WG: Heir / Inheritance¶
Overview¶
The inheritance concept in the NT centers on the kleros word family — five cognates spanning the person who inherits, the act of inheriting, the thing inherited, the allotment process, and the shared-heir compound. The cluster intersects heavily with ἐπαγγελία (promise), since Pauline and Hebrews theology anchors heirship in divine promise rather than legal claim.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G2818 | κληρονόμος | kleronomos | masc. noun | 14v / 15 tokens | The person (heir) | G2818 |
| G2816 | κληρονομέω | kleronomeo | verb | 17v | The action (to inherit) | G2816 |
| G2817 | κληρονομία | kleronomia | fem. noun | 14v | The thing (inheritance) | TODO(need G2817 study) |
| G2820 | κληρόω | kleroo | verb | 1v | The allotment (to assign by lot) | TODO(need G2820 study) |
| G4789 | συγκληρονόμος | synkleronomos | masc. noun | 4v | The shared status (co-heir) | TODO(need G4789 study) |
| G1860 | ἐπαγγελία | epangelia | fem. noun | 51v | The basis (promise) | G1860 |
Relationships¶
Shared Root¶
- κληρονόμος (G2818), κληρονομέω (G2816), κληρονομία (G2817), κληρόω (G2820), συγκληρονόμος (G4789) — all from κλῆρος (G2819, "lot, portion")
Co-occurrence (shared distinct verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| G2818 kleronomos | G1860 epangelia | 4 (29% of A) | "heirs according to the promise" — Rom 4:13, Gal 3:29, Heb 6:17, Tit 3:7 |
| G2818 kleronomos | G2817 kleronomia | 3 (21% of A) | Synoptic parable: "this is the heir... seize the inheritance" — Mat 21:38, Mar 12:7, Luk 20:14 |
| G2817 kleronomia | G1860 epangelia | 2 (14% of B) | "inheritance... of promise" — Gal 3:18, Eph 1:14–18 |
| G4789 synkleronomos | G1860 epangelia | 2 (50% of A) | "fellowheirs... partakers of his promise" — Eph 3:6, Heb 11:9 |
| G2818 kleronomos | G4789 synkleronomos | 1 | "heirs... joint-heirs with Christ" — Rom 8:17 |
Shared Hebrew Sources (LXX Bridge)¶
| Hebrew Word | Strong's | Maps To | Co-occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|
| נַחֲלָה (nachalah) | H5159 | G2817 kleronomia (125×), G2816 kleronomeo (17×) | Primary OT inheritance noun |
| נָחַל (nachal) | H5157 | G2816 kleronomeo (21×), G2817 kleronomia (10×) | Primary OT inheritance verb |
The LXX consistently maps the nachal/nachalah word family to the kleronomeo/kleronomia word family, creating a tight semantic bridge from OT land-inheritance to NT spiritual-inheritance theology.
Roles in the Concept¶
- Person: kleronomos (G2818) — the heir, the one who stands to receive
- Action: kleronomeo (G2816) — to inherit, to come into possession
- Object: kleronomia (G2817) — the inheritance itself, the thing received
- Process: kleroo (G2820) — the allotment, assignment by lot (Eph 1:11)
- Shared status: synkleronomos (G4789) — co-heir, fellow participant in inheritance
- Basis: epangelia (G1860) — the promise that grounds heirship (vs. law)
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Mat 21:38 / Mar 12:7 / Luk 20:14 — kleronomos + kleronomia: "This is the heir... seize the inheritance"
- Rom 4:13–14 — kleronomos + epangelia: heir of the world through promise, not law
- Rom 8:17 — kleronomos + synkleronomos: "heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ"
- Gal 3:18, 29 — kleronomia + epangelia (v. 18), kleronomos + epangelia (v. 29): inheritance by promise, heirs according to promise
- Eph 1:11, 14, 18 — kleroo (v. 11) + kleronomia (v. 14, 18): obtained inheritance... the earnest of our inheritance
- Heb 6:12, 17 — kleronomeo (v. 12) + kleronomos + epangelia (v. 17): inherit the promises... heirs of promise
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py Last updated: 2026-05-03