πατριά (patria)
patria
family line
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun patria refers to one’s lineage or ancestral family line. Derived from the word for father, it describes a group of people connected by common descent. In the New Testament, it appears only three times, yet it carries significant weight in describing identity and heritage.
Its meaning shifts slightly depending on context. In Luke 2:4, it denotes the specific family line of Joseph, linking him to King David. In Acts 3:25 and Ephesians 3:15, it expands to describe the broader nation of Israel or all families on earth that claim a shared origin. This usage highlights how ancient identity was rooted in tribal and familial connections rather than individualism.
The term bridges the gap between immediate household and large tribe. It captures the idea of belonging to a larger story that began with ancestors. By tracing this lineage, the biblical text emphasizes continuity and the fulfillment of promises made to earlier generations.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Our sense of who we are often feels tied to where we come from. The Greek word patria reminds us that identity is not just an individual journey but a shared story passed down through generations. In ancient times, knowing your family line meant understanding your place in God’s broader plan for history.
This word bridges the gap between our immediate household and the vast tribe of faith. It connects us to the promises made to Abraham and the lineage of David. We are part of a larger narrative that began long before us, inviting us to see our lives as connected to something eternal and meaningful beyond ourselves.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- family2×
- families1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πατριᾶς1×
- πατριὰ1×
- πατριαὶ1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 2:4
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,
This verse grounds Joseph’s identity in the specific royal lineage of David, showing how patria links personal history to messianic prophecy.
-
Acts 3:25
You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘All the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.’
Here the term expands to include all families blessed through Abraham, highlighting the universal scope of God’s covenant promises.
-
Ephesians 3:15
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Paul uses this word to describe every family in heaven and earth as deriving its name from God, emphasizing divine origin over human ancestry.