Yeshua no doubt prayed in Hebrew. Whether Yeshua spoke Hebrew or it’s very close sister language Aramaic, as his everyday language, the language the Jewish people acquired during their ancient Exile, is academic.
The “key” is that Yeshua’s prayer and spiritual language no doubt, was Hebrew.
Lk. 4:16 tells us Yeshua’s own customary religious practice on the Sabbath was to attend his hometown synagogue in Natzeret (“Nazareth”; about 5 miles west of Tiberius, on the western side of the Kinneret, the Hebrew name Yeshua and his fellow 1st-century Jews of the Galil (“Galilee”) called the “Sea of Galilee”. Kinneret is derived from kinnor, the small harp David composed many of his Shine Forth Songs of Praise (“Psalms”) on.
The Kinneret is shaped like the kinnor, hence the name!
Prayer and worship and Hebrew Scripture readings would have been in Hebrew in Yeshua’s hometown synagogue. When he announced his ministry by reading from the Prophet Yeshayahu (“The LORD, He saves-Delivers” “Isaiah”), it was from a Hebrew scroll not the Vulgate or KJV or NIV!
That Yeshua reads from the Prophet Yeshayahu is no coincidence, and their connectedness by name is uniquely found in Hebrew!
In short, as we point out in our teaching, Yeshua called Paul on the Damascus Road (Acts 9), in Hebrew, as Paul relates in Acts 26:14-15.
Further, as we also point out in our teaching, Revelation clearly shows Yeshua specifically, in Yochanon’s (“God is gracious”, “John”) koine Greek rendering, as both in Heaven and still part of the whole of the Jewish People! Cf. Rev. 5:5, 22:16. We should note that Heaven in Rev. 21 is specifically and consistently referred to as Jerusalem.
Further still, there are specific – not vague or general – references to the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel written on the walls of the City and the Twelves Taught Ones (Hebrew original underlying “Disciples”), whose names are written on the City’s foundation.
For our purpose here regarding prayer, we should especially note Rev. 5:8. In Rev. 5:5 – just a few verses before the reference to prayers in Rev. 5:8, we read the following: Yeshua is referred to (in the original) as “…the specific subject named the Lion out from within part of the whole of the tribe of Judah, the specific subject named the root (of) David…”
Rev. 5:8 tells us that the prayers of the holy ones (a more accurate rendering from the Greek than “the saints”) are in golden bowls. The prayers are referred to as incense and are in golden bowls. Yochanon’s imagery here is directly drawn from the Torah! Something pleasant smelling was used in the Temple’s worship and it in fact goes all the way back to Noach (“rest” “Noah”) Gen. 8:20-21.
(To overly simplify for here; the spiritual significance of something pleasant smelling was that it was an outward physical yet subtle concrete demonstration of granting a wish. This alludes to complying with God’s will, as one of the great Torah teachers astutely and correctly points out in Hebrew.)
It should – in no way – be thought of or confused with the ancient pagan attempts to “placate” or “bribe” their “gods”!
In short, the LORD – obviously – needed no “pleasant fragrance”. We need, in prayer to demonstrate that we desire that His standards and measures and His Will – cf. Mt. 7:21-24 v. 23, Mk. 14:36 – be ours.
An extremely “key” thing to be fully aware of; if you are not. In Rev. 5:8 the golden bowls with the prayers of the holy ones are put before the Lamb Yeshua; but the prayers are not to Yeshua!
Yeshua himself instructs prayer to the Father in Yeshua’s name, not prayer to himself.
Also in short for here; Paul makes a couple of Torah based worship and Temple based references about himself.
It should be noted: Paul does this years after being called by Yeshua. Cf. especially Phpn. 4:18, cf. 2 Tim 4:8. Note also please, Paul’s linking of Yeshua and David in 2 Tim. 2:8. Both 2 Tim. 2:8 and 4:8 should be noted in the context of 2 Tim. as Paul’s last Letter, and written approximately at least 12-15/16 years after Paul’s Damascus Road experience recorded in Acts. 9. (Recounted to Jewish officials cf. Acts 26:14-15!).
