Ἀβραάμ
Abraám
G11 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name: Abraham; a personal name of Hebrew origin referring to the ancestral figure recognized as the forefather of the Israelite (and, later, Judean) people. In Greek literature, particularly the Septuagint and New Testament, Ἀβραάμ functions solely as a personal name without additional connotative senses. In all uses, the semantic content of the term is derived from the recounting of the life and significance of the biblical patriarch.
Semantic Range
Abraham (biblical forefather), personal name designating the patriarch, eponymous ancestor of the Israelite and later Judean people
Root / Etymology
Borrowed from Hebrew אַבְרָהָם (Avraham); via Septuagint transliteration. The Hebrew name is traditionally interpreted as meaning 'father of a multitude,' though precise original etymology is debated. Greek Ἀβραάμ is not formed from productive Greek roots but is a transliteration of the Hebrew.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ἀβραάμ appears as a proper name in the Septuagint (LXX), Philo, Josephus, and the New Testament, where it routinely refers to the figure known from the Genesis narrative. In earlier Greek literature outside the influence of Jewish or Christian traditions, the name does not occur. In Second Temple, New Testament, and early Christian writings, Ἀβραάμ's identity is that of a foundational ancestor, representative of the original covenantal relationship with Israelite/Judean people, and often referenced as a paradigmatic example of faith or righteousness. English translations universally use 'Abraham,' following a long-standing Christian and Jewish tradition, but the underlying Greek is simply a transliteration of the Hebrew name, sometimes retaining the Semitic pronunciation. The note in the Strong's gloss regarding Acts 7:16 reflects textual variants in manuscripts but does not affect the lexical meaning of the word itself. Unlike the term 'Hebrew,' the name in Greek texts does not bear semantic content relating to ethnicity, geography, or religion aside from its person-referential function. It must also be distinguished from Ἀβραάμ as an eponym and does not appear with other contextual senses (such as title or metaphor) in Koine Greek.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Hebrew origin (אַבְרָהָם); Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch:--Abraham. (In Acts 7:16 the text should probably read Jacob.)
Root Family
Ἀβραάμ (Abraam) — personal name, Abraham
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G11-01 |
Ἀβραάμ | abraam | N GEN M SG |
Abraham | of Abraham | 73 |
Occurrences in Scripture
73 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G11-01 |
Matthew 1:1 | Ἀβραάμ | abraam | N GEN M SG |
of Abraham | of Abraham |
G11-01 |
Matthew 1:2 | Ἀβραὰμ | abraam | N NOM M SG |
Abraham | of Abraham |
G11-01 |
Matthew 1:17 | Ἀβραὰμ | abraam | N GEN M SG |
Abraham | of Abraham |
G11-01 |
Matthew 3:9 | Ἀβραάμ | abraam | N ACC M SG |
of Abraham | |
G11-01 |
Matthew 3:9 | Ἀβραάμ | abraam-2 | N DAT M SG |
of Abraham | |
G11-01 |
Matthew 8:11 | Ἀβραὰμ | abraam | N GEN M SG |
of Abraham | |
G11-01 |
Matthew 22:32 | Ἀβραὰμ | abraam | N GEN M SG |
of Abraham | |
G11-01 |
Mark 12:26 | Ἀβραὰμ | abraam | N GEN M SG |
of Abraham | of Abraham |
G11-01 |
Luke 1:55 | Ἀβραὰμ | abraam | N DAT M SG |
Abraham | of Abraham |
G11-01 |
Luke 1:73 | Ἀβραὰμ | abraam | N ACC M SG |
Abraham | of Abraham |