κλῆρος G2819
lot (for casting); inheritance, allotted heritage; share, portion (assigned role)
Senses
1. lot (for casting) — A lot -- an object cast or drawn to make a decision by chance, or the act of casting lots. In the crucifixion narratives, soldiers cast lots (kleron) for Jesus' garments (Matt 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24, fulfilling Ps 22:18). In Acts 1:26, the apostles cast lots (klerous) to choose Matthias as Judas' replacement, and 'the lot (kleros) fell on Matthias.' Cross-linguistically consistent with lot/chance vocabulary: Arabic qur'a ('lot/lottery'), Hebrew goral ('lot' -- the same word used in the OT for Urim/Thummim and Yom Kippur goat selection), Hindi chitthi ('slip/ticket for drawing'), Korean jebi ('lot/draw'), Spanish suerte ('lot/fortune'), French sort ('lot/fate'), German Los ('lot'). This is the original concrete sense from which the metaphorical extensions derive. 7×
AR["القُرْعَةُ","قُرْعَةً"]·ben["κλήρους-গুটি","গুলি।","গুলিবঁট","গুলিবাঁট"]·DE["Los"]·EN["a-lot","lot","lots"]·FR["sort"]·heb["גּוֹרָל","גּוֹרָלוֹת","גוֹרָל"]·HI["चिट्ठियाँ","चिट्ठी","मत्तियास-पर"]·ID["undi"]·IT["sorte"]·jav["undhi","undhi;","undhi}.","undian"]·KO["그-","제비-를","제비를","주었다"]·PT["sorte","sortes"]·RU["жребии","жребий","жребий."]·ES["suerte","suertes"]·SW["kura","zamu"]·TR["kura","kuraları","kura}"]·urd["قرعہ","قرعے"]
2. inheritance, allotted heritage — An inheritance or heritage -- the theological extension of kleros to denote what God has allotted to his people as their spiritual or eschatological inheritance. In Acts 26:18, Paul's commission includes bringing Gentiles to receive 'an inheritance (kleron) among those sanctified.' In Col 1:12, believers give thanks to the Father 'who has qualified you to share in the inheritance (klerou) of the saints in light.' In 1 Pet 5:3, elders are told not to lord it over 'those allotted (kleron) to your charge' -- the congregation as God's heritage. Cross-linguistically distinct from the 'lot' sense: Arabic mirath, Hebrew nachalah ('inheritance' -- a different word from goral), Hindi virasat ('inheritance'), Korean gieopui ('of the inheritance/heritage'), Spanish herencia ('inheritance'). The shift from Arabic qur'a/Hebrew goral to mirath/nachalah across languages confirms this as a genuinely distinct sense. 3×
AR["الميراثِ","ميراثِ","مِيرَاثًا"]·ben["অংশ","অংশগুলির-উপর","উত্তরাধিকার-এর"]·DE["Los"]·EN["allotted","an-inheritance","inheritance"]·FR["sort"]·heb["חֲלָקִים","נַחֲלָה"]·HI["विरसत","विरासत","सौंपे-गए-लोगों-पर"]·ID["bagian","warisan"]·IT["sorte"]·jav["pusaka,","warisan"]·KO["기업의","분깎를","유산을"]·PT["herança"]·RU["наследия","удел","уделами,"]·ES["herencia","herencias"]·SW["urithi","waliowekwa"]·TR["miras","mirasinin","payların"]·urd["حصّوں-پر،","میراث","میراث-کے"]
3. share, portion (assigned role) — A share, portion, or assigned place in something -- the metaphorical extension from 'lot' to 'what falls to one by lot,' i.e. one's allotted portion or role. In Acts 1:17, Judas 'was allotted his share (kleron) of this ministry' -- not a physical lot but a divinely assigned role. In Acts 8:21, Peter tells Simon 'you have no part (kleros) or share in this matter' -- one's rightful portion. Cross-linguistically, Arabic nasib ('share/portion') and Hebrew goral (which also means 'destiny/allotted portion') support this extension. Hindi sevakaii ka ('of the ministry') paraphrases the partitive meaning. Spanish parte ('part') and Korean geu ('his [share]') also reflect the 'assigned portion' reading. This sense bridges the concrete 'lot' and the fuller 'inheritance' sense. 2×
AR["حِصَّةٌ","نَصِيبَ"]·ben["অংশ","ভাগ"]·DE["Los"]·EN["lot"]·FR["sort"]·heb["גּוֹרָל","נַחֲלָה"]·HI["-सेवकाई-का","हिस्सा"]·ID["bagian","warisan"]·IT["sorte"]·jav["undian","warisan,"]·KO["그-","프-이"]·PT["parte","sorte"]·RU["жребий","жребия"]·ES["parte","suerte"]·SW["fungu","urithi"]·TR["-o","kura"]·urd["حصہ","قرعہ"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κλῆρος __A, Doric dialect κλᾶρος Refs 5th c.BC+, ου, ὁ:— lot, κλῆρον ἐσημήναντο ἕκαστος, ἐν δ᾽ ἔβαλον κυνέῃ Refs 8th c.BC+; κλήρῳ πεπαλάσθαι Refs 8th c.BC+; πάντας ἀνέφεδρος ἐπαγκρατίασε τοὺς κ., i.e. he never drew a bye, Refs 2nd c.AD+; κλήρου κατὰ μοῖραν Refs 5th c.BC+; κλάροισι θεοπροπέων divining by lots, Refs 5th c.BC+ __A.2 casting of lots, drawing of lots, κ. τίθεσθαι Refs 5th c.BC+; =…