The Miracle of Language: God’s Original Word Revealed

Based on episode 252 The Miracle of Language: Exploring God’s Original Word in Hebrew with Jeff Dodson

The Miracle of Language and God’s Design

Language is no accident. It is a creation of God, not a human invention. In this Bible Mysteries study, I discuss The Miracle of Language with my brother in Christ, Jeff Dodson. Together we look at how the very words we speak trace back to the moment God said, “Let there be light.” From the beginning, language has carried the power of His creative command.

Jeff brings insights from the book The Miracle of Language by Richard Lederer and his own research into Hebrew as the likely original language of creation. This discussion lays the foundation for a future series exploring the “four walls of a building”—wisdom, worship, knowledge, and prayer—showing how every wall begins with the Word itself.

God Spoke, and It Was So

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. —John 1:1 (KJV)

Creation began with spoken language. When God said, “Let there be…,” His words produced matter, life, and order. The miracle of language is that sound itself became substance. If, as Jeff suggests, God used Hebrew, then this ancient tongue holds echoes of divine speech. Recognizing this invites us to look beyond translation and see the living Word at work.

Hebrew: The Language of Creation and Covenant

Jeff explains that Hebrew may well be the language confounded at Babel (Genesis 11). Rather than inventing dozens of new tongues, God may have altered the one pure language, scattering nations through a single act of judgment. If so, every language today carries fragments of the original. Understanding Hebrew can help us trace those fragments back to the source and grasp scripture’s full intent.

How Language Shapes Biblical Understanding

The miracle of language continues as we read God’s Word. English is rich yet limited. Over centuries it has borrowed and blended—from Norman French to Latin—creating shortcuts and losing depth. Words like hospital or food terms such as beef and mutton show how history reshapes meaning.

Translation and Transliteration

Jeff reminds us that translation seeks the closest meaning, while transliteration carries the original sounds. Some Hebrew words have no perfect English match. The Passover, or Pesach, is one example. Appreciating these distinctions safeguards us from shallow or distorted readings.

A Call to Diligent Study

The apostle Paul urged believers to “study to shew thyself approved unto God… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Studying the miracle of language is one way we honor this call. By seeking to understand scripture in the language closest to its origin, we draw nearer to God’s heart.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. —Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)

Jeff’s teaching reminds us that the Lord rewards those who seek Him with careful attention to His words. Whether we learn Hebrew or simply commit to deeper study, we find rich blessing in the pursuit.

Building on the Foundation

Paul prayed that believers would “comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” (Ephesians 3:18). This picture of four dimensions points to a structure built on Christ the cornerstone. Before Jeff returns to teach on wisdom, worship, knowledge, and prayer, we must recognize that every wall of that spiritual building stands on the miracle of language—the Word by which all things exist.