WG: Stewardship¶
Overview¶
The stewardship concept in the NT involves a cluster of words describing the person who manages, the act of managing, the office itself, and the virtues required. The oikonomos word family (G3623/G3621/G3622) provides the core, with epitropos (G2012) as a near-synonym and pistos (G4103) / phronimos (G5429) as qualifying virtues. Diakonos (G1249) shares the service dimension.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G3623 | οἰκονόμος | oikonomos | m. noun | 10 | The person (steward/manager) | G3623 |
| G3621 | οἰκονομέω | oikonomeo | verb | 1 | The action (to manage/steward) | TODO(need G3621 study) |
| G3622 | οἰκονομία | oikonomia | f. noun | 8 | The office (stewardship/administration) | TODO(need G3622 study) |
| G2012 | ἐπίτροπος | epitropos | m. noun | 3 | Near-synonym (guardian/commissioner) | TODO(need G2012 study) |
| G4103 | πιστός | pistos | adj. | 62 | Qualifying virtue (faithful) | G4103 |
| G5429 | φρόνιμος | phronimos | adj. | 14 | Qualifying virtue (wise/prudent) | TODO(need G5429 study) |
| G1249 | διάκονος | diakonos | m/f. noun | 29 | Service dimension (minister/servant) | TODO(need G1249 study) |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- oikonomos (G3623), oikonomeo (G3621), oikonomia (G3622) — all from oikos (G3624) + nomos base; person, action, and office of household management
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| G4103 pistos | G1249 diakonos | 3 | "faithful minister" — Eph 6:21, Col 1:7, Col 4:7 |
| G3623 oikonomos | G4103 pistos | 2 | "faithful steward" — Lk 12:42, 1 Cor 4:2 |
| G3623 oikonomos | G5429 phronimos | 2 | "faithful and wise steward" — Lk 12:42, (parallel Mt 24:45) |
| G4103 pistos | G5429 phronimos | 2 | "faithful and wise" — Mt 24:45, Lk 12:42 |
| G3623 oikonomos | G3622 oikonomia | 1 | "the steward... the stewardship" — Lk 16:3 |
| G3623 oikonomos | G2012 epitropos | 1 | "tutors and governors" — Gal 4:2 |
| G3621 oikonomeo | G3622 oikonomia | 1 | "give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward" — Lk 16:2 |
| G3622 oikonomia | G1249 diakonos | 1 | "a minister, according to the dispensation of God" — Col 1:25 |
Shared Hebrew Source¶
- H1004 bayith (house) — bridges G3623 oikonomos (9 co-occ, score 7.71) and G4103 pistos (6 co-occ, score 1.80) through the OT "over the house" steward concept
Roles in the Concept¶
- Person: oikonomos (G3623) — the steward/manager who holds responsibility
- Action: oikonomeo (G3621) — the act of managing/stewarding
- Office: oikonomia (G3622) — the stewardship, administration, or dispensation entrusted
- Guardian parallel: epitropos (G2012) — commissioner/guardian with delegated authority (Gal 4:2 pairs both)
- Virtue — faithfulness: pistos (G4103) — the primary quality required (1 Cor 4:2)
- Virtue — wisdom: phronimos (G5429) — the practical competence required (Lk 12:42)
- Service dimension: diakonos (G1249) — minister/servant, the broader service context (1 Cor 4:1 pairs "ministers" with "stewards")
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Luke 12:42 — [oikonomos + pistos + phronimos] "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household"
- Luke 16:2-3 — [oikonomeo + oikonomia + oikonomos] "give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward... Then the steward said within himself"
- 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 — [oikonomos + pistos] "stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful"
- Galatians 4:2 — [epitropos + oikonomos] "under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father"
- Colossians 1:25 — [diakonos + oikonomia] "a minister, according to the dispensation of God"
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py Last updated: 2026-05-03