Ἑβραϊστί
Hebraïstí
G1447 adverb
SILEX Entry
Definition
In the Hebrew language; in Hebrew speech or style. Refers specifically to the use of the Hebrew language when speaking or writing, especially in the context of distinguishing between Greek and Hebrew as languages. Can indicate not only language but sometimes, by extension, reference forms of speech or expression characteristic of Hebrew usage.
Semantic Range
in Hebrew, in the Hebrew language, in Hebrew style; (by extension, in the vernacular or ancestral language of Judeans or Israelites, potentially including Aramaic in Hellenistic/Roman usage)
Root / Etymology
Adverbial formation from Ἑβραΐς ('Hebrew' language, G1446), constructed with the common Greek adverbial suffix -ιστί ('in the manner/language of'). The root ultimately derives from Ἑβραῖος (Hebraios), meaning 'Hebrew.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ἑβραϊστί appears only in later Greek and is used in the New Testament (John 5:2; 19:13, 17, 20; 20:16; Acts 21:40; 22:2; 26:14) to designate speech or writing in Hebrew as opposed to Greek or Latin. In this period, 'Hebrew' could sometimes refer more broadly to the Aramaic dialect spoken among Judeans, but the literary convention retained the older term 'Hebrew' (Ἑβραϊστί) for both the Biblical Hebrew language and the Aramaic vernacular, especially in Greek sources. In the LXX and other Hellenistic writings, such adverbial forms (e.g., Ἑλληνιστί for 'in Greek') served to clarify linguistic differences among populations of the eastern Mediterranean. Standard English translations render this as "in Hebrew," although some modern scholarship notes that, contextually, the 'Hebrew' in question frequently refers to Aramaic. This reflects ancient usage, not an anachronism. The adverbial -ιστί suffix (cf. Ἑλληνιστί 'in Greek') marks expressions or languages by their origin or ethnic association, not implying identity with religious or political categories.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
adverb from Ἑβραΐς; Hebraistically or in the Jewish (Chaldee) language:--in (the) Hebrew (tongue).
Root Family
Ἑβραϊστί (Hebraisti) — Hebrew language, Hebrew speech, Hebrew style
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1447-01 |
Ἑβραϊστὶ | ebraisti | ADV |
in Hebrew | in Hebrew | 7 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1447-01 |
John 5:2 | Ἑβραϊστὶ | ebraisti | ADV |
in Hebrew | in Hebrew |
G1447-01 |
John 19:13 | Ἑβραϊστὶ | ebraisti | ADV |
in Hebrew | in Hebrew |
G1447-01 |
John 19:17 | Ἑβραϊστὶ | ebraisti | ADV |
in Hebrew | in Hebrew |
G1447-01 |
John 19:20 | Ἑβραϊστί | ebraisti | ADV |
in Hebrew | in Hebrew |
G1447-01 |
John 20:16 | Ἑβραϊστί | ebraisti | ADV |
in Hebrew | in Hebrew |
G1447-01 |
Revelation 9:11 | Ἑβραϊστὶ | ebraisti | ADV |
in Hebrew | |
G1447-01 |
Revelation 16:16 | Ἑβραϊστὶ | ebraisti | ADV |
in Hebrew | in Hebrew |