PA'TRIARCH, n. L. patriarcha Gr. a family, father, and a chief.
1. The father and ruler of a family one who governs by paternal right. It is usually applied to the progenitors of the Israelites, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the sons of Jacob, or to the heads of families before the flood as the antediluvian patriarchs.
2. A learned and distinguished character among the Jews.
3. In the christian church, a dignitary superior to the order of archbishops as the patriarch of Constantinople, of Alexandria, or of Ephesus.
The King James Bible has stood its ground for nearly 400 years. However, during that time the English language has changed, and with it the meanings of some words it used. Here are more than 6,500 words whose definitions have changed since 1611.Wikipedia
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