Dialect
Jump to: Webster'sConcordanceThesaurusGreekLibrarySubtopicsTerms
Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, the term "dialect" refers to the variations in language and speech patterns that are evident among different groups of people. These variations can be due to geographical, cultural, or ethnic differences. The Bible, being a collection of texts written over many centuries and in different regions, reflects a diversity of dialects, particularly in its original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

Old Testament Dialects

The Old Testament was primarily written in Hebrew, with some portions in Aramaic. The Hebrew language itself exhibits dialectical variations. For instance, the Hebrew of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) shows differences from the Hebrew found in later books like Isaiah or Daniel. These differences can be attributed to the historical and geographical contexts in which these texts were written.

Aramaic, a language closely related to Hebrew, appears in certain sections of the Old Testament, such as in the books of Daniel and Ezra. Aramaic became the lingua franca of the Near East during the Persian Empire, and its presence in the Bible reflects the influence of this widespread language.

New Testament Dialects

The New Testament was written in Koine Greek, a common dialect of Greek that was widely used throughout the Eastern Mediterranean following the conquests of Alexander the Great. Koine Greek was the vernacular language of the time, making the New Testament accessible to a broad audience. However, within the New Testament, there are subtle variations in style and vocabulary that reflect the backgrounds and audiences of the different authors.

For example, the Gospel of Matthew, written with a Jewish audience in mind, contains Hebraisms and references to Jewish customs that would resonate with its readers. In contrast, the Gospel of Luke, addressed to a Gentile audience, employs a more polished Greek style and includes explanations of Jewish customs.

Dialect and the Spread of the Gospel

The use of different dialects and languages in the Bible underscores the universality of its message. On the day of Pentecost, as described in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to speak in various tongues, allowing people from different regions to hear the gospel in their own dialects. Acts 2:6 states, "And when this sound rang out, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking his own language."

This miraculous event highlights the importance of language and dialect in the dissemination of the Christian message. It demonstrates God's desire for all people, regardless of linguistic or cultural background, to understand and receive the gospel.

Cultural and Theological Implications

The presence of multiple dialects in the Bible also reflects the cultural diversity of the biblical world. It reminds readers that God's revelation is not confined to a single language or culture but is intended for all humanity. This diversity is a testament to the inclusivity of the Christian faith, which transcends ethnic and linguistic barriers.

Furthermore, the use of different dialects in Scripture emphasizes the importance of accurate translation and interpretation. Understanding the nuances of the original languages and their dialects is crucial for conveying the intended meaning of the biblical texts. This task is vital for theologians, translators, and scholars who seek to make the Bible accessible to people of all languages and cultures today.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(n.) The form of speech of a limited region or people, as distinguished from ether forms nearly related to it; a variety or subdivision of a language; speech characterized by local peculiarities or specific circumstances; as, the Ionic and Attic were dialects of Greece; the Yorkshire dialect; the dialect of the learned.
Greek
1447. Hebraisti -- in Hebrew, in Aramaic
... Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: Hebraisti Phonetic Spelling: (heb-rah-is-
tee') Short Definition: in the Hebrew or Aramaic dialect Definition: in the ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1447.htm - 6k

1258. dialektos -- speech, language
... speaking. Word Origin from dialegomai Definition speech, language NASB Word
Usage dialect (3), language (3). language, tongue. From ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1258.htm - 6k

2981. lalia -- talk
... talk. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: lalia Phonetic Spelling:
(lal-ee-ah') Short Definition: speech, talk, dialect Definition: (in classical ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2981.htm - 6k

5491. cheilos -- a lip, an edge
... cheilos Phonetic Spelling: (khi'-los) Short Definition: a lip, mouth, shore Definition:
a lip, mouth, shore, edge, brink; meton: language, dialect. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5491.htm - 6k

5456. phone -- a voice, sound
... Noun, Feminine Transliteration: phone Phonetic Spelling: (fo-nay') Short Definition:
a sound, noise, voice Definition: a sound, noise, voice, language, dialect ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5456.htm - 7k

Library

The Dialect of the Galileans, Differing from the Jewish.
... A Chorographical Century. Chapters 81-90 Chapter 87 The dialect of the
Galileans, differing from the Jewish. "Surely thou also art ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 87 the dialect of.htm

Stones Rolled Away
... phrases. A great many people, not so much in your country as in ours, talk
in a dialect. The ... speak back. It is a different dialect. ...
/.../stones rolled away and other addresses to young men/i stones rolled away.htm

Education of Jesus.
... who participated in the government, and the towns inhabited by pagans, like
Caesarea.[1] The real mother tongue of Jesus was the Syrian dialect mixed with ...
/.../renan/the life of jesus/chapter iii education of jesus.htm

Notes
... The following hymns are in the Chill-way-uk dialect of the language of the Alkomaylum
nation of Indians, who live along the Fraser River, from Yale to the Coast ...
//christianbookshelf.org/various/indian methodist hymn-book/notes.htm

From the Talmud and Hebraica
... the sense is, to inquire how, and in what sense, those phrases and manners of speech
were understood, according to the vulgar and common dialect and opinion of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/title page.htm

Elucidations.
... I cannot withhold from the student the valuable hints concerning "the dialect of
Edessa" by which Professor N??ldke [3524] corrects the loose ideas of Mommsen ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the decretals/elucidations 2.htm

On the Greek Translation of the Old Testament.
... It is said that the Scriptures both of the law and of the prophets were translated
from the dialect of the Hebrews into the Greek language in the reign of ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxii on the greek translation.htm

