Abba

(ăb'ə, ä'bə)
n.

1. Bible. In the New Testament, God.
2. abba Used as a title of honor for bishops and patriarchs in some Christian churches of Egypt, Syria, and Ethiopia.

[Middle English, from Late Latin abbā, from Greek. See abbot.]

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The transliteration of the Aramaic word for the vocative "father" or "my father". The term conveyed a sense of endearment (much as in its present-day use in Israel). It occurs three times in the NT, always accompanied by the Greek translation, i.e., "Abba, Father". Jesus' perception of God as his father was innovative, and his use of the term while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest reflected his intimacy with, and dependence upon, the Father in his hour of greatest distress (Mark 14:36). Paul characterized the relationship of the believer with God as that of a child who can freely call upon his father (Rom 8:15) and declared that it is the spirit of Christ which enables the individual believer to do so (Gal 4:6). The privilege of the believer to address God as Abba, Father, reflects his promotion at salvation from the status of servant to that of full son (Rom 8:15-16).

Concordance
Mark 14:36. Rom 8:15:Gal 4:6

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abba or abba-jaan
noun   father

Abba-jaan, would you give me a lift to the station?

The word abba can be suffixed with jaan (Urdu for 'life') to convey greater affection on the part of the speaker.

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