Delitzsch Hebrew-English Gospels ✡ Review from a Messianic Jewish Perspective, 2/10

WRITTEN REVIEW: https://holylanguage.com/delitzsch.html

"How are Hebrew personal and place names written?"

The translators say, "We want to bring the reader closer to the land of Israel and the Jewish people rather than bringing the land of Israel and the Jewish people closer to the reader. It's a way of transporting you into this story rather than transporting the story into your context." One way they do this is by using the original Hebrew pronunciations for people and places, starting with the names of the four Gospels themselves - Mattai, Markos, Lukas, and Yochanan. Similarly Simon Peter is Shim'on Keifa, James is Ya'akov, and Judas is Yehudah. Women such as Mary, Elizabeth, and Susanna are Miryam, Elisheva, and Shoshannah. Names from the Tanach are also preserved in their original form. So Isaac is Yitzchak, Moses is Moshe, Solomon is Shlomoh, and Isaiah is Yeshayah. Notably, all these are still good Jewish names that Jewish parents continue to name their kids. Same goes for place names, with the names of geographical areas and cities in the DHE exactly matching the modern Hebrew names of these places in Israel today. Galilee is the Galil, Capernaum is Kefar Nachum, Siloam is Shiloach, Arimathea is Ramatayim, Bethlehem is Beit-Lechem, and Jerusalem is Yerushalayim.

Wait a minute, you may object. Markos and Lukas aren't Hebrew names, are they? You're right! As you read the Delitzsch Hebrew Gospels you'll notice that Greek and Latin names are also transliterated exactly as they're written in the Hebrew text. Therefore Andrew is Andrai, Philip is Pillipos, and Caesar Augustus is...wait for it...Keisar Ogustos. You may question the spiritual value of trying to pronounce non-Hebrew names with a Hebrew accent. Aside from the fact that it doesn't sound so much like an intestinal disease, is saying "Tarchonah" instead of "Trachonitis" really so edifying? Why not go with the traditional English pronunciation on these ones? Our suggestion is that you once again slow down and give it a try. Say these old words in a new way and see if it doesn't break you out of your old mindset and transport you half a world away. Having said that, there is another less subjective reason for phrasing these names the way Hebrew lips would utter them - some of these figures appear not just on the pages of the Gospels, but in historical Jewish literature as well. In the Talmud, for instance, Herod goes down in infamy as Hordos and Nicodemus makes his appearance as Nakdimon, only the third richest man in Jerusalem.

We understand that these names may be formidable at first glance, especially if you're expected to read from the DHE in a public setting. The Glossary of Proper Names in the back should be helpful, but even that may leave you unsure of the exact pronunciation. Or, having consulted the Glossary, you may still find your memory struggling as you read. To help with this we created a video working through every one of these names, explaining exactly how they're pronounced, and then repeating them several times so they'll lock into your long-term memory. Watch that on the members-only video reviews page. We also go over every Hebrew name in the New Testament and teach you how to read and say them in Lesson 18 of Hebrew Quest.

Two warnings. Please don't start a Sacred Name cult insisting on the "true" Hebrew pronunciation of Greek and Latin names. And just because Joda is written as Yodah means does not that in the Gospels is he.

"How are the names and titles of God written?"

On the Hebrew side the holy name of God which is spelled with the letters Yod, Hei, Vav, and Hei is written the same as it's written throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. This comes as no surprise but is worth noting because a book containing the Sacred Name is regarded as a holy book in Judaism and is to be treated with the utmost care and respect. With this in mind, please don't put your DHE facedown or on the floor, bring it into a restroom, or put anything on top of it.

In the English text the name of God is represented by HaShem which means "The Name". Jesus is Yeshua. Messiah is Mashiach with the exception of John 1:41 where the situation warrants Christos. Nazarene is Notzri which ironically in modern Hebrew means "Christian". Shaddai is "Mighty One". The terms Holy Spirit and God aren't Hebraicized.

You may have heard the Holy Spirit referred to as the "Paraclete" before. This comes from a Greek word meaning helper or advocate and is used five times in John 14-16 and 1 John 2. You may be surprised when reading through the Hebrew side of the DHE to see that Greek word - parakleetos - written in Hebrew letters as prakleet. Why did Delitzsch use this Greek word instead of a Hebrew equivalent? For the answer to that question, which entails a discussion of how this Greek loanword is used in ancient Jewish writings and how this...READ MORE HERE: https://holylanguage.com/delitzsch.html

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