Greek word · Strong's G80

ἀδελφός

adelphós · noun · “brother (adelphos)”

In a sentence

Adelphos means brother — physical sibling, fellow Israelite, and in the New Testament, fellow believer. It is the core word for the family relationship the church shares in Christ.

Adelphos covers physical brothers and, by extension, anyone who shares the same family or people. The New Testament takes the word and applies it to those who share the same heavenly Father through Jesus.

This is why letters routinely greet recipients as “brothers and sisters” (adelphoi includes both). Believers are not merely teammates; they are family — bound by something deeper than blood, the new birth in Christ.

Strong's reference

Definition: a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (much like G1 (Α))

KJV usage: brother

Reference gloss from Strong's Concordance (1890, public domain).

Key verses BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

1 John 4:21 “And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.” Romans 12:10 “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.” Hebrews 2:11 “For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.”

Original BibleDawn word study. Original-language data and the public-domain Strong's (1890) gloss are referenced; see sources.