What is…
Syriac

also known as: Syriack, Syriac Aramaic, Ancient Syriac, Classical Syriac, or Aramaic

Syriac Aramaic is the Semitic language of ancient Syria and is a dialect of Aramaic, and very similar to Hebrew in sound. It was also used in Iraq and Turkey.

Aramaic comes from the ancient land of Aram, whose inhabitants are called Arameans. They are descendants of Noah’s son, Shem. Two of Aram’s capitals were Damascus and Haran.

The Chaldee language is another Aramaic dialect, and was used by the Old Testament authors in certain portions, such as: Dan. 2:4-7, 28; Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Genesis 31:46; Jeremiah 10:11.

Aramaic is the language that Jesus Christ most commonly spoke, in addition to Hebrew and probably Greek. He spoke the Galilean dialect of Aramaic.

The language is very similar to Hebrew and somewhat like Arabic.

Aramaic characters in Syriac script

Aramaic is written from right-to-left ←, opposite to the English language. Other languages that are writen right-to-left are Hebrew, Persian, Arabic, Azeri, Divehi, Fula, Kurdish, N'ko, Rohingya, and Urdu.

Example (Genesis 1:1)

What did Aramaic sound like?

The name of Jesus in Aramaic has 4 characters and is written in Syriac script as… ܝܫܘܥ
It is pronounced E'sho or Eashoa. These Aramaic characters (right-to-left) are…

In comparison, the 4 Hebrew characters are…   יֵשׁוּעַ

Scripture’s uses of Aramaic

In the New Testament, there are several Aramaic-based words, such as…

• “Raca” (Matthew 5:22)

• “Ephphatha” (Mark 7:34)

• “Maranatha” (1 Corinthians 16:22).

• “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” (Mark 15:34) —translation: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

  Ancient Aramaic transliteration: Eil, Eil, l'manna sh'wik-thani

  ܘܒ݂ܰܬ݂ܫܰܥ ܫܳܥܺܝܢ ܩܥܳܐ ܝܶܫܽܘܥ ܒ݁ܩܳܠܳܐ ܪܳܡܳܐ ܘܶܐܡܰܪ ܐܺܝܠ ܐܺܝܠ ܠܡܳܢܳܐ ܫܒ݂ܰܩܬ݁ܳܢܝ ܕ݁ܺܐܝܬ݂ܶܝܗ ܐܰܠܳܗܝ ܐܰܠܳܗܝ ܠܡܳܢܳܐ ܫܒ݂ܰܩܬ݁ܳܢܝ܂

  —Mark 15:34

  At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” —Mark 15:34 NASB

  Matthew 27:46 gives the Hebrew transliteration: “Eli, Eli” / Hebrew: Ἠλὶ, Ἠλὶ

Aramaic Bible

A Syriac Aramaic version of the Old Testament, containing all the canonical books, along with some Apocryphal books (called the Peshitto —meaning: a simple translation, and not a paraphrase), was made early in the 2nd century, and is therefore the first Christian translation of the Old Testament. It was made directly from the original, and not from the Septuagint Version.

The New Testament was also translated from Greek into Syriac about the same time. It is noticeable that this version does not contain the 2nd and 3rd Epistles of John, 2 Peter, Jude, and the Apocalypse. These were, however, translated subsequently and placed in the Aramaic Bible.

Biblical references

The King James Bible refers 3 times to “Syriac” or “Syrian language.” This is more correctly translated “Aramaic,” as it appears in the New King James Bible and New American Standard Bible

• 2 Kings 18:26 KJV

  KJV: “Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.”

  NKJV, NASB, ESV: “…in Aramaic…”

• Ezra 4:7 KJV

  KJV: “And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.”

  NKJV: “…written in Aramaic script, and translated into the Aramaic language…”

  NASB: “And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated from Aramaic.”

• Dan. 2:4 KJV

  KJV: “Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.”

  NKJV, NASB, ESV: “…in Aramaic…”

Sample words in Syriac Aramaic

• ܓܕܣܡܢ —transliteration: Gaḏ-Šmānê (Gethsemane) —meaning: oil press
• ܝܶܫܽܘܥ —meaning: Jesus
• ܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܡܳܪܰܢ ܝܶܫܽܘܥ ܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ —meaning: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
• ܡܠܟܐ —malkā —meaning: king
• ܫܩ̈ܠܝܢ —šeqlin —meaning: taxes
• ܫܘܩܠܐ —šuqqālā —meaning: arrogance

More information

• What is Aram? and what are Arameans?
• About ancient Syria in the Bible
• Chaldee language—an Aramaic dialect
• About the Latin language
• Versions of the Bible
• Syriaca.org (off-site)
• Hebrew language
• The language of Canaan