In short for here our great concern as we explain elsewhere in our teaching on prayer, is this.
Does the LORD hear prayer, regardless of the language we bring it before Him? Absolutely!
However, our concern is that there be no possible impediment to our prayer and that it be as fully honoring as possible!
Thus, prayer drawn from the Hebrew Bible and derived from Hebrew – regardless of the language of the one who is praying – acknowledges the “Hebrew heart” of Yeshua.
Further – lest we forget (!) – virtually all of the great prayers of the Bible are offered by Jews – and in Hebrew!
The very first prayer of Man to the LORD is by Abraham Gen. 20:7. We should note that this very first prayer of Man to the LORD is intercessory.
Other great examples of Biblical prayer in Hebrew are those of Moshe (cf. Ex. 32:11, vss. 31-32; especially Num. 12:12 (in the context of Num. 12:4-14, Hannah (1 Saml. 1) king Ahaz (Ish. 38), and Daniel (Dnl. 9).
The Lord’s Prayer of Yeshua (cf. Mt. 6:8-10) in context, was spoken by Yeshua answering a question from his fellow 1st-century Jews of the Galil (“Galilee”).
If not in Hebrew it – no doubt – was said by Yeshua in Hebrew’s very close sister language Aramaic.
In either case it was not stated originally in Greek, Latin, or English; whether Olde or Contemporary!
Further, it is clearly modelled on an extremely “key” 1st-century Jewish prayer; one from before Yeshua’s time on Earth. It is still a very “key” part of Jewish prayer today. (Albeit in slightly different form).
One evangelical scholar astutely and correctly points out that the Lord’s Prayer in essence, is a summary of this ancient Hebrew prayer which takes about 5 minutes to recite.
As a quick but “key” note also. In Yochanon 20:16 we read the following. On the morning of Yeshua’s Resurrection, Miryam (“Miriam”; “Mary Magdalene” is an anachronistic revision to de-Hebraicize and de-Judaize her Jewish identity!) uses the term “Rabboni” (literally “Rabbi (of) me” i.e., “my Rabbi”).
Yochanon writes that this is Hebrew (Cf. also Rev. 9:11).
There is – in fact – no Mary” in Hebrew. Yeshua – in fact – called her Miryam “Miriam”; the same name as his mother! (Greek “Mariam” transliterates the Hebrew “Miryam” “Bitter”).
Calling them “Mary” is post-Biblical Western Tradition’s anachronistic and revisionist way of de-Hebraicizing and de-Judaizing them in order to “re-cast” them as decidedly non-Jewish.
Post-Biblical Western Tradition also re-cast Miryam in its artwork as a matronly 40-something very Western European/British Isles looking woman (light skinned and aquiline features).
In reality Yeshua’s mother Miryam was a 15-16-year-old olive-skinned raven-haired Jewess of Galilee. (In Yeshua’s time average life expectancy was only about 40 years).
English and Latin were completely unknown to Miryam! Miryam probably knew no Greek either. Nothing in Scripture indicates she had contact with the Gentiles of the Galil. Even if – which is extremely doubtful – she knew Koine Greek, at best it was a tertiary (third) language after Hebrew and Aramaic!
As we point out in our teaching, would the angel have called to a 15-16-year-old pious Galilean Jewess and told her that her son’s name would be one derived from the language of Rome?
Could that son, destined to rule over the House (of) Jacob and receiving the throne of his father David (Lk. 1:30-34) be king of Israel with a Latin-based name? Cf. Dt. 17:14-16, v. 15. We explain in our teaching that the Hebrew of v. 15 tells us the LORD said the Israelites could have no “man (of) foreignness” as King!
We point out in our teaching that Luke’s Greek in Lk. 1:34 clearly indicates Miryam asked the angel in an Hebraic way when told she would be with child, “…How is this since (a) man in fact I do not know?” Cf. Gen. 4:1. Though translated “virgin” note that the NRSV notes that the Greek is “I do not know a man”.
(Here, translated “virgin” even though the Greek “parthenos” “virgin” is not used. Western-based readers would be confused here by a literal translation without explanation.)
Acts 21-28 shows us that Paul returned to Jerusalem. When Paul went to worship in 1st-century Jerusalem where did he do so? “Saint Mary’s”? “1st Baptist Jerusalem”? “Assemblies of God Jerusalem”? No! Acts 21-28 show us in short that Paul spoke to a crowd in Jerusalem in Hebrew Acts 22:1-2 and went to the Temple! Cf. Acts 24:17-18 et al.
In short and to sum up; as we have repeatedly repeated Acts 26:14-15 tells us Paul recounts to Jewish officials about his Damascus Road experience (Acts 9). Yeshua called to him in Hebrew!
That tells us all we need to know about their fundamental and foundational language.
Further, we also asked the following. If the language is “irrelevant”, why does the Ruach Hakodesh (original Hebrew name of the Holy Spirit) inspire the good doctor Luke to mention it?
(As a quick but “key” side note we point out in our teaching that the references to Alpha and Omega, the first and last Greek letters, in Rev. 1:8 and 22:13 occur for this reason. Had Yochanon in conveying Revelation to a Koine Greek 1st-century Roman Empire used the names of the first and last Hebrew letters, that audience would not have understood it!)
The references to first and last letter in fact has a 1st-century decidedly Jewish background to it.
Perhaps this is because it seems to be the LORD, speaking in Rev. 1:8, and Yeshua in Rev. 22:13. Perhaps Yochanon felt it inappropriate (?) to write the Hebrew letters and explain they were Hebrew.
Finally, we should note Yeshua’s specific reference connecting himself – still – with David Rev. 22:16. Cf. also Mt. 1, Rom. 1:3, 9:4, 2 Tim 2:8, Rev. 5:5 etc.
In short, the fact that Yeshua calls to Paul in Hebrew – after his Ascension and doing so from Heaven – indicates there is no fundamental and foundational change in Heaven, from Hebrew to Greek!
The bottom line to all this, is this. Our concern and heart is to be as the Master Yeshua himself said as recorded in Yochanon 5:22-23. To honor the Son in order to honor the Father.
Would not a more accurate and authentic understanding of the “Hebrew heart” of Yeshua by us, and a heart and a desire to do so, not be honoring to both he and the Father?
Could this not perhaps, as the Hebrew of Ps. 69:14 says, facilitate, so to speak, a time of desired favor for our prayer?
The great “key” then; there is no fundamental and foundational sea change in Heaven – post Resurrection – away from Hebrew or a rejection of Hebrew.
Apparently then we must conclude that in Heaven, Yeshua does not replace his “Hebrew heart” with that of a Greek-Latin-Western “mind”.
Nowhere – nowhere – does Yeshua recast himself as a de-Hebraicized de-Judaized Westerner or as some sort of “generic everyman”!
Thus the “key” is to have a “Hebrew heart” like that of Yeshua, regardless of what language is utilized in praying to the LORD.
(As we point out elsewhere; Yeshua himself points out that prayer is to the Father, in the name of Yeshua. Prayer is not to Yeshua.)
The Biblical “key” is that this honors the Son and so honors the Father cf. Yochanon 5:22-23.
Please allow us to reiterate as we have elsewhere, the following.
If one has a visceral or otherwise negative reaction (God forbid!) – or even an outright denial of Yeshua’s Hebrew heart and continued identification with Hebrew and the Jewish People, post-Resurrection in Heaven, we suggest the following.
Check the source or sources as to from where and why this is in one’s heart. Is it honoring to the Son and to the Father Yochanon 5:22-23; cf. Yochanon 4:22, Rev. 5:5, 22:16 et al.?
As we point out elsewhere: our concern is that nothing possibly impedes our prayer or perhaps become a possible impediment to the answer we seek or to what is needed!
Our heart’s desire is to help facilitate the fullest honoring to the LORD we can possibly give Him. He deserves nothing less from us for Who He Be and what He does!
Western Tradition classic theology correctly points out that Mashiach is 2 natures, one divine one human, in one persona. (Persona is the original. “Persons” unfortunately is inaccurate and thus causes confusion!).
The “key” question is thus: is the divinity of Mashiach honored if the Jewish humanity is ignored, overlooked, or God forbid (!) dismissed?
