Reading the Bible Through Hebrew Eyes

Oct 14, 2026 | Ancient Writings, Bible Study | 0 comments

Did Greek Thinking Shape How We Understand Scripture?

Picture an American time-traveler landing in medieval England. Despite both speaking ‘English,’ they would struggle to understand each other. That’s because languages are living constructs. Socially created by human interaction, they have no fixed boundaries and change as societies evolve. Over the centuries, cultural shifts reshaped English so thoroughly that the language spoken in Dallas or Chicago today would sound almost foreign to someone from the Middle Ages.

You don’t need a time machine to see this, though. Just open a King James Bible. In 2 Thessalonians 2:7, Paul says ‘he who now letteth will let.’ To a modern American, let means allow. In 1611, it meant hinder, the exact opposite. In 1 Thessalonians 4:15, the living ‘shall not prevent’ those who have died. In 1611, prevent meant go before. Same language, same words, only 400 years apart, and the meaning has flipped.

Now imagine the gap between us and the ancient Hebrews: not 400 years, but 3,000. Not the same language, but an entirely different language family and way of thinking.

I use these scenarios as an example of what happens when we attempt to understand our Bibles through the cultural framework of a modern Western mind. When the thought world of ancient Hebrew nomadic culture gets filtered through Greco-Roman philosophy and translated using abstract Greek concepts, the core framework of Biblical understanding is fundamentally reshaped. This mismatch inevitably impacts how we understand God and the path He has instructed us to follow in this life.

There is a massive historical gap left behind when we try to interpret Hebrew thought without understanding ancient Hebrew culture. Our ancient Hebrew ancestors, from the shepherds and farmers of Genesis to the tent-dwelling Patriarchs, lived close to the land. Therefore theirs was a language of the senses, built on sights, sounds, and physical actions. The vocabulary biblical writers used was rooted in the five senses.

Modern Western languages tend to favor Hellenistic abstract thought, communicating ideas from an intellectual perspective. This is precisely why relying on modern Western frameworks to understand ancient texts presents such a significant challenge for Bible students today. The challenge is made exponentially greater considering most of us are not educated in Hebrew or Greek grammar.

So, what’s the solution? We must learn to ‘think’ like the Ancient Hebrews who penned the pages of Scripture. By doing this we open the door to a deeper understanding of our collective spiritual ancestry. But we also need the right linguistic tools.

One person who has helped me better understand the importance of using the right tools to study Scripture is Jeff A. Benner.

For more than three decades, he has explored the Bible through the language, culture, and thought world of the ancient Hebrews. Much of what I share in this section has been influenced by what I have learned from his research.

Benner is not alone in his Hebraic, action-oriented approach. His work builds on a broader conversation about Hebrew and Greek thought, carried on by scholars such as Thorleif Boman, John H. Walton, Marvin R. Wilson, and Robert Alter, who have also devoted their careers to recovering the sensory, functional, and cultural world of the ancient biblical Patriarchs.¹ These scholars don’t all agree on method, but the core insight holds: Scripture must be read in its own cultural world.²

At the heart of these teachings is instruction on how to distinguish between the functional and the abstract. We must always remember that Hebrew is a language of the senses. It is built on sights, sounds, and physical actions and is concerned with how something functions.  Modern languages tend to favor Greek-style abstract ideas and mental states where the focus is on appearance.

The nomadic mindset of the Patriarchs was also linked to survival. So Ancient Hebrew terms grew out of physical, everyday realities like tents, livestock, journeys, and agriculture. Since nomads are driven by action, a Hebrew verb will describe concrete actions you can experience through the five senses and not abstract ideas. This is key.

A Mental Reset

Until recently, my approach to Bible study centered solely around these three tools: a dictionary, a concordance, and a lexicon. However, when I added culture, action, and function to the mix, what Benner describes as the “three keys,”³ my time in the word moved to a deeper level of understanding.

Here is what I mean.

The Bible scholars who translated the Hebrew language into English had to perform some interesting thought gymnastics.

They had to substitute an English word for Hebrew that would make sense to a “Greek thinking” reader: someone who understood words abstractly.  Long before English Bibles existed, the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, had already given the church its vocabulary. Words like psyche (soul) and pneuma (spirit) came loaded with Greek philosophical meaning. Through the New Testament, the church fathers, and later theology, those meanings shaped how believers read even the Hebrew text.  (More on this later.)

