noun · masculine
patros
Strong’sG3962
father, Father, ancestor
stem patr-413 times in the New Testamentin 26 of 27 books10 of 10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
Father in the ordinary, literal sense: a male parent 1234, and in the plural, both parents together 13.
Ancestor or forefather, one or more generations back 1234; in this sense the word is often used in the plural 13.
Used metaphorically for an author, originator, or source of something, the one from whom it derives, as in speaking of God as the source of all created light, or of Abraham as the source of faith for those who believe 13.
Used as a title of respect or honor, addressed to elders, teachers, or others in a position of authority, without implying actual kinship 13.
Used of God as Father — of created things, of all sentient beings, and especially of people in covenant relationship with him, including Christians; also used by and of Christ in addressing or referring to God as Father 1.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
πατήρ, πατρός, -τρί, τέρα,
[in LXX chiefly and very freq. for אָב;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G3962 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidpat-ayr'
a "father" (literally or figuratively, near or more remote)
Fromapparently a primary word;
King Jamesfather, parent.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
genitive and dative πατέρος, πατέρι in Epic dialect and Lyric poetry, Attic dialect πατρός, πατρί (which is also the commoner form in Refs 8th c.BC+; accusative always πατέρ; vocative πάτερ: plural πατέρες, πατέρας, πατέρων (πατρῶν only Refs 8th c.BC+; dative πατράσι [ᾰ] (cf. Sanskrit locative plural pitṛ[snull]u, no dative plural occurs in Refs 8th c.BC+, late Epic dialect πατέρεσσι Refs 4th c.AD+:— father, Refs 8th c.BC+; πατρὸς πατήρ grandfather,Refs 8th c.BC+; τὰ πρὸς πατρός by the father's side, Refs 5th c.BC+, etc.; especially of God, the father of the Israelites, LXX; father of men, NT; father of Jesus Christ, Refs
II especially as epithet of Zeus, πατὴρ Ζεύς, π. Κρονίδης, π. ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε, Refs 8th c.BC+; Ζεὺς π. Refs 5th c.BC+; π. Οὐρανιδᾶν Ζ. Refs 5th c.BC+
III respectful mode of addressing persons older than oneself, ξεὶνε πάτερ Refs 8th c.BC+, etc.; in addressing an elder brother, Refs 2nd c.BC+
IV metaphorically, father, author, ἀοιδᾶν π... εὐαίνητος Ὀρφεύς Refs 5th c.BC+; Χρόνος ὁ πάντων π. Refs 5th c.BC+; τοῦ λόγου π. Refs; ὁ π. τῶν φώτων, i.e. God, the father of the stars, NT; οἱ π. τῶν ἀτόμων the authors of the atomic theory, Refs 2nd c.AD+; of capital, τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκγόνους τόκους Refs 5th c.BC+
V title of a grade in the mysteries of Mithras, Refs
VI π. πατρίδος, = Latin pater patriae, Refs 1st c.AD+
VII in plural,
VII.1 forefathers, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἐξέτι πατρῶν from our fathers' time, Refs 8th c.BC+
VII.2 parents, Refs 1st c.BC+
VII.3 parentnation, opposed to colonists, Refs 5th c.BC+. (Cf. Sanskritpitár-, Latin pater, etc.)
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | patros105×πατὴρ | patrois18×πατέρες |
| object accusative | patron93×πατέρα | patroin12×πατέρας |
| direct address vocative | patror29×Πάτερ | patroir6×πατέρες |
| of, belonging to genitive | patrou100×πατρὸς | patroiu14×πατέρων |
| to, for dative | patro33×πατρὶ | patroi3×πατράσιν |
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
patro is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
413 occurrences, 100 of them printed here — the rest are in the reader
patros“father”subjectnominative singular105×, 12 shown
Matthew 5:48Evi oun vis teleiois hōs tos patros vu tos ouranios teleios atō.Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.[’’]
Matthew 6:4… eleēmosunas en te krupte; kai tos patros su tos bleparōntos en te krupte …… may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in …
Matthew 6:6… to en te krupte; kai tos patros su tos bleparōntos en te krupte …… Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in …
Matthew 6:8… oun homoiiveia autoi, oidatē gar tos patros vu heiu chreian echavō pro teu …… not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you …
Matthew 6:14… paraptōmeim autoiu, afiēkati kai vi tos patros vu tos ouranios;… forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6:15… mē afiēkaveia toi anthrōpoi, oude tos patros vu afiēkati teim paraptōmeim vu.… men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.
