ῥαββί
rhabbí
G4461 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Honorific title meaning 'my teacher' or 'my master,' especially used as a direct address to a respected teacher or instructor, particularly one skilled in religious or scriptural matters. Used in direct speech, it signals personal respect and acknowledges the authority or knowledge of the addressee. In Hellenistic and early Roman period Judean contexts, primarily designates recognized teachers of the Torah.
Semantic Range
my teacher, my master (respectful address), honored instructor in scriptural matters, direct address denoting respect for a teacher, title for recognized interpreters or authorities in Judean society
Root / Etymology
A transliteration of the Hebrew רַבִּי (rabbi), itself from רַב (rav, 'great, chief, master') plus the first-person singular pronominal suffix -י ('my'), together meaning 'my master' or 'my teacher.' Entered Greek as a loanword without substantial morphological adaptation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ῥαββί (rhabbí) appears only in direct address within the New Testament, most often in the context of disciples addressing a respected teacher, notably Jesus. Its use reflects a cultural practice in late Second Temple Judea to honor figures who had recognized expertise or authority in interpretation and teaching of Torah. The term is not attested in classical Greek; its entry into Greek is entirely due to transliteration from Hebrew/Aramaic and contextually specific to the Judean or Israelite environment. In the Greek New Testament, ῥαββί is sometimes glossed or equated with Διδάσκαλος (didaskalos, 'teacher'), but the nuances differ: Διδάσκαλος is a general Greek word for 'teacher,' while ῥαββί specifically reflects Judean honorific custom and indicates a relational acknowledgment ('my teacher'). Standard English translations often render it as 'Rabbi' or 'Master'; 'master' in Early Modern English denoted a teacher, but in modern usage, 'Rabbi' better preserves the original cultural meaning. In the New Testament, the term does not necessarily indicate ordination or formal office as in later rabbinic tradition: it reflects social honor and authority recognized by followers. ῥαββί is not used in the Septuagint. The later institutional role of 'rabbi' (as in rabbinic Judaism) postdates the New Testament period and should not be anachronistically read into its NT occurrences.
Translation Consistency
ῥαββί is primarily an honorific title used as a direct form of address for a recognized teacher of the Torah. Using the transliterated title “rabbi” preserves the specific cultural and religious sense (personal respect and recognized authority) better than the more generic “teacher” or the archaic “master,” and it is the common English rendering in NT contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Hebrew origin (רַב with pronominal suffix); my master, i.e Rabbi, as an official title of honor:--Master, Rabbi.
Root Family
ῥαβ- (rhabbí) — to be great, to be chief, to master
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4461-01 |
Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N NOM M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi | 15 |
Occurrences in Scripture
15 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4461-01 |
Matthew 23:7 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N NOM M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
Matthew 23:8 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N NOM M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
Matthew 26:25 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
Matthew 26:49 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
Mark 9:5 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
Mark 11:21 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
Mark 14:45 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
John 1:38 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
John 1:49 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
John 3:2 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
John 3:26 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
John 4:31 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
John 6:25 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
John 9:2 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |
G4461-01 |
John 11:8 | Ῥαββεί | rabbei | N VOC M SG |
Rabbi | My Master | My rabbi |