ARAMAICJesus spoke the ARAMAIC LANGUAGE. Aramaic is a development of HEBREW, the language in which the Old Testament was written. Language and thought are very much related to each other. We cannot think without expressing our thoughts in some words. The language we speak has an influence on our thought as well as on the expression of it. Of course, thoughts can be translated from one language into another. Yet, if we want to understand a person very well, it is often a help to go back to the original words which he spoke in his own language. In the same way it is useful for us to know something of the language which Jesus spoke. Aramaic, Hebrew, Arabic and Syriac belong to the group of Semitic languages. These languages have one outstanding characteristic: (practically) all their words are built on roots of three characters (consonants)". The same roots can acquire new meanings by the addition of vowels inside the roots or by the addition of other consonants. Let us take one example from Aramaic: S- B- Q-"to leave". With these three consonants of the root many derived words can be obtained by the addition of vowels or other consonants:
In the conjugation of the verb (which has only two tenses: perfect and imperfect) the pronouns (of the subject and of the object) are added on:
In this way almost a complete sentence can be expressed in one word. Many subtle differences in meaning can be implied by the variations of form. Aramaic ( like the other semitic languages ) possesses a terse way of speaking that is difficult to translate into other languages. It also abounds in rich melodious sounds so rhat rhyme and alliteration come without any effort. Compare Our Lord's cry on the cross: "EL-I, EL-I, LA-MAH SeBaQTHaNI" (Mt 27:46God mine, God mine, to what (why) have left you me? Matthew gives the translation immediately afterwards: "My God My God, why have you forsaken Me?" Jesus quotes in this verse from Psalm 22:1 (in the Vulgate 21:1), but we should note that He does not quote it in the Hebrew which says: "Eli Eli lamah azabthani". In other words Jesus prayed the psalm as it came spontaneously to His mind: in His own language. Forms of SpeechPARALLEL STATEMENTS A feature of the Semitic languages is that one tends to express a thought twice in slightly different forms. This parallelism is also frequent in Our Lord's words. Usually parallelism expresses 'completeness'. —"Give to him who begs from you do not refuse him who wants
to borrow from you (Mt 5:42) In such cases we should not look for a different meaning in each half of the parallelism. Both express really one truth. The repetition in the parallelism has the function of embellishing the statement (making it more beautiful), of clarifying the statement (rendering its meaning clear) and of imprinting it better on the hearers' memory. NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE In one form of parallelism the same truth is first put in the positive and then in the negative form. To the Semitic mind this expresses that one want to exclude all other possibilities. Suppose that one wants to announce: "Only adults may see this film."In a Semitic language this could be expressed in this way: "Adults may see the film; non-adults may not see the picture. Our Lord employs this form of speaking quite often.
There are also example in which this principle of exclusion has been applied in a more extensive way. In the parable of the Last Judgement (Mt 25:31-46), Jesus first praises the blessed 'for all that you have done to the least of Mine you have done to Me' (the POSITIVE STATEMENT); then He curses the wicked 'for what you have not done for the least of Mine, you have not done for Me' (the NEGATIVE STATEMENT). The parable thus expresses that all men without exception will be judged regarding their fraternal charity. To all of them the same norm will be applied. INCLUSION or RING CONSTRUCTION The Jews also had the custom of beginning and ending a passage with the same thought. It was a natural way of bringing out the unity of idea in their statement. This form of speech has received the official name 'inclusion', since one particular thought or statement, as it were, 'includes', grasps, embraces, the intermediate phrases. It is also known as 'ring construction'. We find numerous examples in the Gospels. 'You will know them (false prophets) by the way they act.
