Original Languages Made Simple

Every translation of the Bible is an interpretation. Translators make thousands of decisions about how to render ancient Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic into modern English, and each decision carries theological weight. The word often translated as "love" in the New Testament might be agape, phileo, or eros in the original Greek, each carrying a different shade of meaning. The Hebrew word ruach can mean "spirit," "wind," or "breath" depending on context. Understanding these distinctions does not require years of language study, but it does require access to the original text and the tools to make sense of it.

Unrolled Scrolls puts original language tools directly into the reading experience. When you tap a verse, you can toggle the interlinear display to see the Greek or Hebrew text aligned beneath the English translation. Each original-language word is presented with its transliteration, so even if you cannot read the Greek or Hebrew alphabet, you can see and pronounce the words. This alone transforms casual reading into informed study, because you begin to notice when the same Greek word appears in different passages, even when English translators have used different words.

The real power comes from our integrated lexicon. Tap any word in the interlinear display to open a lexicon popover showing its Strong's Concordance entry. You will see the lemma (dictionary form), a concise definition, information about the word's derivation, and how it is used elsewhere in scripture. Strong's numbers have been the standard reference system for biblical language study since the 1890s, and we have made them instantly accessible without requiring you to flip through a physical concordance or navigate to a separate website.

For users who prefer transliterated text over the original script, a simple toggle in settings switches the display. This is especially helpful for study groups where not all participants can read Greek or Hebrew characters. The transliteration preserves the phonetic structure of the original language while making it approachable for everyone. Combined with our AI research assistant, which can explain the significance of specific terms in their original language context, these tools democratize access to the kind of linguistic analysis that was once the exclusive domain of seminary classrooms and academic libraries.