Reference: Patriarchs
Fausets
Heads of races, tribes, clans, and families. Abraham (Heb 7:4), Jacob's sons (Ac 7:8-9), David (Ac 2:29). The" patriarchal system" before Moses developed itself out of family relations, before the foundation of nations and regular governments. The "patriarchal dispensation" is the covenant between God and the godly seed, Seth, Noah, Abraham, and their descendants; the freedom of intercourse with God is simple and childlike, as contrasted with the sterner aspect of the Mosaic dispensation. It is the innocence of childhood, contrasted with the developed manhood of our Christian dispensation. The distinction between the seed of the woman and that of the serpent appears in God's revealing Himself to the chosen as He did not to the world; hence their history is typical (Ga 4:21-31; Heb 7:1-7; Mt 24:37-39; Lu 17:28-32; Ro 9:10-13).
Yet God is revealed as God not merely of a tribe, but of all the earth (Ge 18:25). All nations were to be blessed in Abraham. The Gentile Pharaoh and Abimelech have revelations. God is called "almighty" (Ge 17:1; 28:3; 35:11). Melchizedek, of Canaanite Salem, is His king priest, and He punishes Canaanite Sodom and Gomorrah. Authority is grounded on paternal right, its natural ground and source, even as God is the common Father of both patriarch and children. The birthright is the privilege of the firstborn, but requiring the father's confirmation. Marriage is sacred (Ge 34:7,13,31; 38:24). Intermarriage with idolaters is treason to God and the chosen seed (Ge 26:34-35; 27:46; 28:1,6-9). The patriarchs severally typify Him in whom all their several graces meet, without blemish.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Abram shall be the son of ninety years and nine years: Jehovah shall be seen to Abram and will say to him, I am God Almighty; walk thou before me, and be complete.
Far be it with respect to thee doing as this word to kill the just with the wicked; and for the just to be as the wicked, far be it with respect to thee: shall not the judge of all the earth do judgment?
And Esau will be the son of forty years, and he will take a wife, Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemah, daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they will be bitterness of spirit to Isaak and to Rebekah.
And Rebekah will say to Isaak, I was finished in my life from the face of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob took a wife from the daughters of Heth, as these from the daughters of the land, for what to me life?
And Isaak will call to Jacob, and will bless him, and will command him, and will say to him, Thou shalt not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.
And God Almighty will bless thee, and will make thee fruitful, and will multiply thee, and thou wert for an assembly of nations.
And Esau will see that Isaak praised Jacob, and sent him away to Padan Aram, to take to him from thence a wife; in blessing him, and he will command him saying, Thou shalt not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan; And Jacob will hear to his father, and to his mother, and will go to Padan Aram. read more. And Esau will see that the daughters of Canaan are evil in the eyes of Isaak his father. And Esau will go to Ishmael, and will take Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, sister of Nebajoth, to his wives, to him for a wife.
And the sons of Jacob came from the field when they having heard: and the men will be grieved, and it will be kindled to them exceedingly because he did folly in Israel, to lie with Jacob's daughter; and thus it shall not be done.
And the sons of Jacob will answer Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit, and will say, Because he defiled Dinah their sister.
And God will say to him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and an assembly of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall come forth from thy loins.
And it will be after three months, and it will be announced to Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law committed fornication; and also, behold, she conceived by fornication. And Judah will say, Bring her forth, and she shall be burnt
And as the days of Noe, so shall be the arrival of the Son of man. For as they were in the days of the inundation, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noe came into the ark, read more. And knew not till the inundation came, and took them all away; so also shall be the arrival of the Son of man.
And likewise as it was in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; And the day which Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from heaven, and destroyed all. read more. According to these shall be the day in which the Son of man is revealed. In that day, whoever shall be upon the house, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and he in the fields, likewise let him not turn back behind. Remember Lot's wife.
Men, brethren, it is permitted to speak with freedom of speech to you of the patriarch David, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is with us even till this day.
And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so he begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac Jacob; and Jacob the twelve patriarchs. And the patriarchs having been jealous, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
And not only; but also Rebecca, having coition of one, Isaac our father; (For not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that according to choice the purpose of God might remain, not of works, but of him calling;) read more. It was said to her, That the greater shall serve the less. As has been written, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated.
Tell me, those wishing to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it has been written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondmaid, and one by the free. read more. But he truly of the bondmaid was born according to the flesh; and he of the free through the promise. Which things are spoken figuratively: for these are the two covenants; one truly from mount Sinai, begetting to bondage, which is Agar. For Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and now stands in the same rank With Jerusalem, and is in a servile condition with her children. But Jerusalem above is free, which is mother of us all. For it has been written, Be cheered, O barren, bearing not; break out and cry, she travailing not: for many more the children of the desolate than she having a husband. And we, brethren, as Isaac, are children of promise. But as then he born according to the flesh drove out him according to the Spirit, so also now. But what says the writing? Cast out the bondmaid and her son; for the son of the bondmaid shall not inherit with the son of the free. Therefore, brethren, we are not children of the bondmaid, but of the free.
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, having met Abraham returning from the cutting off of the kings, and praised him; To whom also Abraham divided a tenth from all; (first truly interpreted King of justice, and then also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; read more. Without father, without mother, of unknown origin, neither having beginning of days, nor end of life; and likened to the Son of God;) remains a priest perpetually. And behold how great this one, to whom also Abraham the patriarch gave the tenth of the first fruits.
And behold how great this one, to whom also Abraham the patriarch gave the tenth of the first fruits. And they truly of the sons of Levi, receiving the office of priest, have a command to take a tenth part from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, although having come out of the loins of Abraham: read more. And he not having his descent traced from them received a tenth from Abraham, and praised him having the promises. And without all controversy the less is praised of the better.
Watsons
PATRIARCHS. This name is given to the ancient fathers, chiefly those who lived before Moses, as Adam, Lamech, Noah, Shem, &c, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the sons of Jacob, and heads of the tribes. The Hebrews call them princes of the tribes, or heads of the fathers. The name patriarch is derived from the Greek patriarcha, "head of a family."