What is a patriarch in the Bible?
"This is my covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations" (Genesis 17:4).
"Then the man said, 'Your name will not be Jacob anymore. Instead, it will be Israel. You have wrestled with God and with people. And you have won'" (Genesis 32:28).
"All these are the 12 tribes of Israel. That’s what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each one the blessing that was just right for him" (Genesis 49:28).
Patriarchs in the Bible are lines of men God used to create Israel.Patriarchs are the men who established the nation of Israel. The patriarchs in the Bible are men who were to lead their families in the way of God. They were also used by God to create the nation of Israel. The first patriarch was Abraham. All Israelites are descended from Abraham.
God made a covenant with Abraham that he would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4). This is true. God kept his promise and Abraham is the father of all the Israelites. Abraham's son, Isaac, was the next patriarch. Isaac was born as the result of a promise from God.
Through Isaac, the patriarchy continued and passed down to his son, Jacob. Jacob became the patriarch and it was through him that the twelve tribes of Israel came into being. They are called the twelve tribes of Israel because God changed Jacob's name to Israel. These twelve tribes are the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulon, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Benjamin, and Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
