ἐπίτροπος (epitropos)
epitropos
manager
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word epitropos refers to a manager, steward, or guardian entrusted with authority over property or people. In Matthew 20:3 and Luke 8:3, it describes the overseer appointed by a landowner to handle daily operations, highlighting a role of delegated responsibility rather than ownership. This usage reflects a common social structure where a master relies on a trusted agent to manage household affairs.
Galatians 4:2 shifts the meaning toward family law, using the term for a guardian or tutor who protects an heir during minority. Paul employs this image to illustrate how believers under the law were once restricted, much like children under strict supervision. The word captures a temporary state of oversight that ends when maturity arrives, emphasizing the transition from dependence to full inheritance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word epitropos describes someone entrusted with managing another’s property or family affairs. In the ancient world, this manager held significant authority but did not own what he controlled. Jesus uses this image in the Parable of the Vineyard to show how God delegates responsibility to His servants. We see a similar dynamic when Joanna serves as Herod’s steward, highlighting that faithful management is valued across different spheres of life.
Paul takes this concept deeper in Galatians, comparing our time under the Law to being under a guardian until maturity arrives. This metaphor reminds us that our current season of guidance is purposeful, leading toward full inheritance in Christ. It encourages us to trust the One who appoints these overseers, knowing His plans are for our growth and ultimate freedom.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- guardians1×
- foreman1×
- a steward1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐπιτρόπῳ1×
- ἐπιτρόπους1×
- ἐπιτρόπου1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 20:8
“When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’
This verse illustrates the manager's role in executing the owner's specific command to pay wages fairly, highlighting delegated authority.
-
Luke 8:3
and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others who served them from their possessions.
Here the term identifies Joanna’s husband as a steward, showing how the word applies to high-ranking household officials in secular contexts.
-
Galatians 4:2
but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father.
Paul uses this word to describe the restrictive yet protective role of guardians over an heir during minority, illustrating our state under the Law.