Translating Greek Back to Hebrew

The New Testament was first written in Koine Greek (with possible exception of the Gospel of Matthew), yet its soul is profoundly Hebrew. Its authors, including Matthew, John, Peter, and Paul, thought in Semitic categories even as they wrote in the Greek language. This unique fusion is sometimes called “Judeo-Greek” or “Jewish Greek,” which means (among other things) that this kind of Greek that names, places, and phrases often conceals Hebrew origins behind their Greek letters. Recognizing these nuances transforms our reading, as seemingly foreign terms suddenly unlock rich biblical meanings. There are thousands of examples of this phenomenon, but here are a few just to give you some examples.

Armageddon

The word “Armageddon” conjures vivid images of a final, apocalyptic battle, yet its origins are surprisingly rooted in geography and linguistics. The term comes directly from the Greek New Testament, specifically Revelation 16:16, where it is written as Ἁρμαγεδών (Harmagedōn). However, its deeper origin is Hebrew. The Greek word is a transliteration of two Hebrew terms combined: הַר (har), meaning “mountain” or “hill,” and מְגִדּוֹן (Megiddon), a place name. Thus, Armageddon literally means “Mount of Megiddo” (or “Hill of Megiddo”). This reading makes even more sense once we remember that the original Greek writing of the New Testament was done in all capital letters and no spaces between words (ΗΑΡΜΑΓΕΔΩΝ).

The meaning of מְגִדּוֹן is itself uncertain. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning “to cut” or “to be fortunate,” but the most significant fact is that Megiddo is a real geographical location. Har Megiddo refers to a multi-layered artificial hill formed by centuries of successive settlements in northern Israel. This ancient fortress city guarded a crucial pass on the international trade and military route between Egypt and modern Iraq (Mesopotamia). King Solomon famously fortified Megiddo to protect the northern borders of his kingdom (1 Kings 9:15). Though relatively small portions of its ancient walls and gates remain intact today, the site’s strategic and symbolic importance has endured for millennia.

Capernaum

In the Greek language, Καπερναούμ (Kapernaoum) has no inherent meaning. However, when you spell it in Hebrew, its significance becomes much clearer. Capernaum is most likely derived from כְּפַר נַחוּם (Kfar Nachum), which translates directly as “Nahum’s village.” This town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee became the primary base of Yeshua’s/Jesus’s public ministry. The Gospels frequently mention Capernaum as the “own city” of Jesus (Matthew 9:1), where he healed the centurion’s servant, cast out unclean spirits, and called his first disciples, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, from their fishing boats.

Bethesda

Found in John 5:2, this Greek name (Βηθεσδά) refers to a pool in Jerusalem with five porticoes, where Jesus healed a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years. In Greek, the name is unknown, but when retroverted to Hebrew, it likely comes from בֵּית חֶסֶד (Beit Chesed), meaning “House of Mercy” or “House of Grace.” At another stage, I will explain why there is a significant chance this pool was not Jewish at all, serving the needs of many Roman soldiers and merchants residing in Jerusalem at that time and dedicated to the very well-known cult of Asclepius. However, that is a fascinating topic for another article. Don’t get me going here.

Golgotha

All four Gospels mention this place as the site of Jesus’s crucifixion (Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, and John 19:17). The Greek text provides the name as Γολγοθᾶ (Golgotha), which it explicitly translates for the reader as “Place of the Skull.” But the Greek name itself is a direct transliteration of the Hebrew word גֻּלְגֹּלֶת (gulgōlet), which means “skull.” In the Hebrew Bible, this same word is used for the head or skull in various contexts, including census counting (Numbers 1:2, where “every head” is literally “every skull”). Why was the hill outside Jerusalem called Golgotha? Some suggest it was the shape of the rock formation that resembled a human skull. Others propose it was a place of execution where skulls would naturally accumulate. Regardless of the exact origin, the Hebrew meaning is unmistakable. When the Gospel writers record that Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, they are not giving a Greek name but preserving a Hebrew place name that evokes both the physical reality of death and the horror of public execution. The resurrection, then, becomes all the more powerful: the place of death became the site of resurrection.

Siloam

In John 9:7, Jesus heals a man born blind by sending him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The Greek name is Σιλωάμ (Silōam). Once again, the name is a transliteration of a Hebrew name, specifically שִׁלֹּחַ (Shiloach) or שֶׁלַח (Shelach), meaning “Sent.” The Gospel writer John actually notes this meaning for his readers: “Sent” (ἀπεσταλμένος). The pool was a destination where water was “sent” from the Gihon spring through an underground tunnel. The pool of Siloam was a real water source in Jerusalem, an ancient engineering feat. Could it be that John is connecting the name of the pool with the nature of Jesus’ mission? Probably.

Conclusion

The New Testament speaks in Greek, but it thinks in Hebrew. From the “Mount of Megiddo” to “Nahum’s village,” from the “House of Mercy” to the “Place of the Skull” and the “Sent” pool of Siloam, the text reveals a landscape not of abstract theology but of dirt, stone, and covenant memory. Every name, every phrase, carries whispers of Hebrew prophets, psalms, and promises.