The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word NOAH
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
N
O
A
H
More clues leading to the result NOAH
- Lifesaver talking of one with knowledge
- Drama involving a rescuer
- Boat-builder’s failure to comply with GP’s request?
- Refusal by a husband to be a man of rescue
- Animal conservationist starting national organisation against hunting …
- Performances in Japan around a skipper 14 cheered
- Shipbuilder dropping into Bath regularly
- Ham producer, articulate woman of wisdom
- Drama about a zoo keeper?
- Shipbuilder is someone who’s well aware, we hear
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Hebrew patriarch" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case hebrew patriarch = noah.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.