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ἀπάτωρ

apátōr

G540 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Having no father; of unrecorded or unknown paternal lineage, or lacking information about one's father. In some contexts, used to describe someone whose father is unmentioned or whose paternal ancestry is not given. Can also convey the idea of 'without known or documented father.' The primary sense is the absence of named, recorded, or known paternal origins.

Semantic Range

without father, lacking paternal record, of unrecorded or unknown father, lacking specified genealogy

Root / Etymology

From the alpha privative (α-, a negative prefix signifying 'without') and πατήρ ('father'). Formed as a compound meaning 'without father.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term ἀπάτωρ is extremely rare in Greek literature and appears as a hapax legomenon in the New Testament (Hebrews 7:3) with reference to Melchizedek, whose genealogy, and thus father, is not provided in the Hebrew Scriptures. In broader Hellenistic and Koine literature, the form is almost exclusively used in genealogical or symbolic contexts to indicate that nothing is recorded or known of a person's paternal ancestry, rather than implying literal abandonment or social orphanhood. English translations often render the term as 'without father,' but this may obscure its genealogical nuance. The use of ἀπάτωρ in Hebrews 7:3 is shaped by literary convention for describing notable figures of ambiguous origin or typology. Its inclusion in the LXX or non-biblical Koine sources is exceptionally rare, reflecting its technical or descriptive use rather than a common social label. The word forms part of a triad with ἀμήτωρ ('without mother') and ἀγενεαλόγητος ('without genealogy'), emphasizing the lack of specific familial or ancestral information. It does not carry the more general sense of orphanhood expressed by ὀρφανός ('orphan').

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from Α (as a negative particle) and πατήρ; fatherless, i.e. of unrecorded paternity:--without father.

Root Family

ἀπάτωρ (apatōr) — father, paternal ancestor; without father

Root πατ- father, paternal ancestor

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G540-01 ἀπάτωρ apator ADJ.S NOM M SG without father fatherless one fatherless one 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G540-01 Hebrews 7:3 ἀπάτωρ apator ADJ.S NOM M SG without father fatherless one fatherless one
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