'Language' in the Bible

The coastland peoples spread out into their lands. These are Japheth’s sons by their clans, in their nations. Each group had its own language.

These are Ham's descendants, listed by their families, each with their own lands, language, and family groups.

These are Shem's descendants, listed by their families, each with their own lands, language, and family groups.

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

And I will bless (do good for, benefit) those who bless you,And I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you.And in you all the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed.”

They were not conscious that the sense of their words was clear to Joseph, for he had been talking to them through one who had knowledge of their language.

Look! Your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that I am speaking to you [personally in your language and not through an interpreter].

The Lord will bring a nation from far away, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down on you like an eagle, a nation whose language you don’t understand,

it will be a nation whose language you don't understand, whose stern appearance neither shows regard nor extends grace to anyone whether old or young.

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.

Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:

His spokesmen shouted these things out with loud voices in the language of Judah to frighten and terrify the people of Jerusalem who were stationed on the city walls, to make it easier to conquer the city.

While Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their co-conspirators wrote in the Aramaic language and script to King Artaxerxes of Persia. Aramaic:

And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.

For he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people.

Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.

Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.

Your iniquity teaches you what to say,and you choose the language of the crafty.

There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their language to the extremity of the world. In them hath he set a tent for the sun,

Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

He who has a crooked mind finds no good,And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil.

sends couriers by sea,in reed vessels on the waters.Go, swift messengers,to a nation tall and smooth-skinned,to a people feared far and near,a powerful nation with a strange language,whose land is divided by rivers.

At that time a gift will be brought to Yahweh of Hosts from a people tall and smooth-skinned, a people feared far and near, a powerful nation with a strange language, whose land is divided by rivers—to Mount Zion, the place of the name of Yahweh of Hosts.

In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction.

So He will speak to this peoplewith stammering speechand in a foreign language.

You will no longer see the barbarians,a people whose speech is difficult to comprehend—who stammer in a language that is not understood.

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

Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

“How can you say, ‘We are wise,And the law of the Lord is with us [and we are learned in its language and teachings]’?Behold, [the truth is that] the lying pen of the scribesHas made the law into a lie [a mere code of ceremonial observances].

For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;

Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace—and to teach them the Chaldean language and literature.

Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

A herald loudly proclaimed, “People of every nation and language, you are commanded:

Therefore, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and every kind of music, people of every nation and language fell down and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

King Nebuchadnezzar, To those of every people, nation, and language, who live in all the earth: May your prosperity increase.

Due to the greatness that he bestowed on him, all peoples, nations, and language groups were trembling with fear before him. He killed whom he wished, he spared whom he wished, he exalted whom he wished, and he brought low whom he wished.

Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live in all the earth: “May your prosperity abound.

He was given authority to rule,and glory, and a kingdom;so that those of every people,nation, and languageshould serve Him.His dominion is an everlasting dominionthat will not pass away,and His kingdom is onethat will not be destroyed.

For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

The Lord of Hosts says this: “In those days, 10 men from nations of every language will grab the robe of a Jewish man tightly, urging: Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

But let your language be, 'Yes, yes,' or 'No, no.' Anything in excess of this comes from the Evil one.

"Such language is impious," said some of the Scribes among themselves.

He then spoke many things to them in figurative language. "The sower goes out," He said, "to sow.

(And His disciples came and asked Him, "Why do you speak to them in figurative language?"

I speak to them in figurative language for this reason, that while looking they do not see, and while hearing they neither hear nor understand.

All this Jesus spoke to the people in figurative language, and except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them,

in fulfilment of the saying of the Prophet, "I will open my mouth in figurative language, I will utter things kept hidden since the creation of all things."

"Explain to us this figurative language," said Peter.

Again Jesus spoke to them in figurative language.

"When you have seen (to use the language of the Prophet Daniel)

Then the High Priest tore his robes and exclaimed, "Impious language! What further need have we of witnesses! See, you have now heard the impiety.