Is denigrating or minimizing “the Jews” honoring of the human nature of Yeshua that reside in the same persona with his divinity?
Despite the early Gentile Fathers’ deliberate rejection of Jerusalem for Athens – and thus rejecting also Hebrew for Greek, they did not do the following.
They did not separate and compartmentalize Yeshua as “two natures, one divine, one human, in two separate personas. Yeshua was seen as one persona not two.
Thus again please: can Yeshua’s Hebrew heart then, be separated from his divinity if both are contained in the same persona?
The “key” again: to honor the divine nature, the divinity of Mashiach by honoring not ignoring or overlooking his Jewish – and thus “Hebrew heart” – humanity.
Thus doing so Yochanon 5:22-23 again, honors the Father by honoring the Son!
In short for here, we do not find the Father, God forbid (!!), abandoning Hebrew to speak directly in another language.
In short for here also, but very key, the Hebrew of Gen. 11:1 is the beginning of the Torah’s teaching on the Tower (of) Jumbling (“Babel” in English but from a verb “jumble” rather than “confuse”).
Gen. 11:1 That (the) totality, in an encompassing way (of) the Earth “(a) single lip” and “words (that are) singles”.
The easiest way to think of “words (that are) singles” is this. If you have a bunch of one-dollar American bills, sometimes they are called “singles”. You may have, say, ten of them and might say “I have 10 singles”.
They all are however the same US Treasury issued one-dollar bill. They are not 10 different currencies-dollars, francs, pounds, etc. They are 10 separate singles – but again – all from the same source.
In short then it seems that, based on the original Hebrew, the rabbinic commentators would be correct. Man seemed to have “(a) single lip”, i.e. one language which would have been Hebrew – and various related dialects of Hebrew.
Gen. 11 clearly shows us that people could speak – and understand – one another.
What they completely failed to understand was the LORD’s instruction “Be fruitful, be many, and fill the Earth” Gen. 9:1; cf. Gen. 8:17 regarding the various animals.
In short, Man both failed to do what the LORD instructed; Man settled in one place, then, sought to aggrandize his Self through a Tower!
In short; we see the LORD’s graciousness in Gen. 11 in the teaching (not “story”) of the Tower of Jumbling. (Again, “Babel” in English). How? The LORD came down and put a stop to what Man was doing, before it got worse.
As one of the great Torah teachers astutely points out, before Man made things irrevocably worse for himself!
Man’s “single lip” i.e. the one language with dialects they all understood, was jumbled. This jumbling would make it difficult for Man to communicate easily with one another.
Thus it would seem the languages of the Nations came into the World.
In order to communicate to the Nations, KG would be employed, not because “Greek” had divinely replaced Hebrew. Rather, since it was the language of much of the 1st-century Roman Empire – think English today – it was utilized to reach the Nations.
It must though be noted that the Father – nowhere – speaks directly to Man in any language other than Hebrew.
Evangelical scholars, for all their general denial of “the Jewish stuff”, do not think that Yeshua daily spoke – never mind prayed – in KG!
In short we have to ask, has the Body of Mashiach not been able to receive what it might, due to doing the opposite of the LORD’s instruction?
Was it to seek God and to understand the Mashiach Yeshua, through the thought and mind and ways – cf. Rev. 2-3 (!) of the Nations? Athens, Rome, Western Europe/British Isles, America, and their languages – rather than that of Jerusalem?
What might the potential positive possibilities be regarding prayer, prayed with the Hebrew heart of Mashiach Yeshua?
Prayer that first seeks to change, not Him (the Father) but us, to be more like His Son? (Cf. Mk. 14:36 “…not my will but Yours…”).
Imagine praying with the heart of Yeshua (in whatever language one knows!) to the Father, in the name of Yeshua Hamashiach.
Would we not be drawn closer to the LORD? Would He not draw us closer and perhaps as David sings in the Shine Forth Songs of Praise (“Psalms”), “incline Your ear”?
To “incline the ear” is not merely to hear but rather to draw close and particularly hear closely what is said.
Imagine what might be possible! That is what this is about for all of us!