ἀῥραβών (Arrabon)

MEANINGA down payment, a deposit that guarantees the full sum will come. Strong's G728: 'a pledge, i.e. part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest'. The KJV renders it 'earnest'.

GRAMMARG728, spelled arrhabon in our Strong's table (double rho). A commercial term: the first installment that both begins the payment and pledges the rest. In modern Greek it means an engagement ring.

SIGNIFICANCEGod gives the believer the Holy Spirit as the arrabon, the guarantee that the full inheritance is coming. This is a pillar of eternal security: a down payment that could be forfeited would be no guarantee at all, and Scripture calls the Spirit exactly a guarantee.

KEY VERSE / SCRIPTURESEphesians 1:14 (the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession); 2 Corinthians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 5:5.

CROSS-REFERENCESσφραγίζω sphragizo (G4972) · /doctrine/eternal-security · /answers/arrabon