His forefathers / ancestors
The parents of his parents; his ancient family roots or lineage.
(“For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your borders… and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and all the Egyptians, which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen since the day they were upon the earth until this day.” – Exodus 10:4 (Moses to Pharaoh); and also: “He too, like his fathers’ fathers’ fathers, thousands of years ago, in the ancient forests” – H.N. Bialik / He Hewed in His Heart; “And the woman told us that she, her parents, and her forefathers were all born in this village” – S.Y. Agnon / In the Prime of Her Life; “And his forefathers, pious men too, stand upon a cloud that hovers beyond” – Nathan Alterman / The Hasidic General)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
אֲבוֹת אֲבוֹתָיו
Definition (Hebrew)
הוֹרֵי הוֹרָיו. שָׁרָשָׁיו הַמִּשְׁפַּחְתִּיִּים הַקְּדוּמִים.
("כִּי אִם מָאֵן אַתָּה לְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת עַמִּי הִנְנִי מֵבִיא מָחָר אַרְבֶּה בִּגְבֻלֶךָ...וּמָלְאוּ בָתֶּיךָ וּבָתֵּי כָל עֲבָדֶיךָ וּבָתֵּי כָל מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא רָאוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ וַאֲבוֹת אֲבֹתֶיךָ מִיּוֹם הֱיוֹתָם עַל הָאֲדָמָה עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה" – שֵׁמוֹת י ד (מֹשֶׁה לְפַרְעֹה), וְכֵן: "גַּם הוּא, כְּאָבוֹת אֲבוֹת אֲבוֹתָיו / לִפְנֵי רִבּוֹאוֹת שָׁנִים, בַּיְּעָרוֹת עַד" – ח.נ. בְּיָאלִיק / יְנַסֵּר לוֹ כִּלְבָבוֹ, וְכֵן: "וּתְסַפֵּר לָנוּ הָאִשָּׁה כִּי גַּם הִיא גַּם אֲבוֹתֶיהָ גַּם אֲבוֹת אֲבוֹתֶיהָ נוֹלְדוּ בַּכְּפָר הַזֶּה" – שַׁ"י עַגְנוֹן / בְּדָמִי יָמֶיהָ, וְכֵן: "וְאָבוֹת אֲבוֹתָיו,/ חֲסִידִים גַּם הֵם,/ נִצָּבִים עַל עָנָן שֶׁעָמַד מִשּׁוּט הָלְאָה" – נָתָן אַלְתֶּרְמָן / גֵּנֵרָל חָסִיד)