The Greek verb methermēneuō means to translate, interpret, or render from one language into another. It combines meta- (change/over) + hermēneuō (to interpret, from Hermes the messenger god), and appears specifically in translation glosses in the Gospels.
The Evangelists use methermēneuō to translate Aramaic names and phrases for their Greek-speaking audiences: Immanuel means 'God with us' (Matthew 1:23); Messias means 'Christ' (John 1:41); Cephas means 'rock' (John 1:42); Golgotha means 'Place of the Skull' (John 19:17). Each translation is more than linguistic — it is theological exposition. When Matthew says 'Immanuel (which means God with us),' the translation is the proclamation: the birth of Jesus is the arrival of God Himself in human flesh. The act of translation mirrors the Incarnation — the eternal Word made accessible in human language. Methermēneuō thus connects the work of the interpreter with the work of the Word made flesh.