Languages spoken at Pentecost

[Henry4]

It is recorded in “The Acts of the Apostles” that, at Pentecost, there was a crowd consisting of Parthians, Medes, Elamites,
people from Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia i.e. Asia minor), Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, visitors from Rome, Cretans and Arabs. All of them heard the apostles praising God in their own languages. Firstly, Peter gives a speech. Presumably, the miracle continued while he spoke so that his speech was understood by all of them. Is that correct? Secondly, do the languages of the various locations still exist or are they extinct? Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Pamphylia are in modern-day Turkey, if I am not mistaken, so their languages are probably extinct. Would any text exist which is written in those languages, from which they can be reconstructed? Were they Semitic languages or Indo-European or in another family of languages? Parthians, Medes and Elamites are different again, perhaps. Obviously, the visitors from Rome would have spoken Latin and the Arabs would have spoken Arabic. The Cretans may have spoken a dialect of Greek.

 

[REPENT]

Presumably, the miracle continued while he spoke so that his speech was understood by all of them. Is that correct?

Yes. Think of it like the Babel fish from " Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy". St Peter would speak Hebrew and no matter where the listener was from they would understand as if st. Peter was speaking in their language.

Secondly, do the languages of the various locations still exist or are they extinct?

I don’t know probably. Ottoman history isn’t my strong suit. I imagine when the Turks took over they mandated Turkish be the official language but small hamlets in those lands may still speak those languages.

Would any text exist which is written in those languages, from which they can be reconstructed?

Probably

Were they Semitic languages or Indo-European or in another family of languages?

Probably

 

[Dovekin]

The languages of Turkey @Wikipedia is fascinating.

Some languages’ “eastward migration may have been set in motion by the fall of Troy (dated by Eratosthenes to 1183 B.C.).” (from article on Laz, one of those languages) Alexander ~300 BCE probably accelerated the growth of Greek. This suggests Greek as the dominant language, as it was a few hundred years later in the time of Ss Basil and Gregorys.

But there is much more to read there about the early languages.

 

[BartholomewB]

Asia i.e. Asia minor),

Asia, at that time, was the name of a Roman province in what is now southwest Turkey.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[Bithynian]

The Cretans may have spoken a dialect of Greek.

I always found the reference to Cretans somewhat humorous as they spoke Doric Greek, which was the predominating dialect in Laconia (wherein is Sparta) and most of the Peloponnese. It was broadly mutually intelligible with other dialects of Greek, including Koine which was primarily Ionic (from Asia Minor) with a smattering of Attic (from Athens).

But I always thought it odd for Doric Greek to be singled out in Acts. It reminds me of the occasional subtitling of very strong Australian English on American or British news shows.

 

[Gorgias]

Firstly, Peter gives a speech. Presumably, the miracle continued while he spoke so that his speech was understood by all of them. Is that correct?

So, it all comes down to how you understand the ‘miracle’. Did the apostles speak their own language and it was heard by the listeners in their own various tongues, or did the apostles speak the various languages themselves and the listeners heard them speaking their own languages?

Clearly, the Jews from the diaspora who had gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost spoke a common language. After all, if not, then how could they have said to one another, “how is it that we’re all hearing these guys speak our native languages?”

So, I’m inclined to think two things:

• it’s not a “babel fish” incident. The Scriptures talk about gifts of speaking in various languages, and so it would seem more reasonable (IMHO) to read this as an instance in which the Spirit allowed the apostles to speak a variety of languages that they would not otherwise know.
• We don’t have to think that Peter was being heard in all the languages. He could’ve been speaking the common language known to all (Koine Greek, I’d think).

 

[PennyinCanada]

Did the apostles speak their own language and it was heard by the listeners in their own various tongues

That’s the one I’m going with.

 

[Gorgias]

Gorgias:

Did the apostles speak their own language and it was heard by the listeners in their own various tongues

That’s the one I’m going with.

Yet, that isn’t how the NT describes the gifts of the Holy Spirit, right…?

 

[Dovekin]

At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
Acts 2:6

It is how Acts described these gifts of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Gorgias]

At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
Acts 2:6

No… that’s not what Acts says! It doesn’t say that the apostles spoke their own language but each heard them speaking in his own language! In fact, it says the exact opposite! See verse 4:

And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

So… the apostles spoke in different tongues, themselves, as enabled to do so by the Holy Spirit.

 

[JGD]

Acts 2:1-11 mentions both the way the apostles spoke and the way the listeners heard.
It seems to have occurred all at the same time - “at the sound” of the wind (verse 2) and voices all speaking at once in various languages (verse 6). It’s a miracle anyone heard anything clearly!!! There are only 12 apostles, but at least 15 groups/nationalities of people are given who say they heard the teaching in their “own language”, so it would not have been a single language that they all understood. If that were the case, there would have been nothing for them to be “amazed” and wondering about (verse 7).

