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fel´oÌ„ (חבר, hÌ£aÌ„bheÌ„r, רע, reÌ„a‛; ἑταῖÏος, hetaıÌros): Meant originally a “partner,†from fe, “property,†and lag, “to lay,†then “a companion,†“an equal,†“a person or individual,†“a worthless person.â€
(1) As “companion†it is the translation of hÌ£aÌ„bheÌ„r, “associate,†“companion,†“friend†(also hÌ£aÌ„bbaÌ„r, (Hebrew 40:30), where we have the original sense of partnership, translated “bands†the Revised Version (British and American), the King James Version “companionsâ€); , “God hath anointed thee ... above thy fellowsâ€; of habhraÌ„h (; ); of reÌ„a‛, “companion,†“friend,†“another†(; , , ); rē‛aÌ„h (or ra‛yaÌ„h), “a female friend†(, “I and my fellows,†the Revised Version (British and American) “companionsâ€; here the King James Version applies “fellow†to a female; compare Baruch 6:43, “She reproacheth her fellow,†heÌ„ pleÌ„sıÌon); in , “companions†is the translation of ‛aÌ„mı̄th, “fellowshipâ€; ‛amı̄th (, “the man that is my fellow,†literally, “the man of my fellowshipâ€); hetairos, “companion†(); meÌtochos, “partnerâ€; (compare ; , quoted from , Septuagint for hÌ£aÌ„bheÌ„r).
(2) As an individual or person “fellow†is the translation of 'ı̄sh, “a man,†“an individualâ€: “make this fellow return†( the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) “the manâ€); in the same verse “fellow†is supplied instead of “heâ€; “fellow†in 1611 meant simply “a man,†and it is difficult to say in what passages the ideas of “worthless,†etc., are meant to be implied; probably, however, in , where the Hebrew is simply 'ĕnoÌ„sh, “man,†and the text is almost the only deviation from the rendering “man,†“men,†“lest angry (margin, Revised Version “bitter of soulâ€) fellows fall upon youâ€; also , aneÌ„Ìr, “a man,†“certain lewd fellows of the baser sort,†the Revised Version (British and American) “vile fellowsâ€; compare , “vain (reÌ„kÌ£) fellows†(supplied); 1 Macc 10:61, “contain pestilent fellows†(aneÌ„r); Ecclesiasticus 8:15, “a bold fellow†(tolmeÌ„roÌs), the Revised Version (British and American) “a rash manâ€; in several places of the Old Testament “fellow†represents zeh, “this,†and in these instances there seems to be something of worthlessness or contempt implied ( bis; ; ; , and, as before, the Revised Version (British and American)); in the New Testament also “fellow†often represents houÌtos, “this,†and in most of these cases the King James Version seems to intend something depreciatory to be understood; the Revised Version (British and American) gives simply “man†(; , ; ; ; ; ); so Ecclesiasticus 13:23, “If the poor man speaks, they say, What fellow is this?†the Revised Version (British and American) “who is this?†1 Macc 4:5, “These fellows flee from us,†the Revised Version (British and American) “these men.†the Revised Version (British and American) has “fellows†for “persons†(), for “men†(); “base fellows†for “men the children of Belial†(), margin, “sons of worthlessnessâ€; the American Standard Revised Version “worthless fellow†for “son of Belial†(, ), “base fellows†for “sons of Belial†(; , etc.); the Revised Version (British and American) has also “companions†for “fellows†(, as above; ; ), “each man his fellow†for “one another†(); “fellow by†for “neighbor in†().
Fellow-citizen, Fellow-disciple, Fellow-heirs, Yokefellow, etc. In composition, “fellow†always means partner or companion.