Hebrew word · Strong's H1

אָב

ʼâb · awb · noun · “father”

In a sentence

Av means father — the head of the family, the line of inheritance, and in metaphor God himself, Father of Israel and of all who come to him through Jesus.

Av (the noun behind names like Abraham, “father of many”) is the foundational family word in Hebrew. It speaks of authority, provision, and inheritance — and of tenderness too.

Beyond family lines, av names God himself. Israel was God’s son “out of Egypt”; the Messianic Psalms address God as “my Father.” Jesus then opens that name to all who believe in him: “Our Father in heaven.”

Strong's reference

Definition: father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application

KJV usage: chief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.

Reference gloss from Strong's Concordance (1890, public domain).

Key verses BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

Exodus 4:22 “Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son,” Psalms 89:26 “He will call to Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock of my salvation.’” Matthew 6:9 “So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”

Original BibleDawn word study. Original-language data and the public-domain Strong's (1890) gloss are referenced; see sources.