Father’s House, Fathers’ House
Father’s House, Fathers’ House
( , beth ‘abh, , beth ‘abhoth): Father’s house in the Old Testament is (1) a dwelling, the family home (Gen 12:1; Gen 31:14, Gen 31:30; Gen 38:11; 1Sa 18:2); (2) a family or household (Gen 41:51; Gen 46:31; Exo 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 (Num 1:18, Num 1:20; Num 17:2; Ezr 2:59; Neh 10:34, etc.); (4)the family (clan), mishpahah, fathers’ houses (Exo 6:14 f; Num 3:20); (5) The tribe, fathers’ house, houses (Num 7:2; Num 17:1-3, etc.).
In the New Testament father’s house ( , okos tou patros) occurs in the sense of dwelling, house (Luk 16:27; compare Luk 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 Psa 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, oika house, dwelling, also household, family; compare Psa 33:13; Isa 63:15; Mat 6:9). The phrase occurs also (Act 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 (Num 31:26; Num 32:28; Num 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).