Category Archives: A

Abba

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Origen: Syriac for beloved father, coming from ab, father, which comes from abah, “he is willing” denoting a father wills and desires all good to his children. The term reads the same forward as backward, showing God is a father to his children from eternity to eternity, from another view, through prosperity or through chastening.

Meaning: An endearing and consoling access to God which every Christian enjoys, provoking a reverent affection from child to father.

Common Use: In Syriac, Coptic and Ethiopic church it is a title used for the bishop. This practice grew until the bishop of Alexandría began to use the title “Baba” or “Papa” (grandfather). This title was taken the bishop of Rome who now is generally understood as the “Pope”. Within Catholicism, the term is used of a superior in a monastery.

The Jews used this title of certain Rabbins called Tanaites.

Biblical Use: Mark and Paul use this work in Rom 8:15 and Gal 4:6, and Jesus uses it in His agony in Mark 14:36. It apparently was clearly understood in their time within the Jewish community and early Christian primitive assemblies. The concept behind the term has to be an understanding of free entrance to the “abba” (father), and of a free flow of blessing and gifts from the abba to the person. It captures the concept of a deep and beautiful relationship between two people, one of whom (the abba) has all to give and highly desires to show his burning love through good deeds to the other person who has great need.

For Christ, this term relates directly with God the Father from the point where the Father “beget” the Son. For the Christian, this term centers around our spiritual adoption by God.

“It is thought by Selden, Witsius, Doddridge, and others, that Saint Paul alluded to a law among the Jews which forbade servants or slaves to call their master Abba, or Father; and that the apostle meant to convey the idea that those who believed in Christ were no longer slaves to sin; but being brought into a state of holy freedom, might consequently address God as their Father.” [Buck]

[DCox]

A Syriac word, signifying Father. It is more particularly used in the Syriac, Coptic, and Ethiopic churches, as a title given to the bishops. The bishops themselves bestowed the title ABBA more eminently on the bishop of Alexandria, which occasioned the people to give him the title of Baba or Papa; that is, Grandfather: a title which he bore before the bishop of Rome. It is a Jewish title of honour given to certain Rabbins called Tanaites: it is also used by some writers of the middle age for the superior of a monastery. St. Mark and St. Paul use this word in their Greek,Mark 14:36. Rom. 8:15. Gal. 4:6. because it was then commonly known in the synagogues and the primitive assemblies of the Christians. It is thought by Selden, Witsius, Doddridge, and others, that Saint Paul alluded to a law among the Jews which forbade servants or slaves to call their master Abba, or Father; and that the apostle meant to convey the idea that those who believed in Christ were no longer slaves to sin; but being brought into a state of holy freedom, might consequently address God as their Father.

[Buck]

ABBA, A Syriac word, signifying a beloved father. The word is used by our Lord in his agony, Mark 14:36, and by Paul, when he recounts to the believers of Rome and Galatia, their glorious privileges, foremost of which he places “the spirit of adoption, by which they cry Abba Father.” Rom 8:15, Gal 4:6. We thus perceive, both in the term itself, and the manner of using it, how endearing and consoling is the access to God which the Christian enjoys.

[Malcom]

Abba. – The Aramaic, or late Hebrew, word for “Father.” [Mark 14:36; Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6.] It is a modified form of the more ancient Hebrew word “Ab,” and expresses reverent affection. But it was probably used more generally by the Jews than its sacred use in the New Testament indicates, and thus passed into ecclesiastical language among the Christians of Palestine, Egypt, and Ethiopia, as the designations of a bishop or the head of a monastery [Gr. Abbas], just as “Father in God” is one of the designations of an English bishop. Through the intermediary forms, “baba” and “papa” the word was the original of the title “Papa,” or “Pope,” assumed by the Bishops of Rome. [Pope.]

[Benham]

ABBA, is a Syriac appellative, from the Hebrew word ab, a father, which comes from abah, he was willing; denoting that a father wills and desires all good to his children. It reads the same backward as forward: God is a father to his children from eternity to eternity.