"So then, you will know the false prophets by the way they act". (Mt 7: 16-20) The sentence "you will know them, etc" 'includes' the whole passage! Notice that this sentence is also the most important one it accurately summarizes what Christ wants to say by the other. examples. Other instances of such 'including phrases':
THE HEBREW GENITIVE On the whole not many adjectives are used in Semitic languages. This gives rise to some very peculiar constructions in which a noun is made to substitute an adjective. Instead of speaking of a "fat pig", one would say "a pig of fatness'; a "beautiful ring" became a "ring of beauty"; a "courageous hero" was called a "hero of courage". In this construction we should particularly notice that it is the second noun which substitutes the adjective. "the God of Mercy" means "the merciful God" In good translations this noun construction, commonly known as the 'Hebrew Genitive', is simply translated by the appropriate adjective. However we will meet cases where the noun construction has not been properly translated, and it will be useful, therefore, to consider some example from the Gospels:
THE HEBREW SUPERLATIVE The Semitic languages also did not possess a special form of the superlative or the comparative (except for Arabic). The superlative and comparative degrees have therefore to be expressed in some other ways. At times we simply find (a) a positive statement which is meant to be superlative
(b) A comparison between two things is at times simply expressed by affirming the one and denying the other
Notice in these examples that the denial is only partial. Mt 9: 13 does not say that God does not want sacrifice! It only says that God (who wants sacrifice) prefers mercy to it (thinks mercy more important ) . These Hebrew constructions may sometimes be really badly understood by people! (c) A typical case of substitution for the lack of a comparative form may also be seen in the word " to hate'' This word often means: "to love less than":
Jesus does not demand that we hate our parents ( just imagine! ), but that we love them less than God. In this way we also have to understand the phrase:
Actually, the Old Testament did not command the Jews to hate their enemies, but it allowed them to love their friends more. In the New Testament this is no longer allowed, as Jesus teaches: we have to love our enemies just as much! HYPERBOLE or EXAGGERATION Quite a few statements of the Jews are phrased in such strong terms that they cannot be taken literally. We call these statements 'hyperboles' or exaggerations. In each language we meet this form of speech. Don't we say: 'It rains cats and dogs' and 'So-and-so is snowed under with work'? But for the Jews it was not a matter of repeating fixed expressions: they would employ hyperboles whenever the occasion offered itself even in new situations. Jesus also used this form of speech. (a) "How dare you say to your brother, 'Please, let me take that speck out of your eye', when you have a log in your own eye?" Mt 7:4. "It is much harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle!" Mk 10:25. "You strain a fly out of your drink, but swallow a camel!" Mt 23:24. (b) Such expressions are, obviousIy, not to be taken literally. They are very strong statements that intend to bring the truth home in a way that we will never forget. The same applies to Jesus' advice in lines such as these:
(c) In some theological utterances of Our Lord we have to rernember this 'hyperbolic' way of speaking. Otherwise we might seriously misunderstand the meaning of His words.
(d) If we realise this 'hyperbolic' aspect of Jewish speaking, we will be able to solve some apparent contradictions.
Seen out of context, this would seem a contradiction. But, A is spoken when Jesus is accused of being helped by the devils. He replies that only those who actually support Him by constructive action can be reckoned to be His helpers. B is spoken in the context of the man who drives out devils in Jesus' Name. Jesus says that such a person should not be reckoned an enemy. There is no contradiction, therefore, but in both cases Jesus expresses one aspect of the same truth very strongly: (A) Only really constructive support makes us helpers of Jesus; (B) yet we should allow for certain people who support Him at least to some extent. Idiomatic ExpressionsADULTEROUS GENERATION................................................. Mt 12 :39; 16:4; Mk 8:38 Generation stands for the average period between a man becoming an adult himself until his son becomes an adult, i.e. about thirty years. When Jesus says ''This generation', He means His contemporaries. In the Old Testament adultery is often the name given to Israel's fall into idolatry. Israel was, as-it-were, married to God and when it turned to other gods this was called 'adultery'. Jesus uses the term in this Old Testament sense. It has nothing to do with physical adultery. "This adulterous generation" means "the faithless, unreliable people of my time.'' AMEN, AMEN, I SAY TO YOU .......................................................................Mt 5:18; 6:2, etc. etc. The introduction to a solemn declaration. The