Bible Lexicons

οἰκονομ-ία, ἡ,

I

1. management of a household or family, husbandry, thrift, Pl. Ap. 36b, R. 498a, X. Oec. 1.1, Arist. EN 1141b32, Pol. 1253b2 sqq.: pl., Pl. R. 407b; households, Arist. GA 744b18.

2. generally, direction, regulation, Epicur. Ephesians 1 p.29U.; esp. of a State, administration, αἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν οἰ. Din. 1.97; principles of government, Chrysipp.Stoic. 2.338; τῶν γεγονότων Plb. 1.4.3, al.; πολιτικὴ οἰ. Phld. Rh. 2.32 S.; ἡ τῆς ἀρχῆς οἰ. Hdn. 6.1.1; of a fund, SIG 577.9 (Milet., iii/ii B.C.).

3. arrangement, ἡ περὶ τὸν νοσέοντα οἰ. Hp. Epid. 6.2.24; ἡ περὶ τῶν ὠνίων οἰ. market, fair, SIG 695.35 (Magn. Mae.); οἰκονομίαι proceedings, IG 9(1).226 (Drymaea); τίνα οἰκονομίαν προσαγήγοχας what steps you have taken, PCair.Zen. 240.10 (iii B. C.); αὕτη φύσεως οἰ. Plb. 6.9.10; of a literary work, arrangement, ἡ κατὰ μέρος οἰ. D.S. 5.1, cf. D.H. Pomp. 4, Comp. 25, Sch. Od. 1.328: pl., Plu. 2.142a.

4. in Egypt, office of οἰκονόμος, PTeb. 24.62 (ii B.C.), al.

5. stewardship, LXX Isaiah 22:19, Luke 16:2.

6. plan, dispensation, Ephesians 1:10, Ephesians 3:2.

7. in bad sense, scheming, M.Ant. 4.51.

II public revenue of a state, BMus.Inscr. 897.14, al. (Halic., iii B.C.).

III transaction, contract, or legal instrument, CPR 4.1 (i A. D.), BGU 457.10 (ii A. D.), etc. magical operation or process, PMag.Par. 1.161,292,2009.

οἰκονομία, οἰκονομίας, ἡ (οἰκονομέω), from Xenophon, and Plato down, "the management of a household or of household affairs; specifically, the management, oversight, administration, of others' property; the office of a manager or overseer, stewardship": Luke 16:2-4; hence, the word is transferred by Paul in a theocratic sense to the office (duty) intrusted to him by God (the lord and master) of proclaiming to men the blessings of the gospel, 1 Corinthians 9:17; ἡ, οἰκονομία τοῦ Θεοῦ, the office of administrator (stewardship) intrusted by God, Colossians 1:25. universally, administration, dispensation, which in a theocratic sense is ascribed to God himself as providing for man's salvation: αἵτινες ... ἡ οἰκονομίαν Θεοῦ τήν ἐν πίστει, which furnish matter for disputes rather than the (knowledge of the) dispensation of the things by which God has provided for and prepared salvation, which salvation must be embraced by faith, 1 Timothy 1:4 L T Tr WH; ἥν προέθετο ... καιρῶν, which good will he purposed to show with a view to (that) dispensation (of his) by which the times (namely, of infancy and immaturity cf. Galatians 4:1-4) were to be fulfilled, Ephesians 1:9f; ἡ οἰκονομία τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι, that dispensation (or arrangement) by which the grace of God was granted me, Ephesians 3:2; ἡ οἰκονομία τοῦ μυστηρίου, the dispensation by which he carried out his secret purpose, Ephesians 3:9 G L T Tr WH.

οἰκονομία , -ας , ἡ

(< οἰκονομέω ),

[in LXX: Isaiah 22:19; Isaiah 22:21 (H4673, H4475)*;]

1. prop. (Plat., Arist.), the office of οἰκονόμος , stewardship: Luke 16:2-4.

2. In later writers (Plut., al.; v. AR on Ephesians 1:10; MM, xviii), generally, administration, dispensation: 1 Corinthians 9:17, Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 3:2; Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:25, 1 Timothy 1:4.†