[Butterworth]

ABBA, a Syriac word, signifying father. It being the same whether we read it backward or forward, may perhaps hint to us, that God’s fatherly affection to his people, is the same, whether he smile on them by prosperity, or chasten them by heavy crosses and sore adversity. The Spirit of adoption making the saints cry ABBA, FATHER, imports, that by his influence, both Jews and Gentiles, as one united body, have the most assured faith in, love to, and familiar intercourse with God, Rom 8:15,Gal 4:6.

[Brown]

Abba, Aramaic, Father

A term borrowed from childhood’s language to express filial address to God (Mark 14:36; Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6). The corresponding Hebrew word is Ab; it is common in compound proper names in the forms Ab and Abi, as Abimelech, Abner, or Abiner, Eliab.

[Davis]

Ab (month of year)

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Ab (month of year).

(אך, ‘ābh): The name of the fifth month in the Hebrew calendar, the month beginning in our July. The name does not appear in the Bible, but Josephus gives it to the month in which Aaron died (Ant., IV, iv, 6; compare Num 33:38).

[ISBE]

AB
1. Father, found in many compound Hebrew proper names: as Abner, father of light; Absalom, father of peace.
2. The fifth month of the sacred, and the eleventh of the civil year among the Jews. It began, according to the latest authorities, with the new moon of August. It was a sad month in the Jewish calendar. On its first day, a fast was observed for the death of Aaron, Nu 33:38; and on its ninth, another was held in memory of the divine edicts which excluded so many that came out of Egypt from entering the promised land; and also, of the overthrow of the first and second temple. See MONTH.

[Amtrac]

Ab (combining name)

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Ab (combining name)

(אך or ,( s ‘ābh or ‘abh, the Hebrew and Aramaic word for “father”): It is a very common word in the Old Testament; this article notes only certain uses of it. It is used both in the singular and in the plural to denote a grandfather or more remote ancestors (e.g. Jer 35:16, Jer 35:15). The father of a people or tribe is its founder, not, as is frequently assumed, its progenitor. In this sense Abraham is father to the Israelites (see, for example,Gen 17:11-14, Gen 17:27), Isaac and Jacob and the heads of families being fathers in the same modified sense. The cases of Ishmael, Moab, etc., are similar. The traditional originator of a craft is the father of those who practice the craft (e.g. Gen 4:20,Gen 4:21, Gen 4:22). Sennacherib uses the term “my fathers” of his predecessors on the throne of Assyria, though these were not his ancestors (2Ki 19:12). The term is used to express worth and affection irrespective of blood relation (e.g. 2Ki 13:14). A ruler or leader is spoken of as a father. God is father. A frequent use of the word is that in the composition of proper names, e.g. Abinadab, “my father is noble.” See ABI.

The Aramaic word in its definite form is used three times in the New Testament (Mar 4:6), the phrase being in each case “Abba Father,” addressed to God. In this phrase the word “Father” is added, apparently, not as a mere translation, nor to indicate that Abba is thought of as a proper name of Deity, but as a term of pleading and of endearment. See also ABBA.

Source: [ISBE]

AB
1. Father, found in many compound Hebrew proper names: as Abner, father of light; Absalom, father of peace.
2. The fifth month of the sacred, and the eleventh of the civil year among the Jews. It began, according to the latest authorities, with the new moon of August. It was a sad month in the Jewish calendar. On its first day, a fast was observed for the death of Aaron, Nu 33:38; and on its ninth, another was held in memory of the divine edicts which excluded so many that came out of Egypt from entering the promised land; and also, of the overthrow of the first and second temple. See MONTH.

Source: [Amtrac]

1. (father), an element in the composition of many proper names, of which Abba is a Chaldaic form, having the sense of “endowed with,” “possessed of.”

2. See Month

Source: [Smith]

Aaronites

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Aaronites. Aaronites, in the Hebrew text simply Aaron, the name being used collectively.

The priestly descendants of Aaron (1 Chron 12:27; 27:17, A. V.).

