"received from one’s ancestors, paternal, ancestral, Acts 22:3; 24:14; 28:17*"
Definition and meaning
received from one’s ancestors, paternal, ancestral, Acts 22:3; 24:14; 28:17*
In the original Greek the word is written: πατρῷος
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of patroos (G3971) across the King James Bible.
I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
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Common questions
Strong's G3971 (patroos) is a Greek word that means: received from one’s ancestors, paternal, ancestral, Acts 22:3; 24:14; 28:17* It appears 3 times in the King James Bible.
The word patroos (G3971) appears 3 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G3971 is patroos, a Greek word defined as: received from one’s ancestors, paternal, ancestral, Acts 22:3; 24:14; 28:17*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
patroos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.