Our English Language Seems so Inadequate
Intro: As I continue studying God’s Word, I’ve been reflecting on how our English language sometimes struggles to carry the depth, warmth, and nuance of God’s character. This post shares why I believe that happens, and why returning to the heart of Scripture—especially the Hebrew and Greek—can help us see our Father more clearly.
Our English Language Seems So Inadequate
As I’ve been studying God’s Word, I’ve come to feel that our English translations often fall short of what the original writers intended—especially when describing God’s character. Words like wrath, vengeance, hate, anger, and fear paint a picture that doesn’t seem to match the Father Jesus revealed to us. I don’t believe these English words always carry the meaning the Hebrew and Greek authors meant to convey.
Yeshua Himself taught us to understand God as Father:
“Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” — Matthew 23:9
The Hebrew Scriptures say the same:
“Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?” — Malachi 2:10
“But now, O Lord, You are our Father.” — Isaiah 64:8
These passages give us a very different picture of God than the harsh English words often suggest. When I look at God as Father, everything becomes clearer: He loves His children, judges justly, disciplines for our good, and desires restoration—not destruction.
Why English Struggles to Carry the Weight of God’s Word
Over time I’ve learned that Hebrew and Greek words often carry multiple shades of meaning. English tends to flatten them into one sharp definition. And our English Bibles usually come from Greek translations that came from Hebrew originals. That’s a long chain of meaning to preserve.
To make matters more complicated, ancient Hebrew manuscripts were carefully recopied and the old ones destroyed once verified. Meaning was preserved, but nuance can still be lost when moving between languages.
This is why I want to go deeper into Hebrew and Greek. Even though I don’t read those languages, tools like the Ultimate Bible Study Suite have helped me see how rich the original words truly are.
Misunderstanding God Leads to Misunderstanding Everything Else — Including Hell
I believe many of our misconceptions about God come from language limitations. And when we misunderstand God, we misunderstand other doctrines too—especially hell.
I’ve written about this before, but I want to say it again:
I believe hell is the grief, sorrow, and shame we experience when God lifts the veil and we finally see the truth about ourselves.
The Bible describes Jesus as:
“A man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” — Isaiah 53:3
And grief itself carries words like affliction, anguish, sorrow, torment, regret, remorse, and shame. These are the very words Scripture uses when describing hell. And grief is something I have personally experienced in a way that changed me—the kind of sorrow that eats at the soul.
I believe this is the “worm that never dies.” Not a cavern. Not flames. Not a locked chamber. But the internal anguish of seeing ourselves truthfully—and being healed through it.
What About “Everlasting”?
Many things in Scripture are called “everlasting,” yet clearly did not last forever in the way we think of eternity. Words can carry different meanings depending on context—just like “lie” can mean to recline or to speak falsely.
This is why I believe we must be careful not to impose English meanings onto Hebrew concepts.
For deeper study, I recommend Hope Beyond Hell by Beauchemin and Reichard. God led me to this book at a time when I needed clarity, but I still had to search the Scriptures myself.
God’s Purpose Is Restoration
Scripture tells us plainly:
“He wants all humanity to be delivered and come to the full knowledge of the truth.” — 1 Timothy 2:4
“His plan is that all things in heaven and on earth would be joined together in Christ.” — Ephesians 1:10
This is the Father I see—not the one English words sometimes make Him appear to be. And this is why I believe English can feel inadequate when trying to describe the God who loves us.
Closing: My hope is that this reflection encourages you to look beyond the limits of English and into the heart of Scripture itself. May we all come to know our Father more clearly and more truthfully.
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for revealing Yourself as our loving Father. Help us see past the limits of our language and into the truth of Your heart. Guide us into deeper understanding, clearer vision, and a more faithful walk with You. In the name of Yeshua our Messiah, amen.
