Acts 22:2

Monday, 20 November 2023

And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent.
Then he said: Acts 22:2

In the previous verse, Paul noted his desire to present his defense before the people. With that, it now continues, saying, “And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language.”

As noted in the commentary on Acts 21:40, the meaning of the word translated as “Hebrew” would be the Aramaic variant of the inhabitants at this time. It would probably have had a mixture of both Hebrew and Aramaic mingled together, drawing on one language or another for emphasis.

Until he started speaking in this particular dialect, the people who were in the mob probably didn’t know who Paul was or what he had done wrong. They simply heard someone say something, and they jumped into the fray, accepting what they heard. The impression of many would be that he spoke one of the languages of the dispersion and was simply a miscreant who had come to the festival and defiled the temple.

However, he is now speaking to them in their own dialect. The sudden understanding that he was one of them caused them to quiet down. As it says, “they kept all the more silent.” They were already somewhat calmed down by his having been taken by the Romans.

There were probably minor cheers or cries for justice, but these would be intermittent by this point. But seeing him turn, wave his hand, and then start speaking in their tongue would have shut up the most boisterous of them.

As he was out of their hands, and because there was no reason to continue to strive against him without ending up in chains, or worse, the natural thing to do now would be to simply quiet down and listen to what he had to say. With that, the verse ends with, “Then he said.” The verse leaves us on a cliffhanger. Exciting words surely lie ahead.

Life application: To get a sense of what the language of Judea may have been like at the time, we can think of how any language is used today. If you ever go to the Philippines, you will hear people talking in their own language. And then, right out of the blue, they will throw in a few words or even a full sentence of English.

In America, we will do the same but usually in a more limited way. Someone may say, “I went to the store today, and the shelves were practically empty. That was no bueno.” Adding in the Spanish is simply for effect.

After the return of the people from Babylon, the Aramaic script had taken over as the written aleph-beth. The returnees would have spoken Aramaic for the most part. Over the years, the Greeks came in, and everything Greek became a fashion to many. Therefore, much of their influence was incorporated into the culture. By the time of Jesus’ coming, the original Hebrew was reserved for reading in the synagogues, but it was not a language that people would have readily spoken.

Everything about languages is in a state of flux. Very few languages remain untainted for very long. As languages evolve, it is important that translations are updated to reflect these changes in order to be relevant to the minds of the readers.

Do you know what the word sith means? Hint: it has nothing to do with Star Wars. How about ensample, besom, blains, or bolled? These are just a few of the hundreds of words that have not existed in the English language for eons, but which are used in the KJV.

As for the word sith, it is an archaic way of saying since. But even at the time of the writing of the KJV, it was an obscure word, uncommon but to a very small section of the UK.

The meaning of so much of the KJV is completely unknown to the modern mind. Why should you need to have a dictionary or use an internet search to translate the Bible just so you can understand it? That is as nutty as a banana split. Read the Bible in the morning, during the day, and at night. Read various versions of the Bible. Listen to audio Bibles.

Fill your mind with the word of God. Let it become a passion for you. It is a love letter from the Lord. Refer to it for encouragement, understanding, joy, peace, contentment, and so much more. READ THE BIBLE!

Lord God, thank You for the precious word that You have given us. It is a delight to our minds and a light to our path as we proceed through life. May we fill our minds with it and be encouraged by it. Yes, thank You for the Bible! Amen.