 

[EndTimes]

It is recorded in “The Acts of the Apostles” that, at Pentecost, there was a crowd consisting of Parthians, Medes, Elamites,people from Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia i.e. Asia minor), Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, visitors from Rome, Cretans and Arabs. All of them heard the apostles praising God in their own languages. Firstly, Peter gives a speech. Presumably, the miracle continued while he spoke so that his speech was understood by all of them. Is that correct? Secondly, do the languages of the various locations still exist or are they extinct? Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Pamphylia are in modern-day Turkey, if I am not mistaken, so their languages are probably extinct. Would any text exist which is written in those languages, from which they can be reconstructed? Were they Semitic languages or Indo-European or in another family of languages? Parthians, Medes and Elamites are different again, perhaps. Obviously, the visitors from Rome would have spoken Latin and the Arabs would have spoken Arabic. The Cretans may have spoken a dialect of Greek.

Since All present understood what Peter said - in their Vernaculae…

It matters naught which so-called “language-family…”

_

 

[Gorgias]

Since All present understood what Peter said - in their Vernaculae…

Acts doesn’t make this claim.

It’s the exclamations of those in the upper room – upon whom the tongues of fire came to rest – that the various people claim that they understood in their own language, and not the speech of Peter.

 

[EndTimes]

It’s the exclamations of those in the upper room – upon whom the tongues of fire came to rest – that the various people claim that they understood in their own language, and not the speech of Peter.

Acts doesn’t reflect that notion - in any manner, shape or form.

Simon Cephas most likely speaks in Aramaic

• and all present Understood him in their respective language

What’s more important is to have Faith - as those who were there received

A few thousand Jews came to be believers AFTER that Miracle from God’s Holy Spirit

Such is the New Way for all Jews and Gentiles -

Salvation via Faith in Jesus - Messiah of Jews and Gentiles.

_

 

[Gorgias]

Acts doesn’t reflect that notion - in any manner, shape or form.

Please re-read it; you’ll see otherwise. Let me help:

• Acts 1:26 – the apostles and Matthias are together
• Acts 2:1 – they (the apostles) are together at Pentecost
• Acts 2:3 – they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages
• Acts 2:8 – the people are amazed that they hear the apostles speaking their native languages
• Acts 2:14 – Peter and the apostles stand up. Peter speaks to the assembled crowd.

Note that there is no assertion here that Peter is speaking a language foreign to him, or that the people heard him in each of their native languages.

Glad I could help.

BTW… Peter would have spoken Koine Greek.

(p.s., edited to correct “them” to “him”, to make it clear I’m talking about Peter…!)

 

[EndTimes]

Note that there is no assertion here that Peter is speaking a language foreign to him

No one’s claiming that Peter continued on speaking in a language foreign to him…

Let us stick with what we know without any more guesswork

ABRIDGED…

WHILE THE DAY of Pentecost was running its course they were all together in one place, when suddenly there came from the sky a noise like that of a strong driving wind, which filled the whole house where they were sitting.

And there appeared to them tongues like flames of fire, dispersed among them and resting on each one. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them power of utterance.

Now there were living in Jerusalem devout Jews Some witnesses read: devout men. drawn from every nation under heaven; and at this sound the crowd gathered, all bewildered because each one heard his own language spoken. They were amazed and in their astonishment exclaimed, ‘Why, they are all Galileans, are they not, these men who are speaking? How is it then that we hear them, each of us in his own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites; inhabitants of Mesopotamia, of Judaea and Cappadocia, of Pontus and Asia, of Phrygia and Pamphylia, of Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs, we hear them telling in our own tongues the great things God has done.’

But Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and addressed them: 'Fellow Jews, and all you who live in Jerusalem, mark this and give me a hearing. These men are not drunk, as you imagine; for it is only nine in the morning. No, this is what the prophet spoke of:

1. “God says, ‘This will happen in the last days: I will pour out upon everyone a portion of my spirit; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy; your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Yes, I will endue even my slaves, both men and women, with a portion of my spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the sky above, and signs on the earth below-blood and fire and drifting smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before that great, resplendent day, the day of the Lord, shall come. And then, everyone who invokes the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

… Those who accepted his word were baptized,
and some three thousand were added to their number that day.

 

[Dovekin]

Note that there is no assertion here that Peter is speaking a language foreign to him, or that the people heard them in each of their native languages.

Only if you leave out:

1. Acts 2: 11 yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to one another, “What does this mean?” But others said, scoffing, “They have had too much new wine.”

 

[Gorgias]

Gorgias:

Note that there is no assertion here that Peter is speaking a language foreign to him, or that the people heard them in each of their native languages.

Only if you leave out:

1. Acts 2: 11 yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

Nope. Verse 11 reflects the peoples’ response to the apostles’ having spoken various languages, and it precedes Peter’s speech.

 

[EndTimes]

Note that there is no assertion here that Peter is speaking a language foreign to him,
or that the people heard them in each of their native languages. - thus spake Gorgias

Only if you leave out:

1. Acts 2: 11 yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

Exactly…

“them” meaning those who were speaking inside - before Peter started speaking to the crowd outside

People heard them speaking in their own languages…

Peter was not speaking in a language foreign to himself when he spoke to the crowd of Jews.

_

 

[Gorgias]

Note that there is no assertion here that Peter is speaking a language foreign to him,
or that the people heard them in each of their native languages. - thus spake Gorgias

That was a typo on my part. I meant that the people didn’t hear him (Peter) in their native languages. I’ll go back and fix it.

Good catch!