Quick Definition
ἐπίτροπος, ου, ὁ n.m. a steward, guardian
Strong's Definition
a commissioner, i.e. domestic manager, guardian
Derivation: from G1909 (ἐπί) and G5158 (τρόπος) (in the sense of G2011 (ἐπιτροπή));
KJV Usage: steward, tutor
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, m. | -ου | τρέπω
37.86 · Control, Rule · Rule, Govern
foreman a person in charge of supervising workers The term ‘foreman’ may be rendered as ‘one who commands the workers’ or ‘one who assigns work to the workers.’
36.5 · Guide, Discipline, Follow · Guide, Lead
guardian, leader, guide a person who guides, directs, and shows concern for It may be difficult to render appropriately ἐπίτροπος[b] and παιδαγωγός with a combined meaning of guiding and caring for. It may, in fact, be necessary in some instances to use two verbal expressions, for example, ‘to guide and to help’ or ‘to help by leading’ or ‘to care for by leading.’
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἐπίτροπος, -ov, ὁ, (ἐπιτρέπω), univ. one to whose care or honor anything has been intrusted; a curator, guardian, (Pind. Ol. 1, 171, et al.; Philo de mundo § 7 ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ καὶ τεχνίτης καὶ ἐπίτροπος τῶν ἐν οὐρανῷ τε καὶ ἐν κόσμῳ). Spec. 1. a steward or manager of a household, or of lands ; an overseer: Mt. xx. 8; Lk. viii. 3; Xen. oec. 12, 2; 21,9; (Aristot. oec. 1, 5 [p. 1344, 26] δούλων δὲ εἴδη δύο, ἐπίτροπος καὶ ἐργάτης). 2. one who has the care and tutelage of children, either where the father is dead (a guardian of minors: 2 Mace. xi. 1; xiii. 2; ἐπίτροπος ὀρφάνων, Plato, lege. 6 p. 766 c.; Plut. Lye. 3; Cam. 15), or where the father still lives (Ael. vy. h. 3, 26): Gal. iv. 2.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἐπίτροπος epitropos 3x
one to whose charge or control a thing is left; a steward, bailiff, agent, manager, Mt. 20:8; steward or overseer of the revenue, treasurer, Lk. 8:3; a guardian of children, Gal. 4:2*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
** ἐπίτροπος, -ου, ὁ
(< ἐπιτρέπω), [in LXX: II Mac 11:1 13:2 14:2 * ;]
an administrator, a steward: Mt 20:8, Lk 8:3.
a guardian (c. gen. pers., II Mac, ll. c.): Ga 4:2.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἐπίτροπος is very common in connexion with the guardianship of minors (cf. Gal 4?), e.g. P Ryl II. 1og!® (A.p. 235) Α(ὐρήλιος) Ἕ!ρμόδ[ωρ]ος . . ἔπίτροπί(ος) τῶν ἀφηλ(ίκων) ὥμοσα ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, “I, Aurelius Hermodorus, guardian of the minors, have taken the oath on their behalf,” 26. 12115 (ii/a.p.) ἀξιῶ. . . [é]mltporov αὐτῷ καταστα[θῆ]ναι, and a Will, 26. 153! (A.p. 138-61) οὗ kal καθίστημι ἐπιτρόπους [Ax pt οὗ γένηϊται TH]s evvd[po]v [ἡ]λικίας. Preisigke Fachworter, p. 93, has classified the uses of the word in connexion with the office of ‘‘ procurator”: cf. Magie, p. 162 f., and Rouffiac Recherches, p- 46, where we are reminded of the Imperial procurator at Priene—6 τῶν κυρίων ἐπίτροπος (/riene 230°-A.D. 196212). The agreement with Mt 208 λέγει ὁ κύριος. . . τῴ ἐπιτρόπῳ αὐτοῦ is of course, as Rouffiac remarks, purely verbal.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἐπίτροπος (epitropos) — manager. ἐπίτροπ-ος, ον, (ἐπιτρέπω) one to whom the charge of anything is entrusted, steward, trustee, administrator, c.genitive of things, τῶν ἑωυτοῦ [NT+5th c.BC+]; steward, messman, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. = Latin procurator, Καίσαρος ἐ. [Refs 1st c.BC+]; ἐ. Σεβαστοῦ, -τῶν, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; ἐ. τῆς Ἠπείρου [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
3. governor, viceroy, οἱ ἐ. τῆς Μέμφιος, Μιλήτου ἐ., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
4. executor, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
II. c.genitive person, trustee, guardian, [NT+5th c.BC+]: metaphorically, guardian, protector, θεὸς ἐ. ἐών [Refs 5th c.BC+]