Topical Bible: Forefather

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In biblical terminology, the term "forefather" refers to an ancestor or patriarch, often highlighting the foundational figures in the lineage of the Israelites and the broader narrative of God's covenantal relationship with His people. The concept of forefathers is deeply rooted in the genealogical and covenantal traditions of the Bible, emphasizing the continuity of faith and divine promise through generations.

Patriarchs as Forefathers

The most prominent forefathers in the Bible are the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These figures are central to the narrative of the Old Testament and are often referred to collectively as the "fathers" of the Israelite nation. God’s covenant with Abraham marks a pivotal moment in biblical history, as seen in Genesis 17:4-5 : "As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations."

Isaac, the son of Abraham, and Jacob, the son of Isaac, continue this lineage of promise. Jacob, later named Israel, becomes the father of the twelve tribes, further establishing the foundational role of the forefathers in the history of Israel.

Forefathers in the Law and Prophets

The forefathers are frequently invoked in the Law and the Prophets as a reminder of God's enduring promises and faithfulness. In Exodus 3:15 , God instructs Moses to speak to the Israelites: "Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation."

The prophets often call the people back to the faith and obedience exemplified by their forefathers. In Isaiah 51:2 , the prophet urges the people to "look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many."

Forefathers in the New Testament

The New Testament continues to reference the forefathers, particularly in the context of fulfilling the promises made to them. In Acts 3:25 , Peter speaks to the people of Israel, saying, "And you are sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers when He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’"

The Apostle Paul also emphasizes the significance of the forefathers in Romans 9:4-5 , where he writes, "Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the temple worship, and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen."

Spiritual Legacy of the Forefathers

The forefathers are not only biological ancestors but also spiritual exemplars. Hebrews 11, often referred to as the "Faith Hall of Fame," highlights the faith of the forefathers, underscoring their trust in God's promises despite not seeing their complete fulfillment in their lifetimes. Hebrews 11:8-10 states, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger, as in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise."

The legacy of the forefathers is thus a testament to the enduring faith and covenantal relationship between God and His people, serving as a model for subsequent generations to emulate in their walk with God.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(n.) An ancestor; one who precedes another in the line of genealogy in any degree, but usually in a remote degree.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

FOREFATHER

for'-fa-ther:

(1) 'abh ri'shon, "first father," "chief father," hence, "early ancestor": "turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers" (Jeremiah 11:10).

(2) progonos, "born before," "ancestor": "whom I serve from my forefathers" (2 Timothy 1:3). It is translated "parents" (including grandparents) in 1 Timothy 5:4: "and to requite their parents."

Greek

4310b. propator -- a forefather
... a forefather. Transliteration: propator Short Definition: forefather. Word Origin
from pro and pater Definition a forefather NASB Word Usage forefather (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4310b.htm - 5k

4269. progonos -- born before
... forefather, parent. From proginomai; an ancestor, (grand-)parent -- forefather,
parent. see GREEK proginomai. (progonois) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4269.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

7223. rishon -- former, first, chief
... previously (1). ancestor, that were beforetime, beginning, eldest, first,
forefather most, former thing, of old time,. Or riishon ...
/hebrew/7223.htm - 6k

1. ab -- father
... Usage ancestors (1), family* (1), father (571), Father (8), father's (137), fathers
(333), fathers' (120), fathers' households (1), forefather (1), forefathers ...
/hebrew/1.htm - 6k

Library

How Abram Our Forefather Went Out of the Land of the Chaldeans ...
... CHAPTER 7. How Abram Our Forefather Went Out Of The Land Of The Chaldeans,
And Lived In The Land Then Called Canaan But Now Judea. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 how abram our.htm

And Setting Out to Paradise, He Took Hold of Our Forefather Adam ...
... Part II."The Descent of Christ into Hell. Greek Form. Chapter 9 (25). And setting
out to paradise, He took hold of our forefather Adam by the hand? ...
/.../unknown/the gospel of nicodemus /chapter 9 25 and setting.htm

Rom. Iv. 1, 2
... Wherefore also he sets him up very high by calling him "forefather," and putting
a constraint upon them to comply with him in all points. ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily viii rom iv 1.htm

Hebrews vii. 3-Jan
... But if he who bears a type of Christ is so much better not merely than the priests,
but even than the forefather himself of the priests, what should one say of ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xii hebrews vii 3-jan.htm

Christ Predicted by Moses.
... of prophecy through Moses, "that a ruler would not fail the Jews until He should
come for whom the kingdom was reserved" (for Judah was the forefather of the ...
/.../justin/the first apology of justin/chapter xxxii christ predicted by moses.htm

While Hades was Thus Discoursing to Satan, the King of Glory ...
... While Hades was thus discoursing to Satan, the King of glory stretched out His right
hand, and took hold of our forefather Adam, and raised him. ...
/.../unknown/the gospel of nicodemus /chapter 8 24 while hades.htm

Sermons on the Card.
... For he that committeth deadly sin willingly, bindeth himself to be inheritor of
everlasting pain: and so did our forefather Adam willingly eat of the apple ...
/.../latimer/sermons on the card and other discourses/sermons on the card.htm

St John the Baptist
... The old spirit of his forefather Aaron, of his forefather Phineas, the spirit of
Levi, which (rightly understood), is the Spirit of God, flashes up in the ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon xxviii st john the.htm

The Gospel of Nicodemus.
... right? Chapter 9 (25). And setting out to paradise, He took hold of
our forefather Adam by the hand? Chapter 10 (26). While ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the gospel of nicodemus /

Arrival
... of the Scriptures are not exempted to this rule, inspired as it were, they mentioned
almost every known and unknown animal which our forefather Noah saved in ...
/.../conversion of a high priest into a christian worker/chapter ii arrival.htm

Thesaurus

Forefather (33 Occurrences)
... degree. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. FOREFATHER. for'-fa ... parents.".
Multi-Version Concordance Forefather (33 Occurrences). Matthew 3 ...
/f/forefather.htm - 17k

Forefather's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Forefather's (1 Occurrence). Jeremiah 35:14 Performed
have been the words of Jonadab son of Rechab, when ...
/f/forefather's.htm - 6k

Merely (30 Occurrences)
... Romans 4:12 and the forefather of the circumcised, namely of those who not merely
are circumcised, but also walk in the steps of the faith which our forefather...
/m/merely.htm - 15k

Descendants (326 Occurrences)
... Matthew 3:9 and do not imagine that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham
as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for ...
/d/descendants.htm - 35k

Cain (18 Occurrences)
... Cain takes up his abode in the land of Nod ("wandering"), and there builds a city
and becomes the ancestor of a line which includes Jabal, forefather of tent ...
/c/cain.htm - 23k

Namely (81 Occurrences)
... Romans 4:12 and the forefather of the circumcised, namely of those who not merely
are circumcised, but also walk in the steps of the faith which our forefather...
/n/namely.htm - 31k

Reference (23 Occurrences)
... of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things
that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of ...
/r/reference.htm - 14k

Exist (24 Occurrences)
... of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things
that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of ...
/e/exist.htm - 14k

Existence (35 Occurrences)
... of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things
that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of ...
/e/existence.htm - 17k

Abraham's (34 Occurrences)
... of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things
that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of ...
/a/abraham's.htm - 18k

Resources

Who were the Rechabites in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Reuben in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Gad in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Forefather: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Forefather (33 Occurrences)

Matthew 3:9
and do not imagine that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones.
(WEY)

Mark 11:10
Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our forefather David! God in the highest Heavens save Him!"
(WEY)

Luke 1:32
He will be great and He will be called 'Son of the Most High.' And the Lord God will give Him the throne of His forefather David;
(WEY)

Luke 1:73
The oath which He swore to Abraham our forefather,
(WEY)

