Patrobas is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Patrobas was a Christian mentioned by Paul in his letter to the Romans, likely a member of the Roman church. He appears only once in the King James Bible, in Romans 16:14, where Paul writes: “Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.” This places him among a group of believers in Rome to whom Paul sent personal greetings at the close of his letter.
Paul’s greeting identifies Patrobas as one of several individuals named together, along with “the brethren which are with them.” This suggests that Patrobas was part of a household or small congregation of believers in Rome who gathered together. He is not described as holding any particular office or performing any specific deed in the biblical text. Scripture records nothing further about his background, his conversion, or his role in the church beyond this single mention.
What is clear from the text is that Patrobas was known to Paul and counted among the saints in Rome. Paul’s practice in Romans 16 was to greet many believers by name, showing that he regarded them personally and valued their place in the body of Christ. Though Patrobas remains otherwise unknown to us, he was a real member of the early Roman church whose name Paul took care to record.
The Name
The name Patrobas is Greek in form, and its meaning is generally understood to be derived from the elements *patēr* (“father”) and *bios* (“life”), yielding a sense such as “life of the father” or “paternal life.” Some take it as a shortened form related to the longer name Patrobios. As with many names borne by individuals in the New Testament, the meaning is not theologically significant in the text itself; Scripture attaches no interpretation to it. It is best simply to note the commonly recognized derivation rather than to build any lesson upon it.
A Closing Thought
Patrobas never speaks, never travels, and never appears again after a single verse. Yet Paul, writing to a church he had not yet visited, knew his name and sent him a greeting. Most of us will live lives that seem small by the world’s measure, without a platform or a record of notable deeds. Patrobas reminds us that being known and greeted among the saints is no small thing. Faithfulness in an obscure place still places us within the family of God, remembered by Him even when history forgets our names.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: New
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Romans 16:14 — Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.