barabbas
|ba-rab-bas|
/bəˈræbəs/
son of the father; biblical prisoner released instead of Jesus
Etymology
'barabbas' originates from Aramaic, specifically the word 'bar ʾabbā', where 'bar-' meant 'son of' and 'abbā' meant 'father'.
'barabbas' changed from the Aramaic phrase 'bar ʾabbā' into the Greek form 'Βαραββᾶς', then into Latin 'Barabbas', and eventually became the modern English name 'Barabbas' through Medieval and Middle English transmission.
Initially, it meant 'son of the father' (a patronymic), but over time it became primarily identified as the proper name of the prisoner released instead of Jesus in the New Testament.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a man mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible, a prisoner whom Pontius Pilate released instead of Jesus during the Passover crowd's demand.
The crowd called for the release of barabbas rather than Jesus.
Last updated: 2026/01/13 12:26