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; 1 Sam 18:2);

(2) a family or household (Gen 41:51; Gen 46:31; Exod 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; Ezra 2:59; Neh 10:34, etc.);

(4)the "family" (clan), mishpachah, "fathers' houses" (Exod 6:14; Num 3:20);

(5) the tribe, "fathers' house," "houses" (Num 7:2; Num 17:1-3, etc.).

In the New Testament "father's house" (oikos tou patros) occurs in the sense of dwelling, house (Luke 16:27; compare 16:4). our Lord also uses the phrase

(1) of the earthly temple-dwelling of God at Jerusalem (John 2:16, "Make not my Father's house a house of merchandise"; compare Ps 11:4; Isa 63:15);

(2) of heaven as the abode of God and His children (John 14:2, "In my Father's house are many mansions," the Revised Version, margin "abiding places," oikia "house," "dwelling," also household, family; compare Ps 33:13; Isa 63:15; Matt 6:9). The phrase occurs also (Acts 7:20) of Moses, "nourished .... in his father's house" (oikos).

Revised Version has "father's hquse" for "principal household" (1 Chr 24:6), "heads of the fathers' houses" for "chief fathers" (Num 31:26; Num 32:28; Num 36:1; 1 Chr 9:34, etc.); "one prince of a father's house," for "each of" (Josh 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" (1 Chr 24:31).

W. L. Walker