Original Word: κλῆρος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: kléros
Phonetic Spelling: (klay'-ros)
Short Definition: a lot, portion
Definition: (a) a lot, (b) a portion assigned; hence: a portion of the people of God assigned to one's care, a congregation.

Cognate: 2819 klḗros (a masculine noun derived from klēro, "to cast a lot") – properly, a lot, cast to distribute ("apportion"). Scripture encourages casting lots (2819 /klḗros) to better discern the preferred-will of God (cf. 2307 /thélēma and their association in Col 1:9-12).

[2818 /klēronómos ("heir") is derived from 2819 /klḗros ("lot, the casting of lots"), not the other way around – i.e. the term "lots" is not derived from 2818 (klēronómos). Moreover, 2819 (klḗros) is not etymologically related to (cognate with) 2975/lagxanō ("to cast lots," see there).]

STRONGS NT 2819: κλῆρος

κλῆρος, κλήρου, ὁ, from Homer down; the Sept. mostly for גּורָל and נַחֲלָה; a lot; i. e.:

1. an object used in casting or drawing lots, which was either a pebble, or a potsherd, or a bit of wood (hence, κλῆρος is to be derived from κλάω (cf. Ellicott on Colossians 1:12)): Acts 1:26 (see below); βάλλοντες κλῆρον, Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24 (Psalm 21:19 (); Jonah 1:7, etc.); the lots of the several persons concerned, inscribed with their names, were thrown together into a vase, which was then shaken, and he whose lot first fell out upon the ground was the one chosen (Homer, Iliad 3, 316, 325; 7, 175, etc.; Livy 23, 3 (but cf. B. D. American edition, under the word Lot)); hence, ὁ κλῆρος πίπτει ἐπί τινα, Acts 1:26 (Ezekiel 24:6; Jonah 1:7).

2. what is obtained by lot, allotted portion: λαγχάνειν and λαμβάνειν τόν κλῆρον τῆς διακονίας, a prrtion in the ministry common to the apostles, Acts 1:17, 25 R G; ἐστι μοι κλῆρος ἐν τίνι, dative of the thing, Acts 8:21; like κληρονομία (which see) it is used of the part which one will have in eternal salvation, λαμβάνειν ... τόν κλῆρον ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις, among the sanctified, Acts 26:18 (Wis. 5:5); of eternal salvation itself, κλῆρος τῶν ἁγίων, i. e. the eternal salvation which God has assigned to the saints, Colossians 1:12 (where cf. Lightfoot). of persons, οἱ κλῆροι, those whose care and oversight has been assigned to one (allotted charge), used of Christian churches, the administration of which falls to the lot of the presbyters: 1 Peter 5:3, cf. Acts 17:4; (for patristic usage see Sophocles Lexicon, under the word; cf. Lightfoot on Philippians, p. 246f).

heritage, inheritance, lot, part.

Probably from klao (through the idea of using bits of wood, etc., for the purpose; a die (for drawing chances); by implication, a portion (as if so secured); by extension, an acquisition (especially a patrimony, figuratively) -- heritage, inheritance, lot, part.

see GREEK klao

κλήροι κλήροί κλήροις κληρον κληρόν κλήρον κλῆρον κληρος κλήρος κλήρός κλῆρος κληρου κλήρου κλήρους κλήρω κληρων κλήρων kleron klêron klēron klērōn klḗron klḗrōn klē̂ron kleros klêros klēros klē̂ros klerou klērou klḗrou klerous klērous klḗrousInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts