The Hebrew word ab means father, ancestor, or originator. It is used over 1,200 times in the Old Testament to denote a biological father, a forefather, or the founder of a family or nation. The term extends metaphorically to describe God as the Father of Israel.
In the Old Testament, ab establishes the foundational metaphor for God's relationship with His people — protective, authoritative, and deeply personal. God is called the Father of Israel (Deuteronomy 32:6), and the concept undergirds the covenantal relationship where God guides, disciplines, and provides for His children.