κτάομαι G2932
To acquire, procure for oneself, gain possession of; used of purchasing property, obtaining a right, or gaining mastery over something.
Ktaomai means to procure something for oneself, whether through purchase, effort, or self-discipline. In Matt 10:9 Jesus forbids the Twelve from acquiring gold, silver, or copper for their journey, stressing radical dependence on God. The word covers both material acquisition (Acts 1:18, where Judas 'acquired a field' with his blood money) and the spiritual discipline of self-mastery (1 Thess 4:4, 'gain control of one's own body'). Spanish 'adquirir' and French 'acquérir' preserve the same middle-voice nuance of getting something for one's own benefit that the Greek captures so naturally.
Senses
1. acquire, obtain, possess — To procure or gain possession of something for oneself, spanning material property, legal rights, and abstract qualities. The middle voice underscores personal agency: the acquirer acts in their own interest. In Acts 8:20 Peter rebukes Simon Magus for thinking the gift of God could be 'acquired' with money, while in Luke 21:19 perseverance is the means by which believers 'gain' their souls. The multilingual evidence (Spanish 'adquirir,' French 'acquérir,' German 'erwerben') consistently renders the idea of deliberate procurement rather than passive receiving. 7×
AR["أنْ-يَقْتَنيَ", "أَملِكُ", "اِقْتَنَى", "اِقْتَنَيْتُ", "اِملِكوا", "تَقتَنوا", "تَقْتَنِي"]·ben["অর্জন-কর", "অর্জন-করতে", "অর্জন-করি", "অর্জন-করেছি", "ক্ষেত্র"]·DE["erwerben", "κτήσασθε", "κτήσησθε", "κτᾶσθαι", "κτῶμαι", "ἐκτήσατο", "ἐκτησάμην"]·EN["I-acquire", "acquire", "acquired", "gain", "to-acquire", "to-possess"]·FR["acquérir"]·heb["לִקְנוֹת", "קְנוּ", "קָנִיתִי", "קָנָה", "קוֹנֶה-אֲנִי", "תִּקְנוּ"]·HI["कमाओ", "कमाता-हूँ", "खेत", "पाओ", "पाना", "रखन", "ली"]·ID["aku-peroleh", "memperoleh", "memperoleh.", "menguasai", "perolehlah"]·IT["acquistare", "ktasthai", "ktesasthe", "ktesesthe", "ktomai"]·jav["kagunganana", "kula-pikantuk.", "kula-tumbas.", "mundhut", "nggadhahi", "nguwasani", "tumbas."]·KO["내가-얻었다", "얻기-를", "얻는-것의", "얻었다", "얻으라", "얻지-말라", "취하기를"]·PT["adquirais", "adquirir", "adquiriu", "ganhai", "possuir"]·RU["приобрести", "приобретайте", "приобретать", "приобретаю", "приобретёте", "приобрёл"]·ES["adquiero", "adquirir", "adquirió", "adquiráis", "adquirí", "ganad"]·SW["alinunua", "kupata", "kuutawala", "nilinunua", "ninapata", "pate", "zishikeni"]·TR["edindim", "edinilir", "edinmeyin", "kazaniyorum", "kazanmak", "kazanın", "tarla"]·urd["حاصل-کرتا-ہوں", "حاصل-کرنا", "حاصل-کرو", "حاصل-کی", "خریدی", "رکھنا"]
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H7069 1. Buy, purchase (59×)H1892 1. vanity, futility, absurdity (58×)H5159 2. heritage as covenant portion (52×)H6299 1. redeem or ransom (Qal active) (49×)H4376 1. Sell (Qal active) (47×)H1350a 1. Redeem, buy back (46×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κτάομαι, Ionic dialect κτέομαι, only as variant in Refs 5th c.BC+: future κτήσομαι Refs 7th c.BC+aorist ἐκτησάμην, Epic dialect κτ-, Refs 8th c.BC+: perfect κέκτημαι Refs 8th c.BC+ in following lines, Refs; Ionic dialect 3rd.pers. plural ἐκτέαται Refs 5th c.BC+; subjunctive κέκτωμαι Refs 5th c.BC+ codices: pluperfect ἐκεκτήμην Refs 5th c.BC+; Ionic dialect 3rd.pers. plural ἔκτηντο Refs 5th c.BC+;…