Brother, Brethren, Brotherhood, Brotherly
Brother, Brethren, Brotherhood, Brotherly
denotes “a brother, or near kinsman;” in the plural, “a community based on identity of origin or life.” It is used of:
(1) male children of the same parents, Mat 1:2; Mat 14:3; (2) male descendants of the same parents, Act 7:23, Act 7:26; Heb 7:5; (3) male children of the same mother, Mat 13:55; 1Co 9:5; Gal 1:19; (4) people of the same nationality, Act 3:17, Act 3:22; Rom 9:3. With “men” (aner, “male”), prefixed, it is used in addresses only, Act 2:29, Act 2:37, etc.; (5) any man, a neighbor, Luk 10:29; Mat 5:22; Mat 7:3; (6) persons united by a common interest, Mat 5:47; (7) persons united by a common calling, Rev 22:9; (8) mankind, Mat 25:40; Heb 2:17; (9) the disciples, and so, by implication, all believers, Mat 28:10; Joh 20:17; (10) believers, apart from sex, Mat 23:8; Act 1:15; Rom 1:13; 1Th 1:4; Rev 19:10 (the word “sisters” is used of believers, only in 1Ti 5:2); (11) believers, with aner, “male,” prefixed, and with “or sister” added, 1Co 7:14 (RV), 15; Jam 2:15, male as distinct from female, Act 1:16; Act 15:7, Act 15:13, but not Act 6:3. * [* From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine, p. 32.]
Notes: (1) Associated words are adelphotes, primarily, “a brotherly relation,” and so, the community possessed of this relation, “a brotherhood,” 1Pe 2:17 (see 1Pe 5:9, marg.); philadelphos, (phileo, “to love,” and adelphos), “fond of one’s brethren,” 1Pe 3:8; “loving as brethren,” RV; philadelphia, “brotherly love,” Rom 12:10; 1Th 4:9; Heb 13:1; “love of the brethren,” 1Pe 1:22; 2Pe 1:7, RV; pseudadelphos, “false brethren,” 2Co 11:26; Gal 2:4.
(2) In Luk 6:16; Act 1:13, the RV has “son,” for AV, “brother.”
(3) In Act 13:1, for suntrophos, see BRING, B, Note (6).