Ge’ez in the Bible

  Ge’ez in the Bible

Introduction:

The Holy Bible in Ethiopia is preserved in Ge’ez — the sacred language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Ge’ez is not just a historic language; it is the living voice of scripture, used in liturgy, hymns, and biblical readings for centuries.

This page will explore how Ge’ez was used to translate all 81 sacred books of the Ethiopian Bible — including books not found in other traditions, such as Enoch, Jubilees, and the Ascension of Isaiah. You will discover key verses in their original Ge’ez, alongside translations and commentary.

📖 Dive deeper into the Bible through the lens of the original language of Ethiopian Christianity.

🔹 Ancient Roots. Modern Teaching.

Ge’ez is more than an ancient language—it is the sacred tongue of the Ethiopian Bible, which holds 81 canonical books. These Holy Scriptures were preserved, translated, and chanted in Ge’ez by generations of Ethiopian Orthodox scholars and clergy.

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📖 Why Ge’ez Matters in Scripture

Ge’ez is the original liturgical and biblical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. All readings of the Old and New Testament, Psalms, and liturgical hymns were first recorded and preserved in Ge’ez before being translated into Amharic and other languages.

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🔥 Unique to Ethiopia: 81 Sacred Books

Unlike the Western canon, the Ethiopian Bible includes 81 books—some of which are found only in the Ethiopian tradition, such as:

• 1 Enoch (መጽሐፈ ኤኖክ)

• Jubilees (መጽሐፈ ዩብሌዎስ)

• Ascension of Isaiah (መድኃኒት ኢሳይያስ)

• The Book of Meqabyan (1, 2, 3)

These texts exist in Ge’ez only, preserving theological insights that have been lost in other Christian traditions.

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🕊️ Examples of Ge’ez Bible Verses

• Genesis 1:1 (በመጀመሪያ)
  በቀዳሚ ገብረ እግዚአብሔር ሰማየ ወምድረ።
  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

• John 1:1 (በመጀመሪያ ቃል)
  ቀዳሚሁ ቃል ውእቱ ወውእቱ ቃል ኀበ እግዚአብሔር ውእቱ ወእግዚአብሔር ውእቱ ቃል።
  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

• Psalm 22:1 (23:1 in Western Bibles)
  እግዚአብሔር ፡ ይሬእየኒ ፡ ወአልቦ ፡ ዘያኀጥአኒ።
  The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

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🎶 Chanted, Not Just Read

In Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, Ge’ez is not merely read—it is sung in sacred chant (Zema). The Saint Yared Hymns preserve biblical stories and praises in Ge’ez with musical notation.

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🛡️ Preserved by the Church

Even though Ge’ez is no longer a spoken daily language, the Ethiopian Church keeps it alive:

• In every Divine Liturgy

• In Bible readings and ceremonies

• In monastic teachings and sacred manuscripts

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📚 Learn More

Want to explore the 81 books in detail? Visit our special page:
▶️ The 81 Sacred Books of the Ethiopian Bible

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✨ Final Thought:

Ge’ez is the breath of the Bible in Ethiopia.
To learn it is to hear Scripture in its purest, most ancient form.

🔹 Ancient Roots. Modern Teaching.