an'-ses-ters (ri'shonim, "first ones"): The word ancestor appears in the English Bible only once (Le 26:45). The Hebrew word, the ordinary adjective "first," occurs more than 200 times, and in a few places might fairly be rendered ancestors (e.g.De 19:14;Jer 11:10). In speaking of ancestors the Old Testament ordinarily uses the word for "fathers" ('abhoth).
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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Orr, General Editor, 1844–1913 edition.