Original Word: אֲרָמִית
Part of Speech: Adverb
Transliteration: Aramiyth
Pronunciation: ah-rah-MEETH
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-aw-meeth')
KJV: in the Syrian language (tongue), in Syriac
NASB: Aramaic
Word Origin: [feminine of H761 (אֲרַמִּי - Aramean)]

1. (only adverbial)in Aramean

in the Syrian language, in Syriac

Feminine of 'Arammiy; (only adverbial)in Aramean -- in the Syrian language (tongue), in Syriac.

see HEBREW 'Arammiy

Word Origin
fem. of Arammi
Definition
the language of Aram (Syria)
NASB Translation
Aramaic (5).

אֲרָמִית adverb only of language in Aramaic 2 Kings 18:26 = Isaiah 36:11; Ezra 4:7 (twice in verse); Daniel 2:4.

ארם (√ of following; compare רום ?).

Definition and Scope

The term refers to the Aramaic language or anything written or spoken in that tongue. In the Old Testament it designates an international medium of diplomacy and commerce that stands alongside Hebrew within the canon.

Historical Development

Aramaic arose among the Aramean city–states of northern Syria. By the ninth century B.C. it had spread throughout Mesopotamia; by the Neo-Assyrian era it was the realm’s administrative speech; under the Medo-Persian empire it became the Near Eastern lingua franca. Israelites encountered it through trade, military conflict, and finally exile. When they returned from Babylon, Aramaic was the language of government, education, and daily conversation, a reality reflected in the post-exilic books.

Biblical Occurrences

• 2 Kings 18:26 – Hezekiah’s envoys beg the Assyrian field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it”. The request shows that court officials were bilingual, while common Judeans understood only Hebrew.
• Isaiah 36:11 – The identical scene, confirming the historicity of the account and illustrating how Aramaic functioned as an elite diplomatic code.
• Ezra 4:7 – Persian officials send a complaint to Artaxerxes. “The letter was written in Aramaic and then translated”. From 4:8 forward, Ezra switches to Aramaic until 6:18, resumes Hebrew, and later reverts to Aramaic in 7:12-26. The inspired author uses the very language of the court documents he cites.
• Daniel 2:4 – “Then the Chaldeans answered the king in Aramaic”. From this point through 7:28 the text itself is Aramaic, demonstrating both Daniel’s training in Babylonian schools and God’s desire to address the nations in their own speech.

Aramaic Sections of the Old Testament

Genesis 31:47 (place-name), Jeremiah 10:11 (a proverb against idolatry), Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26, and Daniel 2:4b-7:28. These passages total roughly 250 verses, testifying that the LORD’s revelation was not confined to one language or culture.

Theological Significance

1. Universality of God’s Rule – By employing the imperial language, Scripture proclaims that the God of Israel is Lord over all kingdoms, not merely over a Hebrew-speaking enclave (Daniel 4:1, 6:25).
2. Preservation of the Text – The bilingual nature of the canon underscores divine oversight; both Hebrew and Aramaic sections mutually affirm the historical narrative and prophetic message.
3. Model for Translation – Inspired Aramaic legitimizes translating God’s word into vernacular tongues without loss of authority, foreshadowing the Great Commission’s call to disciple “all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

Relationship to Hebrew

Hebrew and Aramaic are closely related Northwest Semitic dialects sharing script, vocabulary, and grammar. Their proximity enabled prophets, scribes, and later rabbis to move easily between them, much as modern believers navigate related languages today for study and mission.

Connection to the New Testament

Aramaic continued as the everyday speech of first-century Judea and Galilee. Gospel writers preserve Aramaic phrases from Jesus—“Talitha koumi” (Mark 5:41), “Ephphatha” (Mark 7:34), “Eloi, Eloi” (Mark 15:34)—linking the ministry of Christ to the linguistic heritage already present in Daniel and Ezra.

Application for Ministry

• Encourages pastors and teachers to engage original languages for accurate exposition.
• Validates translation work, reminding missionaries that Scripture itself crosses linguistic boundaries.
• Invites believers to marvel at God’s providence in preserving His word through changing empires and tongues.

Summary

Strong’s Hebrew 762 marks the strategic role of Aramaic in redemptive history—first as a diplomatic language heard at Jerusalem’s wall, then as the imperial medium of Persian decrees, and finally as the everyday speech in which Messiah’s words were first uttered. Its limited yet significant appearances anchor the unity, historicity, and global scope of Scripture.

אֲרָמִ֑ית אֲרָמִ֔ית אֲרָמִ֖ית אֲרָמִֽית׃ ארמית ארמית׃ ’ă·rā·mîṯ ’ărāmîṯ araMitInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts