Hebrew The Original Language by the late Donald R. Mansager
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ne of the most eye-opening prophetic passages is Zephaniah 3:9. It speaks of a future time when this world will go back to the way it was before the Tower of Babel, when everyone on earth spoke the same language: “For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of Yahweh, to serve him with one consent.” The KJV does not bring out the essence of the Hebrew. Turn is the Hebrew haphak (Strong’s 2015) and means return back to, which is one principal meaning. “Restore speech of a pure kind” reads Brown-Driver-Briggs. With this language, the prophecy says, everyone can call on Yahweh’s Name. The question has been raised thousands of times by thousands of Bible students who have read Zephaniah 3:9 and wondered, just what is that pure language that will be spoken in the coming Kingdom? We find more about it in Isaiah 19:18, “In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to Yahweh of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction.” This was written in the 8th century BCE and the language in Canaan at that time was Hebrew because of the Israelites
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Restoration Times Magazine January-February 2022
living there. In fact, the Living Bible, among others, confirms that the language of Canaan is Hebrew. The Companion Bible note supports this, as do other versions. The Jerusalem Bible says, “That day, in the land of Egypt there will be five towns speaking the language of Canaan and swearing oaths in the name of Yahweh Sabaoth.” Would they be making oaths in Yahweh’s specific name if it were Greek they were speaking? Or Russian or Chinese? Swearing oaths in Yahweh’s Name is not a problem when it is in common use by virtue of the fact that they will be speaking Hebrew! The Encyclopaedia Britannica reads, “The language of the Canaanites may perhaps be best described as an archaic form of Hebrew, standing in much the same relationship to the Hebrew of the Old Testament as does the language of Chaucer to modern English.” (Don’t count Egypt out. Read the rest of Isaiah 19:19-25.) Acts 3:21– If most things will be restored (which speaks volumes for the importance of the Old Testament), then wouldn‘t it make sense to return to the language spoken before sin caused the creation of alternative languages? Which other language was pure?
The Edenic Tongue To answer that, we need to go back to the language that was spoken by Yahweh to Adam and Eve in the garden. Would Yahweh speak an impure language to our first parents? Obviously not. So whatever that language was, it was undefiled. It would be the only language to fit that definition because it originated with Yahweh Himself. Notice the reason for the pure language – so they can call on the Name of Yahweh with one consent. In other words, with everyone like-minded as to the proper name! What language has the sacred Name Yahweh been transmitted in? The Hebrew language, of course! Zechariah 8:20-23 with 14:9 says all nations will come to Jerusalem and His Name will be one – not a different name in different languages because the universal language will be Hebrew. Then Zechariah 14:9 says, “And Yahweh shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Yahweh, and his name one.” Hebrew was the language Yahweh communicated to Adam in. Why is it that whenever celestial beings spoke to mankind, it was to those who understood Hebrew? Angels never spoke in Greek,