Matthew 6:18… to en te krufaie; kai tos patros su tos bleparōntos en te krufaie …… Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in …
Matthew 6:26… oude sunagalō eis apothēkain, kai tos patros vu tos ouranios trefatō auteim; ouk …… into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much …
Matthew 6:32… teim ethneim epizētalō; oidatē gar tos patros vu tos ouranios hoti chrēzavō houteiu …… all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
Matthew 7:11… tei teknei vu, pose mallon tos patros vu tos en toi ouranoi dōati …… children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to …
Matthew 10:21… de adelfos adelfon eis thanaton kai patros teknem, kai epanastēeli tekneim epi gonevoin …… betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against …
Matthew 11:27… epignōskatō ton huion ei mē tos patros, oude ton patron tinos epignōskatō ei …… one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father …
patron“father”objectaccusative singular93×, 12 shown
Matthew 3:9kai mē dokaveia legarō en heautoi; Patron echanō ton Abraam, legamō gar vi …… yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out …
Matthew 4:22… eutheōs afiēkarantois tem ploiem kai ton patron autoiu akolouthala auto.… they left the boat and their father and followed Him.
Matthew 5:16… teim kaleim ergeim kai doxazaleia ton patron vu ton en toi ouranoi.… your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 8:21… mi prōtem aperchara kai thaptara ton patron mu.… let me go and bury my father.”
Matthew 10:37tos filarōntos patron ē mētēran huper min ouk atō …Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is …
Matthew 11:27… ei mē tos patros, oude ton patron tinos epignōskatō ei mē tos huios …… Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to …
Matthew 15:4tos gar theos legata; Timasōr ton patron kai tan mētēran, kai; Tos kakologarōntos …For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses …
Matthew 15:4… kai tan mētēran, kai; Tos kakologarōntos patron ē mētēran thanato teleutatōr;… mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to …
Matthew 15:6ouk mē timati ton patron autou; kai akurava ton logon tou …he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you …
Matthew 19:5… legata; Heneka houteu kataleipati anthrōpos ton patron kai tan mētēran kai kolliti ta …… reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to …
Matthew 19:19Timasōr ton patron kai tan mētēran, kai Agapasi ton …honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor …
Matthew 19:29… oikiain ē adelfoin ē adelfain ē patron ē mētēran ē gunaikan ē tekneim …… houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children …
patror“father”direct addressvocative singular29×, 11 shown
Matthew 6:9Houtōs oun proseuchovōr vis; Patror nu tos en toi ouranoi; hagiazitar …… is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Matthew 11:25… apokrinirantos tos Iēsus legata; Exomologomō si, patror kurior tou ouranou kai tau gēau, …… time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because …
Matthew 11:26nai, tos patror, hoti houtōs eudokias geneta emprosthen su.Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your …
Matthew 26:39… epi prosōpem autou proseuchorōntos kai legarōntos; Patror mu, ei dunatem atō, parerchatar apo …… He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this …
Matthew 26:42palin ek deutereu apercharantos proseucheta legarōntos; Patror mu, ei ouk dunotō houtem parerchara …… He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless …
Mark 14:36kai legate; Abba tos patror, panteim dunateim si; paraferasar tem potēriem …“Abba, Father,” He said, “all things are possible …
Luke 10:21… te hagie kai legata; Exomologomō si, patror kurior tou ouranou kai tau gēau, …… Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because …
Luke 10:21… kai apokaluptasa auteim nēpioi; nai, tos patror, hoti houtōs eudokias geneta emprosthen su.… revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your …
Luke 11:2legata de autoi; Hotan proseuchoveiō, legavōr; Patror, hagiazitar tem onomem su; erchatar tas …… told them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom …
Luke 15:12“father”… legata tos neoteros autoiu to patro; Patror, dōasar mi tem epibalarōntem merem tau …The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So …
Luke 15:18… ton patron mu kai legami auto; Patror, hamartama eis ton ouranon kai enōpion …… my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and …
patrou“father”of, belonging togenitive singular100×, 12 shown
Matthew 2:22… Archelaos basilatō tau Ioudaiau anti tou patrou autou Hērōdou fobita ekei aperchara; chrēmatizirantos …… in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go …
Matthew 4:21… en te ploie meta Zebedaiou tou patrou autoiu katartizarōntoin teim diktueim autoiu, kai …… were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called …
Matthew 5:45hopōs geneveia huiois tou patrou vu tou en ouranoi, hoti ton …… you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun …
Matthew 7:21… alla tos poiarōntos tem thelēmem tou patrou mu tou en toi ouranoi.… who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:20… tois lalarōntois alla tem pneumem tou patrou vu tem lalarōntem en vi.… speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Matthew 10:29… pipteti epi tan gēan aneu tou patrou vu.… apart from the will of your Father.
