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οἰκονομία

oikonomía

G3622 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Administration or management, especially of a household or estate; by extension, the act or function of overseeing, organizing, or distributing resources or duties in any collective context (social, civic, or religious). In certain contexts, particularly in Christian authors or later theological writings, it can denote the arrangement or unfolding of divine purpose or plan, but in classical and Koine usage, it centers on responsible oversight or management.

Semantic Range

household management, administration, stewardship, oversight, arrangement, assignment of responsibilities, management of resources, (in extended sense) organization or regulation of affairs, (later or theological sense) dispensation, divine arrangement

Root / Etymology

From οἰκονόμος (household manager, steward), itself from οἶκος ('house, household') + νέμω ('to distribute, manage').

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, οἰκονομία refers primarily to the management or administration of a household, estate, or property, as well as the principles and practices associated with such stewardship (cf. Xenophon, Oeconomicus). By the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the term expanded to include broader senses of management, governance, and orderly arrangement, whether of civic, social, or financial affairs. In the Septuagint, it is rare but may refer to stewardship roles. In New Testament and early Christian texts, its usage is metaphorically extended to the organization or administration of community responsibilities (e.g., 1 Corinthians 9:17, Colossians 1:25, Ephesians 1:10), as well as to the unfolding or arrangement of God's plan (especially in Ephesians, where it may refer to the 'arrangement' of salvation history, hence later rendered 'dispensation'). The English translation 'dispensation' reflects later theological interpretation and may obscure the word's core sense of administration or stewardship. The term does not in itself denote a specific religious 'age' or 'system' but rather the act or office of administration (of any kind).

Translation Consistency

primary "administration" 9 occurrences

Most natural and neutral rendering for the SILEX range; matches the majority of current renderings (6/9) and covers household management, oversight, stewardship, and the extended sense of arranging or dispensing (e.g., divine arrangement). ‘Administration’ is widely idiomatic across social, civic, and religious contexts, making it the best single-term choice for consistent translation.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from οἰκονόμος; administration (of a household or estate); specially, a (religious) "economy":--dispensation, stewardship.

Root Family

οἰκονομία (oikonomia) — household management, administration, stewardship, oversight

Root οἰκονόμ- to manage, to administer, to oversee household affairs

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3622-02 οἰκονομίαν oikonomian N ACC F SG stewardship administration administration 6
G3622-03 οἰκονομίας oikonomias N GEN F SG stewardship of administration of administration 2
G3622-01 οἰκονομία oikonomia N NOM F SG administration household administration administration 1

Occurrences in Scripture

9 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3622-03 Luke 16:2 οἰκονομίας oikonomias N GEN F SG your stewardship of administration of administration
G3622-02 Luke 16:3 οἰκονομίαν oikonomian N ACC F SG stewardship administration administration
G3622-03 Luke 16:4 οἰκονομίας oikonomias N GEN F SG stewardship of administration of administration
G3622-02 1 Corinthians 9:17 οἰκονομίαν oikonomian N ACC F SG a stewardship administration administration
G3622-02 Ephesians 1:10 οἰκονομίαν oikonomian N ACC F SG dispensation administration administration
G3622-02 Ephesians 3:2 οἰκονομίαν oikonomian N ACC F SG stewardship administration administration
G3622-01 Ephesians 3:9 οἰκονομία oikonomia N NOM F SG administration household administration administration
G3622-02 Colossians 1:25 οἰκονομίαν oikonomian N ACC F SG stewardship administration administration
G3622-02 1 Timothy 1:4 οἰκονομίαν oikonomian N ACC F SG stewardship administration administration
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