of speech and hearing
The mysterious chain of thought, brain, and speech gives soundwaves on eardrums
the power of words.
Words are combinations of alphabetical sounds, like S-T-OP. Thoughts can be conveyed between people with spoken or written words, as well as with signs, gestures, and other forms of body language.
God and people communicate with words. God speaks through Holy Books and officials, and people respond with prayer and song.
The most common words name things (nouns) or actions (verbs). Adjectives qualify nouns and adverbs qualify verbs.
Persons can be identified as first-, second- or third-person singular (I, you, he, she, it) or plural (we, you, they). These basic word forms can be enhanced with words of place or direction (from, to, front, back, in, out).
When a group of people uses the same system of oral sounds, it is their language. Humanity had only one language before the Tower of Babel. To thwart their unified rebellion against God, he made them speak in different languages, causing them to disperse.
God is merciful in his discipline: the variety of tongues gave rise to a variety of cultures. Although many people today can understand either English, Spanish, French or Chinese, we still need interpreters at courts, international meetings, and missionary work. The reality of Babel is still with us.
Animals use calls and gestures to convey friendly or hostile messages. Vervet monkeys use about 20 different calls to warn against various dangers or to inform one another. Differentiated animal calls are a primitive language, but even the most intelligent animals (like primates, dolphins and elephants) can’t speak like humans. Balaam’s speaking donkey (Num. 22:28) was a profound once-only miracle.
God revealed his thoughts to humanity in speech, writing, visions and worship forms, such as the Tabernacle, sacrifices, feasts and sacraments. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew (except for the Aramaic parts of Ezra and Daniel) and the New Testament in everyday Greek. The Bible includes genres such as history, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, biography, epistles and revelation.
The Hebrew Bible was originally written for Israel, and the Greek New Testament for all in the Roman Empire, which used Greek as a general language. A current example of this practice is found in North America where subgroups speak different languages, while using English for general contact between groups.
The few Aramaic parts in the Hebrew Bible do not imply that Jews used Aramaic as first language in or after the exile. The eight prophets ministering in that era wrote in Hebrew. Likewise, the few Aramaic words in the gospel of Mark does not prove most Jews spoke Aramaic in the first century. The New Testament refers 11 times to Hebrew, never to Aramaic.
Jacob Van Zyl of Lethbridge is a retired counsellor and the author of several faith-based books.