οἰκονόμος
Manager
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What does οἰκονόμος (oikonómos) mean in the Bible?
οἰκονόμος (oikonómos) is a Greek word meaning "manager". οἰκονόμος, -ου, ὁ (οἶκος + νέμω, to manage) [in LXX chiefly for עַל ;] __1. An elder is not an owner but a steward of God’s household, reinforcing that church leadership is delegated responsibility under divine authority. This term runs through the canonical themes of Messiah.
Full entry for οἰκονόμος (G3623) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
One entrusted with managing another's household or resources, not as owner but as accountable steward.
(οἶκος + νέμω, to manage) [in LXX chiefly for עַל ;]
Why This Word Matters
An elder is not an owner but a steward of God’s household, reinforcing that church leadership is delegated responsibility under divine authority. 1 Peter 4:7-11
Defines delegated responsibility under Christ’s authority. Luke 12:35–48
Highlights accountability to God as owner. Luke 16:1–13
Defines believers as entrusted managers, not owners, of spiritual gifts. Titus 1:5-9
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
New Testament Witnesses
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain