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G1447 · Greek · New Testament
Ἑβραϊστί
Hebraïsti
Adverb
In Hebrew / In the Hebrew Language

Definition

The Greek adverb Hebraïsti (Ἑβραϊστί) means 'in Hebrew' or 'in the Hebrew/Aramaic tongue.' It appears in John 5:2, 19:13, 19:17, 19:20; Revelation 9:11 and 16:16, consistently used to give the Hebrew/Aramaic equivalent of a Greek name or place.

Usage & Theological Significance

John's Gospel uses Hebraïsti as a literary technique to anchor Greek-speaking readers in the Jewish geographic and cultural reality of Jesus' ministry. When John says the pool is called 'Bethesda' in Hebrew (John 5:2), or that the pavement is called 'Gabbatha' (John 19:13), or that the cross site is 'Golgotha' (John 19:17) — he is insisting that these events are rooted in real history, in real places, in the actual language of Jesus' world. This is not myth. This is the Word made flesh in a specific language, culture, and time. Revelation's use of Hebrew names (Abaddon, Armageddon) in the most cosmic of contexts similarly grounds the final events of history in the covenant history of Israel.

Key Bible Verses

John 5:2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic/Hebrew is called Bethesda.
John 19:13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement, which in Aramaic is called Gabbatha.
John 19:17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.
Revelation 9:11 Whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon.
Revelation 16:16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

Related Words

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