Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

ABBA

(Gk. abbá)

A term used to address God. All three NT occurrences are followed by the nominative translation “(the) Father.” Mark claims that Jesus addressed God as “Abba Father” in Gethsemane (14:36), but both Matthew (26:39, 42) and Luke (22:42) omit the word Abba. Paul asserted that the Spirit cries “Abba Father” in the hearts of believers (Gal. 4:6) and that believers cry “Abba Father” in the Spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:15).

Although the formula “Abba (the) Father” treats Abba as an emphatic state form, Abba functions as a vocative in the NT. Some translations therefore punctuate this formula as “Abba! Father!”

Since both young children and grown children addressed their fathers as “Abba,” this word must be translated as “father” and not as “daddy.” Abba cannot be defined as a mere babbling sound voiced by little children. Most scholars assume that Abba is Aramaic, though Hebrew cannot be excluded.

Bibliography. J. Jeremias, The Prayers of Jesus. SBT 2/6 (Naperville, 1967), 11-65; J. Barr, “ ’Abbā Isn’t ‘Daddy,’ ” JTS n.s. 39 (1988): 28-47; M. R. D’Angelo, “Abba and ‘Father,’ ” JBL 111 (1992): 611-30.

Robert L. Mowery

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

ABBA

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)