Bible Dictionary

FATHER'S HOUSE, FATHERS' HOUSE

Jewish Life & Customs • Both

A father’s house could mean a dwelling, household, clan, or tribe in Israel. In the New Testament, Jesus also calls the temple and heaven His Father’s house.

Definition

A father’s house or fathers’ house may mean a dwelling, household, family, clan, or tribe. In the New Testament, the expression may also refer to the temple as God’s dwelling or heaven as the Father’s house.

Biblical Usage

The Old Testament uses the term for family homes, households, clans, and tribal groupings. Jesus calls the Jerusalem temple his Father’s house and speaks of many abiding places in his Father’s house in heaven.

Historical Background

The Hebrew expression could denote progressively larger social units, from a family dwelling to groups of households, clans, and tribes. Revised translations often clarify references to heads or principal members of fathers’ houses.

Related Figures

Historical Bible Dictionaries

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)

(beth 'abh, beth 'abhoth): Father's house in the Old Testament is(1) a dwelling, the family home (Ge 12:1; 31:14,30; 38:11; 1Sa 18:2);(2) a family or household (Ge 41:51; 46:31; Ex 12:3, the Revised Version (British and American) "fathers' houses");(3) the group of households, of several of which the "family' or "clan" was constituted, aggregations of which formed the "tribe," generally "fathers' houses" (Nu 1:18,20; 17:2; Ezr 2:59; Ne 10:34, etc.);(4)the "family" (clan), mishpachah, "fathers' houses" (Ex 6:14 f; Nu 3:20);(5) the tribe, "fathers' house," "houses" (Nu 7:2; 17:1-3, etc.).In the New Testament "father's house" (oikos tou patros) occurs in the sense of dwelling, house (Lu 16:27; compare 16:4). our Lord also uses the phrase(1) of the earthly temple-dwelling of God at Jerusalem (Joh 2:16, "Make not my Father's house a house of merchandise"; compare Ps 11:4; Isa 63:15);(2) of heaven as the abode of God and His children (Joh 14:2, "In my Father's house are many mansions," the Revised Version, margin "abiding places," oikia "house," "dwelling," also household, family; compare Ps 33:13; Isa 63:15; Mt 6:9). The phrase occurs also (Ac 7:20) of Moses, "nourished .... in his father's house" (oikos).Revised Version has "father's hquse" for "principal household" (1Ch 24:6), "heads of the fathers' houses" for "chief fathers" (Nu 31:26; 32:28; 36:1; 1Ch 9:34, etc.); "one prince of a father's house," for "each of" (Jos 22:14); "the heads of the fathers' (houses)" for "the chief of the fathers," and "the fathers' houses of the chief," for "the principal fathers" (1Ch 24:31).W. L. Walker

Back to Dictionary Search