NEW TESTAMENT LEXICON.
A
A, α, ἄλφα, τό, the first letter of the Greek alphabet, opening the series which the letter ω closes. Hence the expression ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ A [L T Tr WH ἄλφα] καὶ τὸ Ω [Ὦ L WH], Rev. i. 8, 11 Rec., which is explained by the appended words ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ τὸ τέλος, xxi. 6, and by the further addition ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος, xxii. 13. On the meaning of the phrase cf. Rev. xi. 17; Is. xli. 4; xliv. 6; xlviii. 12; [esp. B. D. Am. ed. p. 73]. A, when prefixed to words as an inseparable syllable, is 1. privative (στερητικόν), like the Lat. in-, the Eng. un-, giving a negative sense to the word to which it is prefixed, as ἀβαρής; or signifying what is contrary to it, as ἄτιμος, ἀτιμόω; before vowels generally ἀν-, as ἀναίτιος. 2. copulative (ἀθροιστικόν), akin to the particle ἅμα [cf. Curtius § 598], indicating community and fellowship, as in ἀδελφός, ἀκύλουθος. Hence it is 3. intensive (ἐπιτατικόν), strengthening the force of terms, like the Lat. con in composition; as ἀτενίζω fr. ἀτενής [yet cf. W. 100 (95)]. This use, however, is doubted or denied now by many [e. g. Lob. Path. Element. i. 34 sq.]. Cf. Kühner i. 741, § 339 Anm. 5; [Jelf § 342 δ]; Bttm. Gram. § 120 Anm. 11; [Donaldson, Gram. p. 334; New Crat. §§ 185, 213; L. and S. s. v.].*
Ἀαρών, indecl. prop. name (ὁ Ἀαρών, -ῶνος in Joseph.), אַהֲרֹן (fr. the unused Hebr. radical אָהַר,—Syr. ܐܰܗܻܝܪܳܐ libidinosus, lascivus,—[enlightened, Fürst; acc. to Dietrich wealthy, or fluent, like אוֺמָר], acc. to Philo, de ebriet. § 32, fr. הַר mountain and equiv. to ὀρεινός), Aaron, the brother of Moses, the first high-priest of the Israelites and the head of the whole sacerdotal order: Lk. i. 5; Acts vii. 40; Heb. v. 4; vii. 11; ix. 4.*
Ἀβαδδών, indecl., אֲבַדּוֺן, 1. ruin, destruction, (fr. אָבַד to perish), Job xxxi. 12. 2. the place of destruction i. q. Orcus, joined with שְׁאוֺל, Job xxvi. 6; Prov. xv. 11. 3. as a proper name it is given to the angel-prince of the infernal regions, the minister of death and author of havoc on earth, and is rendered in Greek by Ἀπολλύων Destroyer, Rev. ix. 11.*
ἀβαρής, -ές, (βάρος weight), without weight, light; trop. not burdensome: ἀβαρῆ ὑμῖν ἐμαυτὸν ἐτήρησα I have avoided burdening you with expense on my account, 2 Co. xi. 9; see 1 Th. ii. 9, cf. 6. (Fr. Aristot. down.)*
Ἀββᾶ [WH -βά], Hebr. אָב father, in the Chald. emphatic state, אַבָּא i. e. ὁ πατήρ, a customary title of God in prayer. Whenever it occurs in the N. T. (Mk. xiv. 36; Ro. viii. 15; Gal. iv. 6) it has the Greek interpretation subjoined to it; this is apparently to be explained by the fact that the Chaldee אַבָּא, through frequent use in prayer, gradually acquired the nature of a most sacred proper name, to which the Greek-speaking Jews added the appellative from their own tongue.*
Ἄβελ [WH Ἅβ. (see their Intr. § 408)], indecl. prop. name (in Joseph. [e. g. antt. 1, 2, 1] Ἄβελος, -ου), הֶבֶל (breath, vanity), Abel, the second son born to Adam (Gen. iv. 2 sqq.), so called from his short life and sudden death [cf. B. D. Am. ed. p. 5], (Job vii. 16; Ps. xxxix. 6): Mt. xxiii. 35; Lk. xi. 51; Heb. xi. 4; xii. 24.*
Ἀβιά, indecl. prop. name (Joseph. antt. 7, 10, 3; 8, 10, 1ὁ Ἀβίας [W. § 6, 1 m.], -α), אֲבִיָה and אֲבִיָהוּ (my father is Jehovah), Abia [or Abijah, cf. B. D. s. ν.], 1. a king of Judah, son of Rehoboam: Mt. i. 7 (1 K. xiv. 31; xv. 1). 2. a priest, the head of a sacerdotal family, from whom, when David divided the priests into twenty-four classes (1 Chr. xxiv. 10), the class Abia, the eighth in order, took its name: Lk. i. 5.*
Ἀβιάθαρ, indecl. prop. name (though in Joseph. antt. 6, 14, 6 Ἀβιάθαρος, -ου), אֱבְיָתָר (father of abundance), Abiathar, a certain Hebrew high-priest: Mk. ii. 26,—where he is by mistake confounded with Ahimelech his father (1 S. xxi. 1 sqq.); [yet cf. 1 S. xxii. 20 with 1 Chr. xviii. 16; xxiv. 6, 31; also 2 S. xv. 24-29; 1 K. ii. 26, 27 with 2 S. viii. 17; 1 Chr. xxiv. 6, 31. It would seem that double names were esp. common in the case of priests (cf. 1 Macc. ii. 1-5; Joseph. vit. §§ 1, 2) and that father and son often bore the same name (cf. Lk. i. 5, 59; Joseph. l. c. and antt. 20, 9, 1). See McClellan ad loc. and B. D. Am. ed. p. 7].*
