Do you want to drink the same drink as Yeshua? The ultimate goal of my life is both to understand Yeshua more, and to communicate Him more clearly to the world.
Some would argue that our use of Hebrew does just the opposite. I get it. Taking on any new language is a daunting task for many people, even if it’s just a subset of vocabulary. I’m different. Language is to me like a ball-pit is to a kid: dive in first, ask questions later. I’m fascinated with language. But, I’m also determined to find the origins of things! [I’d seek the foundation of the ball-pit, if I found a glimpse of the idea]. The Hebrew language, most would admit, is the foundational language of all “God-breathed”, divinely inspired Scripture.
In our new[ish] translation of the Scriptures, there are a lot of Hebrew terms that are ‘transliterated’, meaning we used English letters to help the reader say the Hebrew word, versus changing it to an English pronunciation, which often removes the meaning of the word from the mind of the reader. “Yeshua” is the most frequent and obvious word. His Name is very important to His identity and purpose. “Yeshua” means “Salvation”, and was not arbitrarily chosen by the Father for His Son, but chosen to communicate the nature of His mission:
21She will give birth to a son, and you will call His Name יֵשׁוּעַ [Yeshua]; for He shall save His people from their sins.” [Mat 1:21]
The explanation of why He’s called Yeshua is the last clause in the sentence above, and it is rendered : כִּי הוּא יוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת עַמּוֹ מֵחַטֹּאתֵיהֶם .
The attentive reader can see that יֵשׁוּעַ , Yeshua, and יוֹשִׁיעַ, yoshi’ah, are very similar. “Yoshi’ah” is “he shall save”. The concept of Salvation, then, is woven into His very Name. This sentence was spoken to “Yosef/Joseph”, Yeshua’s appointed, adoptive father, because it is the job of the Father of a Jewish boy to name his son. We see that given in the story of John the Immerser as well.
This is one of the main reasons why so many terms are transliterated in our offering. It is to give the diligent Student of The Word/”Talmid” the opportunity to learn the Scriptures at a deeper level, by understanding the nature of Hebrew terms.
Often, in other translations there are several English words that are used to translate one Hebrew term, which, to us, leaves the reader a mite mislead: חן is just one example. “Khen / חן” is ‘grace’, but in most translations is offered also as “mercy, compassion, favor,” and other renderings, which are not completely justified by context. “Kavod” is another; there are probably six or eight different English words used to translate that one Hebrew word.
The reverse can be true of translations, too. One example is מלא, which is often rendered as ‘fulfilled’, but the English reader does not see that this word in Hebrew also means “confirm”, and so certain verses become misleading to the English mind.
To appreciate the robust flavor of Hebrew, one would benefit greatly from being able to see the exact Hebrew word on the English side of the pages, so that the greater nuances of the word can be appreciated on the intellectual and spiritual pallet. To that end, our glossary was created to offer the reader who is new to the Hebrew terms the quickest route to understanding those terms.
We have not spent twelve + years on this work because we think all Bibles are bad, or that one MUST speak Hebrew to know God, or that every former translation is wicked. In fact, we still honor several of the older, more reliable Bibles in publication.
It is just so frustrating to us that there are indeed so many people out there making a mockery of the Hebrew nature of Scripture: we believe the Adversary has deliberately deceived those people to discredit any honest attempt at helping people understand truth. Yes, many “Hebrew Roots” people are in the weeds, even lost, and making a mockery of Faith. That is not us. We simply want to know Yeshua as Hebrews, as our “Kohen Gadol“, the one who is so miscommunicated to the world today in some way by every stream of doctrine.
The Name of יהוה , of course, was also one of our major motivating factors. Most people are taught to forget His Name, as the prophets said. We have a mandate to tell people of it, in spite of the Pharisee hatred of us for speaking it, or even bringing it up. This is why we use the Aramaic New Testament as our foundational BK text.
1From of old Elohim spoke to our fathers by the Nevi’im [Prophets] in many forms and in many ways; and in these Akharit HaYamim [Last Days] He has spoken to us by His Son, 2whom He has appointed as heir of all things, and by whom also He made the worlds; 3for He is the brightness of His Kavod, and the express image of His Nature, upholding all things by the power of His D’var; and when He had Himself cleansed our sins, then He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. 4And He is altogether greater than the Malakhim, just as the Name He has inherited is a more excellent Name than theirs. [Hebrews 1]
8He humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the stake; 9therefore, Elohim also has highly exalted Him and given Him a Name which is above every name, 10that at the Name of Yeshua every knee should bow, of those in heaven, of those on earth, and those under the earth, 11and every tongue shall confess that He, Yeshua HaMashi’akh, is יהוה , to the glory of Elohim His Father. [Phil 2]