--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: what of the Old Testament? This was…" description: "\"“what of the Old Testament? This was written in Hebrew except for portions of the Book of Daniel and the Book of Ezra which were written in Aramaic. He..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/chaim-bentorah-22387_bible_what-of-the-old-testament-this-was-writt_3146996.jpg" --- # what of the Old Testament? This was written in Hebrew… ![“what of the Old Testament? This was written in Hebrew except for portions of the Book of Daniel and the Book of Ezra which were written in Aramaic. Hebrew, by the mere fact that it is a dead language, leaves us open to much debate as to proper modern English word to apply to an ancient word that…” quote by Chaim Bentorah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/chaim-bentorah-22387_bible_what-of-the-old-testament-this-was-writt_3146996.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/chaim-bentorah-22387_bible_what-of-the-old-testament-this-was-writt_3146996.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/chaim-bentorah-22387_bible_what-of-the-old-testament-this-was-writt_3146996.jpg) > ““what of the Old Testament? This was written in Hebrew except for portions of the Book of Daniel and the Book of Ezra which were written in Aramaic. Hebrew, by the mere fact that it is a dead language, leaves us open to much debate as to proper modern English word to apply to an ancient word that has been dead for twenty five hundred years. When it comes to dealing with a dead language we are at the mercy of our linguist and various other scholars to guide us into tracing the origins and roots of an ancient dead language. A translator must not ignore the science of linguistics when translating the Word of God. Yet, any schooled linguist will tell you that the translations you finally arrive at are still just man’s best guess. The proof of this lies in the numerous modern English translations of the Bible that we have today. They are all good, even excellent and well documented translations, translated by skilled translators and yet they all have subtle differences because their final translations are still man’s best guess.”” [Chaim Bentorah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-bentorah/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Translating ancient texts requires linguistic expertise, yet all versions remain educated guesses due to language death and scholarly interpretation. **In simple terms:** Bible translation is scholarly but never perfect. Key Takeaway Respect linguistic science, accept translation limits. Themes translation linguistics faith interpretation Mood thoughtful analytical Type explanatory reflective When to use this quote - Bible study - sermons - academic research - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts semantic analysis historical linguistics theology Questions to Reflect On - How do we choose a translation for doctrine? - Can we ever fully capture original meaning? A Different Perspective Human bias and doctrinal differences can skew translations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Modern english](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-english/) [Old testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-testament/) ## Related quotes > [“Extra-canonical literature ... written in Aramaic have survived in another language, or in an Aramaic which is considerably removed from the original ... the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/extra-canonical-literature-written-in-aramaic-have-survived-in/) [James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/) > [Dharma is an ancient word for truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/dharma-is-an-ancient-word-for-truth/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“There was an ancient word, originating in one of the lost languages of Pre-Atomic Terra—sixtifor. 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Vernon McGee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-vernon-mcgee/) > [In many ways we've become the Babylon of the modern era. We learned our lessons at the feet of Nebuchadnezzar himself. It's little wonder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-s-hawkins/in-many-ways-we-ve-become-the-babylon-of-the-modern-era-we-learned/) [O. S. Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/o-s-hawkins/) > [“The extent and character of the continuity and the differences between prophecy and apocalyptic are highly debatable. But the distinction means that the relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bauckham/the-extent-and-character-of-the-continuity-and-the-differences/) [Richard Bauckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bauckham/) > [A dead language is not only one no longer spoken or written, it is unyielding language content to admire its own paralysis. 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We may desire to give Him our whole hearts, but the amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-bentorah/amount-of-our-hearts-that-we-do-not-give-to-him-we-may-desire-to-give/) [Chaim Bentorah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-bentorah/) > [“knowledge of God. A wise-hearted person is someone who knows the heart of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-bentorah/knowledge-of-god-a-wise-hearted-person-is-someone-who-knows-the-heart/) [Chaim Bentorah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-bentorah/) > [“Preface WITH THE ADVENT OF multiple modern English translations of the Bible being published over the last fifty years, Christians have come to realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-bentorah/preface-with-the-advent-of-multiple-modern-english-translations-of/) [Chaim Bentorah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-bentorah/) > [“would be allowed to work on the temple. That makes sense; you certainly do not want people with their own ideas as to how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-bentorah/would-be-allowed-to-work-on-the-temple-that-makes-sense-you-certainly/) [Chaim Bentorah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-bentorah/) > [“or he will become frustrated because he cannot provide this special intimacy with her. Only God can fill this gap in the relationship. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-bentorah/or-he-will-become-frustrated-because-he-cannot-provide-this-special/) [Chaim Bentorah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-bentorah/) > [“has a numerical value of 702 and means to bond. This time of resting is meant to bond with God. You don’t bond with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-bentorah/has-a-numerical-value-of-702-and-means-to-bond-this-time-of-resting/) [Chaim Bentorah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-bentorah/) > [“Chet, Samek and Daleth”. It means lovingkindness and mercy. 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A translator must not ignore the science of linguistics when translating the Word of God. Yet, any schooled linguist will tell you that the translations you finally arrive at are still just man’s best guess. The proof of this lies in the numerous modern English translations of the Bible that we have today. 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