Rabboni
/ræˈboʊnaɪ/noun
A respectful Aramaic title meaning “my teacher” or “my master,” used in the New Testament.
Did you know?In John’s Gospel, Mary Magdalene addresses the risen Jesus as “Rabboni,” preserving an intimate Aramaic title inside the Greek text.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*r-b-b
“Root associated with greatness, abundance, or being great”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
רַב (rav)
“Great, chief, or master”
Late Biblical Hebrew / Aramaic
Aramaic
רַבִּי (rabbi)
“My master or my teacher”
1st Century
Jewish Palestinian Aramaic
רַבּוֹנִי (rabboni)
“My teacher or my master, an especially respectful form”
1st Century
Koine Greek
ῥαββουνί (rhabbouni)
“Transliteration of the Aramaic title in the New Testament”
Modern English
English
Rabboni
“A biblical title for a teacher or master, especially in reference to Jesus”