κτή-τωρ G2935
owners, possessors of property
Luke describes the early church's economic sharing: 'There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them' (Acts 4:34). The term simply means possessors or owners—those who had legal ownership of property. The early Jerusalem church's voluntary redistribution involved actual property owners selling real estate to support the needy. This was extraordinary generosity, not mandated communism. The 'owners' became donors, creating economic equality.
Senses
1. sense 1 — In Luke's summary of early church community life, 'owners' of property voluntarily liquidated assets to support believers in need. The term is straightforward legal language—these were legitimate property holders exercising ownership rights to sell. Spanish 'dueños' and French 'possesseur' capture the legal possession. What makes this remarkable is not the term but the action: owners voluntarily divested themselves of property to create a community without economic need. Ownership became opportunity for radical generosity. 1×
AR["مَالِكُو"]·ben["মালিক"]·DE["κτήτορες"]·EN["owners"]·FR["possesseur"]·heb["בַּעֲלֵי"]·HI["मालिक"]·ID["pemilik"]·IT["possessore"]·jav["tiyang-ingkang-gadhah"]·KO["소유주들-이"]·PT["possuidores"]·RU["владельцы"]·ES["dueños"]·SW["wenye"]·TR["sahipleri"]·urd["مالک"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κτή-τωρ, ορος, ὁ, possessor, owner, NT+1st c.BC+