5. Abba

Lexicon

Abba: Father

Original Word: Ἀββᾶ
Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Abba
Pronunciation: ahb-bah'
Phonetic Spelling: (ab-bah')
Definition: Father
Meaning: Abba, Father.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Abba.

Of Chaldee origin ('ab); father as a vocative -- Abba.

see HEBREW 'ab

HELPS Word-studies

5 Abbá – "Father," also used as the term of tender endearment by a beloved child – i.e. in an affectionate, dependent relationship with their father; "daddy," "papa."

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of Aramaic origin ab
Definition
Abba, father
NASB Translation
Abba (3).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5: Ἀββᾶ

Ἀββᾶ (WH (βά), Hebrew אָב father, in the Chaldean emphatic state, אַבָּא i. e. ὁ πατήρ, a customary title of God in prayer. Whenever it occurs in the N. T. (Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6) it has the Greek interpretation subjoined to it; this is apparently to be explained by the fact that the Chaldee אַבָּא, through frequent use in prayer, gradually acquired the nature of a most sacred proper name, to which the Greek-speaking Jews added the appellative from their own tongue.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Aramaic; a term of endearment derived from the Aramaic word אַבָּא (abba), meaning "father."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The corresponding Hebrew term is אָב (ab), Strong's Hebrew Number 1, which also means "father." This term is foundational in the Hebrew Scriptures, used extensively to denote both biological and metaphorical fatherhood, including God's relationship with Israel.

Usage: The term Ἀββᾶ is used in the New Testament to convey a deep, personal relationship with God, emphasizing both reverence and intimacy. It appears in contexts where believers express their close relationship with God as their Father.

Context: The term Ἀββᾶ is a significant expression found in the New Testament, appearing three times in the context of prayer and relationship with God. It is a transliteration of the Aramaic word for "father," reflecting the language spoken by Jesus and His contemporaries. The use of Ἀββᾶ in the New Testament highlights the intimate and personal relationship believers are invited to have with God, akin to that of a child with a loving parent.

In Mark 14:36, Jesus uses the term in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will." Here, Jesus expresses both His intimate relationship with the Father and His submission to the Father's will.

In Romans 8:15, the Apostle Paul writes, "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, 'Abba, Father!'" This passage emphasizes the transformation from fear to a familial relationship with God, made possible through the Holy Spirit.

Similarly, in Galatians 4:6, Paul states, "And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!'" This reinforces the believer's status as children of God, with the Spirit enabling them to address God with the same intimacy as Jesus did.

The dual use of "Abba, Father" in these passages underscores the blend of Aramaic and Greek-speaking communities in the early church and the universal nature of the message of sonship and intimacy with God.

Forms and Transliterations

αββα Αββά Ἀββά Abba Abbá

Englishman's Concordance

Mark 14:36 N
GRK: καὶ ἔλεγεν Ἀββά ὁ πατήρ
NAS: And He was saying, Abba! Father!
KJV: And he said, Abba, Father, all things
INT: And he said Abba the Father

Romans 8:15 N
GRK: ᾧ κράζομεν Ἀββά ὁ πατήρ
NAS: by which we cry out, Abba! Father!
KJV: whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
INT: which we cry Abba Father

Galatians 4:6 N
GRK: ἡμῶν κρᾶζον Ἀββά ὁ πατήρ
NAS: crying, Abba! Father!
KJV: hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
INT: of us crying Abba Father

Strong's Greek 5
3 Occurrences

Ἀββά — 3 Occ.