Patrimony is an inheritance or property received from one’s fathers. In Scripture it may refer to family property, a Levite’s private support, Israel’s inherited land, or the spiritual inheritance granted by God.
Definition
Patrimony is an inheritance or property received from one’s fathers. It may refer to family property, a private source of income, or inherited land; the term is also used figuratively of Israel’s and the believer’s inheritance from God.
Biblical Usage
In Deuteronomy 18:8, patrimony may indicate a private source of income belonging to a Levite in addition to priestly support. Scripture also applies the idea to inherited family property, Israel’s inheritance of Canaan from Yahweh, salvation as the believer’s inheritance, and Israel as Yahweh’s inheritance.
Historical Background
The word literally relates to “the fathers” and occurs once in the English Bible in the supplied sense. The Law gave directions for dividing and redeeming family property, as illustrated in Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Ruth.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>pat'-ri-mo-ni (ha-'abhoth, "the fathers"): A word occurring once in English Versions of the Bible (De 18:8), meaning literally, "the fathers," which, however, is obscure, probably by reason of abbreviation for some phrase, e.g. "house of the fathers." It may indicate "some private source of income possessed by the Levite (who has come up from a country district to the central sanctuary) distinct from what he receives as a priest officiating at the central sanctuary" (Driver, "Deuteronomy," ICC, in the place cited.). Beyond this one occurrence of the word the same idea is conveyed often by other words or phrases: "He divided unto them his living" (Lu 15:13); "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me" (Lu 12:13). Full and specific directions were given in the Law for the division of the patrimony (Nu 27; De 21, etc.) and for its redemption (Ru 4:1-12). The idea was frequently used with figurative and spiritual application: the land of Canaan was Israel's patrimony, being inherited from Yahweh (Ps 105:11); salvation because of its origin in grace was the believer's patrimony (Ga 3:26-4:7). Contrariwise Israel was Yahweh's inheritance (Isa 19:25; 63:14; compare Ps 33:12; and the whole earth is the Messiah's patrimony, inherited from His Eternal Father (Ps 2:8).</p><p>See BIRTHRIGHT; FAMILY; INHERITANCE; PROPERTY.</p><p>Edward Mack</p>
