Patriarch

Patriarch (Greek patriarches, from pater, father, and arche, rule or origin) designates the father-rulers of ancient Israel, particularly the founding ancestors of the Hebrew people. The term appears in the New Testament applied to Abraham (Hebrews 7:4), to the twelve sons of Jacob (Acts 7:8–9), and notably to David (Acts 2:29), acknowledging his foundational status in the line of covenant promises.

In its broader theological and historical sense, the patriarchs refers to the three great covenant ancestors: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The patriarchal period — roughly the second millennium BC — encompasses the narratives of Genesis 12–50, in which God established his covenant with Abraham's family, promised them the land of Canaan, and multiplied them in preparation for the nation of Israel. The patriarchs are invoked throughout Scripture as the anchors of God's covenant faithfulness, and Paul grounds the inclusion of the Gentiles in salvation within the Abrahamic promises (Romans 4; Galatians 3).