← H86 H88 →

אַבְרָם

𐤀𐤁𐤓𐤌

Averam

H87 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אב-רם father, to be high, exalted

Definition

A personal name meaning 'the father is exalted' or 'exalted father'; the original name of the patriarch later called Abraham. In the narrative of Genesis, this is the name borne by the patriarch before his covenantal name-change. The name bears a theophoric or honorific force, signifying either the status of the father as 'exalted' or 'high.'

Semantic Range

personal name, 'exalted father,' 'the father is exalted,' proper noun referring to the ancestor later named Abraham

Root / Etymology

From the root אב (ʼ-b), 'father,' plus a likely adjectival or abstract element רָם (ram), meaning 'high, exalted, lofty.' Thus, אַבְרָם is best explained as 'the father is exalted' or 'exalted father.' The form does not primarily function as a contracted form of אֲבִירָם (Abiram), though the forms are similar; אַבְרָם and אֲבִירָם are distinct names in the biblical text.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The use of אַבְרָם is confined to passages in Genesis where the patriarch is not yet renamed Abraham (אַבְרָהָם). In the narrative, his name is changed in Genesis 17:5, marked by the addition of the letter 'ה' and a theological etymology provided within the text itself, yet historically אַבְרָם remains a standalone personal name. The name is not limited to the ancestors of the Israelite people but reflects West Semitic naming patterns of the Early Bronze Age. Standard English translations preserve the distinction between Abram and Abraham, but later Jewish and Christian traditions often retroject 'Abraham' across the entire story. אַבְרָם is distinct from similar names such as אֲבִירָם (Abiram, 'my father is exalted'), which is used elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible for unrelated figures. The term cannot be retrospectively translated as 'Jew' or 'Israelite,' since Abram predates these historical identities.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

contracted from אֲבִירָם; high father; Abram, the original name of Abraham; Abram.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

אברם (ʾ-b-r-m) — father, high, exalted, lofty

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5674 עָבַר Exalted Father
H85 אַבְרָהָם and Abraham

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H87-01 אַבְרָ֔ם averam HNp Abram Exalted Father 50
H87-03 לְ/אַבְרָ֔ם leaveram HR/Np to Abram to Exalted Father 6
H87-05 וְ/אַבְרָ֗ם veaveram HC/Np and Abram and Exalted-Father 3
H87-04 וּ/לְ/אַבְרָ֥ם uleaveram HC/R/Np and to Abram and to Exalted Father 1
H87-02 בְּ/אַבְרָ֔ם beaveram HR/Np Abram Exalted Father 1

Occurrences in Scripture

61 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H87-01 Genesis 11:26 אַבְרָ֔ם averam HNp Abram Exalted Father
H87-01 Genesis 11:27 אַבְרָ֔ם averam HNp Abram Exalted Father
H87-01 Genesis 11:29 אַבְרָ֧ם averam HNp Abram Exalted Father
H87-01 Genesis 11:29 אַבְרָם֙ averam-2 HNp Abram Exalted Father
H87-01 Genesis 11:31 אַבְרָ֣ם averam HNp Abram Exalted Father
H87-01 Genesis 11:31 אַבְרָ֣ם averam-2 HNp Abram Exalted Father
H87-01 Genesis 12:1 אַבְרָ֔ם averam HNp Abram Exalted Father
H87-01 Genesis 12:4 אַבְרָ֗ם averam HNp Abram Exalted Father
H87-05 Genesis 12:4 וְ/אַבְרָ֗ם veaveram HC/Np and Abram and Exalted-Father
H87-01 Genesis 12:5 אַבְרָם֩ averam HNp Abram Exalted Father
← H86 Hebrew Lexicon H88 →