Lexical Summary oikoumené: World, inhabited earth Original Word: οἰκουμένη Strong's Exhaustive Concordance earth, world. Feminine participle present passive of oikeo (as noun, by implication, of ge); land, i.e. The (terrene part of the) globe; specially, the Roman empire -- earth, world. see GREEK oikeo see GREEK ge HELPS Word-studies 3625 oikouménē (from 3611 /oikéō, "to inhabit, dwell") – the inhabited earth, i.e. all people living on the inhabited globe. [3625 (oikouménē) is "the land that is being inhabited, the land in a state of habitation, the inhabited world, that is, the Roman world (orbis terrarum), for all outside it was regarded as of no account" (Souter). 3625 (oikouménē) literally means "the inhabited (land)." It was "originally used by the Greeks to denote the land inhabited by themselves, in contrast with barbarian countries; afterward, when the Greeks became subject to the Romans, 'the entire Roman world;' still later, for 'the whole inhabited world' " (WS, 140,141).] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originthe fem. pres. pass. part. of oikeó Definition the inhabited earth NASB Translation inhabited earth (1), world (14). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3625: οἰκουμένηοἰκουμένη, οἰκουμένης, ἡ (feminine of the present passive participle from οἰκέω (namely, γῆ; cf. Winers Grammar, § 64, 5; Buttmann, § 123, 8)); 1. the inhabited earth; a. in Greek writings often the portion of the earth inhabited by the Greeks, in distinction from the lands of the barbarians, cf. Passow, ii., p. 415a; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, I.). b. in the Greek authors who wrote about Roman affairs (like the Latinorbis terrarum) equivalent to the Roman empire: so πᾶσα ἡ οἰκουμένη contextually equivalent to all the subjects of this empire, Luke 2:1. c. the whole inhabited earth, the world (so in (Hyperides, Eux. 42 (probably Liddell and Scott)) the Sept. for תֵּבֵל and אֶרֶץ): Luke 4:5; Luke 21:26; Acts 24:5; Romans 10:18; Revelation 16:14; Hebrews 1:6 (πᾶσα ἡ οἰκουμένη, Josephus, b. j. 7, 3, 3); ὅλῃ ἡ οἰκουμένη, Matthew 24:14; Acts 11:28 (in the same sense Josephus, Antiquities 8, 13, 4 πᾶσα ἡ οἰκουμένη; cf. Bleek, Erklär. d. drei ersten Evv. i., p. 68); by metonymy, the inhabitants of the earth, men: Acts 17:6, 31 (Psalm 9:9); 2. the universe, the world: Wis. 1:7 (alternating there with τά πάντα); ἡ οἰκουμένη μελλουσα, that consummate state of all things which will exist after Christ's return from heaven, Hebrews 2:5 (where the word alternates with πάντα and τά πάντα, Hebrews 2:8, which there is taken in an absolute sense). Oikoumene designates the inhabited world—sometimes the Roman Empire in its political extent (Luke 2:1; Acts 11:28), sometimes the globe in its moral-spiritual totality (Revelation 12:9). The single term therefore bridges history and eschatology, giving Scripture a vocabulary that embraces both the immediate human horizon and the ultimate cosmic scope of God’s purposes. Global Scope of the Gospel Matthew 24:14 sets the tone: “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” In Romans 10:18 Paul cites Psalm 19:4 to affirm that the apostolic witness has already permeated “the ends of the world.” Acts 17:6 records opponents charging that the missionaries “turned the world upside down,” unintentionally paying tribute to the gospel’s disruptive power. Each passage links oikoumene with evangelistic advance, underscoring the Church’s mandate to proclaim Christ universally until His return. Historical-Political Canvas Luke 2:1 anchors the birth of Jesus in a census “of the whole world,” highlighting Rome’s administrative reach. Acts 11:28 predicts a famine that will affect “the entire Roman world,” and Acts 19:27 notes that the cult of Artemis was revered by “the whole world.” In these texts oikoumene functions as the sociopolitical stage upon which redemption unfolds, reminding readers that divine providence operates through concrete historical realities. Universal Judgment Paul proclaims in Athens, “He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed” (Acts 17:31). Luke 21:26 foresees distress “coming upon the earth,” while Revelation 3:10 and 16:14 announce a global testing and a final conflict that involves “the whole world” and “all the kings of the earth.” Oikoumene therefore frames God’s future reckoning as comprehensive and inescapable, calling every person and power to account before the risen Christ. Christ’s Cosmic Sovereignty Hebrews twice employs the word to celebrate the supremacy of the Son. At His incarnation the Father brings the Firstborn “into the world” (Hebrews 1:6), and in eschatological perspective He subjects “the world to come” not to angels but to the crucified-exalted Son (Hebrews 2:5). The term thus links the nativity, the present age, and the age to come under one Lordship. Spiritual Conflict on a Global Scale Satan offers Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world” (Luke 4:5), reveals himself as the deceiver “of the whole world” (Revelation 12:9), and dispatches demonic spirits to gather earth’s rulers for Armageddon (Revelation 16:14). The usage portrays a single battlefield that spans geography and epochs, yet one already claimed by Christ through His death and resurrection. Missionary Opposition Acts 24:5 records the Jewish leaders’ accusation that Paul “stirs up riots among the Jews all over the world.” The charge affirms that gospel progress provokes resistance wherever it penetrates. Ministry today can expect similar hostility as the same message challenges every culture and conscience. Pastoral Encouragement To the church in Philadelphia Christ promises protection from “the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world” (Revelation 3:10). Believers are assured that the Lord who governs the oikoumene is also able to preserve His people within it, whether from famine (Acts 11:28), persecution (Acts 24:5), or end-time trial. Theological Synthesis Oikoumene unites four grand themes: 1. God’s redemptive reach—no corner of humanity is beyond the gospel. Thus the fifteen New Testament occurrences form a mosaic in which history, mission, judgment, and hope converge, all under the sovereign hand of the One who “so loved the world.” Englishman's Concordance Matthew 24:14 N-DFSGRK: ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ εἰς μαρτύριον NAS: in the whole world as a testimony KJV: in all the world for a witness INT: all the earth for a testimony Luke 2:1 N-AFS Luke 4:5 N-GFS Luke 21:26 N-DFS Acts 11:28 N-AFS Acts 17:6 N-AFS Acts 17:31 N-AFS Acts 19:27 N-NFS Acts 24:5 N-AFS Romans 10:18 N-GFS Hebrews 1:6 N-AFS Hebrews 2:5 N-AFS Revelation 3:10 N-GFS Revelation 12:9 N-AFS Revelation 16:14 N-GFS Strong's Greek 3625 |
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