19th Century English theologian Edwin Hatch wrote about how Greek philosophy, rhetoric, and organization shaped the post-apostolic church. He argued that the simple, practical teaching of the Sermon on the Mount gave way to the philosophical language of the Nicene Creed, permanently changing the vocabulary of the faith.⁴

And Hatch wasn’t alone. In his book Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, Marvin R. Wilson asserts that the moment Western theology began treating the Septuagint’s Greek terms as primary, the original functional and relational nature of the Hebrew was systematically intellectualized. ⁵

The Hebrew to Greco-Roman Linguistic Paradigm Shift

Now that I’ve laid the foundation, it is time to look at how this plays out in our experience when studying the Scriptures. We will focus on the word ‘praise’.

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary⁶ defines praise as a way “to express a favorable judgment of someone or something” or, in biblical terms, “to glorify (a god or saint) by the attribution of perfections.”  Neither definition is related to ancient Hebrew culture through action or the five senses.

Trying to understand what it means to praise biblically also means we have to consider context and culture. This partially explains why when you look up a word in a concordance or lexicon you see many meanings. Since Hebrew is based on functional descriptions, verbs are used more often than adjectives. That’s why Ancient Hebrew uses different Hebrew words for the same thing, depending on its function at the time. Think in terms of the words yadah (praise with extended hands) and shabach (to laud).

In The Living Words, Volume One, Benner adds another element to the mix–ancient Hebrew pictographs to help us “see” what words mean. In this example Benner focuses on two scripture verses that use the same word for praise–halal.

For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not shine (halal) light. Isaiah 13:10

Praise (halal) Yahweh, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! Psalm 117:1

In these examples the use of the verbal root halal (H1984) is translated as ‘shine’ and ‘praise’.  If you saw this word as an ancient pictograph halal would look like the image below:              

The pictograph is of a man with his hands raised, pointing at something next to two shepherds’ staffs. The symbols shown in the image are written in Proto-Sinaitic / Early Paleo-Hebrew script and represent the word halal (הלל) ⁷

To our minds this pictograph may not make sense in the context of praise because we usually associate this word with how we were taught “to praise” in Church. But when we remember that Hebrews were a nomadic culture and would have used the stars for guidance, the pieces start to come together. Look again and you will ‘see’ a man with arms raised pointing at the sky and moving his flock in a certain direction with a shepherd’s staff.

The pictograph reminds us that Hebrew words often describe an action experienced by Hebrews on their journey through the wilderness. They are very effective in helping us decipher the pointed messaging of the writers of our Bibles.

Read through Benner’s pictographic lens, the root word for praise in “HalleluYah” (halal) paints a picture of a shining light or clear beacon (like a stick figure with arms raised looking toward a bright star/light). When we praise YHWH, we are pointing to and reflecting His shining light as the fixed compass that guides our path.

In Yeshua, our Creator directs our steps along the path we are to walk in this life. So when we say “praise YHWH” we understand Hebraically that we are to look to Yah as our fixed and constant shining light leading us along our journey in life. HalleluYah  indeed!

One Word–Multiple Meanings–Deeper Understanding

When we tie Hebrew back to its pictographic origins and add this understanding to the linguistic mix, our studies become richer and more enlightening. Just as we examined the word ‘praise’ previously, let’s look at two other words: soul and spirit.

In my 30 years of Christian church attendance, no one ever unpacked the meaning of the Hebrew word for soul which is nephesh (H5315). It was my belief that only humans had souls, based on Genesis 2:7.

But if you look at Genesis 1:24 you will see that nephesh is also translated as ‘creature’ when describing the animals that were also created on Day six.⁸

And Elohim said, ‘Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.’ (KJV)

Genesis 2:19 says:

Out of the ground YHWH Elohim formed every beast of the field … and whatsoever Adam called every living creature (nephesh chayah).

So here you have living souls and living creatures linked to the Hebrew word nephesh.

This raises the question “What does it mean for humans then to be described as souls?” Hebraically speaking, Benner offers this explanation:⁹

“In the Hebrew mind, we are composed of a multiple of entities: flesh, bone, breath, mind, emotions, organs, etc. The soul is the whole of the person, the unity of the body, breath, and mind. It is not some immaterial spiritual entity; it is you, all of you, your whole being or self. This idea of the soul is used in our own language such as when the number of persons on an aircraft or ship are identified as souls, as in one hundred souls on board.”

