Patriarch

Patriarch
   A name employed in the New Testament with reference to Abraham (Heb. 7:4), the sons of Jacob (Acts 7:8, 9), and to David (2:29). This name is generally applied to the progenitors of families or "heads of the fathers" (Josh. 14:1) mentioned in Scripture, and they are spoken of as antediluvian (from Adam to Noah) and post-diluvian (from Noah to Jacob) patriachs. But the expression "the patriarch," by way of eminence, is applied to the twelve sons of Jacob, or to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
   "Patriachal longevity presents itself as one of the most striking of the facts concerning mankind which the early history of the Book of Genesis places before us...There is a large amount of consentient tradition to the effect that the life of man was originally far more prolonged than it is at present, extending to at least several hundred years. The Babylonians, Egyptians, and Chinese exaggerated these hundreds into thousands. The Greeks and Romans, with more moderation, limited human life within a thousand or eight hundred years. The Hindus still farther shortened the term. Their books taught that in the first age of the world man was free from diseases, and lived ordinarily four hundred years; in the second age the term of life was reduced from four hundred to three hundred; in the third it became two hundred; in the fourth and last it was brought down to one hundred" (Rawlinson's Historical Illustrations).

Easton's Bible Dictionary. . 1897.

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  • Patriarch — • The word patriarch as applied to Biblical personages comes from the Septuagint version . . . Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Patriarch     Patriarch      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Patriarch — Pa tri*arch (p[=a] tr[i^]*[aum]rk), n. [F. patriarche, L. patriarcha, Gr. paria rchhs, fr. paria lineage, especially on the father s side, race; path r father + archo s a leader, chief, fr. a rchein to lead, rule. See {Father}, {Archaic}.] 1. The …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Patriarch — Sm Bischof, hoher Geistlicher std. (12. Jh.), mhd. patriarc[he], patriarke Entlehnung. Ist entlehnt aus kirchen l. patriarcha, patriarchēs, dieses aus gr. patriárchēs, eigentlich Stammesführer , zu gr. patriā Vaterland, Stamm , zu gr. patḗr… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • Patriarch — (v. gr.), 1) Altvater, Haupt einer Familie; 2) (Erzväter), Stammväter der Geschlechter nach der Sündfluth, welche ein sehr hohes Alter erreichten; als P en bei den Hebräern galten Abraham, Isaak u. Jacob (s.d.a. unt. Hebräer, Gesch.). Solche P en …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • patriarch — [pā′trē ärk΄] n. [ME patriarche < OFr < LL(Ec) patriarcha < Gr(Ec) patriarchēs (transl. of Heb roshe avot) < Gr patria, family < patēr,FATHER + archēs < archein, to rule] 1. the father and ruler of a family or tribe, as one of… …   English World dictionary

  • Patriarch — (griech., »Altvater, Erzvater«), Name der Familienhäupter des biblischen Urgeschlechts und der Stammväter Israels bis auf die zwölf Söhne Jakobs. In der jüdischen Zeit führten die Vorsteher der Synedrien in Tiberias und Babylon diesen Ehrennamen …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • patriarch — index ancestor, parents, precursor, predecessor, primogenitor Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • patriarch — (n.) late 12c., from O.Fr. patriarche one of the Old Testament fathers (11c.), from L.L. patriarcha (Tertullian), from Gk. patriarches chief or head of a family, from patria family, clan, from pater father (see FATHER (Cf. father) (n.)) + arkhein …   Etymology dictionary

  • Patriarch — Patriarch: Der Amts und Ehrentitel einiger höchster kirchlicher Würdenträger wurde in mhd. Zeit (mhd. patriarche, patriare) aus gleichbed. kirchenlat. patriarcha entlehnt, das seinerseits aus griech. patriárchēs »Stammvater, Sippenoberhaupt«… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • patriarch — ► NOUN 1) the male head of a family or tribe. 2) a biblical figure regarded as a father of the human race, especially Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their forefathers, or the sons of Jacob. 3) a powerful or respected older man. 4) a high ranking… …   English terms dictionary

  • Patriarch — Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a composition of polytonic|πατήρ… …   Wikipedia

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