Definition and Etymology:
The term "Abba" is an Aramaic word that translates to "father" in English. It is a term of endearment and intimacy, akin to "daddy" or "papa" in modern languages. The word "Abba" is significant in its expression of a close, personal relationship with God, emphasizing both respect and affection.

Biblical Usage:
"Abba" appears in the New Testament in three distinct passages, each highlighting the intimate relationship between believers and God, as well as the unique relationship between Jesus and the Father.

1. Mark 14:36 :
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus uses the term "Abba" in His prayer to God, expressing both His deep personal relationship with the Father and His submission to God's will. The verse reads: "And He said, 'Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.'"

2. Romans 8:15 :
The Apostle Paul uses "Abba" to describe the relationship believers have with God through the Holy Spirit. This passage emphasizes the spirit of adoption and the intimate access believers have to God as their Father. The verse states: "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!'"

3. Galatians 4:6 :
Paul again uses "Abba" to illustrate the transformation of believers into children of God, highlighting the role of the Holy Spirit in affirming this relationship. The verse reads: "And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!'"

Theological Significance:
The use of "Abba" in the New Testament underscores the revolutionary nature of the relationship between God and His people. It reflects a shift from a distant, formal relationship to one characterized by intimacy and closeness. This term signifies the believer's adoption into God's family, allowing them to approach God with the confidence and trust of a child to a loving parent.

Cultural Context:
In the Jewish culture of the time, "Abba" was a term used by children to address their fathers, but it was also used by adults to express respect and affection. Its use by Jesus and the early Christians would have been both familiar and profound, as it conveyed a new understanding of God's nature and His relationship with humanity.

Linguistic Notes:
The term "Abba" is transliterated directly from Aramaic into Greek in the New Testament, followed by the Greek word for father, "pater," to ensure that Greek-speaking audiences understood its meaning. This dual-language expression highlights the importance and uniqueness of the term in early Christian thought and practice.Abba

father

This Syriac or Chaldee word is found three times in the New Testament (Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6), and in each case is followed by its Greek equivalent, which is translated "father." It is a term expressing warm affection and filial confidence. It has no perfect equivalent in our language. It has passed into European languages as an ecclesiastical term, "abbot." (n.) Father; religious superior; -- in the Syriac, Coptic, and Ethiopic churches, a title given to the bishops, and by the bishops to the patriarch.ABBA

ab'-a (abba, 'abba', Hebraic-Chaldaic, "Father"): In Jewish and old-Christian prayers, a name by which God was addressed, then in oriental churches a title of bishops and patriarchs. So Jesus addresses God in prayer (Matthew 11:25, 26, 26:39, 42, Luke 10:21; Matthew 22:42; Matthew 23:34,John 11:41; 12:27; 17:24, 25). In Mark 14:36 Romans 8:15, and Galatians 4:6 ho pater, is appended even in direct address, in an emphatic sense. Servants were not permitted to use the appellation in addressing the head of the house. See Delitzsch on Romans 8:15; compare G. Dalman, Gram. des jud.-palast. Aramaisch, etc., section 40, c. 3.

J. E. Harry

5. Abba -- Abba, father
... 4, 5. Abba. 6 . Abba, father. Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Abba Phonetic Spelling: (ab-bah') Short ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5.htm - 6k

912. Barabbas -- "son of Abba," Barabbas, the Isr. robber released ...
... 911, 912. Barabbas. 913 . "son of Abba," Barabbas, the Isr. ... Word Origin of Aramaic
origin bar and Abba Definition "son of Abba," Barabbas, the Isr. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/912.htm - 6k

Abba, Father!
... ABBA, FATHER! '"the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.'-ROMANS
viii.15. ... Is it not the spirit of the child, crying out, "Abba, Father"?'. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/unspoken sermons/abba father.htm

Abba, Father.
... DEVOUT EXERCISES. 442. " Abba, Father. 442. SM Watts. Abba, Father.
1 Behold, what wondrous grace The Father has bestowed On ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/adams/hymns for christian devotion/442 abba father.htm

"Whereby we Cry, Abba, Father. "
... EPISTLE TO THE Sermon XL. "Whereby we cry, Abba, Father.". Rom. viii.
15.""Whereby we cry, Abba, Father.". All that know any thing ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xl whereby we cry.htm

"Whereby we Cry, Abba, Father. "
... EPISTLE TO THE Sermon XXXIX. "Whereby we cry, Abba, Father.". Rom. viii.
15.""Whereby we cry, Abba, Father.". As there is a light ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxxix whereby we cry.htm

In what Sense the Holy Spirit Solicits for Us, Crying, Abba ...
... A Treatise on the gift of perseverance, Chapter 64."In What Sense the Holy
Spirit Solicits for Us, Crying, Abba, Father. And this ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 64 in what sense the.htm

"But Ye have Received the Spirit of Adoption, Whereby we Cry, Abba ...
... "But ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.". ...
15.""But ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.". ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxxviii but ye have.htm

Of what Took Place in the Piece of Ground or Garden to which they ...
... hour of His Passion, which he also expresses presently by the term "cup." He then
reproduces the Lord's own words, in the following manner: "Abba, Father, all ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter iv of what took place.htm

Psalm CVII.
... Perchance, it not unfitly hath Halleluia twice, because we cry, Abba, Father.
Since Abba is nothing else but Father, yet not without ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cvii.htm

In what Sense the Holy Ghost is Said to Make Intercession for Us.
... He, of course, is that Spirit "whom God hath sent into our hearts, crying, Abba,
Father;" [2472] and "by whom we cry, Abba, Father;" [2473] for both ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 13 ix in what sense.htm

The Holy Spirit Bearing Witness to Our Sonship.
... is found in Romans 8:15, 16, RV, "For ye received not the spirit of bondage again
to fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. ...
/.../torrey/the person and work of the holy spirit/chapter xv the holy spirit.htm

Abba (3 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ABBA. ... Multi-Version Concordance Abba (3 Occurrences).
Mark 14:36 He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. ...
/a/abba.htm - 9k

Barabbas (10 Occurrences)
... Ie, son of Abba or of a father, a notorious robber whom Pilate proposed to condemn
to death instead of Jesus, whom he wished to release, in accordance with the ...
/b/barabbas.htm - 13k

Aaron's
... The Aramaic word in its definite form is used three times in the New Testament
(Mark 4:6), the phrase being in each case "Abba Father," addressed to God. ...
/a/ab.htm - 8k

Adoption (5 Occurrences)
... a precondition of adoption, which follows upon faith, and is accompanied by the
sending of "the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father," and ...
/a/adoption.htm - 23k

Cry (431 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Romans 8:15 For you didn't receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, " Abba! ...
/c/cry.htm - 46k

Yours (226 Occurrences)
... Mark 14:36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible to you; take away
this cup from me: but even so let not my pleasure, but yours be done. (BBE). ...
/y/yours.htm - 35k

Nevertheless (153 Occurrences)
... Mark 14:36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away
this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. ...
/n/nevertheless.htm - 37k

Whereby (46 Occurrences)
... (KJV). Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;
but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ...
/w/whereby.htm - 20k

Inward (43 Occurrences)
... But you have acquired a deep inward conviction of having been adopted as sons--a
conviction which prompts us to cry aloud, "Abba! our Father!" (WEY). ...
/i/inward.htm - 21k

What does it mean that God is our Abba Father? | GotQuestions.org

What is a chiasm / chiastic structure in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15)? | GotQuestions.org

Abba: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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