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κληρονομία

klēronomía

G2817 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Inheritance; the reception or possession of property, rights, or privileges by means of familial or legal succession. Primarily denotes the share or portion received by an heir in accordance with established rights, but can also extend to allocated land, inherited possessions, or metaphorically to spiritual or non-material benefits conferred through designation.

Semantic Range

inheritance (property or land received by succession), assigned portion, designated possession, familial patrimony, non-material inheritance (e.g., rights or privileges), metaphorical inheritance (spiritual or eschatological benefits, communal allotments)

Root / Etymology

Derived from κληρονόμος (heir), itself from κλῆρος (lot, portion) and νέμω (to distribute, apportion). The word forms from the sense of a share allotted by lot or right, resulting in the concept of inheritance either by legal succession or by assignment.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Classical Greek, κληρονομία primarily referred to hereditary property passed down within families. In the Septuagint (LXX), it frequently translated the Hebrew נַחֲלָה (nachalah), often indicating the land allotments of the Israelites, especially the territories assigned to the tribes of Israel. In the New Testament and contemporary Hellenistic literature, κληρονομία retains this property and familial sense but is often broadened metaphorically to refer to spiritual gifts, privileges, or destinies assigned by divine will. In Jewish-Greek contexts, it carried the technical nuance of both ancestral property and covenantal or promised possession. English translations often use "inheritance," but this does not always capture the collective or communal dimension (e.g., the land given to the entire Israelite people) nor its frequent metaphorical extension to non-material inheritances (e.g., the 'kingdom' or soteriological blessings). Unlike more general terms for possession, κληρονομία emphasizes succession, allocation, and legitimacy of receipt, whether tangible or figurative.

Translation Consistency

primary "inheritance" 14 occurrences

Most common and natural rendering in English and matches the primary SILEX sense (share or portion received by succession). It covers literal property/land, assigned portions, and the frequent metaphorical/spiritual usage in the New Testament better than alternatives like “portion” or “allotment.” Using “inheritance” ensures consistent, idiomatic translation across all occurrences.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κληρονόμος; heirship, i.e. (concretely) a patrimony or (genitive case) a possession:--inheritance.

Root Family

κληρονομία (klēronomia) — share by lot, inheritance, allotted portion

Root κληρονόμ- share by lot, inheritance, portion

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2817-02 κληρονομίαν kleronomian N ACC F SG inheritance an inheritance an inheritance 7
G2817-03 κληρονομίας kleronomias N GEN F SG inheritance of an inheritance of an inheritance 4
G2817-01 κληρονομία kleronomia N NOM F SG inheritance allotted inheritance allotted inheritance 3

Occurrences in Scripture

14 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2817-02 Matthew 21:38 κληρονομίαν kleronomian N ACC F SG inheritance an inheritance inheritance
G2817-01 Mark 12:7 κληρονομία kleronomia N NOM F SG inheritance allotted inheritance allotted inheritance
G2817-02 Luke 12:13 κληρονομίαν kleronomian N ACC F SG inheritance an inheritance inheritance
G2817-01 Luke 20:14 κληρονομία kleronomia N NOM F SG inheritance allotted inheritance allotted inheritance
G2817-02 Acts 7:5 κληρονομίαν kleronomian N ACC F SG inheritance an inheritance an inheritance
G2817-02 Acts 20:32 κληρονομίαν kleronomian N ACC F SG inheritance an inheritance inheritance
G2817-01 Galatians 3:18 κληρονομία kleronomia N NOM F SG inheritance allotted inheritance allotted inheritance
G2817-03 Ephesians 1:14 κληρονομίας kleronomias N GEN F SG inheritance of an inheritance of an inheritance
G2817-03 Ephesians 1:18 κληρονομίας kleronomias N GEN F SG His inheritance of an inheritance of an inheritance
G2817-02 Ephesians 5:5 κληρονομίαν kleronomian N ACC F SG inheritance an inheritance an inheritance
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