אָב
father
‘father’ is one of 9 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Construct-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
- Particle
- A short function word — article, negation, interrogative, the sign of the direct object, and the like.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
- Proper
- A name of a specific person, place, or people (e.g. Abraham, Zion, Israel).
State
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
79 verses where H1 appears in the Construct state in the Book of 1 Kings. Filtered view — show all forms. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
1 Kings
- 1 Kings 1:6 אָבִ֤י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms His father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why have you done so? and he was also a very goodly man; and he was born after Absalom.
- 1 Kings 1:21 אֲבֹתָ֑י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
- 1 Kings 2:10 אֲבֹתָ֑י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
- 1 Kings 2:12 אָבִ֑י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Solomon sat on the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.
- 1 Kings 2:24 אָבִ֔/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Now therefore as Yahweh lives, who has established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day.
- 1 Kings 2:26 אָבִ֔/י אָבִֽ/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs To Abiathar the priest said the king, Get you to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you are worthy of death: but I will not at this time put you to death, because you bear the ark of the Lord Yahweh before David my father, and because you were afflicted in all in which my father was afflicted.
- 1 Kings 2:31 אָבִֽ/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs The king said to him, Do as he has said, and fall on him, and bury him; that you may take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father's house.
- 1 Kings 2:32 וְ/אָבִ֥/י conj + n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Yahweh will return his blood on his own head, because he fell on two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, and my father David didn't know it, [to wit], Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.
- 1 Kings 2:44 אָבִ֑/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs The king said moreover to Shimei, You know all the wickedness which your heart is privy to, that you did to David my father: therefore Yahweh shall return your wickedness on your own head.
- 1 Kings 3:3 אָבִ֑י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
- 1 Kings 3:6 אָבִ/י֮ n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Solomon said, You have shown to your servant David my father great loving kindness, according as he walked before you in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you; and you have kept for him this great loving kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
- 1 Kings 3:7 אָבִ֑/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Now, Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child; I don't know how to go out or come in.
- 1 Kings 3:14 אָבִ֑י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms If you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David did walk, then I will lengthen your days.
- 1 Kings 5:1 אָבִ֑י/הוּ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David.
- 1 Kings 5:3 אָבִ֗/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs You know how that David my father could not build a house for the name of Yahweh his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until Yahweh put them under the soles of his feet.
- 1 Kings 5:5 אָבִ/י֙ n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, as Yahweh spoke to David my father, saying, Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your room, he shall build the house for my name.
- 1 Kings 6:12 אָבִֽי/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father.
- 1 Kings 7:14 וְ/אָבִ֣י/ו conj + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill, to work all works in brass. He came to king Solomon, and performed all his work.
- 1 Kings 7:51 אָבִ֗י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Thus all the work that king Solomon worked in the house of Yahweh was finished. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, [even] the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh.
- 1 Kings 8:15 אָבִ֑/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs He said, Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David your father, and has with his hand fulfilled it, saying,
- 1 Kings 8:17 אָבִ֑/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
- 1 Kings 8:18 אָבִ֔/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs But Yahweh said to David my father, Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart:
- 1 Kings 8:20 אָבִ֜/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Yahweh has established his word that he spoke; for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
- 1 Kings 8:21 אֲבֹתֵ֔י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp There have I set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of Yahweh, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
- 1 Kings 8:24 אָבִ֔/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs who have kept with your servant David my father that which you did promise him: yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is this day.
- 1 Kings 8:25 אָבִ/י֙ n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Now therefore, Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.
- 1 Kings 8:26 אָבִֽ/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Now therefore, God of Israel, Please let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father.
- 1 Kings 8:34 לַ/אֲבוֹתָֽ/ם prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp then hear you in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to their fathers.
- 1 Kings 8:40 לַ/אֲבֹתֵֽי/נוּ prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers.
- 1 Kings 8:48 לַ/אֲבוֹתָ֔/ם prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name:
- 1 Kings 8:53 אֲבֹתֵ֛י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp For you did separate them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be your inheritance, as you spoke by Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord Yahweh.
- 1 Kings 8:57 אֲבֹתֵ֑י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp Yahweh our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us;
- 1 Kings 8:58 אֲבֹתֵֽי/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers.