Index ii.
... Akhm??m codex, the, 283 ff.: Akhmimic dialect, 106. ... Deuteronomy, the book, 215. Dialect
of Alexandria, 289 ff.; dialects of the Egyptian versions, 105 ff. ...
/.../an introduction to the old testament in greek additional notes/index ii.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... The remains of their language show that it was remotely allied to the dialect of
Susa, and contained many Semitic words.*** What is recorded of their religion ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

The New Testament
... people, but the language which the Son of God learned from His blessed mother and
His foster father was Aramaic, and He spoke the Galilean dialect of that ...
/.../pullan/the books of the new testament/chapter i the new testament.htm

Thesaurus
Dialect (6 Occurrences)
... speech characterized by local peculiarities or specific circumstances; as, the Ionic
and Attic were dialects of Greece; the Yorkshire dialect; the dialect of ...
/d/dialect.htm - 8k

Persian (4 Occurrences)
... II. OLD PERSIAN INSCRIPTIONS III. MEDIC DIALECT 1. Ordinary Ayestic 2. Gathic
IV. ZOROASTER 1. His Date, etc. ... III. Medic Dialect. 1 ...
/p/persian.htm - 45k

Laban (52 Occurrences)
... For Laban himself it suffices that he was a Semite, living within the region early
occupied by those who spoke the Sere dialect that we call Aramaic. ...
/l/laban.htm - 28k

Chaldee
... 46; Jeremiah 10:11. It is the Aramaic dialect, as it is sometimes called, as
distinguished from the Hebrew dialect. It was the language ...
/c/chaldee.htm - 8k

Coptic
... Of these the most important from a literary point of view was the (1) Buchairic,
the dialect of Lower Egypt, often called Coptic paragraph excellence, and also ...
/c/coptic.htm - 11k

Targum
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) A translation or paraphrase of some portion of the
Old Testament Scriptures in the Chaldee or Aramaic language or dialect. Int. ...
/t/targum.htm - 38k

Arabic
... But the dialect of the tribe of Koreish, to which Mohammed belonged, is the one
that, naturally, by the circumstance of the Koran's composition and diffusion ...
/a/arabic.htm - 17k

Slavonic
... Uncertain also is the exact dialect used for this work; although this dialect was
the basis of the present liturgical language of the Russian church, it has ...
/s/slavonic.htm - 13k

Georgian
... Uncertain also is the exact dialect used for this work; although this dialect was
the basis of the present liturgical language of the Russian church, it has ...
/g/georgian.htm - 13k

Gothic
... Uncertain also is the exact dialect used for this work; although this dialect was
the basis of the present liturgical language of the Russian church, it has ...
/g/gothic.htm - 13k

Resources
What is the Qur'an? | GotQuestions.org

What is Aramaic Primacy? Was the New Testament originally written in Aramaic? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Galileans in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Dialect: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Dialect (6 Occurrences)

Acts 1:19
And it was known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their own dialect Aceldama; that is, field of blood.)
(DBY YLT)

Acts 2:6
But the rumour of this having spread, the multitude came together and were confounded, because each one heard them speaking in his own dialect.
(DBY YLT)

Acts 2:8
and how do we hear them each in our own dialect in which we have been born,
(DBY YLT)

Acts 21:40
And he having given him leave, Paul having stood upon the stairs, did beckon with the hand to the people, and there having been a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew dialect, saying:
(YLT NAS)

Acts 22:2
and they having heard that in the Hebrew dialect he was speaking to them, gave the more silence, and he saith, --
(YLT NAS)

Acts 26:14
and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute? hard for thee against pricks to kick!
(YLT NAS)

Subtopics

Dialect

Related Terms

Mill (9 Occurrences)

Millstone (9 Occurrences)

Jacob's (34 Occurrences)

Nosejewels

Nose-jewels (1 Occurrence)

Swing (3 Occurrences)

Dialect (6 Occurrences)

Diamond (5 Occurrences)

Bread (433 Occurrences)

Neck (97 Occurrences)

Over (11971 Occurrences)

Opposite (137 Occurrences)

Oak (22 Occurrences)

Jezreel (37 Occurrences)

Jupiter (3 Occurrences)

Gourd (4 Occurrences)

Wild (147 Occurrences)

Flour (69 Occurrences)

Function (4 Occurrences)

Fowler (3 Occurrences)

Trunk (3 Occurrences)

Tall (41 Occurrences)

Tower (74 Occurrences)

Revolution (6 Occurrences)

Ebony (2 Occurrences)

Engedi (6 Occurrences)

Depressed (4 Occurrences)

Moon (70 Occurrences)

Mercury (1 Occurrence)

Mars (2 Occurrences)

Power (862 Occurrences)

Plow (11 Occurrences)

Pole (21 Occurrences)

Beth-haccerem (2 Occurrences)

Bore (221 Occurrences)

Bee (1 Occurrence)

Bethhaccerem (2 Occurrences)

Cinnamon (4 Occurrences)

Chamber (73 Occurrences)

Coal (7 Occurrences)

Apparent (4 Occurrences)

Stud (1 Occurrence)

Sun (1708 Occurrences)

Measure (269 Occurrences)

Gilgal (39 Occurrences)

Assur (2 Occurrences)

Sherghat

Well (2882 Occurrences)

Asshur (133 Occurrences)

Fish (66 Occurrences)

Potter (14 Occurrences)

Weaving (4 Occurrences)

Pottery (11 Occurrences)

Machpelah (6 Occurrences)

Star (16 Occurrences)

Jordan (188 Occurrences)

Magi (4 Occurrences)

Sea (4178 Occurrences)

Agriculture

Red (124 Occurrences)

Altar (343 Occurrences)

Dead (580 Occurrences)

Dial: A Contrivance for Indicating Time by the Sun's Rays
Top of Page
Top of Page