οἰκονόμοςoikonómos
a house-distributor (i.e. manager), or overseer, i.e. an employee in that capacity; by extension, a fiscal agent (treasurer); figuratively, a preacher (of the Gospel)
Greek (New Testament) · G3623
Meanings
1. properly, the manager of a household or estate, a house- or land-steward (usually a slave or freedman): Luke 12:42, Luke 16:1, Luke 16:3, Luke 16:8, 1 Corinthians 4:2, Galatians 4:2; ὀ οἰ. τ. πόλεως (RV, treasurer; cf. 1 Esdras 4:49), Romans 16:23.
2. Metaph. (in wider sense; cf. οἰκονομία), an administrator, a steward: of Christian ministers, 1 Corinthians 4:1, Titus 1:7; of Christians generally, 1 Peter 4:10.
Same root
- οἶκοςoîkos · G3624a dwelling (more or less extensive, literal or figurative); by implication, a family (more or less related, literally or figuratively)
- νόμοςnómos · G3551law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), genitive case (regulation), specially, (of Moses (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively (a principle)
- οἰκονομίαoikonomía · G3622administration (of a household or estate); specially, a (religious) "economy"
- οἰκονομέωoikonoméō · G3621to manage (a house, i.e. an estate)
Where it appears
Appears 10 times in the Bible.
- Luke 12:42 And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.
- Luke 16:1 Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money.
- Luke 16:3 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg.
- Luke 16:8 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.
- Romans 16:23 Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, and so does our brother Quartus.
- 1 Corinthians 4:1 So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries.
Source: G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), public domain.