- 1 Kings 9:4 אָבִ֨י/ךָ֙ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms As for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances;
- 1 Kings 9:5 אָבִ֨י/ךָ֙ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, according as I promised to David your father, saying, There shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.
- 1 Kings 9:9 אֲבֹתָ/ם֮ n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp and they shall answer, Because they forsook Yahweh their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshiped them, and served them: therefore has Yahweh brought all this evil on them.
- 1 Kings 11:4 אָבִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms For it happened, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as was the heart of David his father.
- 1 Kings 11:6 אָבִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and didn't go fully after Yahweh, as did David his father.
- 1 Kings 11:12 אָבִ֑י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Notwithstanding in your days I will not do it, for David your father's sake: but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.
- 1 Kings 11:17 אָבִ֛י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt, Hadad being yet a little child.
- 1 Kings 11:21 אֲבֹתָ֔י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms When Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.
- 1 Kings 11:27 אָבִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms This was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breach of the city of David his father.
- 1 Kings 11:33 אָבִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms because that they have forsaken me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon; and they have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my eyes, and [to keep] my statutes and my ordinances, as did David his father.
- 1 Kings 11:43 אֲבֹתָ֔י/ו אָבִ֑י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 12:4 אָבִ֖י/ךָ אָבִ֜י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Your father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make you the grievous service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.
- 1 Kings 12:6 אָבִ֔י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give you me to return answer to this people?
- 1 Kings 12:9 אָבִ֖י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms He said to them, What counsel do you give, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that your father did put on us lighter?
- 1 Kings 12:10 אָבִ֨י/ךָ֙ אָבִֽ/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus shall you tell this people who spoke to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but make you it lighter to us; thus shall you speak to them, My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.
- 1 Kings 12:11 אָבִ/י֙ אָבִ֗/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
- 1 Kings 12:14 אָבִ/י֙ אָבִ֗/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
- 1 Kings 13:11 לַ/אֲבִי/הֶֽם prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp Now there lived an old prophet in Bethel; and one of his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken to the king, them also they told to their father.
- 1 Kings 13:12 אֲבִי/הֶ֔ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp Their father said to them, Which way did he go? Now his sons had seen which way the man of God went, who came from Judah.
- 1 Kings 13:22 אֲבֹתֶֽי/ךָ n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms but came back, and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, Eat no bread, and drink no water; your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.
- 1 Kings 14:15 לַ/אֲב֣וֹתֵי/הֶ֔ם prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp For Yahweh will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and he will root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking Yahweh to anger.
- 1 Kings 14:20 אֲבֹתָ֔י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms The days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 14:22 אֲבֹתָ֔/ם n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp Judah did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, above all that their fathers had done.
- 1 Kings 14:31 אֲבֹתָ֗י/ו אֲבֹתָי/ו֙ n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. Abijam his son reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 15:3 אָבִ֖י/ו אָבִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father.
- 1 Kings 15:8 אֲבֹתָ֔י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 15:11 אָבִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Asa did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, as did David his father.
- 1 Kings 15:12 אֲבֹתָֽי/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms He put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
- 1 Kings 15:15 אָבִ֔י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He brought into the house of Yahweh the things that his father had dedicated, and the things that himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.
- 1 Kings 15:19 אָבִ֖/י אָבִ֑י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms [There is] a league between me and you, between my father and your father: behold, I have sent to you a present of silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
- 1 Kings 15:24 אֲבֹתָ֔י/ו אֲבֹתָ֔י/ו אָבִ֑י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 15:26 אָבִ֔י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.
- 1 Kings 16:6 אֲבֹתָ֔י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 16:28 אֲבֹתָ֔י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 18:18 אָבִ֑י/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms He answered, I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of Yahweh, and you have followed the Baals.
- 1 Kings 19:4 מֵ/אֲבֹתָֽ/י prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough; now, O Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
- 1 Kings 19:20 לְ/אָבִ֣/י prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs He left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray you, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you. He said to him, Go back again; for what have I done to you?
- 1 Kings 20:34 אָבִ/י֩ אָבִ֜י/ךָ אָבִ/י֙ n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs [Ben Hadad] said to him, The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you shall make streets for you in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. I, [said Ahab], will let you go with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and let him go.
- 1 Kings 21:3 אֲבֹתַ֖/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs Naboth said to Ahab, Yahweh forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.
- 1 Kings 21:4 אֲבוֹתָ֑/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs Ahab came into his house sullen and angry because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers. He laid him down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
- 1 Kings 22:40 אֲבֹתָ֑י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 22:43 אָבִ֖י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He walked in all the way of Asa his father; He didn't turn aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh: however the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
- 1 Kings 22:46 אָבִ֑י/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms The remnant of the sodomites, that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land.
- 1 Kings 22:50 אֲבֹתָ֔י/ו אֲבֹתָ֔י/ו אָבִ֑י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 22:52 אָבִי/ו֙ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, in which he made Israel to sin.
- 1 Kings 22:53 אָבִֽי/ו n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He served Baal, and worshiped him, and provoked to anger Yahweh, the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
“father” is the headline sense of the Hebrew noun אב (ʼâb). Its meaning spans more than one sense — see its full sense range. It turns up in 1,060 verses across 31 books, one of the most common footprint. Its earliest occurrence is Genesis 2:24. It clusters with אב, אוב and אבי under a shared root. The sections below give every sense, occurrence, and version rendering.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H1 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 1,060
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 1,060 distinct verses.
- 31 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 31 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #30
- by frequency
- Top 50 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 30 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 1,060 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Genesis 170 verses 16%
- 2 Chronicles 110 verses 10%
- 1 Chronicles 87 verses 8%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 1,060 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 413 verses · 39%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 351 verses · 33%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 296 verses · 28%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 2 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Father 517×, Fathers 417×, Father's 93×
- American Standard Version†: Father 532×, Fathers 397×, According to their fathers 12×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Father 482×, Fathers 327×, Father’s 120×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Father 608×, Fathers 443×, Father of 68×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H1 across 1,212† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 117 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 3 further occurrences.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H1 across 1,212† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 172 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H1 across 1,165† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 77 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 46 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H1 across 1,203† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 25 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
9 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 9 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
- 1. father of individual Gn 2:24 (+ אֵם) 11:28, 29(×2); 19:31, 32, 33, + often (mostly JED); of father as commanding Gn 50:16 (J) Je 35:6 f Pr 6:20 (cf. Gn 18:19 J 28:1, 6 P 1 S 17:20 1 K 2:1); instructing מוסר Pr 1:8; 4:1 (cf. Dt 8:5); specif. as begetter, genitor Pr 23:22 Zc 13:3(×2) (+ אֵם) Is 45:10; cf. Gn 49:4 (J) Lv 18:7, 8, 11 (P); rebuking Gn 37:10; loving Gn 37:4; 44:20 (JE; cf. 22:2; 25:28; 37:3 2 S 14:1); pitying ψ 103:13 (in sim. cf. 2 S 18:5); blessing Gn 27:41 (JE cf. 27:4 also 28:1 P +); as glad Pr 10:1; 15:20 cf. 29:3; grieving Gn 37:35 (JE; cf. 2 S 12:22; 19:1, 2 f) etc. Also as obj. of honour, obedience, love Ex 20:12 (E) = Dt 5:16; Ex 21:15, 17 (E) Dt 21:18, 19 Gn 28:7 (P), 50:1, 5 1 K 19:20 (all + אֵם) (J) Mal 1:6 etc. Hence metaph. of intimate connection Jb 17:14 to corruption I cry, My father art thou (‖ אִמִּי וַאֲחֹתִי לָֽרִמָּה). e.g. Genesis 2:24
- 2. of God as father of his people (v. RSSem 42), who constituted, controls, guides and lovingly watches over it: Dt 32:6 Je 3:4, 19; 31:9 Is 63:16(×2); 64:7 Mal 1:6; 2:10 (cf. Ex 4:22; 19:4 (JE) Dt 32:11 Ho 11:1); cf. Je 2:27 (of idolatr. Isr.) אֹמְרִים לָעֵץ אָבִי אַתָּה וְלָאֶבֶן אַתְּ ילדתני׃; especially God as father of Davidic line 2 S 7:14 ψ 89:27; f. of needy (late) ψ 68:6 (cf. 103:13) (in n.pr., f. of individ., cf. infr.) e.g. Deuteronomy 32:6
- 3. head of household, family or clan; בֵּית אָבִי as abode Gn 38:11(×2) Lv 22:13 +; = family Gn 24:40 (‖ מִשְׁפַחְתִּי) 41:51; 46:31 + cf. Nu 18:1, 2 Jos 2:12, 18; 6:25; especially techn. of divisions of Isr. בֵּית אָב לְמִשְׁפָּחוֹת Nu 3:30, 35 = a father’s house, i.e. a family or clan; more often pl. (אבותם, אבותיו) בֵית אָבוֹת = fathers’ houses = families, clans (cf. Di on Ex 6:14) Ex 6:14; 12:3 Nu 1:2, 18 ff. (often in Nu) Jos 22:14(×2) without בית Jos 14:1; 19:51; 21:1(×2) (always P in Hex.); also 1 Ch 5:13, 15 + often in Ch; cf. רָאשֵׁי אבות הלוים (= ר׳ בית א׳) Ex 6:25 cf. 1 K 8:1 1 Ch 6:4; 7:11 + often Ch Ezr Ne. e.g. Genesis 38:11
- 4. ancestor (a) of individual; grandfather (instead of precise term) Gn 28:13; 32:10 (J; where used of Abr. & Isaac); greatgr. 1 K 15:3; gr.-greatgr. 1 K 15:11, 24 etc.; cf. 2 K 14:3; 15:38; 16:2; 18:3; 22:2; often pl. (= fathers, forefathers) Gn 15:15; 46:34 (JE) 1 K 19:4; 21:3, 4 2 K 19:12; 20:17 +; particularly שׁכב עם אבותיו 1 K 1:21; 2:10; 11:21; 22:40 +; joined with ויקבר עם אב׳ 1 K 14:31; 15:24; 22:51 2 K 8:24; 15:38 cf. v 7, 16:20 + (all of kings of Judah); intens., אֲבֹתֶיךָ וַאֲבוֹת אֲבֹתֶיךָ Ex 10:6 cf. Dn 11:24; (b) of people Gn 10:21 (J) 17:4, 5 (P) 19:37, 38 (J) 36:9, 43 (P) Dt 26:5 Is 51:2; 43:27 (where אביך הראשׁון thy first father, v. Che) cf. also Ez 16:3, 45 + often; pl. Ex 3:13, 15, 16 (E) Dt 1:8 Jos 1:6 Ju 2:1 1 S 12:6 +; 1 S 12:15 ad fin read וּבְמַלְכְּכֶם 𝔊 We Dr. e.g. Genesis 28:13
- 5. originator or patron of a class, profession, or art Gn 4:20, 21. e.g. Genesis 4:20
- 6. fig. of producer, generator Jb 38:28 הֲיֵשׁ לַמָּטָר אָ֑ב (‖ מִי־הוֹלִיד אֶגְלֵי־טָֽל׃). e.g. Job 38:28
- 7. fig. of benevolence & protection Jb 29:16 אָב אָֽנֹכִי לָֽאֶבְיוֹנִים, cf. 31:18; of Eliakim Is 22:21; perhaps also of gracious Mess. king אֲבִי עַד Is 9:5 everlasting father (Ge Ew De Che Brd Di)—others divider of spoil (Abarb Hi Kn KueBrMP). e.g. Job 29:16
- 8. term of respect & honour (Abbas, Pater, Papa, Pope); appl. to master 2 K 5:13; priest Ju 17:10; 18:19; prophet 2 K 2:12(×2); 6:21; 13:14(×2) cf. 8:9; counsellor Gn 45:8 (E; cf. δευτέρου πατρός 𝔊 add. Est 3:13; τῷ πατρί 1 Mac 11:32); king 1 S 24:12; artificer 2 Ch 2:12; 4:16. e.g. 2 Kings 5:13
- 9. specif., ruler, chief (late) 1 Ch 2:24, 42(×2) etc. (cf. Ew§ 273b). See also EwGesch. i. 524 H i. 365. On the force of אָב in proper names (in many prob. a divine title), v. CheEncy. Bib., abi, names with Nöib., names, §§ 44, 45. e.g. 1 Chronicles 2:24
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
n.m. father (Ph. אב, Assyrian abu, Arabic أَبٌ, Sab. אב CISiv, 1. 37 1. 2 al. Ethiopic አብ Aramaic אַבָּא, ܐܰܒܳܐ )—abs. אָב Gn 44:19 + 47 times; cstr. אַב Gn 17:4, 5 (cf. in אַבְרָהָם ib. & elsewhere in n.pr. On Hal’s proposes אֲבִר v. אברהם); אֲבִי (cf. Ge§§ 90, 3b, 96) Gn 4:20 +; sf. אָבִי Gn 19:34 + (MI אבי); אָבִיךָ Gn 12:1 +; אָבִיו Gn 2:24 +; אָבִ֫יהוּ Ju 14:10 + 6 times; pl. אָבוֹת Ex 12:3 +; cstr. אֲבוֹת Ex 6:25 + 7 times; sf. אֲבוֹתַי (אֲבֹתַי, אֲבוֹתָ֑י) Gn 47:9 + 15 times; אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם 1 Ch 4:38 + 32 times (late); אֲבוֹתָם Ex 4:5 + 106 times etc.;—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: a root
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
אַב־
- a prefix of words of Greek origin answering to αὐ-, au-, e.g. אבטומטוס = αὐτόματος; or to εὐ, e.g. אבגינוס = εὐγενής.
אָב I
- (Assyr. A-bu, Schr. K. A. T., p. 247) Ab, the fifth month of the Jewish calendar (of thirty days) beginning between the eighth of July and the seventh of August, and ending between the sixth of August and the fifth of September. R. Hash. I, 3, על אב וכ׳ for announcing the beginning of Ab messengers are sent out, for the sake of the fast. Ib. 18ᵇ ט׳ באב the ninth of Ab, anniversary of Temple destruction. Taan. IV, 6 משנכנס אב with the beginning of Ab. Ib. 29ᵇ לישתמיט מיניה באב let him try to be relieved of (the law-suit) in Ab. Meg. 5ᵇ; a. e.
אָב II
- , const. אֲבִי, אַב [embracer], father, ancestor, progenitor; teacher; chief, leader; author, originator. Ex. R. s. 46 end המגדל אב the educator is the real father. Lev. R. s. 1 אבי החכמה וכ׳, the father of all wisdom, … the father of prophets. Y. Ned. V, 39ᵇ; a. fr.—אַב בית דין (abbr. אב"ד) president of the Court (Great Sanhedrin), next in dignity to the Nassi. Taan. II, 1; a. fr.—Metaph. origin, cause. Num. R. s. 10 (play on אֲבוֹי, Prov. XXIII, 29) א׳ אוי the cause of woe (sin).—אב מלאכה (for which also עיקר) one of the chief labors forbidden on the Sabbath, opp. תולדה a labor the prohibition of which is based on the ground of its being a species of the former, or derived from the former. Sabb. VII, 1 sq.; a. fr.—[Y. Sabb. II, 5ᵃ, אב שלה, sub. מלאכה.]—אב הטומאה one of the original or direct causes of levitical uncleanness, opp. ולד (child) secondary cause. Toh. I, 5; a. fr.—א׳ הנזק v. Pl.—בנין א׳ creation of a class, i.e. a conclusion, by analogy, from a case explicitly stated in the bibl. law on all similar cases not specified in detail. Sifra introd.—Ib. K’doshim, end, ch. 11 (ref. to Lev. XX, 27) זה ב׳ א׳ לכל דמיהם בם this forms the rule for all cases in which the Bible uses the word d’mēhem bam (that the penalty is stoning to death); a. fr.; v. also בֵּית אב.—Pl. אָבוֹת־, const. אֲבוֹת, e.g. Proverbs 23:29
- 1. fathers, ancestors, patriarchs &c. Ber. 26ᵇ prayers א׳ תקנום have been instituted by the Patriarchs; a. fr.—אבות בתי דינין, v. supra. Ḥag. II, 2.—בת א׳ a woman of noble descent. Num. R. s. 1; a. e.—Metaph. principal, chief א׳ מלאכות, v. supra. א׳ הטומא׳ Kel. I, 1; v. supra.—א׳ נזיקין (sing. אב הנזק) the chief actionable injuries or damages, from which the subordinate are deduced (תולדות). B. Kam. I, 1; a. e.
- 2. Aboth, the first section of the Prayer of Benedictions (v. תְּפִלָּה), so called because it alludes to the Patriarchs. R. Hash. IV, 5; a. fr.
- 3. Aboth, name of a treatise of the Mishnah, containing sayings of Talmudic authorities and belonging to the fourth section, נזיקין, of the Mishnah collection (משניות); also styled פִּרְקֵי א׳ a. מְסֶכֶת א׳. A similar collection of a later date is contained in Talmud Babli editions, named א׳ דרבי נתן Aboth d’Rabbi Nathan. [Y. Yoma VIII, 44ᵈ top אב בית נפש v. אֲבֵידָה.]
אָב II ²
- ch., v. אַבָּא
אֵב
- swelling, spreading, whence
- 1. the young shoots of a tree, opp. to the branches growing directly from the trunk. B. Kam. 81ᵃ אִיבּוֹ של אילן ed. (Ar. a. Ms. חובו, v. חוֹב II, cmp. Rashi a. l.). [Y. Erub. III, 21ᵃ top איבו; Y. Succ. II, 53ᵃ צידו.]
- 2. pl. אִבִּין, אִיבִּין state of growth, development. Ḥull. 58ᵃ cascuta which became wormy באִבֶּיהָ during its growth. Ib. 127ᵇ figs which shrunk באִבֵּיהֶן during development. Y. Sabb. VII, 10ᶜ bot. he who presses olives מאִבֵּיהֶן from where they grow (before they are ripe to be taken off). [Tosef. Maasr. I, 4 איבין אדומים, Var. אובין, read אוּגִין, v. אוֹג.] Ib. 5 they differ על האיבין concerning the plants in their growing state (between ripening [גמר] and blossoming [הנץ]; Var. אוֹנין incorr.); cmp. יָבַן. Ch. v. אִיבָּא I.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 406 distinct written forms H1 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 346 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H1, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derived from this word
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
- אבי ʼĂbîy H21 Abi
- אביאל ʼĂbîyʼêl H22 Abiel
- אביאסף ʼĂbîyʼâçâph H23 Abiasaph
- אבי גבעון ʼĂbîy Gibʻôwn H25 father of Gibeon
- אביגיל ʼĂbîygayil H26 Abigail
- אבידן ʼĂbîydân H27 Abidan
- אבידע ʼĂbîydâʻ H28 Abida
- אביה ʼĂbîyâh H29 Abijah
- אביהוא ʼĂbîyhûwʼ H30 Abihu
- אביהוד ʼĂbîyhûwd H31 Ahihud
- אביהיל ʼĂbîyhayil H32 Abihail
- אביטוב ʼĂbîyṭûwb H36 Abitub
- אביטל ʼĂbîyṭâl H37 Abital
- אבים ʼĂbîyâm H38 Abijam
- אבימאל ʼĂbîymâʼêl H39 Abimael
- אבימלך ʼĂbîymelek H40 Abimelech
- אבינדב ʼĂbîynâdâb H41 Abinadab
- אבינעם ʼĂbîynôʻam H42 Abinoam
- אביעזר ʼĂbîyʻezer H44 Abiezer
- אביעלבון ʼĂbîy-ʻalbôwn H45 Abialbon
- אבירם ʼĂbîyrâm H48 Abiram
- אבישג ʼĂbîyshag H49 Abishag
- אבישוע ʼĂbîyshûwaʻ H50 Abishua
- אבישור ʼĂbîyshûwr H51 Abishur
+7 more proper names from this root (not shown).
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 34 — not the complete family. 31 of the same-root words are proper names (people or places). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 1,020 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 1,060 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 2:24
- Exodus 2:16
- Leviticus 16:32
- Numbers 1:2
- Deuteronomy 1:8
- Joshua 1:6
- Judges 1:14
- Ruth 2:11
- 1 Samuel 2:25
- 2 Samuel 2:32
- 1 Kings 1:6
- 2 Kings 2:12
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.