[Davis]

Aaronites
âr´on-īts לאהרון (le-‘ahărōn, literally, “belonging to Aaron”): A word used in the King James Version, but not in the revised versions, to translate the proper name Aaron in two instances where it denotes a family and not merely a person (1Ch 12:27;27:17). It is equivalent to the phrases “sons of Aaron,” “house of Aaron,” frequently used in the Old Testament. According to the books of Josh and Chronicles the “sons of Aaron,” were distinguished from the other Levites from the time of Joshua (e.g.Jos 21:4, 10, 13; 1Ch 6:54).

[ISBE]

AARONITES
Descendants of Aaron the high priest, so called 1Ch 12:27;27:17. Thirteen cities were assigned to them, in Judah and Benjamin, Jos 21:13-19; 1Ch 6:57-60.

[Amtrac]

the descendants of Aaron, and therefore priests. Jehoiada, the father of Benaiah, led 3,700 Aaronites as “fighting men” to the support of David at Hebron (1 Chr. 12:27). Eleazar (Num. 3:32), and at a later period Zadok (1 Chr. 27:17), was their chief.

[Easton]

aalar

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This is a difficult word to trace down. Apparently is from the Apocrypha, and I cannot find it in the KJV Bible. ISBE wants to refer it to the word “Altar”. Most probably was the name of a person though. The Immer reference in ISBE in Logos is a glitch and has nothing to do with anything.

-DCox

 

AALAR. KJV and ASV Apoc. (1 Esd 5:36) form of Immer.

1Esdras 5:36 There were 652 who returned from the families of Nekoda and of Delaiah son of Tobiah, though they could not prove they were Israelites. They had lived in the Babylonian towns of Tel-Melah and Tel-Harsha, and their leaders were Cherub, Addan, and Immer.

Allar

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Allar is a place found only in the Apocrypha. This is another difficult word to track down.

1 Esdras 5:36 “These came up from Thermeleth and Thelersas, Charaathalar leading them, and Aalar;”

It is a place that we don’t really know a whole lot about.

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abetters

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Abetters.

Means to a person who encourages crimes, someone accounted guilty, and punished with principals Psa 50:18; Prov 13:20; 2Joh 1:11.

a·bet

(ə-bĕt′)

tr.v. a·bet·ted, a·bet·ting, a·bets

1. To approve, encourage, and support (an action or a plan of action); urge and help on.
2. To urge, encourage, or help (a person): abetted the thief in robbing the bank.
[thefreedictionary]

abesta

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This is another difficult word to trace down. Apparently it comes from Zoroasterianism, and it is part of the concepts of their holy Scriptures, which they attributed to Abraham, and whom they also thought was Zoroaster. This is one of their three divisions.
–DCox

 

ABESTA. The name of one of the sacred books of the Persian Magi, which they ascribe to their great founder Zoroaster. The Abesta is a commentary on two others of their religious books, called Zend and Pazend; the three together including the whole system of the Ignicold, or worshippers of fire.

[Buck]

 

ABESTA, or AVESTA, the name of one of the sacred books of the Persian magi, which they ascribe to their great founder Zoroaster. The “Abesta” is a commentary on two others of their religious books, called “Zend” and “Pazend”; the three together including the whole system of the Ignicolæ, or worshippers of fire.

[Collier’s Encyclopedia]

 

A well known Persian dictionary, the Burhan-i-gate, says on our subject: “The Avesta, Abesta or Asta is the exegesis oi the book Zend. This is a book of the Magi which Zertusht has composed on the fire-worship;” and further: “Zend is the name of a book which Ibrahim Zertusht has claimed to have come down to him from heaven. Pazeiid is the expounding of the Zend. Again, others believe Zend and Pazend are two works composed by Ibra-
him Zertusht on fire-worship. Mohammedan writers contradict the opinion that the Zend is the original text of the revelation and Avesta is its expounding. They claim the very contrary, viz : that the Zend is the expounding and Avesta the text.”(*) Professor Haug concludes essentially as follows : Avesta, Zend and Pazend are the names of sacred books which legend refers to Zoroaster ; viz : Avesta is the most hoary one originated by Ormazd. Zend is its exegesis and Pazend is a further expounding of that doctrine. According to the Pahaleve translation, Avesta is the denomination principally of older sacred songs, verses, prayers, laws, and statutes now mostly lost. They contained among others also dietary laws.

[books.google.com]

Almug tree

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A kind of tree or wood, which Hiram brought from Ophir for the use of Solomon in making pillars for the temple and his own house, and also musical instruments, 1Ki 10:11; 2Ch 2:8. The rabbins call it coral; but it could not be this. It was more probably the tree, which furnishes what is now commonly called Brazil wood, which is also a native of the East Indies, Siam, the Molucca islands, and Japan, and has several species. Its wood is very durable, and is used in fine cabinet work. It yields also a dye of a beautiful red color, for which it is much used. Its resemblance in color to coral may have given occasion for the name almug, which in rabbinic still signifies coral; and thus the meaning of the name would be coral-wood.

[Amtrac]

(1 Kings 10:11, 12) = algum (2 Chr. 2:8; 9:10, 11), in the Hebrew occurring only in the plural almuggim (indicating that the wood was brought in planks), the name of a wood brought from Ophir to be used in the building of the temple, and for other purposes. Some suppose it to have been the white sandal-wood of India, the Santalum album of botanists, a native of the mountainous parts of the Malabar coasts. It is a fragrant wood, and is used in China for incense in idol-worship. Others, with some probability, think that it was the Indian red sandal-wood, the pterocarpus santalinus, a heavy, fine-grained wood, the Sanscrit name of which is valguka. It is found on the Coromandel coast and in Ceylon.

[Easton]

al’-gum, (‘algummim (2Chr 2:8; 2Chr 9:10 f); (‘almuggim, 1Ki 10:11 f)): It is generally supposed that these two names refer to one kind of tree, the consonants being transposed as is not uncommon in Semitic words. Solomon sent to Hiram, king of Tyre, saying, “Send me also cedar-trees, fir-trees, and algum-trees, out of Lebanon” (2Ch 2:8). In 1Ki 10:11 it is said that the navy of Hiram “that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug-trees and precious stones.” In the parallel passage in 2Ch 9:10 it is said that “algum-trees and precious stones” were brought. From this wood “the king made …. pillars for the house of Yahweh, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug-trees, nor were seen, unto this day” (1Ki 10:12). The wood was evidently very precious and apparently came from East Asia–unless we suppose from 2Ch 2:8 that it actually grew on Lebanon, which is highly improbable; it was evidently a fine, close grained wood, suitable for carving. Tradition says that this was the famous sandal wood, which was in ancient times put to similar uses in India and was all through the ages highly prized for its color, fragrance, durability and texture. It is the wood of a tree, Pterocar pussantalinus (N.D. Santalaceae), which grows to a height of 25 to 30 feet; it is a native of the mountains of Malabar.

E. W. G. Masterman

[ISBE]

Algum Trees, Almug Trees.

By comparing 1 Kings 10:11 with 2 Chr. 9:10, 11, it is clear that the two names refer to the same tree; it came from the same place, Ophir, and was used for the same purposes, namely, pillars or props, terraces or stairs, harps and psalteries. 2 Chr. 2:8 presents a difficulty, for it seems to say that algum trees came from Lebanon, and the same trees could scarcely be indigenous to places so dissimilar as Lebanon and Ophir. In the last passage the several trees sent by Huram may be named together without meaning that they were all cut from Lebanon. It is supposed that the sandal wood is referred to. Josephus describes this wood as peculiar pine, not like those called pine in his days:to the sight it was like the wood of the fig tree, but whiter and more shining. Ant. viii. 7. 1.

[Morrish]

the former occurring in (2 Chronicles 2:8; 2Chr 9:10; 2Chr 9:11) the latter in (1Kgs 10:11; 1Kgs 10:12) These words are identical. From (1Kgs 10:11; 1Kgs 10:12; 2Chr 9:10; 2Chr 9:11) we learn that the almug was brought in great plenty from Ophir for Solomon’s temple and house, and for the construction of musical instruments. It is probable that this tree is the red sandle wood, which is a native of India and Ceylon. The wood is very heavy, hard and fine grained, and of a beautiful garnet color.

[Smith]