οἰκόνομ-ος G3623
Steward, manager — one entrusted with administering a household, estate, or spiritual responsibility on another's behalf
The oikonomos (οἰκονόμος) is a household manager or steward who exercises delegated authority over another's property or affairs. In Luke's parables, the term describes both the faithful steward whom the master sets over his household (12:42) and the shrewd but dishonest steward called to account (16:1-8). Paul extends the metaphor to spiritual leadership: apostles are 'stewards of the mysteries of God' (1 Cor 4:1-2), and an overseer must be 'blameless as God's steward' (Titus 1:7). In Romans 16:23, Erastus the oikonomos of the city denotes a civic treasurer. Translations converge on the sense of delegated fiduciary authority: Spanish 'mayordomo,' German 'Verwalter,' Arabic 'wakil,' and Korean 'cheongjigi.'
Senses
1. steward, manager — A person entrusted with managing a household, estate, or set of resources on behalf of an owner; a steward or administrator bearing fiduciary responsibility. Encompasses parabolic usage (the faithful steward of Luke 12:42, the unjust steward of Luke 16:1-8), spiritual stewardship (stewards of God's mysteries, 1 Cor 4:1-2; God's steward, Titus 1:7; stewards of grace, 1 Pet 4:10), civic office (Erastus the city treasurer, Rom 16:23), and legal guardianship (Gal 4:2). The uniform cross-linguistic rendering as Spanish 'mayordomo,' Arabic 'wakil,' Hindi 'prabhandhak,' and Korean 'cheongjigi' confirms a single core meaning of delegated managerial authority. 10×
AR["الوَكِيلَ", "الوَكِيلُ", "الوُكَلاءِ", "وَكيلٍ", "وَكِيلٌ", "وَكِيلُ", "وُكَلاءَ"]·ben["কর্মাধ্যক্ষ", "কোষাধ্যক্ষ", "গৃহকর্তা", "গৃহকর্তাকে", "তত্ত্বাবধায়ক", "তত্ত্বাবধায়কদের", "তত্ত্বাবধায়কদের,"]·DE["Verwalter"]·EN["manager", "managers", "steward", "stewards"]·FR["intendant"]·heb["גִּזְבָּר", "מְנַהֲלִים", "סוֹכְנִים", "סוֹכְנֵי", "סוֹכֵן", "פַּקִיד"]·HI["प्रबंधक", "प्रबंधक-ने", "प्रभरियोन,", "भण्डारियों", "भण्डारी", "भन्दअरि;"]·ID["bendahara", "penatalayan", "pengelola", "pengelola-pengelola", "pengelola;", "pengurus"]·IT["amministratore", "oikonomoi", "oikonomon", "oikonomos", "oikonomous"]·jav["bendahara", "juragan", "juru-kunci", "juru-kunci,", "juru-urus;", "kang-nata", "pangurus,", "para-juru-urus", "para-juru-urus,"]·KO["관리인-이", "청지기가", "청지기들", "청지기들,", "청지기들-에게", "청지기들이라", "청지기로서", "청지기를"]·PT["administrador", "administradores", "despenseiro;", "despenseiros", "tesoureiro"]·RU["-Кварт", "домостроителей", "домостроителю", "управители", "управитель", "управителя", "управителями"]·ES["administrador", "administradores", "mayordomo"]·SW["mawakili", "mawakili,", "msimamizi", "mtunza-hazina", "wakili", "wasimamizi"]·TR["haznedarı", "kahyaları", "kâhya", "kâhyaları", "kâhyalarının", "kâhyası;", "o-"]·urd["خزانچی", "مختار", "مختاروں", "منتظموں-کے"]
Related Senses
G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)H6485a 2. Qal: punish, bring judgment (63×)H8198 1. maidservant, female slave (63×)G2962 2. master, lord (human authority) (61×)H0034 1. needy, poor, destitute (61×)H0519 1. female servant, maidservant (56×)H6041 1. poor, needy person (55×)H0113 2. master, owner of servants (49×)H4910 1. Qal: to have dominion, exercise power over (44×)H1800 1. poor, needy (socioeconomic) (38×)H3515 1. heavy, severe, grievous (36×)G4434 1. (34×)G5092 1. honor, esteem, respect (33×)H6485a 4. Qal: visit, attend to, care for (32×)H3513 1. honor / show respect (Piel) (30×)H4910 2. Qal: to rule, govern (administrative authority) (27×)H4513 1. withhold, restrain, hold back (25×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
οἰκόνομ-ος, ὁ, ἡ, one who manages a household, ={οἰκοδεσπότης}, Refs 5th c.BC+; steward of an estate, Ζήνωνι τῷ οἰ. Refs 3rd c.BC+; house-steward, being a slave, Refs 4th c.BC+ __2 generally, manager, administrator, opposed to τύραννος, Refs __2.b title of a subordinate state official, Refs 4th c.BC+; also of a high financial officer, Refs 4th c.BC+; under a monarch, Refs 3rd c.BC+; in Egypt,…