Abba
“Father, the emphatic Aramaic form expressing intimate relationship”
Summary
An Aramaic term of endearment meaning 'Father,' preserved in the New Testament as the intimate address Jesus used in prayer to God and which believers, through the Spirit of adoption, are enabled to use in approaching their heavenly Father.
☩Meaning and Usage
Abba is the Aramaic emphatic or definite form of the word for 'father,' common in the mixed Aramaean dialect of Palestine during the New Testament period. The term was naturally used from infancy in addressing a male parent, similar to 'papa' or 'daddy.' Significantly, servants were not permitted to use this appellation in addressing the head of the house; it was reserved for children. In all three New Testament occurrences—Mark 14:36, Romans 8:15, and Galatians 4:6—the Aramaic word appears with the Greek equivalent 'ho pater' (the Father) appended to it.
☩Jesus in Gethsemane
The only recorded instance of Jesus using this term is in His agonizing prayer in Gethsemane: 'Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.' This intimate address reveals the depth of Jesus' relationship with the Father even in His darkest hour. The Spirit in the hearts of believers puts the very words He used into their lips.
☩The Spirit of Adoption
Paul twice uses this phrase to describe the privilege of believers who have received the Spirit of adoption. In Romans 8:15, he writes that believers have received the Spirit of sonship 'whereby we cry, Abba, Father,' and in Galatians 4:6, 'Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.' Through faith in Christ, all true Christians enter into the relation of sons, permitted to address God with filial confidence and to regard themselves as heirs of the heavenly inheritance.
☩Jew and Gentile United
The use of both the Aramaic 'Abba' and the Greek 'Father' beautifully suggests that the Spirit of adoption, proceeding from Jesus who first used this double invocation, inspires in both Jew and Gentile alike the experiential knowledge of God as Father. Whether this bilingual formula originated with our Lord Himself, or became a liturgical expression among early Christians, it demonstrates that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, for all are one in Him and have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Abba," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Abba," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.James Hastings (ed.), "Abba," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).
- 4.George Morrish, "Abba," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 5.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Abba," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).