In yesterday's blog, I mentioned the German Lutheran Hebraist Franz Delitzsch. He spent most of his teaching career at Leipzig University. Of his many publications, he is perhaps best known for his translation of the New Testament into Hebrew. Amazingly, Delitzsch composed his New Testament before the modern revival of the Hebrew language. I love this book. I read it regularly. Today I started reading through Matthew in conjunction with the Christmas story. As a follower of Yeshua Ha-Mashiach, reading about the birth of Jesus in Hebrew is amazing. This morning I was in Matt. 2:1-5.
Would you care to see my translation of these verses? Of course you would! If you've ever studied Hebrew, or been to the Holy Land, you will know why I used the Hebrew words I did. Anyway, see if you like it:
And it came to pass [this is clearly a Semitic idiom; see my New Testament Semitisms], in the days of Herod Ha-Melek, when Yeshua was born in Beit-Lechem, magi came from the land of the east to Yerushalayim. And they said, "Where is the melek of the Yehudim who was born? For we have seen his kochav in the east and have come to worship him." And it came to pass, when Herod Ha-Melek heard these words, he was disturbed and all Yerushalayim with him. And he assembled all the Cohanim and Sophre of the Am and inquired of them, saying, "Where will Ha-Mashiach be born?" And they told him, "In Beit-Lechem of Yehudah."
If you're learning to read Hebrew, this is one of the best books you can get your hands on!
