Jewish Aramaic Dialect Characteristics
The Jewish Aramaic dialect, also known as Chaldee or Syro-Chaldaic, was a language spoken by Jews during the time of Christ and was closely related to Hebrew [1]. It was the language of commerce and social intercourse in Western Asia and gradually became the popular language of Palestine after the Exile [2].
Linguistic Characteristics
The Aramaic dialect used by Jews had distinct linguistic characteristics. Verbs in Aramaic were conjugated using various stems, such as Pael and Aphel, which indicated different actions and voices [3, 4, 5]. For example, the Pael stem was used for intensive or resultative actions, while the Aphel stem was used for causative or declarative actions. The morphology codes provided by STEPBible illustrate the complexity of Aramaic verb conjugation, with codes such as AVpj2ms and AVap3ms indicating the various forms and functions of verbs [3, 4].
Historical Development
The use of Aramaic among Jews can be traced back to the Babylonian captivity. During this period, many Jews adopted the Aramaic language, which eventually became a lingua franca in the region [2]. By the time of Christ, Aramaic was widely spoken among Jews, and it is found in various portions of the Old Testament, such as Daniel 2:4-7:28 and Ezra 4:8-6:18 [2].
Biblical References
The Bible provides several references to the use of Aramaic among Jews. In 2 Kings 18:26, the Assyrian commander Rabshakeh is asked to speak to the Jewish officials in Aramaic, so that the people on the wall would not understand [6]. This incident highlights the fact that not all Jews understood Aramaic, especially the common people. Similarly, in Nehemiah 13:24, it is noted that some Jewish children could not speak the "Jews' language" (i.e., Hebrew or Aramaic) due to their mixed marriages with non-Jewish women [9, 11].
Interpretive Traditions
Various interpretive traditions have understood the significance of Aramaic in Jewish culture. Jewish sources, such as the Midrash Rabbah, highlight the importance of understanding the nuances of language and its role in conveying meaning [10]. Christian interpreters, such as those represented in the Lutheran and Presbyterian traditions, have also noted the significance of Aramaic in biblical contexts [6, 7, 8].
The use of Aramaic among Jews during the Second Temple period reflects the complex linguistic and cultural landscape of the time. As a language closely related to Hebrew, Aramaic played an important role in Jewish daily life, commerce, and scripture [1, 2]. Understanding the characteristics and historical development of Jewish Aramaic provides valuable insights into the cultural and linguistic context of early Judaism and Christianity.
Sources
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Shemitic Languages — the family of languages spoken by the descendants of Shem, chiefly the Hebrew, Chaldaic, Assyrian, Arabic Phoenician and Aramaic or Syriac. The Jews in their earlier history spoke the Hebrew, but in Christ's time they spoke the Aramaic, sometimes called the Syro-Chaldaic.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Chaldee language — Employed by the sacred writers in certain portions of the Old Testament, viz., Dan. 2:4-7, 28; Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Gen. 31:46; Jer. 10:11. It is the Aramaic dialect, as it is sometimes called, as distinguished from the Hebrew dialect. It was the language of commerce and of social intercourse in Western Asia, and after the Exile gradually came to be the popular language of Palestine. It is called "Syrian" in 2 Kings 18:26. Some isolated words in this language are preserved in the New Testament (Matt. 5:22; 6:24; 16:17; 27:46; Mark 3:17; 5:41; 7:”
- STEPBible Hebrew Morphology Codes “Hebrew morphology code AVpj2ms = Function=Verb ; Stem=Pael (hence Action=Intensive/resultive/transtive; Voice=Active); Form=Imperfect (hence Tense=Future/present; Mood=Jussive); Person=Second; Gender=Masculine; Number=Singular”
- STEPBible Hebrew Morphology Codes “Hebrew morphology code AVap3ms = Function=Verb ; Stem=Aphel (hence Action=Causative/declarative; Voice=Active); Form=Perfect (hence Tense=Past/present; Mood=Indicative); Person=Third; Gender=Masculine; Number=Singular”
- STEPBible Hebrew Morphology Codes “Hebrew morphology code AVav2ms = Function=Verb ; Stem=Aphel (hence Action=Causative/declarative; Voice=Active); Form=Imperative (hence Tense=Present/future; Mood=Imperative); Person=Second; Gender=Masculine; Number=Singular”
- Isaiah (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Isaiah 36:11: The concluding words, in which the Assyrian boasts of having Jehovah on his side, affect the messengers of Hezekiah in the keenest manner, especially because of the people present. "Then said Eliakim (K. the son of Hilkiyahu), and Shebna, and Joah, to Rabshakeh, Pray, speak to thy servants in Aramaean, for we understand it; and do not speak to (K. with) us in Jewish, in the ears of the people that are on the wall." They spoke Yehūdı̄th, i.e., the colloquial language of the kingdom of Judah. The kingdom of Israel was no longer in existence, and the language of”
- Jeremiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jeremiah 5:15: (Jer 1:15; Jer 6:22). Alluding to Deu 28:49, &c. Israel--that is, Judah. mighty--from an Arabic root, "enduring." The fourfold repetition of "nation" heightens the force. ancient--The Chaldeans came originally from the Carduchian and Armenian mountains north of Mesopotamia, whence they immigrated into Babylonia; like all mountaineers, they were brave and hardy (see on Isa 23:13). language . . . knowest not-- Isa 36:11 shows that Aramaic was not understood by the "multitude," but only by the educated classes [MAURER]. HENDERSON refers it to th”
- Isaiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Isaiah 36:11: Syrian--rather, "Aramean": the language spoken north and east of Palestine, and understood by the Assyrians as belonging to the same family of languages as their own: nearly akin to Hebrew also, though not intelligible to the multitude (compare Kg2 5:5-7). "Aram" means a "high land," and includes parts of Assyria as well as Syria. Jews' language--The men of Judah since the disruption of Israel, claimed the Hebrew as their own peculiarly, as if they were now the only true representatives of the whole Hebrew twelve tribes. ears of . . . people on . ”
- Nehemiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Nehemiah 13:24: could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people--a mongrel dialect imbibed from their mothers, together with foreign principles and habits.”
- Midrash Rabbah (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Midrash Rabbah, Kohelet Rabbah 1:8:1: “All matters are wearying; man cannot utter it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing” (Ecclesiastes 1:8). “All matters are wearying; man cannot….” Matters of platitude render a person weary. 51 The reference is to the usage of terms or phrases that hint to a different meaning, as in the examples the midrash will now provide. When this is done for no particular reason other than to demonstrate mental acuity, it renders a person weary. Koreh hayom – assemble there; 52 Koreh hayom literally means “read there.” However, koreh c”
- Nehemiah (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Nehemiah 13:23: Marriages with foreign wives dissolved. - Neh 13:23 and Neh 13:24. "In those days I also saw, i.e., visited, the Jews who had brought home Ashdodite, Ammonite, and Moabite wives; and half of their children spoke the speech of Ashdod, because they understood not how to speak the Jews' language, and according to the speech of one and of another people." It is not said, I saw Jews; but, the Jews who ... Hence Bertheau rightly infers, that Nehemiah at this time found an opportunity of seeing them, perhaps upon a journey through the province. From the circumstanc”