Aramaic Primacy in the East

[Paul Younan]

I guess my parents were incorrect, then, when referring to Lake Michigan as "Yama d'Chicago" when we went swimming in summer?


+Shamasha

Your parents were perfect, no doubt!
But I don't see why in just one verse, yamta is used, and the others (Verse 18) yama. The Greek makes this distiction exactly. In Luke especially, we see yamta translated as 'lake'.

When I speak, I could use synonymous words, in one sentence, but why write like that?

Shlama Akhi,

You're only comparing v. 19 with v. 25, without reference to the context or topography of the map. Did you forget about the word used in v. 18 ?

They started off in Tiberias (v.1)

The "yama" (v.18) was tumultuous on their way to Capernaum. It says that the disciples journeyed 25-thirty furlongs (about 4 miles by foot) (v.19). They saw Him walking on the yamtha (v 19) at Capernaum towards their boat which was docked at land (v.21).

The narrative clearly indicates that the body of water near Tiberias was a "yama" (large body of water), and the shallow bay near Capernaum where He walked on water was called "yamtha" (litle body of water.)

In fact, v.19 is the only place "yamtha" is used, curiously, the place where He walked on the water.

There's no way that an Aramaic translator from Greek will use one word in v.18 that is different from v.19, for no reason. I don't see your point, sorry. This is not any sort of mistake from a Greek source. In fact, it is more specific and accurate than the Greek.

+Shamasha

PS: and yes, my parents were brilliant in Aramaic.