Language Studies

Aramaic Thoughts

Abba, Father

There are three texts in the New Testament where the phrase "Abba, Father" occurs: Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; and Galatians 4:6. Over the last couple of decades a particular understanding of the significance of the phrase has crept into Christian preaching. That understanding is the idea that the use of the Aramaic "Abba" was the equivalent of our modern "Daddy." Thus it is understood not merely to connote familiarity and intimacy, but a certain informality as well. On this basis, and combined with the instruction from Hebrews 4:16 to "come boldly unto the throne of grace" Christians are often taught that the Bible teaches an intimacy and informality in prayer that verges on flippancy. Is this, however, a proper understanding of the instruction of Hebrews, and, more to our point, is it a proper understanding of the significance of "Abba, Father?"

With regard to Hebrews, I would comment briefly that the contrast is between boldness or confidence, as opposed to a servile fear. Thus, there is in this passage no encouragement to a casual or flippant approach to prayer. Instead there is an encouragement to those who would shrink from drawing near to God on the basis that they do not deserve such a privilege, and in fact deserve judgment, not to think so, but to recognize that through Christ, the way to the throne of grace has been opened for us.

With regard to "Abba," there are essentially three considerations. First is the consideration of Aramaic grammar. The Aramaic noun for "father" is ab as it is in Hebrew. The definite form in Aramaic ("the father") is indicated by the addition of a concluding syllable a’, hence the Aramaic definite form is abba. This definite form is also used for what is called the vocative (O father). "Abba" is thus simply the vocative form of the noun "father."

The second consideration is sociological. In modern Western society there is a great deal of familiarity, if not flippancy, commonly allowed in families, even in the manner the children address their parents. This sort of informality, to the extent that it is common, was not characteristic of earlier generations even in Western society, let alone the Jewish society of the Mediterranean world in the first century. The Jewish father was not the tyrannical autocrat that was often characteristic of Roman culture. But neither was he the "older brother" that the Western society father often seems to think desirable. He was the ruler of the house, and was expected to be honored and obeyed. There was certainly affection and love, but not frivolity nor flippancy. A useful survey of the parent-child relationship in first-century Judaism may be found in Edersheim’s Sketches of Jewish Social Life, 95-114.

The final consideration is lexical. The term "Abba" appears only three times in the New Testament, though of course its use would have been common in daily life. It is significant, however, that in each of its uses in the New Testament, the explanatory Greek that follows is ho pater (the father). This would seem to indicate a term that signifies not the informality of "Daddy," but rather the term that still indicates respect and love in our culture—Father.

These three considerations would seem to indicate that "Abba" is indeed helpful in understanding our relationship to God, in particular our relating to him in prayer. It indicates that we are to remember that God has adopted us into his family, at the cost of our Savior’s life. Hence when we come, we come with confidence, yet recognizing God’s power and authority; not casually demanding, but respectfully requesting from a loving Father that which is best for us.

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