What Does “Abbot” Mean in the Bible?
Office or title
The head of a monastery, elected by the monks. The word means “father.”
It can mean
- “Abbey”: the monastery governed by an abbot.
- In the Bible: “Abba” means “Father.” The Holy Spirit leads us to call God by this name.
- Careful: the woman who leads a monastery is the “abbess.”
Where it appears in the Bible
Galatians 4:6
What the Bible says
Galatians 4:6
And because you are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying: Abba, Father.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “Abbot”