So He called them to Him, and using figurative language He appealed to them, saying, "How is it possible for Satan to expel Satan?

Then He proceeded to teach them many lessons in figurative language; and in His teaching He said,

When He was alone, the Twelve and the others who were about Him requested Him to explain His figurative language.

"To you," He replied, "has been entrusted the secret truth concerning the Kingdom of God; but to those others outside your number all this is spoken in figurative language;

But except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them; while to His own disciples He expounded everything, in private.

thefts, covetousness, wickednesses, deceit, licentiousness, a wicked eye, injurious language, haughtiness, folly;

Then He began to speak to them in figurative language. "There was once a man," He said, "who planted a vineyard, fenced it round, dug a pit for the wine-tank, and built a strong lodge. Then he let the place to vine-dressers and went abroad.

Those who were passing by were insulting Him with abusive and insolent language, wagging their heads [as a sign of contempt], and saying, “Ha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in [only] three days,

Now, see, you will be without voice or language till the day when these things come about, because you had not faith in my words, which will have effect at the right time.

And they were greatly impressed by His teaching, because He spoke with the language of authority.

All were astonished and awe-struck; and they asked one another, "What sort of language is this? For with authority and real power He gives orders to the foul spirits and they come out."

He also spoke in figurative language to them. "No one," He said, "tears a piece from a new garment to mend an old one. Otherwise he would not only spoil the new, but the patch from the new would not match the old.

He also spoke to them in figurative language. "Can a blind man lead a blind man?" He asked; "would not both fall into the ditch?

So in figurative language He asked them,

And having watched him, they sent out suborned persons, pretending to be just men, that they might take hold of him in his language, so that they might deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.

“He who comes from [heaven] above is above all others; he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks [about things] of the earth [his viewpoint and experience are earthly]. He who comes from heaven is above all.

Jesus spoke to them in this figurative language, but they did not understand what He meant.

Others were saying, “These are not the words and thoughts of one possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

"I have said these things to you in figurative language. The time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

“Ah!” His disciples said. “Now You’re speaking plainly and not using any figurative language.

This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that in their own language that field is called Hakeldama (that is, Field of Blood).

Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

How is it that each of us can hear in our own native language?

Yet we all alike hear these Galilaeans speaking in our own language about the wonderful things which God has done."

Then [to attack him another way] they secretly instructed men to say, “We have heard this man [Stephen] speak blasphemous (slanderous, sacrilegious, abusive) words against Moses and against God.”

When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the form of men!”

And this is in harmony with the language of the Prophets, which says:

But upon their opposing him with abusive language, he shook his clothes by way of protest, and said to them, "Your ruin will be upon your own heads. I am not responsible: in future I will go among the Gentiles."

After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language: >

When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter.

We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

But if our unrighteousness sets God's righteousness in a clearer light, what shall we say? (Is God unrighteous--I speak in our everyday language-- when He inflicts punishment?

For this is the language of the promise: "At this time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."

When I came to you, brothers, I didn't come and tell you about God's secret with rhetorical language or wisdom.

And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom [using clever rhetoric], but [they were delivered] in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit [operating through me] and of [His] power [stirring the minds of the listeners and persuading them],

We also speak of these things, not in words taught or supplied by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual thoughts with spiritual words [for those being guided by the Holy Spirit].

But the sense of my letter was that if a brother had the name of being one who went after the desires of the flesh, or had the desire for other people's property, or was in the way of using violent language, or being the worse for drink, or took by force what was not his, you might not keep company with such a one, or take food with him.

Or is a thief, or the worse for drink, or makes use of strong language, or takes by force what is not his, will have any part in the kingdom of God.

When I was a child, I made use of a child's language, I had a child's feelings and a child's thoughts: now that I am a man, I have put away the things of a child.

For the person who speaks in another language is not speaking to men but to God, since no one understands him; however, he speaks mysteries in the Spirit.