The patriarchs in the Bible were the fathers of the nation of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Through these three men, the chosen people of God would grow into a mighty nation. God also promised that they would be a blessing to the world. They were not perfect men by any stretch of the imagination, and yet God chose them as the lineage the Messiah would come from. For all their faults and failures, they were still men of faith, chosen by God as the origins of the lineage that would bring the Son of God into the world.
Patriarchs in the Bible
Patriarch is a transliteration of the Greek word πατριάρχης (patriárchēs), which in turn is a combination of πατήρ (patēr), meaning “father,” and ἄρχων (archon), meaning “ruler” or “leader.” A patriarch is a progenitor or founder of a family, tribe, or nation.
The New Testament uses the term patriarch(s) four times. Once, it refers to David (Acts 2:29), twice to the twelve sons of Jacob, from whom the tribes of Israel inherited their names (Acts 7:8,9), and once to Abraham (Hebrew 7:4).
The reference to David as a patriarch shows the prominence and notoriety he had among Jews as the king who settled Israel in the promised land as a dominant force among surrounding heathen nations. He was, however, not a founding father of the Israelites in the true sense of the word although he was one of the most prominent members of the Israelite lineage. Traditionally, Israel considered Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be the three patriarchs of the nation of Israel.
We read about the patriarchs in Genesis 12-50, and many later authors of books from the Old and New Testament mention them again. Estimates place the patriarchal age (the period Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived) roughly between 2100 and 1800 BCE. Some scholars reject the historicity of the patriarchs of the Bible, claiming their stories are no more than myth or legend.
To those who believe, these men were fathers not just of the nation of Israel, but also of faith. That is why they feature so prominently in Hebrews 11:8-21 among the heroes of faith. But as we will soon see, the patriarchs in the Bible were flawed men as well.
Abraham
When the Bible mentions the first patriarch for the first time, his name is Abram. He proves obedient when God tells him to take his family and move to an undisclosed land. God promised Abram a line that would grow to multitudes of people sometime in the future. His wife, Sarai, was ninety years old and barren, and Abram was ninety-nine years of age, so offspring by them was unlikely. After promising them a son, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah. Abram means “exalted father” while Abraham means “father of many.” Sarai means “my princess” while Sarah means “mother of nations.” Names in antiquity were significant and said something about the character or destiny of the person.
Abraham and Sarah had a son and called him Isaac. Later, God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22). This must have deeply disturbed Abraham, but he did as God asked, and as he was about to kill his son on an altar, an angel stopped Abraham and provided a ram to sacrifice instead of Isaac. For Christians, this traumatic event prefigured Christ.
Abram, however, was not always obedient. Before the birth of Isaac, Sarai suggested to Abram that he take her slave girl, Hagar, as his wife so they could have a child and realize the promise God had made. Abram did so, and Ishmael was born of their union.
The patriarch also denied his wife twice, claiming she was his sister (Genesis 12 and 20). Technically, the claim was correct, for they were half-siblings having a father in common. Obscuring that she was his wife, however, was still deceitful. Once was before the promise to Abraham that he would be the father of many by Sarah, and once after. This deceitful action could have derailed the destiny God intended for Abraham and Sarah.
Isaac
Abraham, having one legitimate son of the promise, wanted his son to marry a woman selected from his kindred in his homeland and he sent a servant to choose a wife for his son. The servant chose Rebekah, who married Isaac. Like Sarah, she was also barren. Isaac showed much faith in God and prayed that Rebekah would conceive (Genesis 25:21). She did and bore Isaac’s twins, Jacob and Esau.
Esau was the eldest and, therefore, had the birthright due to being a firstborn son. His name means “hairy” or “rough” because he was hairy from birth and remained so throughout his life. Jacob means “supplanter” or “deceiver.” He was his mother’s favorite child and conspired with her to deceive Isaac into blessing him with the birthright due to his older brother.
Isaac, like his father, claimed his wife was his sister to protect his own life. He also showed favoritism towards his eldest son and a lack of discernment.
Jacob
Jacob exploited the weakness of his brother. He swindled Esau’s birthright and deceived his father to receive the blessing reserved for the elder brother. By no means does he seem like an ideal candidate for a patriarch.
Isaac sent Jacob to Laban, Rebekah’s brother. There, Laban deceived Jacob into marrying Leah instead of Rachel, the one he wanted to marry. He had to work another seven years to marry Rachel. The deceiver was himself deceived. Later, Jacob fell into disfavor with Laban and fled back to the land of his birth by secretly leaving with his flock.
Nevertheless, God’s blessing was on Jacob, and his life shows many instances where God revealed himself to him. One such instance sees the name Jacob change to Israel, the name of the nation God would carry for millennia after.
Later in life, Jacob was fearful of encountering his brother Esau, thinking his brother might kill him. Behind him, Laban was on his heels, leaving him in a pinch. One evening, alone in the desert, Jacob encountered and struggled with an angelic being. As day broke, the angel struck Jacob on the hip, causing him to limp for the rest of his life. The angel then gave Jacob the new name, Israel, which means “he struggles with God.” God then blessed Israel and declared that the land of Abraham and Isaac would be his.
Jacob, or Israel, had twelve sons by four wives. He had six sons with Leah, two with Rachael, two with Bilha, and two with Zilpah. The twelve sons each became the father of one of the tribes of the nation of Israel. Even among them, who the New Testament refers to as patriarchs as well, there was much strife as individuals, and later as tribes, showing that God does not select the perfect to serve him.
They sold their brother Joseph into slavery, but by the grace and providence of God, he became second only to the Pharaoh himself in Egypt. Joseph was instrumental in saving his family from certain death in times of famine that followed.
Reflecting on the Patriarchs
Reflecting on the lives and actions of the patriarchs, it is shocking that they lied, betrayed others, and acted deceitfully. They were broken men who made grave mistakes and, at times, were blatantly opposing the will of God. Yet, God chose them to be the men from whom he would build his nation.
What is significant to note is the patience of God and how he remained true to his promises and often restored justice and forgave those who did not remain faithful after they repented of their actions.
The behavior of their wives was just as shocking. Sarai gave her slave girl to Abram to bear him a child, thinking her intervention would cause the promise of God to go into fulfillment. Rebekah, who Isaac loved dearly, helped her son to betray her husband. The sister-wives of Jacob had much strife among one another, vying for recognition in his eyes. Rachel even stole one of her father’s idols on one occasion.
The patriarchs and their wives were flawed people but were recognized for their faith centuries later in the New Testament (Hebrews 11). They had real-life struggles that made them relatable characters. Readers may even see similarities between the struggles the patriarchs and their families endured and their own struggles. It is in recognizing their humanity, failures, and faith that readers can draw strength and hope for the future. If God could use those flawed individuals as founders of his nation, he could use anyone willing to turn from their stray path, enter into a covenant relationship with him, and be obedient to his will.
