Patriarch

Biblical Occurrences

In theology and preaching, "the patriarchs" usually refers to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, together with Jacob's twelve sons, as they appear in Genesis 12–50. The primeval history of Genesis 1–11 deals with humanity as a whole. In chapter 12, God calls Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and promises land, descendants, and blessing to his offspring, and the focus of the narrative narrows to a single family. This promise is carried through Isaac and Jacob down to the descent of Joseph into Egypt.

The Greek word patriarchēs, used in this sense, occurs three times in the New Testament: Acts 2:29 applies it to David, Acts 7:8-9 to the twelve sons of Jacob, and Hebrews 7:4 to Abraham. The Korean Revised Version renders all three as josang ("ancestor"). In the Old Testament of the Korean Revised Version, the word jokjang chiefly designates the head of a clan or family. Examples include the chiefs of the Edomite clans in Genesis 36:15 and following ("dukes" in the KJV) and "the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin" in Ezra 1:5.

Background

The patriarchs entered Canaan by way of Ur of the Chaldees and Haran. They are portrayed as living a seminomadic life, tending livestock as they moved among places such as Hebron, Beersheba, and Bethel. In the land of promise they were landless sojourners. The cave of Machpelah, which Abraham purchased to bury Sarah (Genesis 23), is recorded as their first possession in that land. Scholars differ on when the patriarchal period took place, and its date cannot be fixed with certainty. Patriarchēs is a compound of words meaning "family" and "chief."

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

The Old Testament calls God "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6). The promises given to the patriarchs form the starting point of Israel's history.

The New Testament takes up these promises in several ways.

• Jesus argued for the resurrection on the basis of this divine title (Mark 12:26-27).
• Paul explains that Abraham was justified by faith (Romans 4:3) and states that those who belong to Christ are Abraham's seed (Galatians 3:29).
• Hebrews 11:8-22 presents the patriarchs as examples of faith who lived as strangers while looking toward the promise.

Interpretation and Debated Issues

• Historicity: Conservative evangelical scholars read the patriarchal narratives as actual history. In critical scholarship, many view them as traditions compiled at a later time.
• Fulfillment of the promises: Covenant theology holds that the promises given to Abraham are fulfilled in Christ and the church. Dispensationalism holds that the promises concerning the land will be fulfilled literally for ethnic Israel.
• The patriarchs' failings: Abraham deceptively claimed that his wife was his sister (Genesis 12 and 20), and Jacob deceived his brother and his father. Many interpreters read such accounts less as models for imitation and more as stories displaying the grace of God, who upholds flawed people.
• Extrabiblical stories: The story that Abraham smashed his father's idols comes from Jewish tradition (midrash). It does not appear in Genesis.
• Other usage: The ecclesiastical title "patriarch," used in the Orthodox Church and elsewhere, is rendered in Korean as chongdaejugyo. It is a different word from the biblical term jokjang.

In the Korean Church

The expression "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" is frequently used in prayer and preaching. Abraham is commonly called "the father of faith." Expository treatments of Genesis often group chapters 12–50 together as "the patriarchal narratives."