Definition:
πατήρ, πατρός, -τρί, τέρα, [in LXX chiefly and very frequently for אָב;] a father; 1) prop, (a) of the male parent: Mat.2:22, Luk.1:17, Jhn.4:53; anarth, Heb.12:7 (M, Pr., 82 f.); pl, of both parents (cl.), Heb.11:23; οἱ π. τ. σαρκός, Heb.12:9; (b) of a forefather or ancestor (in cl. usually in pl; Hom, al.): Mat.3:9, Luk.1:73, Jhn.8:39, al; pl, Mat.23:30, 32 Luk.6:23, 26 Jhn.4:20, 1Co.10:1, al. 2) Metaphorical, (a) of an author, originator, or archetype (= αἴτιος, ἀρχηγός, etc; Pind, Plat, al.): Jhn.8:41-44, Rom.4:11, 12 16. (b) as a title of respect or honour, used of seniors, teachers and others in a position of responsible authority (Jdg.17:10, 2Ki.2:12, Pro.1:8, al.): Mat.23:9 Act.7:2 22:1, 1Jn.2:13. 3) Of God (as in cl. of Zeus) as Father; (a) of created things: τ. φώτων, Jas.1:17; (b) of all sentient beings: Eph.3:14, 15 Heb.12:9; (with) of men, esp. those in covenant relation with Him (freq in OT and later Jewish lit; see Dalman, Words, 184ff.): Mat.6:4, Luk.6:36, Jhn.4:21, Jas.3:9, al; ὁ π. ὁ ἐν (τ.) οὐρανοῖς, Mat.5:16, Mrk.11:25; ὁ π. ὁ οὐράνιος, Mat.6:14 15:13; esp. in the Epp, of Christians: Rom.8:15, 2Co.6:18, Gal.4:6, Eph.2:18 4:6, 1Jn.2:1; with genitive qual, τ. οἰκτιρμῶν, 2Co.1:3; τ. δοξῆς, Eph.1:17; (d) of Christ (Dalman, Words, 190 ff.); (α) by our Lord himself: ὁ π, Mat.11:25-27, Luk.10:2, 22 Jhn.5:20-23, al; ὁ π. μου, Mat.11:27, al; ὁ ἐν τ. οὐρανοῖς, Mat.7:11, al; ὁ οὐράνιος, Mat.15:13; vocat, Jhn.11:41 12:27, 28 17:1, 5, 11, 20, 25 (cf. Abbott, JG, 96 f.); (β) by Apostles: Jhn.1:14 (anarth; see M, Pr., l.with), Rom.15:6, 2Co.1:3 11:31, Eph.1:3, Col.1:3, Heb.1:5, 1Pe.1:3, Rev.1:6 (cf. Westc, Epp. Jo., 27-34). (AS)
Definition:
πᾰτήρ, ὁ,
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. Sanskrit
pitár, Latin
pater, etc.)