Paul's Writing in Koine Judeo-Greek
Preview of Tov's upcoming book on the Apostle Paul
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Paul's Writing in Koine Judeo-Greek
Paul's letters are written in Koine Greek, but with a distinctive Jewish flavor, often termed Koine Judeo-Greek:
· Koine Judeo-Greek: This language incorporates Jewish idioms, phrases, and thought patterns into Greek, reflecting the cultural and linguistic milieu of Hellenistic Judaism. Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Rosenberg has extensively explored this phenomenon:
o In his book, The Jewish Apostle Paul: Rethinking One of the Greatest Jews that Ever Lived, Lizorkin-Rosenberg explains how Paul's Greek is infused with Jewish exegetical methods and theological concepts.⁷
o His blog posts on the Israel Bible Center website discuss how Paul's use of Greek reflects his Jewish identity and theology, offering examples of how he employs Jewish scriptural interpretation techniques within a Greek linguistic framework.⁸
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New Testament Midrash and Paul's Comprehensive Midrashim
· Forensic Confirmation of Paul's Midrashim: It has so far been forensically confirmed that seven of Paul's letters are complete midrashim (hermeneutics) of seven whole books of the Old Testament in chapter and verse order, including replicating changes in literary style in the source books (poetry, prose, narrative, song, etc):
o Genesis - Hebrews
o Exodus - Galatians
o Leviticus - Romans
o Numbers - 2 Timothy
o Deuteronomy - 1 Timothy
o Joshua - Titus
o Isaiah - Ephesians
· Paul's Midrashic Approach in Romans: In Romans 9-11, Paul explicitly states his position concerning who a "true Jew" is to clear up confusion among the antisemitic and Supersessionist Romans. He says that "True Jews" are those who are blood descendants of Abraham through Jacob/Israel. They are the Remnant of Israel who follow Messiah, while the rest of the Jewish people are "Cut Off" with the possibility of being "grafted back into their own olive tree." This should be considered Paul's definitive theological stance, expressed clearly in at least three places in his letter to the Romans. Gentiles, according to Paul, can never be and are never considered Jews, nor are they considered Israel. The "Commonwealth of Israel" includes Israel but does not erase the cultural distinctiveness God has sovereignly embedded, entrusted, and gifted to the original nations and bloodlines of Gentiles, whose gifts and calling from God are also irrevocable.⁹
· Paul's Midrashic Technique: Paul's Midrash in Romans 2:28-29 is his commentary on Leviticus, where verses 28 and 29 are part of two separate points. Romans 2:17-28 comments on Leviticus 7:1-38, while Romans 2:29-3:8 covers Leviticus 8:1-13. The key to understanding Paul's argumentation lies in recognizing how he uses the original terms from Leviticus in Romans, serving as a "fingerprint" of his Midrashic technique across his commentary letters.¹⁰
Midrashic Methods in Paul's Letters
Paul's writings are filled with what can be seen as midrashic techniques, where he interprets, expounds, and creatively reapplies