When the Septuagint translated nephesh into Greek, it chose psyche. To a Greek reader shaped by Plato, the Psyche was an invisible, immortal part of a person, separate from the body. A Hebrew word meaning ‘the whole living person’ came to be read as ‘the ghost inside the person.’

What sets mankind apart is not that we breathe, but how: YHWH Himself breathed into Adam’s nostrils.

And YHWH Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed  into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (nephesh chayah). Genesis 2:7 (KJV)

This raises two questions: “How can breath be considered an action word and how are spirit and soul related?” The dictionary would define breath as “air inhaled and exhaled in breathing.”¹⁰ Hebraically it is more than that according to Benner.

Neshamah (H5397) the word for breath is tied to a person’s character and is seen in a related word–shem (H8034).

While often translated as ‘name’,  shem goes deeper in that it focuses on what makes an individual unique by virtue of his or her character. Names are linked to a person’s identity, position, character, renown, clan or authority. When we end our prayers with the words “in Yeshua’s name” we are invoking the power and authority of his name as granted to him by YHWH.¹¹

Matthew 1:21 in the KJV translates the Greek this way:

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

However, the Shem Tov¹² translation used by Benner anchors us more solidly to the Hebraic meaning of the verse.

And she brought forth a son and she called his name Yeshua (“he saves”), because he will save (yoshia) his people from their iniquity.

It highlights an explicit Hebrew wordplay (pun) that is obscured in Greek and English translations.

The text explicitly links the name Yeshua to its verbal root ישע (yasha, meaning “to deliver” or “to save”), explaining why he is given that specific name: Yeshua is named so because he yoshia (will save) his people. The Greek name for Yeshua is Iesous, transliterated as Jesus.

While standard Shem Tov academic editions (like George Howard’s) translate Yeshua simply as the name “Jesus” in English, Benner’s mechanical and literal approach explicitly embeds the Hebraic root meanings directly into the text to demonstrate how the verse functions in its original Hebrew context.

Notice what happens when we rely solely on Greek: the wordplay disappears, and with it the very reason the angel who appeared to Joseph (in a dream) gave for the name.

The Spirit/Soul Connection

Putting our Hebraic thinking cap on again, we have to determine how ‘spirit’ can be considered an action word. Does it connect in any way to our five senses through sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell?

Yes, if we take a deeper dive into the word for spirit–ruach (H7307) which Strong’s defines as wind, breath, or figuratively as life. Wind can be felt and heard as it blows.

By the word of YHWH were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath (wind) of his mouth. Psalm 33:6 (KJV)

So breath goes beyond the notion of being just an exchange of air in our lungs. It can also be understood as the driving force of a person; one that guides him in life. There are two types of spirits in a person’s life that guide him/her: their natural breath and the breath of the Most High. Ezekiel warns against prophets ‘that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing’. (Ezekiel 13:3) YHWH’s Ruach leads to life everlasting while living according to our ‘wind’ will inevitably lead to death.

The nephesh is the whole living person, and the ruach is the wind that drives that person, whether their own or YHWH’s.

An Argument Against Throwing Shade on Bible Translators

I had to add this section because admittedly in the past I have been frustrated by what I believed to be a conspiracy by some Bible publishers to distort the Word of God.

Earlier I mentioned that translations can carry meanings the authors never intended. That’s true, but it is rarely a conspiracy.

While I still think it is important to know who publishes your version of the Scripture, I now understand the difficulty behind translating an ancient language into a readable/understandable Bible.

We have to keep in mind that a publisher’s political leanings don’t necessarily mean the translation is purposefully distorted. The more useful question would be “How have corporate, doctrinal, or political interests of the translators influenced the way the Hebrew and Greek texts were rendered?”

