Patrobas

A companion of the apostle Paul. (Rom. 16. 14.) His name hath an allusion to somewhat that is fatherly.

Pat’robas. (paternal). A Christian at Rome, to whom St. Paul sends his salutation. Rom 16:14. Like many other names mentioned in Romans 16, this was borne by at least one member of the emperor’s household. (Suet. Galba. 20; Martial, Ep. Ii. 32). (A.D. 55).

A Christian at, Rome (Rom 16:14) whom Paul salutes. A name borne by a member of Caesar’s household. (Suetonius, Galba 20; Martial Ep. 2:32, section 3; compare Php 1:13; Php 4:22.)

[Pat’robas]

Christian at Rome to whom Paul sent a salutation. Rom 16:14.

PATROBAS.—The name of a member of the Roman Church greeted by St. Paul in Rom 16:14.

pat´rṓ-bas (Πατρόβας, Patróbas): The name of a member of the Christian community at Rome to whom Paul sent greetings (Rom 16:14). The name is an abbreviated form of “Patrobius.” There was a wealthy freedman of Nero of the same name who was put to death by Galba (Tacitus, History i. 49; ii. 95). The Patrobas of Paul may have been a dependent of his.

(Ðáôñüâáò, a Greek name, contracted from Patrobius)

Patrobas is the fourth of a group of five names (all Greek) of persons ‘and the brethren with them’ saluted by St. Paul in Rom_16:14. Nothing is known of any member of this group. It is suggested that together they formed an ἐêêëçóßá or household church, the locality of which we shall suppose to have been Rome or Ephesus, according to our view of the destination of these salutations. This is more probable than that they were slaves belonging to some great establishment, or members of a civic gild. Cf. the salutation to another group of five persons ‘and all the saints that are with them’ in the verse following. In each case the names mentioned probably represent ‘the first nucleus, the leading individuals,’ of the congregation (see C. von Weizsäcker, Apostolic Age, Eng. tr._, i. [1894] 398f.), and perhaps the first mentioned (Asyncritus, Rom_16:14, Philologus, Rom_16:15) was the recognized leader. All, however, may have been heads of separate Christian households. For the occurrence of the name Patrobas on inscriptions of the Imperial household see J. B. Lightfoot, Philippians4, 1878, p. 176.

T. B. Allworthy.