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אַבְרָהָם

𐤀𐤁𐤓𐤄𐤌

Averaham

H85 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אב-רְהָם (אב + uncertain element) to be father, to be ancestor, multitudes (via folk etymology)

Definition

Proper name: Abraham, the personal name given to the patriarch originally known as Abram. Primary meaning relates to 'ancestor/exalted father of a multitude,' but in context functions fundamentally as a personal name. The semantic range is limited, appearing as the personal name of the prominent ancestral figure in Israelite tradition, but carries with it the connotations of 'father of many' through folk etymology.

Semantic Range

personal name of patriarch Abraham, with implied meaning 'father of a multitude' per folk etymology; used exclusively as a proper name

Root / Etymology

Derived from אָב ('av, 'father') and a secondary element explained in Genesis 17:5 as relating to 'multitude' (המון, hamon, 'crowd, multitude'). The original etymology is likely West Semitic, with possible connections to Akkadian names (Abrahamu, Abamrama), but the Hebrew form is shaped by the folk etymology given in the Genesis narrative. The second element may be linked to רָהָם, though this root is not attested independently in Biblical Hebrew. Original etymology uncertain beyond folk explanation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, 'Abraham' functions as the proper name of a central ancestral figure from whom Israelites trace descent via Isaac and Jacob. Genesis 17:5 records the change of his name from Abram to Abraham and provides a folk etymology, 'father of a multitude of nations,' reflecting the narrative's ideological emphasis on his role as a founding ancestor. The name appears in traditions spanning Genesis through prophetic and historical books and as a reference point in post-exilic literature. In early Semitic name traditions, similar names occur without the folk etymological explanation found in Genesis. English 'Abraham' reflects the transliteration from Hebrew, and in English Bibles, the name is never translated, but understood as a personal name. Later Jewish and Christian writings also refer to Abraham as a foundational figure, but the meaning of his name in Hebrew is rooted in the Israelite narrative context rather than direct translation. The name marks a shift in the patriarch's narrative role, and no evidence exists for its common usage outside personal naming. See also: 'Abram' (H87), which is the earlier form of the name in the Genesis account.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

contracted from אָב and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram; Abraham.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אב־רְהָם (ʾ-b-r-h-m) — fatherhood, ancestry, multitude (folk etymology)

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H85-01 אַבְרָהָ֔ם averaham HNp Abraham Abraham 139
H85-02 לְ/אַבְרָהָ֗ם leaveraham HR/Np to Abraham to Abraham 27
H85-04 וְ/אַ֨בְרָהָ֔ם veaveraham HC/Np and Abraham and Abraham 8
H85-03 מֵֽ/אַבְרָהָ֔ם meaveraham HR/Np from Abraham from Abraham 1

Occurrences in Scripture

175 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H85-01 Genesis 17:5 אַבְרָהָ֔ם averaham HNp Abraham Abraham
H85-01 Genesis 17:9 אַבְרָהָ֔ם averaham HNp Abraham Abraham
H85-01 Genesis 17:15 אַבְרָהָ֔ם averaham HNp Abraham Abraham
H85-01 Genesis 17:17 אַבְרָהָ֛ם averaham HNp Abraham Abraham
H85-01 Genesis 17:18 אַבְרָהָ֖ם averaham HNp Abraham Abraham
H85-01 Genesis 17:22 אַבְרָהָֽם averaham HNp Abraham Abraham
H85-01 Genesis 17:23 אַבְרָהָ֜ם averaham HNp Abraham Abraham
H85-01 Genesis 17:23 אַבְרָהָ֑ם averaham-2 HNp Abraham's Abraham
H85-04 Genesis 17:24 וְ/אַ֨בְרָהָ֔ם veaveraham HC/Np And Abraham and Abraham
H85-01 Genesis 17:26 אַבְרָהָ֑ם averaham HNp Abraham Abraham
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