Bias can enter a translation in these ways:

• Theological tradition
• Word selection
• “Christian” terminology
• Institutional or cultural pressures
• Political ideology

Theological distortions can include:

• How women in biblical ministry are presented
• The identity of Yeshua (rendering of John 1:1)
• Israel and the nations (Jews/Yehudi or Judeans)
• Judaism (religion) vs. Ancient Near Eastern Hebraic

There are no ‘perfect’ translations. However, I have learned over the years to compare and contrast multiple translations of a selected verse. I look for footnotes, consult Greek and Hebrew lexicons, examine context and separate translation from commentary.¹³

Final Thoughts on Greek Influence and Biblical Understanding

So, did Greek thinking shape how we understand Scripture? Based on my personal research I would say absolutely. What will I do with this revelation? Use this newfound realization to go deeper into the Word, relying on the breath of Yah–His Ruach– to guide me like a Shepherd as I navigate the pitfalls of this life.

After all, it’s not just about knowing. It is the action of doing what is commanded that is the hallmark of an obedient servant.

Study Aid Section

Here are the books referenced in this article. If you are interested in deeper study, I highly recommend the books listed below. Jeff Benner’s books are available through his website and various other online book retailers. Other links are GWDF affiliate links to Amazon.com.  If you decide to purchase through Amazon, this ministry will receive a small commission. Just click the book title and you will be taken to the book storefront.

Jeff A. Benner 

The Living Words, Volume One [Excavating the Bible]

Benner’s Mechanical Translation of the Torah [Mechanical Translation Project Website]

The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible [Amazon Link]

Thorleif Boman Hebrew Thought Compared with Greek [Amazon Link]

Edwin Hatch  The Influence of Greek Ideas and Usages Upon the Christian Church [Amazon Link]

Marvin R. Wilson  Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith [Amazon Link]

Robert Alter The Art of Biblical Narrative [Amazon Link]

John H. Walton Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible [Amazon Link]

James Barr  The Semantics of Biblical Language [Amazon Link]

FOOTNOTES

¹ For foundational scholarly works exploring ancient Hebraic thought, language, and culture versus Hellenistic or modern Western frameworks, see Thorleif Boman, Hebrew Thought Compared with Greek, trans. Jules L. Moreau (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960); John H. Walton, Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006); Marvin R. Wilson, Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1989); and Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, rev. ed. (New York: Basic Books, 2011)

² Boman’s thesis was famously challenged by James Barr in The Semantics of Biblical Language (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1961).

³ Benner, Jeff A., The Living Words, Volume One, Introduction, pages 2-5

⁴ Edwin Hatch, The Influence of Greek Ideas and Usages Upon the Christian Church: The Hibbert Lectures, 1888

⁵ Marvin R. Wilson makes a similar case in Our Father Abraham, arguing that Western Christianity lost much of the practical, relational character of Hebrew thought.

6 Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. (2003), s.v. “praise,” p. 975.

7 Hebrew was first written in an early alphabet (Paleo-Hebrew) whose letter shapes descend from pictures, such as an ox head for aleph. During and after the Babylonian exile, scribes gradually adopted the Aramaic ‘square’ script used in Hebrew Bibles today, though Paleo-Hebrew remained in limited use for centuries.

⁸ The same phrase, nephesh chayah, also describes the sea creatures and birds of Day five (Gen 1:20–21), while Day 6 covers land animals created alongside mankind.

⁹ The Living Words, Volume One, Jeff A. Benner. (Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc., 2007) Page 51

¹⁰ Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. (2003), s.v. “breath,” p. 153.

¹¹ Chapter 9 (“Agency and Prolepsis”) of The Gospel Worth Dying For (https://gospelworthdyingfor.com/pdf-copy/)explores the Hebrew concept of shêm (name) and how acting “in the name” of another establishes full legal authority and representation in the biblical worldview. This foundational understanding of agency explains how divine power, messengers, and representatives operate throughout scripture.

¹² Shem Tov Matthew survives in a 14th century Jewish polemical work by Shem-Tob ibn Shaprut, written around 1380. The standard edition is by George Howard, Hebrew Gospel of Matthew (Mercer University Press, 1995). Benner routinely produces his own literal translations directly from Hebrew texts (including Shem Tov) in order to bring out the underlying Hebraic root meanings and wordplays for English readers. See page 50 in The Living Words, Volume One.

¹³ A word-for-word translation is not guaranteed to be accurate either. Hebrew and Greek grammar sometimes require an English expression that differs considerably from the original word order. However a translation that is transparent regarding interpretive decisions made by the editor gives more opportunity for the student of Scripture to evaluate independently.