Words & expressions
Abba
An Aramaic form of address for a father.
What it means
An Aramaic form of address for a father.
The New Testament preserves the Aramaic word together with its Greek translation, “Father.” It expresses a real family relationship without reducing the word to childish speech.
How it appears in the Bible
Jesus uses it in Gethsemane; Romans and Galatians use it for believers’ relationship with God through the Spirit.