What languages did Jesus speak?

[WillyMcCabe]

Wondering what languages Our Lord spoke. I’m assuming at least 3: his native tongue (Aramaic), Hebrew, and Latin (as in His discourse with Pilate during the passion). Any other opinions out there? Did he also know Greek?

 

[Garyjohn2]

Do you think Christ spoke Latin?? I think Pilate would have spoken Aramaic if anything…

He would have had a more formal education and I’m guessing Jesus did not. Also, Pilate spoke to the crowds.

I think Jesus would have known Aramaic and Hebrew.

 

[Spencerian]

An earlier thread discussing this matter may be interesting to you.

 

[WillyMcCabe]

The reason I mentioned that I thought Christ probably spoke Latin as oppsed to Pilate speaking Aramic is because as a Roman citizen, Pilate probably did not have much exposure to Aramaic before he was assigned to his post, but Jesus, being an Israelite had lived His whole life under Roman occupation which would have meant that He was exposed to Latin at a very early age. Again, just a guess…

 

[Spencerian]

The reason I mentioned that I thought Christ probably spoke Latin as oppsed to Pilate speaking Aramic is because as a Roman citizen, Pilate probably did not have much exposure to Aramaic before he was assigned to his post, but Jesus, being an Israelite had lived His whole life under Roman occupation which would have meant that He was exposed to Latin at a very early age. Again, just a guess…

During Christ’s trial, Pilate addressed the crowd directly.

What would be the odds that most people back then would know more than two languages? Latin, as the tongue of commerce, would be a logical one. The second one would be Hebrew.

While Christ, the Word of God, would certainly not be limited in His ability to speak to anyone, it raises an interesting point. If I were to guess, Pilate spoke Latin to everyone. Most could understand it, and many others who also spoke Hebrew could translate it to others nearby. But this would be a fascinating bit for a theologian and anthropologist to research.

 

[ziapueblo]

Glory to Jesus Christ,

Jesus spoke Aramaic, which was the common language of the people and there is evidence in Scripture that this is the language He spoke. I assume that Christ spoke some Greek as well due to the fact that 200-300 years prior to His birth Judea was part of the Hellenistic world and Greek was the language of culture and commerce of the time (and the fact that most of the New Testament Scriptures were written in Greek).

God bless,
ZP

 

[Spencerian]

Glory to Jesus Christ,

Jesus spoke Aramaic, which was the common language of the people and there is evidence in Scripture that this is the language He spoke. I assume that Christ spoke some Greek as well due to the fact that 200-300 years prior to His birth Judea was part of the Hellenistic world and Greek was the language of culture and commerce of the time (and the fact that most of the New Testament Scriptures were written in Greek).

God bless,
ZP

Greek, not Latin, was the language of commerce. Thanks for the correction on my post.

 

[NotWorthy]

Wasn’t Greek still the predominant “international” language? I didn’t think Latin had become much formalized at the time of Christ.

I would have thought the Pilate and the Jews, having little knowledge of the other’s language, would have settled on Greek.

 

[ziapueblo]

Greek, not Latin, was the language of commerce. Thanks for the correction on my post.

No prob

 

[puzzleannie]

all this ground has been covered on the previous recent thread cited above but I believe Hebrew was reserved for worship and scripture and discussion of the law, and all Jewish men would have learned it enough for daily prayer at least, the vernacular of Jews in that region was Aramaic, and the lingua franca of the known world was Greek, Latin had not yet overtaken it as the language of commerce although was in the process of becoming the language of government.

 

[KaneKatholic]

Do you think Christ spoke Latin?? I think Pilate would have spoken Aramaic if anything…

He would have had a more formal education and I’m guessing Jesus did not. Also, Pilate spoke to the crowds.

I think Jesus would have known Aramaic and Hebrew.

jesus knew all languages c’mon he was GOD he could have spoken to pilate in latin if he wanted

 

[NotWorthy]

jesus knew all languages c’mon he was GOD he could have spoken to pilate in latin if he wanted

True. But they would have been the only ones who knew what was being said, other than the Roman guards. Pilate’s conversation with Jesus seemed to be public knowledge.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Willy,

Jesus’ mother tongue was Aramaic, a language akin to Hebrew. Greek was the common language spoken the Roman Empire, and Galilee is said to have had some degree of bilingualism. So it is lilkely that Jesus spoke some Greek, and he may have spoken to Pilate in that language.

Notwithstandding Mel Gibson, it is very unlikely that Jesus spoke Latin.

Verbum

 

[Izdaari]

Wasn’t Greek still the predominant “international” language? I didn’t think Latin had become much formalized at the time of Christ.

I would have thought the Pilate and the Jews, having little knowledge of the other’s language, would have settled on Greek.

Right, Jesus and Pilate would have spoken in Greek, and Pilate would have addressed the crowd in Greek as that was the common trade language of the region, and indeed of the entire Roman Empire. I think it highly unlikely that Pilate’s knowledge of either Hebrew or Aramaic would have been anything like fluent, and the crowd wouldn’t have understood Latin.

Although Jesus may not have had much formal education, he was able to read and argue the Jewish Scriptures in synagogue with the best of them, even at the age of 12, much impressing the rabbis. My guess is that Jesus spoke at least Aramaic, Greek (the common trade language, and the language in which he quoted the Septuagint – I’m thinking it would have been a second native language to him since he spent his early childhood in Egypt, probably in Alexandria where there was a large and diverse colony of Jewish exiles). I’d be willing to bet he spoke Hebrew, wanting to know all that was part of his heritage, though I don’t know of any real evidence for it. I’d guess he didn’t speak Latin, having no real need for it. He had no mission to Rome, and the Romans he did need to talk with spoke Greek.