Quick Definition
οἰκονομία, ας, ἡ n.f. stewardship
Strong's Definition
from 3623; administration (of a household or estate); specially, a (religious) "economy"
KJV Usage: dispensation, stewardship
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, f. | -ας | οἰκέω + νομίζω
42.25 · Perform, Do · Do, Perform
task, commission, responsibility a task involving management and organization
30.68 · Think · To Intend, To Purpose, To Plan
purpose, scheme, plan, arrangement a plan which involves a set of arrangements (referring in the NT to God’s plan for bringing salvation to mankind within the course of history)
46.1 · Household Activities
to manage a household, to run a household, to be in charge of a household to manage and provide for a household In biblical times a household would consist of more than the nuclear family, that is to say, more than simply husband, wife, and children, for servants, slaves, and permanent hired workers living with the family would be regarded as a part of the total household.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
οἰκονομία, -as, 7, (οἰκονομέω), fr. Xen. and Plat. down, the management of a household or of household affairs; specifically, the management, oversight, administration, of others’ properly; the office of a manager or overseer, stewardship: Lk. xvi. 2-4; hence the word is transferred by Paul in a theocratic sense to the office (duty) intrusted to him by God (the lord and master) of proclaiming to men the blessings of the gospel, 1 Co. ix. 17; ἡ οἰκονομία τοῦ θεοῦ, the office of administrator (stewardship) intrusted hy God, Col. i. 25. univ. administration, dispensation, which in a theocratic sense is ascribed to God himself as providing for man’s salvation: αἵτινες . ἢ οἰκονομίαν θεοῦ τὴν ἐν πίστει, which furnish matter for disputes rather than the (knowledge of the) dispensation of the things by which God has provided for and prepared salvation, which salvation must be embraced by faith, 1 Tim.i.4 LT Tr WH; ἣν προέθετο... . καιρῶν, which good-will he purposed to show with a view to (that) dispensation (of his) by which the times (sc. of infancy and immaturity cf. Gal. iv. 1-4) were to be fulfilled, Eph. i. 9 sq. : ἡ otk. τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι, that dispensation (or arrangement) by which the grace of God was granted me, Eph. iii. 2; ἡ oi. τοῦ μυστηρίου, the dispensation by which he carried out his secret purpose, Eph. ii. 9G LT Tr WH
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
οἰκονομία oikonomia 9x
pr. the management of a household; a stewardship, Lk. 16:2, 3, 4; in NT an apostolic stewardship, a ministerial commission in the publication and furtherance of the Gospel, 1 Cor. 9:17; 3:2; Col. 1:25; or, an arranged plan, a scheme, Eph. 1:10; a due discharge of a commission, 1 Tim. 1:4, Eph. 3:9*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
οἰκονομία, -ας, ἡ
(< οἰκονομέω), [in LXX: Is 22:19, 21 (מַצָּב, מֶמְשָׁלָה)*;]
prop. (Plat., Arist.), the office of οἰκονόμος, stewardship: Lk 16:2-4.
In later writers (Plut., al.; v. AR on Eph 1:10; MM, xviii), generally, administration, dispensation: I Co 9:17, Eph 1:10 3:2, 9, Col 1:25, I Ti 1:4.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
οἰκονομίᾳ describes the office of δὴ οἰκονόμος in P Tebt I. 2731 (B.C. 114) φρόντισον ὅπως... πρὸς ταῖς οἰκονομίαις καὶ ἀρχιφυλακει[τ]είαις προχειρι[σθῶ]σιν ἀξιόλογοι, ‘take care that persons of repute are appointed to the posts of oeconomus and archiphylacites ” (Edd.). In P Eleph 117 (8.6. 223-22) ὧν δ᾽ ἂν πράξηις γ᾽ οἰκίονοΜμιῶν, the word has the general meaning ‘‘ measures,” and as further showing its width of application we may cite BGU ΠῚ. 926% (A.D. 188) ὅσα δέεται γενέσθαι ἐν τῷ ὑπὸ τὴν οἰκονομίαν σου βα[λ]ανείῳ, of the ‘‘care’’ of a bath, and P Ryl II. 788° (a.D. 157) περὶ oikovoplas, of the conduct of his business by a strategus. The important rescript of the Prefect, P Lond 904° (a.p. 104) (=III. p. 124, Selections Ρ- 73), which offers such a striking analogy to Lk 2!*, requires all persons residing out of their own districts to return to their homes—ty[a] kal τὴν συνήθη [οἰ]κονομίαν Ti[s ἀπο]γραφῆς πληρώσωσιν, ‘that they may carry out the regular order of the census”: cf. Col 125. In P Rein 7% (B.c. 141?) οἰκονομία is used of a legal transaction—py]Seulav οἰκον[οἹμίαν kat ἐμοῦ ποιεῖσθαι: cf. P Magd 325 (B.C. 217) μεθ᾽ οὗ τὰς περὶ τούτων οἰκονομίας θήσομεν, ‘avec l’assistance de qui je puisse passer les actes nécessaires” (Ed.). Other exx. of the word are—P Tebt I. 3015 (B.C. 115) τῶν δὲ πρὸς ταῖς γραμματείαις ἀγνοούντων τὴν γεγονυῖαν περὶ ἐϊμο]ῦ οἰκονομίαν, ‘the scribes being ignorant of this transaction affecting me’’ (Edd.), 2. II. 318! (notice of a claim—a.p. 166) τὸ εἴς pe δίκαι[ον] οἰκονομεί[ας, “my right of procedure ” (Edd. ), P Oxy I. 5617 (A.D. 211) ἐπιγραφῆναί μου κύριον πρὸς μόνην ταύτην τὴν οἰκονομίαν ᾿Αμοιτᾶν, ‘that I may have assigned to me as my guardian for this transaction only Amoitas’’ (Edd.), and zd. XII. 14678 (A.D. 263) where reference is made to the law that women, in virtue of their possession of three children and ability to write, have the right χωρὶς] κυρίου χρηματίζειν ἐν ais ποιοῦν[τ]αι οἰκονομίαις, ‘‘ to act without a guardian in all business which they transact.”’ Chrest. 11. 6810 (A.D. 14) ἀἸκ[ολού]θ[ω]ς αἷς ἔχωι oik[o]voμίαις shows us the meaning ‘‘document,”’ and in the magic P Lond 4085: (iv/a.p.) (=I. p. 76) οἰκονομία = ‘ incantation.” In Cicero’s letters the word occurs ézs in the sense of “arrangement,” ‘‘order” (ad ΑΔ. vi. 1. 1, 11), as in Epict. ill. 24.92. For the derived sense of “utility,” ‘ practical expediency,’’ see M. Anton. iv. 19 (with Crossley’s note).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
οἰκονομία (oikonomia) — management. οἰκονομ-ία, ἡ, management of a household or family, husbandry, thrift, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; households, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
2. generally, direction, regulation, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; especially of a State, administration, αἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν οἰ. [Refs 4th c.BC+]; principles of government, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of a fund, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
3. arrangement, ἡ περὶ τὸν νοσέοντα οἰ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ περὶ τῶν ὠνίων οἰ. market, fair, [Refs 5th c.BC+]proceedings, [Refs]; τίνα οἰκονομίαν προσαγήγοχας what steps you have taken, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; αὕτη φύσεως οἰ. [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; of a literary work, arrangement, ἡ κατὰ μέρος οἰ. [Refs 8th c.BC+]
4. in Egypt, office of οἰκονόμος, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
5. stewardship, [LXX+NT]
6. plan, dispensation, [NT]
7. in bad sense, scheming, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II. public revenue of a state, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
III. transaction, contract, or legal instrument, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
IV. magical operation or process, [Refs]