🔼The name Barabbas: Summary
- Meaning
- Son Of The Father
- Etymology
- From (1) the noun בר (bar), son, and (2) the noun אב ('ab), father.
🔼The name Barabbas in the Bible
Barabbas is the name of the notorious criminal who Pontius Pilate released from the prison in Jerusalem instead of Jesus. His name is mentioned 11 times in the New Testament; see full concordance.
This affair is so dubious that it should be considered a red herring, or a comic insert into the story of Jesus' trial to strongly mark a jubilant commentary. Read our article on the name Pilate for more on this.
🔼Etymology of the name Barabbas
The name Barabbas is a Greek transliteration of a Chaldean or Aramaic name. It consists of two elements:
The first part is the Chaldean or Aramaic word בר (bar), meaning son:
בר
The Aramaic noun בר (bar) is cognate with the Hebrew noun בן (ben) and both mean "one of," i.e. one of a certain house, one of a certain profession, one of a certain country, and so on. These nouns are also the regular words for "son."
The second part of the name Barabbas comes from the Semitic word אב ('ab), basically meaning father:
אב
The noun אב ('ab) means father, but describes primarily a social relationship rather than a biological one. That social fatherhood was the defining quality of the community's alpha male, the one around whom all economy revolved and from whom emanated all instructions by which the 'sons' (בן, ben) operated. It's unclear where this word אב ('ab) comes from but the verb abu means to decide.
🔼Barabbas meaning
The name Barabbas means Son Of The Father.