What languages was the Bible originally written in?

The Bible was originally written in three different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Each of these languages was used at different times and places when the Bible was being written.

1. Hebrew: Most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. Hebrew was the language of the Jewish people, who are the main characters in the Old Testament. This is the language used in the stories of Adam and Eve, Moses, David, and many of the prophets. For example, the book of Genesis starts with, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This was originally written in Hebrew.
2. Aramaic: Some small parts of the Old Testament were written in Aramaic. Aramaic was a common language in the Middle East during the time of some of the later prophets. It’s like when you use a few words from another language that everyone around you understands. An example is in the book of Daniel, where some sections (like Daniel 2:4b-7:28) are written in Aramaic because they deal with events in the Babylonian empire, where Aramaic was spoken.
3. Greek: The New Testament was written in Greek. Greek was the most common language in the Roman Empire when the New Testament was written, so it was used to reach as many people as possible. For instance, the Gospels which tell the story of Jesus, like the book of Matthew, were written in Greek. This helped the message of Jesus spread all over the world.

Here are three main things to remember about the languages of the Bible:

1. Different languages for different people: The Bible was written in these languages because those were the languages people spoke where and when the Bible was written. It helped everyone understand God’s word better.
2. A tool for spreading messages: By using common languages like Greek, the Bible could be read by many people across different lands, not just where it was originally written.
3. Cultural diversity: The use of different languages shows how the Bible is connected to many cultures and places. It wasn’t just a book for one group of people but for everyone.

These points help us see how the Bible was written in a way that was meant to be shared with as many people as possible, using languages that they could understand.