Difference between revisions of "Patriarch"

<p> (πατριάρχης, from πατριά, ‘clan,’ and ἀρχή, ‘rule’) </p> <p> [[A]] patriarch is the father or head of a πατριά or clan. As applied to Bible characters, the term usually denotes either the forefathers of the human race or the progenitors of Israel-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his twelve sons. In the [[Lxx_]] of &nbsp;1 Chronicles 24:31; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 27:22, &nbsp;2 Chronicles 19:8; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 26:12 πατριάρχαι renders various [[Hebrew]] terms, which appear in our [[Ev_]] as ‘principal fathers,’ ‘heads of fathers’ houses,’ and ‘captains.’ In &nbsp;4 [[Maccabees]] 7:19 reference is made to ‘our patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’ (cf. &nbsp;4 Maccabees 16:25). In the [[Nt]] the term is applied to [[Abraham]] (&nbsp;Hebrews 7:4), to the sons of Jacob (&nbsp;Acts 7:8 f.), and also to David, in a text (&nbsp;Acts 2:29) where it has greater dignity than the ordinary ‘king’ would have had. It was of David that St. Peter, speaking μετὰ παῤῥησίας, ‘had to say something not altogether favourable, in order that thereby the glory of Christ might be the more enhanced. There is therefore in this passage a προθεραπεία, or previous mitigation of what he is about to say’ (Bengel, in loco). </p> <p> James Strahan. </p>

<p> '''Patriarch.''' ''(father of a tribe).'' The name given to the head of a family or tribe, in Old [[Testament]] times. In common usage, the title of ''patriarch'' is assigned, especially to those whose lives are recorded in Scripture, previous to the time of Moses, as Adam, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. </p> <p> ("In the early history of the Hebrews, we find the ancestor or father of a family retaining authority over his children, and his children's children, so long as he lived, whatever new connections they might form, when the father died, the branch families did not break off, and form new communities, but usually united under another common head. </p> <p> The eldest son was generally invested with this dignity. His authority was paternal. He was honored as central point of connection, and as the representative of the whole kindred. Thus, each great family had its patriarch, or head, and each tribe its prince, selected from the several heads of the families which it embraced." - McClintock and Strong). </p> <p> ("After the destruction of Jerusalem, ''patriarch'' was the title of the chief religious rulers of the [[Jews]] in Asia, and, in early [[Christian]] times, it became the designation of the bishops of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, [[Antioch]] and Jerusalem." - American Cyclopedia). </p>

<p> '''(1):''' ''' (''' n.) [[A]] venerable old man; an elder. Also used figuratively. </p> <p> '''(2):''' ''' (''' n.) The father and ruler of a family; one who governs his family or descendants by paternal right; - usually applied to heads of families in ancient history, especially in Biblical and [[Jewish]] history to those who lived before the time of Moses. </p> <p> '''(3):''' ''' (''' n.) [[A]] dignitary superior to the order of archbishops; as, the patriarch of Constantinople, of Alexandria, or of Antioch. </p>

<p> [[Pa'Triarch,]] n. [[L.]] patriarcha Gr. a family, father, and a chief. </p> 1. The father and ruler of a family one who governs by paternal right. It is usually applied to the progenitors of the Israelites, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the sons of Jacob, or to the heads of families before the flood as the antediluvian patriarchs. 2. [[A]] learned and distinguished character among the Jews. 3. In the christian church, a dignitary superior to the order of archbishops as the patriarch of Constantinople, of Alexandria, or of Ephesus.

<p> 'Head of a family,' applied in the [[N.T.]] to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as ancestors of the Israelites, and to the twelve sons of Jacob. David also is thus designated. &nbsp;Acts 2:29; &nbsp;Acts 7:8,9; &nbsp;Hebrews 7:4 . In other passages the same persons are called 'the fathers.' </p>

<p> <strong> [[Patriarch.]] </strong> This term is usually applied to (1) the antediluvian fathers of the human race; (2) the three great progenitors of [[Israel]] Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (see sep. artt.); (3) in the [[Nt]] it is extended to the sons of Jacob (&nbsp; Acts 7:8-9 ), and to David (&nbsp; Acts 2:29 ). </p>