Luke 3:8
Live lives which shall prove your change of heart; and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones.
(WEY)

John 4:12
Are you greater than our forefather Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank from it, as did also his sons and his cattle?"
(WEY)

John 8:53
Are you really greater than our forefather Abraham? For he died. And the prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?"
(WEY)

John 8:56
Abraham your forefather exulted in the hope of seeing my day: and he saw it, and was glad."
(WEY)

Acts 4:25
and didst say through the Holy Spirit by the lips of our forefather David Thy servant, "'Why have the nations stamped and raged, and the peoples formed futile plans?
(WEY)

Acts 7:2
The reply of Stephen was, "Sirs--brethren and fathers--listen to me. God Most Glorious appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was living in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,
(WEY)

Acts 17:26
He caused to spring from one forefather people of every race, for them to live on the whole surface of the earth, and marked out for them an appointed span of life and the boundaries of their homes;
(WEY)

Romans 4:1
What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh?
(WEB WEY ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Romans 4:11
Before, not after. And he received circumcision as a sign, a mark attesting the reality of the faith-righteousness which was his while still uncircumcised, that he might be the forefather of all those who believe even though they are uncircumcised--in order that this righteousness might be placed to their credit;
(WEY)

Romans 4:12
and the forefather of the circumcised, namely of those who not merely are circumcised, but also walk in the steps of the faith which our forefather Abraham had while he was as yet uncircumcised.
(WEY)

Romans 4:17
so that the promise should be made sure to all Abraham's true descendants; not merely to those who are righteous through the Law, but to those who are righteous through a faith like that of Abraham. Thus in the sight of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of us. As it is written, "I have appointed you to be the forefather of many nations."
(WEY)

Romans 4:18
Under utterly hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed, so that he might become the forefather of many nations, in agreement with the words "Equally numerous shall your posterity be."
(WEY)

Romans 9:10
Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--
(WEY RSV)

Hebrews 6:15
And so, as the result of patient waiting, our forefather obtained what God had promised.
(WEY)

Hebrews 7:10
for Levi was yet in the loins of his forefather when Melchizedek met Abraham.
(WEY)

James 2:20
But, idle boaster, are you willing to be taught how it is that faith apart from obedience is worthless? Take the case of Abraham our forefather.
(WEY)

Numbers 26:58
These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram.
(See NIV)

Joshua 15:13
To Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a portion among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua, even Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (the same is Hebron).
(See NIV)

Joshua 19:47
And the border of the children of Dan was too strait for them; so the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
(See NIV)

Joshua 21:11
They gave them Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (the same is Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, with its suburbs around it.
(See NIV)

Judges 18:29
They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel: however the name of the city was Laish at the first.
(See NIV)

1 Kings 15:3
And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not whole with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
(See NIV)

1 Chronicles 24:19
These 'are' their appointments for their service, to come in to the house of Jehovah, according to their ordinance by the hand of Aaron their father, as Jehovah God of Israel, commanded them.
(See NIV)

Isaiah 43:27
Your first father was a sinner, and your guides have gone against my word.
(See NAS)

Jeremiah 35:6
And they say, 'We do not drink wine: for Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, charged us, saying, Ye do not drink wine, ye and your sons -- unto the age;
(See NIV)

Jeremiah 35:8
We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters;
(See NIV)

Jeremiah 35:10
but we have lived in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
(See NIV)

Jeremiah 35:16
Because the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab have performed the command of their father, that he commanded them, and this people have not hearkened unto Me,
(See NIV)

Jeremiah 35:18
Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he commanded you;
(See NIV)

Subtopics

Forefather

Related Terms

Forefather (33 Occurrences)

Unlike (13 Occurrences)

Posterity (38 Occurrences)

Behaved (21 Occurrences)

Desert (322 Occurrences)

To-day (208 Occurrences)

Tent (333 Occurrences)

Machpelah (6 Occurrences)

Iniquities (59 Occurrences)