ABBA! FATHER!

by Dimitrios Toris 

It is generally agreed that Yeshua, Yahweh Elyon’s Begotten Son, primarily spoke Aramaic, perhaps along with some Hebrew and Greek.

Aramaic, as a Semitic language, was a common language of the Eastern Mediterranean during and after the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires (722 BC – 330 BC). Aramaic remained a common language of the region in the 1st century AD, despite the subsequent Macedonian-Greek (331 BC) and Roman (63 BC) invasions. Indeed, in spite of the increasing importance of Greek, the use of Aramaic was also expanding, and it would eventually be entirely dominant among Jews both in the Holy Land and elsewhere in the Middle East around 200 AD; it would remain so until the Arab conquest in the 7th century. Yeshua and his disciples spoke a Galilean dialect clearly distinguishable from that of Jerusalem. To give some perspective, in the same time period, the Mishnah was recorded in Hebrew, Josephus wrote in Aramaic, Philo and Paul of Tarsus wrote in Greek.

There are various descriptions of God as “Father” in the Bible. Here I look at Yahweh El Elyon as “Abba.”

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36

“For those who are led by The Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you have not received The Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received The Spirit of the adoption of children by whom we cry, “Abba, our Father.” And that Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are sons of God; and if sons, then also heirs; heirs of God and co-heirs with Yeshua the Messiah, for if we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him.” Romans 8:14-17

“That he would redeem those who were under The Written Law, and that we would receive the position of children. But because you are children, God has sent The Spirit of his Son into your hearts, who cries, “Abba, our Father”. And therefore you are not Servants but children, and if children, also the heirs of God by Yeshua the Messiah.” Galatians 4:5-7

Abba, an originally Aramaic form borrowed into the Greek Old Testament as a name (2Chr 29:1), common in Mishnaic Hebrew and still used in Modern Hebrew (written Αββά in Greek, and 'abbā in Aramaic), is immediately followed by the Greek equivalent (Πατήρ) with no explicit mention of it being a translation.

In Aramaic, it would be אבא.

Note, the name Barabbas is a Hellenization of the Aramaic Bar Abba (בר אבא), literally, "Son of the Father".

But intimacy is one of the hallmarks of the use of Father by Yeshua and the early church.

Yeshua and his disciples read Hebrew in the synagogue, but in everyday speech and preaching used a closely related language, Aramaic. In Biblical Hebrew ab is "father." But in Aramaic abbā is a word derived from baby-language. As the Rabbis said, a small child "learns to say abbā (daddy) and immā(mummy)." In the pre-Christian era the usage of the word broadened so that

"... Abbā as a form of address to one's father was no longer restricted to children, but also used by adult sons and daughters. The childish character of the word ("daddy") thus receded, and abbāacquired the warm, familiar ring which we may feel in such an expression as "dear father."

While nowhere in the entire devotional literature of ancient Judaism is abbā a way of addressing God, in Yeshua's teaching and practice, such an expression was the norm. Abbā as a transliteration of the Aramaic word into the Greek appears three times in the New Testament.

But just because it is transliterated only three times doesn't mean than abbā is only used three times. In Yeshua’s other prayers it is clear that the Aramaic abbā underlies the Greek of our New Testament, either directly or indirectly. It is very likely that in all Yeshua’s teaching about the Father -- "my Father," "your Father," etc. -- that the warm, intimate Aramaic word abbā was the wordYeshua actually used. Yeshua introduced us to Yahweh El Elyon as our Father in a way unheard of in the Old Testament or in Judaism.

I’m sure that we’re all aware by now that it’s incorrect to view “Abba” as an Aramaic way to say “daddy” but it is an expression of intimacy. Once we’ve received the spirit of adoption and become children of Yahweh El Elyon, then we’ve entered into an intimate relationship that that was unbeknownst to us before. In a sense, we can consider the adoptive relationship between parent and child to be a closer bond than the natural relationship between parent and child, because no adoption happens accidentally. Adoption shows forth the will and intentions of those adopting, and that will and intention is to welcome someone into their family for the sheer joy and pleasure of loving another person. Our “Abba” has no ulterior motives or hidden agendas. His desire is to express His Agape Love for the world by enlarging His family. 

Much appreciation, gratitude and respect to Yahweh Elyon's Seer Prophet, Joseph Rising Sun Levi who is always encouraging and motivating us to become educated!!!