ab´a ( ἀββᾶ ,אבּא , 'abbā ), 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 , Matthew 11:26; Matthew 26:39 , Matthew 26:42; Luke 10:21; Luke 22:42; Luke 23:34; John 11:41; John 12:27; John 17:24 , John 17:25 ). In Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15 , and Galatians 4:6 ὁ πατήρ , ho patḗr , 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 jüd.-palast. Aramaisch , etc., section 40, c. 3.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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