Matthew 10:32… homologami kamis en auto emprosthen tou patrou mu tou en ouranoi;… will also confess him before My Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:33… anthrōpoiu, arnemi kamis auton emprosthen tou patrou mu tou en ouranoi.… will also deny him before My Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:35erchama gar dichazara anthrōpon kata tou patrou autou kai thugatran kata tau mētērau …… to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a …
Matthew 11:27Panteim mi paradōita hupo tou patrou mu, kai oudenos epignōskatō ton huion …… been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except …
Matthew 12:50… gar an poiateia tem thelēmem tou patrou mu tou en ouranoi, autos mu …… whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and …
Matthew 13:43… tos hēlios en ta basileia tou patrou autoiu. tos echarōntos oueim akouatōr.… sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him …
patro“father”to, fordative singular33×, 11 shown
Matthew 6:1… ge, misthon ouk echavō para to patro vu to en toi ouranoi.… will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Matthew 6:6… kleiarantos tan thuran su proseuchesar to patro su to en te krupte; kai …… your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father …
Matthew 6:18… faniseia toi anthrōpoi nēsteuarōntos alla to patro su to en te krufaie; kai …… to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father …
Matthew 15:5… de legavō; Hos an legateia to patro ē ta mētēra; Dōrem hem ean …… that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have …
Mark 7:11… de legavō; Ean legateia anthrōpos to patro ē ta mētēra; Korban, hem atō …… if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have …
Mark 7:12ouketi afiēkavō auton oudenem poiara to patro ē ta mētēra,… permitted to do anything for his father or mother.
Luke 1:62enneuale de to patro autou tem tinem an thelatoiō kalorō …So they made signs to his father to find out what he wanted …
Luke 9:42… ton paidon kai apodōata auton to patro autou.… and gave him back to his father.
Luke 12:53… patros epi huio kai huios epi patro, mētēras epi thugatran kai thugatras epi …… father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against …
Luke 15:12kai legata tos neoteros autoiu to patro; Patror, dōasar mi tem epibalarōntem merem …The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the …
Luke 15:29tos de apokrinirantos legata to patro autou; Idou tosouteim eteim douleuamō si …But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have …
patrois“fathers”subjectnominative plural18×, 11 shown
Luke 6:23… auteim gar poiale toi profētoi tois patrois autoiu.… your reward in heaven. For their fathers treated the prophets in the same …
Luke 6:26… auteim gar poiale toi pseudoprofētoi tois patrois autoiu.… speak well of you, for their fathers treated the false prophets in the …
Luke 11:47… teim mnēmeieim toiu profētoiu tois de patrois vu apoktenala autoin.… the prophets, but it was your fathers who killed them.
John 4:20tois patrois nu en te ore houte proskunala; …Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you …
John 6:31tois patrois nu tem manna esthiala en ta …Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness …
John 6:49tois patrois vu esthiala en ta erēma tem …Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness …
John 6:58… ouranou katabainarantos, ouk kathōs esthiala tois patrois kai apothnēskala; tos trōgarōntos houton ton …… came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died …
Acts 7:11… megas, kai ouk heuriskale chortasmeim tois patrois nu;… across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food.
Acts 7:15… Aiguptan. kai teleutata autos kai tois patrois nu,… to Egypt, where he and our fathers died.
