RABBI răb’ ī (רַבִּי; ῥαββί, G4806, or ῥαββεί, my master). A term, transliterated from the Heb., used by the Jews in designation of their religious teachers. First employed as a term of respect, particularly in reference to the law trained scribes (Matt 23:2-7), it came to be used during the 1st cent. as a title, the pronominal suffix losing its significance. It was tr. into the Gr. by the word, διδάσκαλος, G1437, meaning “teacher” (Matt 23:8; John 1:38 KJV “master”). Due to its significance (רַב֒, H8041, meaning “great”), Jesus forbade His disciples to accept it in self-designation (Matt 23:8). Christ was so addressed (Matt 26:25, 49; Mark 9:5; 11:21; 14:45; etc.); John the Baptist (John 3:26), and was used in Mark 10:51 (KJV “Lord”). “Rabboni” (John 20:16) is a Palestinian Aramaic form of the word. See Teacher.

Bibliography E. Schürer, HJP, II. i. 315ff.