Ἄβελ G0006
Abel; the second son of Adam, whose righteous offering and innocent blood became a type of faithful martyrdom
Abel, from Hebrew hevel, names Adam's second son whose sacrifice God accepted and whose murder by Cain became the Bible's first instance of innocent blood shed. In the New Testament, Jesus invokes 'the blood of Abel' (Matt 23:35; Luke 11:51) as the starting point of a long history of righteous bloodshed. Hebrews 11:4 holds Abel up as the first exemplar of faith, and 12:24 contrasts his blood—which cries for justice—with Christ's blood, which speaks a better word.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Abel as a proper name designating Adam's righteous second son, functioning in the NT as a typological figure of faithful martyrdom. Matthew 23:35 and Luke 11:51 cite his blood as the opening chapter of innocent suffering, while Hebrews 11:4 and 12:24 develop his theological significance—faith that speaks even after death. Translations consistently transliterate: English 'Abel'/'Habel,' Spanish 'Hábel,' French 'Abel,' German 'Abel,' preserving the Hebrew name across all traditions. 4×
AR["هابيلَ", "هَابِيل"]·ben["হেবল", "হেবলের"]·DE["Abel", "Ἅβελ"]·EN["Habel", "of-Abel", "of-Habel"]·FR["Abel"]·heb["הֶבֶל"]·HI["हाबिल", "हाबिल-के"]·ID["Habel", "Habel."]·IT["abel"]·jav["Habel", "Habèl", "Habél"]·KO["아벨", "아벨-의", "아벨의", "아벨이"]·PT["Abel", "de-Abel"]·RU["Авель", "Авеля"]·ES["Hábel", "de-Hábel"]·SW["-", "Abeli", "ya-Ábel"]·TR["Habil", "Habil'in"]·urd["ہابل", "ہابل-نے", "ہابیل-کے"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
Ἄβελ, (WH, Ἅ-), ὁ, indecl. (הֶבֶל), Abel (Gen.4:2-10): Heb.11:4, 12:24; αἵμα Ἄ., Mat.23:35, Luk.11:51.† (From Abbott-Smith. LSJ has no entry)