Dictionaries :: Brother, Brethren, Brotherhood, Brotherly

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

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, Matt 1:2; 14:3;

(2) male descendants of the same parents, Act 7:23, 26; Hbr 7:5;

(3) male children of the same mother, Mat 13:55; 1Cr 9:5; Gal 1:19;

(4) people of the same nationality, Act 3:17, 22; Rom 9:3. With "men" (aner, "male"), prefixed, it is used in addresses only, Act 2:29, 37, etc.;

(5) any man, a neighbor, Luk 10:29; Mat 5:22; 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; Hbr 2:17;

(9) the disciples, and so, by implication, all believers, Mat 28:10; Jhn 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, 1Cr 7:14 (RV), 15; Jam 2:15, male as distinct from female, Act 1:16; 15:7, 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 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; Hbr 13:1; "love of the brethren," 1Pe 1:22; 2Pe 1:7, RV; pseudadelphos, "false brethren," 2Cr 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).