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Language Adam was created with a vocabulary, as well as with the ability to coin new words and so expand his vocabulary. Gen 2:18+19 Now Jehovah God had been forming from the ground every wild animal of the field and every flying creature of the heavens, and he began bringing them to the man to see what he would call each one; and whatever the man would call each living creature, that became its name. So the man named all the domestic animals and the flying creatures of the heavens and every wild animal of the field. Without a vocabulary the newly created man would have been no more able to comprehend verbal instructions from God than were the unreasoning animals. Language did not originate with man but with his creator. Gen 1:27 God went on to create the man in His image, in God’s image He created him An article in Science Illustrated of July 1948, p. 63 states: "Older forms of the languages known today were far more difficult than their modern descendants and man appears not to have begun with a simple speech, and gradually made it more complex, but rather to have gotten hold of a tremendously knotty speech somewhere in the unrecorded past, and gradually simplified it to the modern forms." Linguist Dr. Mason also points out that "the idea that 'savages' speak in a series of grunts, and are unable to express many 'civilized' concepts, is very wrong." and that "many of the languages of non-literate peoples are far more complex than modern European ones." Science News Letter, Sept. 3, 1955, p. 148 The evidence is thus against any evolutionary origin of speech or of ancient languages. The well known lexicographer Ludwig Koehler wrote: "However manifold animal expression may be they lack concept and thought, the essential domain of human language but what actually happens in speech, how the spark of perception kindles the spirit of mankind to become the spoken word, eludes our grasp. Human speech is a secret; it is a divine gift, a miracle." Journal of Semitic studies, Manchester, 1956, p. 11. Language has been employed by God for untold ages. He communicated with His heavenly firstborn and used Him in communicating with His other spirit sons as well as with humankind. Hence that firstborn was called "the Word". The apostle Paul made inspired reference to "tongues of men and of angels" (1Cor 13:1) Nimrod, a grandson of Ham, opposed Jehovah by encouraging the building of a high tower called Babel to "make a name for themselves." As a consequence God confused the language of the people so that they could not understand one another and they had to stop building their city and the tower and go to different places with those who spoke the same language. (Gen 11:1-9) God did not confuse the language of Noah and Shem and those who 'stuck' to them. This way they could stay together and continue to serve God. The Bible does not say that all languages descended, or branched off, from Hebrew but the descendants of Noah's sons are listed and in each case are grouped 'according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, by their nations' (Gen 10:5,20, 31, 32) It appears, therefore, that, when miraculously confusing human language, Jehovah God produced, not dialects of Hebrew, but a number of completely new languages, each capable of expressing the full range of human feeling and thought. Apparently the original languages resulting form divine action at Babel in course of time produced related dialects, and the dialects frequently developed into separate languages, their relationship to their 'sister' dialects or to the 'parent' dialect language sometimes becoming almost indistinguishable. Even Shem's descendants, who apparently did not figure amoung the crowd at Babel, came to speak not only Hebrew but also Aramaean, Akkadian and Arabic. Sir Henry Rawlinson, Oriental language scholar, observed: "If we were to be thus guided by the mere intersection of linguistic paths, and independently of all reference to the scriptural record, we should still be led to fix on the plains of Shinar, as the focus from which the various lines had radiated." The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, London, 1855, Vol. 15, p. 232 While the Hebrews of Old Testament times may have learned other languages during their travels and sojourns Hebrew remained their 'mother tongue'. It wasn't until Nehemiah's time that the sons of mixed marriages amoung the returned Jews from Babylon did not know Hebrew. (Nehemiah 13:23-25) Nehemiah's concern was for 'pure worship' and he understood the importance of understanding the Sacred Scriptures and that oneness of language in itself would also be a unifying force amoung the people. The Hebrew Scriptures doubtless were a major factor in the stability of the Hebrew language. During the thousand -year period of their being written virtually no change in language is noted. During the time of Jesus' ministry, Palestine had become a polyglot society and region although there is solid evidence that the Jews still retained their use of Hebrew, but that Aramaic and Koine were also spoke. Latin, too, appeared on official inscriptions of the Roman rulers of the land. On the day of Pentecost, 33 C.E., the holy spirit was poured out on the Christian disciples in Jerusalem, and they suddenly began speaking in many languages that they had never studied and learned. Jehovah God had demonstrated at Babel His miraculous ability to place different vocabularies and different grammars in the minds of people. At Pentecost He did so again but with a major difference, for the Christians suddenly gifted with the power to speak new languages did not forget their original tongue, Hebrew, with the effect of a different purpose. Not that of dispersal of peoples but of the enlightenment and drawing together of people of honest heart into Christian unity. (Acts 2:1-21, 37-42) People were to put language to its most exalted use, praising their Creator and up-building their neighbour with wholesome, truthful speech, especially the Good News about God's Kingdom. (Mt 24:14; Tit2:Seven+8; Heb 13:15; compare Ps 51:15; 109:30) Since the birth of the Christian congregation the 'purity' of the language spoken by them is free from words expressing malicious bitterness, anger, wrath, screaming and similar abusive language, as well as being free from deceit, obscenity and corruptness. As the time draws near for God to execute His judicial decision upon all the nations of the world, Jehovah has enabled many more to speak this pure language. Today, the Bible is available in upwards of 1800 languages. This has facilitated the proclamation of the Good News and has contributed to overcoming the barrier of language divisions for the purpose of uniting people of many lands in pure worship of their Creator, God. It remains to be seen, in the New World, whether we will again speak the one language of God, whether that will be Hebrew or another language of God's making, but it is one of the many blessings we have the great privilege of looking forward to finding out. Yours, Katidid. |
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