3615. oikiakos

Lexical Summary

oikiakos: Household, domestic

Original Word: οἰκιακός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: oikiakos
Pronunciation: oy-kee-ak-os'
Phonetic Spelling: (oy-kee-ak-os')
KJV: they (them) of (his own) household
NASB: household
Word Origin: [from G3614 (οἰκία - house)]

1. familiar
2. (as noun) relatives

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

member of a household

From oikia; familiar, i.e. (as noun) relatives -- they (them) of (his own) household.

see GREEK oikia

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from oikia
Definition
belonging to the household
NASB Translation
household (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3615: οἰκειακός

οἰκειακός, ὀικειακη, ὀικειακον, see οἰκιακός.

STRONGS NT 3615: οἰκιακόςοἰκιακός (in secular authors and in some N. T. manuscripts also οἰκειακός (cf. εἰ, ἰ) from οἶκος), ὀικιακου, ὁ (οἰκία), "one belonging to the house (Latindomesticus), one under the control of the master of a house," whether a son, or a servant: Matthew 10:36; opposed to ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης, Matthew 10:25. (Plutarch, Cicero, 20.)

Topical Lexicon

Definition and Scope

Οἰκιακός (Strong’s Greek 3615) designates one who belongs to a house—whether by blood, marriage, or service. The word embraces every person who is identified with the life, identity, and reputation of a given household. Because the family was the primary social unit in first-century Judaism and the wider Greco-Roman world, the term carried profound relational, economic, and spiritual implications.

Occurrences in Scripture

• Matthew 10:25 – “If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!”
• Matthew 10:36 – “A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”

Both statements are drawn from Jesus’ instruction to the Twelve as He sends them out to preach, heal, and cast out demons (Matthew 10:1-42). They reveal that allegiance to Christ may disrupt even the closest natural ties.

Contextual Background

1. First-century households included parents, children, servants, hired laborers, and sometimes extended kin. Patrons and clients could be reckoned as “household” in a broader sense.
2. Honor and shame codes bound a person’s identity to the standing of the house. Betrayal by a “household member” therefore represented the greatest personal and communal rupture.
3. The Old Testament frequently stresses covenantal solidarity within a house (Genesis 18:19; Exodus 12:3-4; Joshua 24:15). Jesus’ words in Matthew 10 declare that loyalty to Him supersedes even this covenantal solidarity.

Theological Significance

1. Cost of Discipleship. By citing Micah 7:6 (in Matthew 10:35-36), Jesus warns that gospel allegiance may divide father and child, daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. Those presumed most loyal (the οἰκιακοί) may become adversaries when confronted with the exclusive claims of Christ (Matthew 10:37-39).
2. Identification with Christ. The proverb in Matthew 10:25 shifts the focus from familial rupture to corporate identity. If Jesus, “the head of the house,” is maligned, His followers should expect the same reproach. Their solidarity with Him defines their true household (Mark 3:34-35; Hebrews 3:6).
3. Spiritual Household. New-covenant teaching reconfigures household identity around faith rather than blood (Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:19). Believers become “members of God’s household,” echoing οἰκιακός but now anchored in union with Christ, the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20-22).

Historical Observations

• Early Christian communities often met in homes (Acts 16:15; Romans 16:5), and the conversion of a household head commonly led to baptism of the entire household (Acts 16:31-34). The dynamics foretold in Matthew 10:25-36 therefore surfaced quickly—some relatives embraced the gospel, others opposed it.
• Church fathers noted that persecution frequently began inside the family circle; Tertullian cites unbelieving spouses betraying believing partners to authorities. Jesus’ words thus proved prophetic in the post-apostolic era.

Ministry Application

1. Evangelism. Expect resistance not only from society at large but also within kinship networks. Prayer, patience, and consistent witness are vital when family members become opponents of gospel obedience.
2. Pastoral Care. Faith communities must provide familial support for believers ostracized by biological relatives. This models the reality of the church as the new household of God.
3. Leadership. Shepherds are admonished to manage their own households well (1 Timothy 3:4-5). Understanding the weight of οἰκιακός underscores that domestic faithfulness is a proving ground for public ministry.

Related Concepts

• Οἶκος (house) – the structure and by extension the family (Luke 19:9).
• Οἰκοδεσπότης (master of the house) – the head whose character sets the tone for the οἰκιακοί (Matthew 13:52).
• Ἐκκλησία (assembly) – the gathered household of faith (1 Timothy 3:15).

Οἰκιακός thus confronts readers with the radical call of discipleship: to belong first to Christ’s household, even when that belonging reorders every earthly relationship.

Forms and Transliterations

οικιακοι οικιακοί οἰκιακοὶ οικιακους οικιακούς οἰκιακοὺς οικίσκω οικογενείς οικογενής οικογενούς ώκισας oikiakoi oikiakoì oikiakous oikiakoùs

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 10:25 N-AMP
GRK: μᾶλλον τοὺς οἰκιακοὺς αὐτοῦ
NAS: more [will they malign] the members of his household!
KJV: [shall they call] them of his household?
INT: more those house members of him

Matthew 10:36 N-NMP
GRK: ἀνθρώπου οἱ οἰκιακοὶ αὐτοῦ
NAS: ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
KJV: [shall be] they of his own household.
INT: man the household of him

Strong's Greek 3615
2 Occurrences

οἰκιακοὶ — 1 Occ.
οἰκιακοὺς — 1 Occ.