Original Word: οἰκοδεσπότης
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: oikodespotés
Pronunciation: oy-kod-es-pot'-ace
Phonetic Spelling: (oy-kod-es-pot'-ace)
Definition: a head of a household.
Meaning: A master or head of a household; one who has authority over a household or family.

Word Origin: Derived from two Greek words: οἶκος (oikos), meaning "house" or "household," and δεσπότης (despotēs), meaning "master" or "lord."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of a household master in the Hebrew Bible can be related to terms such as בַּעַל (ba'al, Strong's Hebrew 1167), meaning "master" or "lord," and שַׂר (sar, Strong's Hebrew 8269), meaning "prince" or "ruler," which convey authority and leadership within a household or community.

Usage: The term οἰκοδεσπότης is used in the New Testament to refer to the head or master of a household, often in parables and teachings of Jesus to illustrate spiritual truths about authority, responsibility, and stewardship.

Context: The term οἰκοδεσπότης appears in several passages in the New Testament, primarily in the Gospels. It is used to describe the role of a master or head of a household, emphasizing authority and responsibility over the household's affairs. In the cultural context of the New Testament, the οἰκοδεσπότης was responsible for the welfare and management of the household, including family members, servants, and property.

In the teachings of Jesus, the οἰκοδεσπότης is often used metaphorically to represent God or Christ as the master of the spiritual household, with believers as members of that household. For example, in Matthew 13:27, the term is used in the Parable of the Weeds, where the servants of the household come to the master to report the presence of weeds among the wheat. Here, the οἰκοδεσπότης represents God, who will ultimately separate the righteous from the wicked.

Another notable usage is in Matthew 20:1, in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, where the οἰκοδεσπότης hires laborers for his vineyard, illustrating the kingdom of heaven and God's grace in rewarding His servants.

The role of the οἰκοδεσπότης also highlights themes of vigilance and preparedness, as seen in Luke 12:39, where Jesus warns that if the master of the house had known when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. This serves as an admonition for believers to be watchful and ready for the coming of the Lord.

Word Origin
from oikos and despotés
Definition
the master of a house
NASB Translation
head of a household (1), head of the house (4), head of the household (1), landowner (4), owner (1), owner of the house (1).

STRONGS NT 3617: οἰκοδεσπότης

οἰκοδεσπότης, οἰκοδεσπότου, ὁ (οἶκος, δεσπότης), master of a house, householder: Matthew 10:25; Matthew 13:27; Matthew 20:11; Matthew 24:43; Mark 14:14; Luke 12:39; Luke 13:25; Luke 14:21; ἄνθρωπος οἰκοδεσπότης (see ἄνθρωπος, 4 a.), Matthew 13:52; Matthew 20:1; Matthew 21:33; οἰκοδεσπότης τῆς οἰκίας, Luke 22:11, on this pleonasm cf. Bornemann, Schol. at the passage; Winers Grammar, § 65, 2. (Alexis, a comic poet of the IV. century B.C. quoted in Pollux 10, 4, 21; Josephus, contra Apion 2, 11, 3; Plutarch, quaest. Rom. 30; Ignatius ad Eph. 6 [ET]. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 313 shows that the earlier Greeks said οἴκου or οἰκίας δεσπότης.)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

householder, master of the house.

From oikos and despotes; the head of a family -- goodman (of the house), householder, master of the house.

see GREEK oikos

see GREEK despotes

Forms and Transliterations

οικοδεσποτη οικοδεσπότη οἰκοδεσπότῃ οικοδεσποτην οικοδεσπότην οἰκοδεσπότην οικοδεσποτης οικοδεσπότης οἰκοδεσπότης οικοδεσποτου οικοδεσπότου οἰκοδεσπότου oikodespote oikodespotē oikodespótei oikodespótēi oikodespoten oikodespotēn oikodespóten oikodespótēn oikodespotes oikodespotēs oikodespótes oikodespótēs oikodespotou oikodespótou

Links

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