The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

SECT. XXXVI. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Abba Father.

AS it is necessary to distinguish between the Hebrew and Chaldee Idiom in the words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abi, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abba. So you may, I had almost said, you must distinguish of their sense. For the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abi, signifies indeed a natural Father, but withal a civil Father also, an Elder, a Master, a Doctor, a Magistrate: But the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abba, denotes only a natural Father, with which we comprehend also an adopting Father: yea, it denotes My Father.

:〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 c 1.1 Let no man say to his neighbour 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Father is nobler than thy Father. d 1.2 R. Chaija asked Rabh the son of his brother, when he came into the Land of Israel, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Doth my Father live? And he answereth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And doth your Mother live? As if he should have said, You know your Mother is dead, so you may know your Father is dead. e 1.3 Solomon said, Observe ye 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 what my Father saith? So in the Targum infinite times.

And we may observe in the Holy Scriptures, wheresoever mention is made of a natural Father, the Targumists use the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abba: but when of a civil Father, they use another word.

• ...

• I. Of a natural Father.
  • Gen. XXII. 7, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And he said, Abi, my Father. The Targum reads 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And said, Abba, my Father.
  • Gen. XXVII. 34. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Bless me even me also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abi, O my Father. The Targum reads, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Bless me also, Abba, my Father.
  • Gen. XLVIII. 18. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Not so, Abi, my Father. Targum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Not so, Abba, my Father.
  • Iudg. XI. 36. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abi, my Father, if thou hast opened thy mouth. Tar∣gum, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abba, my Father, if thou hast opened thy mouth.
  • Esa. VIII. 4. The Targum reads 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Before the child shall know to cry, Abba, my Father, and my Mother. See also the Targum upon Ios. II. 13. and Iudg. XIV. 16. and elsewhere very frequently.
• II. Of a civil Father.
  • Gen. IV. 20, 21. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He was, Abi, the Father of such as dwell in Tents.
  • —He was, Abi, the Father of such as handle the Harp, &c. The Targum reads 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He was, Rabba, the Prince, or, the Master of them.
  • 1 Sam. X. 12. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 But who is, Abihem, their Father. Targum, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Who is their, Rab, Master, or, Prince.
  • 2 Kings II. 12. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abi, Abi, my Father, my Father. The Targum, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rabbi, Rabbi.
  • 2 Kings V. 13. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And they said, Abi, my Father. The Targum, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And they said, Mari, my Lord.
  • 2 Kings VI. 21. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abi, my Father, shall I smite them? Targum, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rabbi, shall, &c.

Hence appears the reason of those words of the Apostle, Rom. VIII. 15. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Ye have received the spirit of adoption, where∣by we cry Abba, Father. And Gal. IV. 6. Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spi∣rit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. It was one thing to call God 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Father, that is, Lord, King, Teacher, Governor, &c. and another to call him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ab∣ba, my Father. The doctrine of adoption in the proper sense was altogether unknown to the Jewish Schools, (though they boasted that the people of Israel alone were adopted by God above all other Nations:) and yet they called God 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Father, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Our Father, that is, our God, Lord and King, &c. But since ye are sons, saith the Apostle, ye cry 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abba, O my Father, in the proper and truly paternal sense.

Thus Christ in this place, however under an unspeakable agony, and compassed about on all sides with anguishments, and with a very cloudy and darksome providence: yet he acknowledges, invokes, and finds God 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 his Father, in a most sweet sense.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. We cry Abba, Father. Did the Saints invoking God, and calling him Abba, add also Father? Did Christ also use the same addition of the Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Father, and did he repeat the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Abba, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abi? Father seems rather here to be added by Mark, and there also by St. Paul, for explication of the word Abba: and this is so much the more probable also, because it is expressed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Father, and not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, O Father, in the Vocative.

Notes

• c 1.1

  Bab. Sanhedr. fol. 37. 1.
• d 1.2

  Aruch in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• e 1.3

  Bathr. fol. 10. 2