Jews employed "Amen" as a solemn affirmation of one's obligation ("I agree"). We do not find the expression used by them in the way in which Jesus uses it! In the words of Our Lord it brings out that He pronounces the statement on His own authority (cf. Mk 1:22!). BE CALLED "To be called" this or that means in Hebrew idiomatic usage that one "is" this or that: Mt 5 9 ........"they will be called (i.e. they will be) sons of God". Mt 5,19 ......"he will be called (i.e. he will be) the least in heaven". Mt 21:13 ...."My house shall be called (i.e. shall be) a house of prayer" Lk 1:32..... "He shall be called (i.e. He shall be) Son of the Most High" Lk 15 19 ...."I am not worthy to be called (i.e. to be) your son". etc. BROTHER and SISTER For Jews all relatives were 'brothers' and 'sisters' (e.g. Mt 5.22ff). The Gospels also speak of Jesus' "sisters" (Mk 6:3) and "brothers" (Mt 13:35) in this sense. (See also Mt 12:46ff; Jn 2.12.) The early Christians always addressed one another as 'brother and 'sister'. All Christians are called 'brothers' and 'sisters' of the Lord. EATING AND DRINKING It is rather difficult to circumscribe what is meant by the idiom 'eating and drinking,. Perhaps, we might define it as: 'living a full human life'. Study its meaning in these examples:
See also how the expression is used in Mt 6:25-31 (the worries of ordinary human life) and in Lk 22:16-18 (Jesus' ordinary human life is completed ) . EATING AND DRINKING WITH...... 'Eating and drinking with someone' means in Hebrew idiom: having friendly relations with that person. The wicked servant 'eats and drinks with drunkards' (Mt 24:49). Jesus is accused of 'eating and drinking with sinners' (Mt 9:11). The damned will complain at the last Judgement: 'We ate and drank with You' (Lk 13:26). The symbolism of the Last Supper (and of Holy Mass) expresses this same idea: by eating and drinking with Jesus we have true friendship with Him. That is why Jesus longs to eat this supper with us (Lk 22:15) and why He promises we will 'eat and drink at His table' in heaven (Lk 22:30). EUNUCH Mt 19:11-12. Oriental princes usually had many wives. They were in constant fear that other men (their servants) would have relations with these women. For this reason certain slaves were (by operation) made physically incapable of having normal sexual relations. These slaves were known as 'eunuchs' and they were usually put in charge of household affairs. In Jesus' time the word eunuch is employed with the meaning "a man who cannot marry". In the famous passage in which Jesus recommends celibacy for God's sake, He speaks of three types of 'men who cannot marry': (a) some because they were born that way (a natural defect); (b) some because men made them that way (as the eunuchs of kings ); (c) and "others do not marry because of the Kingdom of Heaven": that is: voluntary celibacy for God's honour and for the service of the Church. FLESH AND BLOOD This expression stands for 'a human person'.
In the sacrament of the Eucharist Jesus gives us His Flesh and Blood, that means: He gives us Himself as a complete person (Jn 6 54.ff ) Sometimes the word "flesh" carries a similar meaning even when it stands by itself, as if 'flesh and blood' were implied:
FORNICATION The term used in the Gospel, apart from the ordinary meaning of sexual relations between people who are not married" (Mt 15:19), could according to some modern scholars, also designate "the marriage of cousins within forbidden degrees". This type of marriage was common in Jesus' days. Jesus does not allow divorce (Mk 10:11-22; Lk 16:18). But such a marriage between cousins (which is invalid anyway) should be discontinued. That is why He says: "If a man divorces his wife except in the case of married cousins, he is guilty of making her commit adultery" (Mt 5:32). HOUSE OF ISRAEL A prophetic title of the Jewish people. Jesus will reign over the House of Jacob (Lk 1:33). He sends His apostles first to the lost sheep of "the House of Israel" (Mt 10:6; 15:24). It simply means "the Jewish people". IOTA or DOT The iota (letter i) was the smallest letter. Jesus says that not even a iota or a dot (small writing mark) will pass away from the law. SON OF...... "Son of..." may express any type of relationship in Hebrew. One has to examine the word for its exact meaning in practically each case. Examples will show the variety of meanings.
YOU HAVE SAID IT An affirmation meaning "yes'. Jesus replies to Caiaphas' question about His divinity with this expression (Mt 27:11; Mk 15 2). A similar reply he gives to Pilate (Jn 18:37). VISITING According to Semitic mentality one does not visit another person without giving help, advice, consolation, and so on. The word can acquire various meanings of this sort in different contexts:
WHAT IS THERE BETWEEN YOU AND ME? The words express a refusal, or a withdrawal. The evil spirits speak these words to Jesus to make Him leave them in peace, (Mt 8:29, Mk 1:24; Lk 4:34). Jesus speaks the same words to Our Lady (Jn 2:4). To indicate that He had not intended to perform a miracle, "My hour has not yet come". At His mother's request, however, He does it all the same (cf. Jn 2 51). |