Hebraïs (Ἑβραΐς) is a Greek noun meaning “Hebrew” language. Although it literally means “in Hebrew,” the term is commonly used to refer to the Aramaic dialect spoken by the Jews in the 1st century. While the Jewish people of that time primarily spoke a form of Aramaic, it was often referred to as “Hebrew” due to its association with Jewish identity and Scripture. This does not imply that Aramaic and Hebrew are identical languages. Rather, hebraïs (Ἑβραΐς)is a broad term referring to the native Semitic tongue of the Jews.
The Hebrew word for the Aramaic language is אֲרָמִית (ʾărāmît), whereas the word for the Hebrew language is יְהוּדִית (yĕhûḏît), describing the language of the Kingdom of Judah. The noun ʾărāmît is derived from אֲרָם (ʾărām), which refers to the region or people of Aram (ancient Syria), as seen in 2 Kings 18:26 and Ezra 4:7.
In Jerusalem there was a pool by the Sheep Gate, called in Hebrew Bethesda—meaning “house of favor” (John 5:2).
When Pilate sought to release Jesus, the Jews cried out that if he did so, he was not a friend of Caesar. In response, Pilate brought Jesus out and sat Him upon the judgment seat (bēma) in a place called Lithostrotos (λιθόστρωτος)—a stone-paved area which, in Hebrew, was referred to as Gabbatha, meaning “elevated place.” It was located in an open, public courtyard paved with stone (John 19:13).
Jesus, bearing His own cross, went out to the place called “The Place of a Skull”—Kraníou Tópos in Greek, and Golgotha in Hebrew, meaning “Skull” (cf. 2 Kings 9:35; John 19:17). Upon the cross of Jesus, Pilate wrote in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” This inscription was written in direct opposition to the Jewish leadership, who had demanded His crucifixion (John 19:20).
When the demons from the abyss are released during the Tribulation period, they have a king over them who is called in Hebrew Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon (Revelation 9:11). These are titles for Satan, the destroyer, for he is the king of the fallen angels (Ephesians 2:2; John 12:31; Ezekiel 28:12–19). Abaddon is an Aramaic transliteration from the Hebrew אֲבַדּוֹן (ʾăḇaddôn), which is derived from the root אָבַד (ʾābad), meaning “to destroy.”
At the end of the Tribulation, just before Christ returns to claim His possession, three unclean spirits—sent with authority from the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet—will gather the kings of the nations to a place called Armageddon in Hebrew (Revelation 16:14). Armageddon is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew phrase הַר מְגִדּוֹן (Har Megiddo), meaning “the hill of Megiddo.” Megiddo is a location in northern Israel, a hilly region known for its strategic military advantage (Judges 5:19; 2 Kings 23:29; Joshua 17:11).
Hebraïs (Ἑβραΐς) means “in Hebrew” and refers to the Aramaic dialect spoken by the Jews during the 1st century. This dialect declined in use after the Muslim conquests of the 7th century, as Arabic supplanted Aramaic as the dominate language. Jewish Aramaic developed into several dialects throughout Israel’s history, largely as a result of foreign captivities. Babylonian Aramaic, in particular, became the primary dialect for rabbinic scholarship and served for centuries as the administrative, liturgical, and scholarly language of empires and religious communities. Aramaic still survives today in liturgical and modern dialects among small Christian and Jewish communities.
Therefore, since Hebrew and Aramaic are not the same language, Ἑβραΐς is properly translated as “Hebrew,” not “Aramaic.” Historically and linguistically, it refers to the Semitic dialect spoken by Jews at that time—Aramaic in daily use, yet closely connected to Hebrew in Scripture, liturgy, and ethnic-religious identity.