Why Do So Many Christians Want to Learn Hebrew?

Everywhere I travel, I encounter Christians who hunger to study the Bible in its original Hebrew. Why are so many Christians drawn to learning Hebrew? This yearning runs deep—a desire to connect with Scripture in its purest form, to hear God’s voice as intended. Learning a new language in adulthood is challenging, yet these dedicated believers persist. What has been lost in translation? When we study together, they ask about the true meaning behind familiar passages. “What does this word really mean?” they ask. “How does it change our understanding of this verse?”

But is this quest for linguistic accuracy the only reason why studying Hebrew matters? Is it merely about recovering something lost in translation, or does Hebrew itself hold a deeper significance in God’s divine plan?

The answer lies in the early chapters of Genesis, where we find a revelation about language itself. Before the Tower of Babel incident, Scripture tells us:

The sages understood this verse to mean that Hebrew was the original, universal language of humanity—the language of creation itself, the very words God spoke when forming our world.

After humanity’s hubris at Babel, this unity shattered.

From this scattering emerged what the sages call the “seventy nations,” based on the genealogies in Genesis 10. Each nation inherited just a fragment—one-seventieth—of Adam’s original, complete identity.

This fragmentation extended to language. Each nation developed its own tongue that expresses its unique worldview and values. The differences between languages go far beyond vocabulary and grammar—they represent fundamentally different ways of perceiving reality. Each language serves as an identity card for its nation, reflecting the specific portion of truth that nation carries. Language actively shapes how its speakers conceptualize the world, determining what they can easily express and what becomes difficult to articulate.

This explains why people from different cultures with different languages have such difficulty understanding each other. It’s not just a matter of words requiring translation. They literally see the world differently. Chinese people and American people, for example, have linguistic differences that reflect much deeper cultural differences, different values, and different elements of God’s truth that each culture emphasizes more strongly than the other. This is why translation is never perfect—certain concepts simply don’t transfer cleanly between different linguistic frameworks.

Hebrew stands apart from these fragmented languages. It isn’t just one cultural perspective among many—it’s universal, containing within it the fullness of divine truth. God used speech to create our world. “With ten utterances the world was created” (Mishna Avot 5:1). These divine words, spoken in Hebrew, brought forth the entire cosmos. Every letter, every syllable in Hebrew carries creative power.

Unlike other languages that reflect only partial truths, Hebrew captures all of existence. It’s not merely the national language of the Jewish people—it’s the language of creation itself. When God said “Yehi or” (“Let there be light”), light burst forth. When He named the animals, their names in Hebrew defined their essence. The kabbalists teach that even now, God continually recreates the world through Hebrew, each creation drawing its vitality from its Hebrew name.

The prophet Zephaniah reveals that Hebrew will one day return as humanity’s universal language:

The medieval commentator Ibn Ezra identifies this “pure speech” as Hebrew—the language all humanity will speak in the messianic era.

Today, we witness nations across the globe taking clear sides—either standing with Israel or aligning against it. This division is no accident but part of the divine sorting process. When those who attack Israel and the Bible are finally defeated, Israel will fulfill its destiny as a unifying nation, with Hebrew at the center of this global transformation.

The revival of Hebrew as a spoken language today is nothing less than a miraculous sign of the coming redemption. Never before in human history has an ancient language been brought back from the dead and transformed into a living, breathing tongue! When Jewish pioneers returned to their ancestral homeland, they accomplished what linguists deemed impossible—resurrecting a language that had not been spoken in daily life for nearly 2,000 years. This fulfillment of prophecy is happening before our eyes.

But this remarkable revival is just the beginning. The day draws near when all of humanity will speak God’s language, when the fractured pieces of Adam’s original identity will be reunited, when Babel’s confusion will finally end. Learning Hebrew now isn’t just about understanding Scripture better—it’s about preparing for the day when God’s universal language will once again unite all humankind in service to the One Creator.

As redemption approaches, now is the perfect time to begin learning Hebrew. For those interested in taking their first steps with this sacred language, I recommend “75 Hebrew Words You Need to Understand the Bible“—a concise guide that offers an accessible entry point while deepening your connection to Scripture. 

—————————————————————————————————————————–

The World Zionist Congress determines how nearly $1 billion is allocated annually to support Israel and global Jewish communities. In our post-October 7th world, Israel365 Action stands against a Palestinian state in Judea & Samaria and affirms the Jewish people’s right to their Biblical homeland. Help shape Israel’s future! 

For Jews – this is your opportunity to take meaningful action. By voting for Israel365 Action (Slate #7), you are standing with the Bible and for an Israeli society based on biblical values.

For Christians – your voice is equally vital. We urge you to CLICK HERE and join Ten from the Nations today. Join our team of righteous Christians and encourage your Jewish friends to vote. Please be a part of this historic effort to stand for biblical values in Israel.