Did You Know?
There appears in the New Testament (N.T.) words that express both doctrines and practices which were unknown to the then known Greek language. Many words used in Scripture held a widely different interpretation from those found in ancient Greek writings.
The N.T. contains examples of all the dialects of the Greek language.
Aeolic Greek, Boeotic Greek, Doric Greek, Ionic Greek, Attic, or Athenian Greek. Attic was a dialect of ancient Greek that was originally used in Attica and became the literary language of the entire Greek speaking world.
The religion taught in the N.T. agrees with that delivered in the O.T. of which it is but a continuation. In the O.T. the ritual worship was ordered by the law of Moses, but is now succeeded by a spiritual, or internal form of worship in the N.T. The legal dispensation is now succeeded by the Gospel dispensation, in which what at first was imperfect and obscure, has now become perfect and clear.
Things that are continued are substantially the same, or of a similar nature. The expression, “To come to God,” occurs both in the Old and the N.T. In the Old it simply means to go up to the temple; in the New, it is continued so that what was once imperfect, now becomes perfect, and now implies a mental, or spiritual approach unto the Most High, and also the spiritual worship of God.
In like manner since the many particulars related in the O.T. concerning the sacrificed victims, the priests, and the temple are now transferred in the N.T. to the atoning death of Christ, to the offering of Himself unto death and to the Christian church, the veil of figure has been withdrawn.
The force and beauty of these expressions cannot be perceived, or can their meaning be reduced to a certainty, unless we interpret the doctrinal parts of the N.T. by, and with the aid of the Old.
Because the writers of the N.T. were Jews, they were acquainted with both the Hebrew Idioms, and the common language of the people. Therefore when they used a Greek word, one corresponding to a Hebrew word, having a similar meaning, they used it in the Hebrew sense. The word or Idiom having either a common or appropriated sense.
Following are some Hebraisms found principally in the N.T. An example such as, “To be called,” “To arise,” or, “To be found,” meant, “To be,” to the Jews.
Example,
“To be called,” in the following verses means in the Hebrew way of speaking, To be.
Matt.5:9, “They shall be called the children of God.” Or, They are, “to be,” the children of God.
Matt.5:19, “He shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.” Or, He is, “to be” the least in the kingdom of heaven.”
1 John 3:1, “That we should be called the sons of God.” Or, “We are “to be” the sons of God.
The same applies to the word “arise.” In all places where the word arise in the O. T. appears, it means no other than actual being, or existing, this according to Hebrew idiom.
2 Sam.11:20, “If the king’s wrath arise.” Or, wrath already exists in the king.
Esther 4:14, “Enlargement and deliverance shall arise to the Jews.” Or, enlargement and deliverance already exists to the Jew.
Proverbs 24:22, “Their calamity shall arise suddenly.” Or, their calamity already exists.
So the idea of the word, “arise,” to the Jew when used in the N.T., signifies also no other than actual being, or existing.
Luke 24:38, “Why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” Or, Why are they there?
Matt.24:24, “There shall arise false Christ’s,: Or, There shall actually be at that time such persons according to my prediction.
“To be found,” has the same importance, with the above mentioned expressions, and according to the O.T, one is put for the other. “To be found,” is equivalent to, “Was.”
1 Sam.25:28, “Evil hath not been found in thee.” Or, Evil “was” not in thee.
2 Chron.19:3, “Good things found in thee.” Or, Good things exists in thee.
Dan.5:12, “An excellent spirit was found in Daniel.” Or, An excellent spirit was in Daniel.
In the N.T., “To be found,” is an imitation of the above form of Hebraism, “To be.”
Luke 17:18, “There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” Or, None were to be found to give glory.
1 Cor.4:2, “That a man be found faithful,” That man is to be faithful.
Phil.2:8, “Being found in fashion as a man.” Or, “To be in the fashion of a man.”
Heb.11:5, “Enoch was not found,” which is the same as, “Enoch was not,” is seen from comparing this with, Gen. 5:24, to which Heb.11:5 refers.
1 Pet.2:22, “Neither was guile found in his mouth.” This is taken from Isa.53:9, “Neither was there any deceit = (guile) in his mouth.” So it appears in these, as well as other texts, “to be found,” is equivalent to, “was.”
Phil LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com