Was the book of Revelation originally written in Ancient Hebrew?

Question

If John was a Hebrew, would it be right to suspect that he wrote his original revelation on a scroll in Hebrew, pre-100 AD?

Answer 1

Quite possibly for a number of reasons. However, many texts in Hebrew were simply translations from Greek. But, an authentic copy of Revelation written in Hebrew may indeed have been found!

“In 1806, Claudius Buchanan found two Hebrew New Testament manuscripts in a Jewish synagogue in Cochin, India. Together these two manuscripts contain all the books of the New Testament in Hebrew, compiled from various different sources. Today, these are known as Ms. Oo.1.16 and Ms. Oo.1.32 of the Cambridge University Library.”

You can download a free PDF of the translation from this website: https://www.hebrewgospels.com/revelation

I have done so and I'm studying the reasons why the Rensburg's are convinced that this manuscript is an authentic Hebrew copy rather than a translation.

Some of the reasons include exact quotes from the Tanakh, word puns that exist only in Hebrew, and other linguistic evidences.

Answer 2

Let's be clear about what is known about John:

The author:

The author names himself as simply "John" in the text, but his precise identity remains a point of academic debate. Second-century Christian writers such as Papias of Hierapolis, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Melito of Sardis, Clement of Alexandria, and the author of the Muratorian fragment identify John the Apostle as the John of Revelation. Modern scholarship generally takes a different view, with many considering that nothing can be known about the author except that he was a Christian prophet. Modern theological scholars characterize the Book of Revelation's author as "John of Patmos". The bulk of traditional sources date the book to the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian (AD 81–96), which evidence tends to confirm. ^[1]

The Language:

To anyone who knows the Greek language, it is immediately clear that the author of the book of Revelation had not mastered idiomatic Greek of his day. Rather, his native language was Hebrew. This has led some scholars to argue that the book of Revelation was originally written in Hebrew, and later translated into Greek. Others have contended that its original language was Aramaic, which was later translated into Greek. However, neither of these views has gained widespread acceptance among scholars, because neither accounts for all the data presented in the book itself. Charles is undoubtedly correct when he states: “while he [the author of the book of Revelation] writes in Greek, he thinks in Hebrew.” Thus, meanings of words, tenses, cases, and syntactical constructions which do not make sense in the Greek of the book of Revelation, make excellent sense when the Hebrew behind them is understood. ^[2]

Hebrew thought but Greek language:

This perspective is that while the book was written in Greek, the author was thinking in Hebrew. This means that the meanings of words, tenses, cases, and syntactical constructions in the Greek text of the Book of Revelation make more sense when understood from a Hebrew perspective.

Overall there are 3 points to consider:

1. Greek origin: The majority view among scholars is that the Book of Revelation was written directly in Koine Greek, the common language of the eastern Mediterranean region during the first century AD.

   Support:

   • The majority of existing manuscripts of the Book of Revelation are in Greek.
   • The book was likely intended for a Greek-speaking audience.
   • Koine Greek was the lingua franca of the eastern Mediterranean region.

   During the time when the Book of Revelation was written (late first century AD), Koine Greek was the lingua franca of the eastern Mediterranean region. It was the language of commerce, literature, and the early Christian Church. Therefore, it would make sense for the author to write in Greek to reach a wider audience.

   Associate Professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary in Denver, Colorado, David L. Mathewson's writing:

   summarizes what many consider grammatical irregularities in Revelation’s Greek. These are often thought to show a Semitic influence on the author’s language, and to perhaps suggest that he knew Greek only as a second language. Some propose that the writer used a distinctive type of Jewish Greek, that the irregularities show a reliance on the Old Testament, or that they perhaps indicate that he was intentionally flouting the established patterns of Greek usage. Recent studies, however, show that it is more likely that the writer was simply using a form of Greek that was common in his social context. ^[3]

2. Hebrew origin: Some scholars argue that the Book of Revelation was originally written in Hebrew and then translated into Greek.

   Support:

   • The Greek used contains many Hebraisms, or linguistic features typical of Hebrew.

3. Aramaic origin: A minority of scholars contend that the book was originally written in Aramaic, which was then translated into Greek. This view, however, has not gained widespread acceptance.

	References
1	Wikipedia contributors. (2024, August 1). Book of Revelation. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Revelation
2	OT-Revelation. (n.d.). https://www.studyjesus.com/Religion_Library/Johannine_Studies/15_O_T_Revelation.htm
3	Mathewson, David L., 'Revelation’s Use of the Greek Language', in Craig R. Koester (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Book of Revelation (2020; online edn, Oxford Academic, 8 Oct. 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190655433.013.6, accessed 6 Aug. 2024.