Acts 7:39ho ouk thelala hupēkoois genera tois patrois nu, alla apōthela kai strefila en …But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they …
Acts 7:45han kai eisagala diadecherantois tois patrois nu meta Iēsu en ta kataschesia …And our fathers who received it brought it in …
patroin“fathers”objectaccusative plural12×, 11 shown
Luke 1:55kathōs lalata pros toin patroin nu, to Abraam kai te sperme …as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
Acts 3:25… hau diatitheta tos theos pros toin patroin vu, legarōntos pros Abraam Kai en …… the covenant God made with your fathers when He said to Abraham, ‘Through …
Acts 7:12… arōnteim sitieim eis Aiguptan exapostelata toin patroin nu prōtem;… grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.
Acts 7:19“ancestors”… katasofizerantos tem genem nu kakata toin patroin teu poiarō teim brefeim ektheteim autoiu …He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they …
Acts 13:17… tou laou houtou Israēl eklegeta toin patroin nu, kai ton laon hupsata en …… the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great …
Acts 13:32… nis vin euangelizonō tan pros toin patroin epangelian generantan… good news: What God promised our fathers
Acts 13:36… boula koimita kai prostithita pros toin patroin autou kai horata diafthoran,… His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.
Acts 26:6… nun epi elpida tau eis toin patroin nu epangeliau generantau hupo tou theou …… promise that God made to our fathers,
Acts 28:25… dia Ēsaiou tou profētou pros toin patroin vu… right when He spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
Romans 11:28“fathers”… de tan eklogan agapētois dia toin patroin;… your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs.
1 Corinthians 4:15… echaveiō en Christo, alla ouk polloin patroin, en gar Christo Iēso dia teu …… Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became …
patroir“fathers”direct addressvocative plural6×
Acts 7:2tos de fēate; Androir adelfoir kai patroir, akouavar; Tos theos tau doxau horita …And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of …
Acts 22:1Androir adelfoir kai patroir, akouavar mu tau pros vin nuni …“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before …
Ephesians 6:4Kai tois patroir, mē parorgizavōr teim tekneim vu, alla …Fathers, do not provoke your children to …
Colossians 3:21tois patroir, mē erethizavōr teim tekneim vu, hina …Fathers, do not provoke your children, so …
1 John 2:13grafamō vi, patroir, hoti gnōskavē ton apo archau; grafamō …I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is …
1 John 2:14… hoti gnōskavē ton patron; grafama vi, patroir, hoti gnōskavē ton apo archau; grafama …I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is …
patroiu“fathers”of, belonging togenitive plural14×, 11 shown
Matthew 23:30… Ei one en tai hēmerai toiu patroiu nu, ouk an one autoiu koinōnois …… lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners …
Matthew 23:32kai vis plēravar tem metrem toiu patroiu vu.… measure of the sin of your fathers.
Luke 1:17… pneume kai dunamia Ēliaou, epistrefara kardiain patroiu epi tekneim kai apeithoin en fronēsia …… to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient …
Luke 1:72poiara elesem meta toiu patroiu nu kai mimnēskira diathēkau hagiau autou,to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,
Luke 11:48… avō kai suneudokavō tei ergei toiu patroiu vu, hoti autois men apoktenala autoin …… consenting to the deeds of your fathers: They killed the prophets, and you …
John 7:22“fathers”… tou Mōusou atō alla ek toiu patroiu kai en sabbate peritemavō anthrōpon.… circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.)
Acts 3:13… Isaak kai Iakōb, tos theos toiu patroiu nu, doxazata ton paidon autou Iēsun, …… and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You …
Acts 5:30tos theos toiu patroiu nu egerata Iēsun, hon vis diacheirizeva …The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had …
Acts 7:32Mis tos theos toiu patroiu su, tos theos Abraam kai Isaak …‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and …
Acts 7:38… en te ore Sina kai toiu patroiu nu, hos decheta logieim zōarōnteim dōara …… on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to …
Acts 7:45“fathers”… exōthata tos theos apo prosōpeu toiu patroiu nu heōs taiu hēmeraiu David;… the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,
patroi“fathers”to, fordative plural3×
Acts 7:44Tas skēnas teu marturieu ate toi patroi nu en ta erēma, kathōs diatasseta …Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony …
Hebrews 1:1… polutropōs palai tos theos lalarantos toi patroi en toi profētoi… different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.
Hebrews 8:9… kata tan diathēkan han poiama toi patroi autoiu en hēmera epilaberantou mu tau …… the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the …