ἐκδίδωμι

Pronunciation Guide: ek-did’-o-mee (accent on the second syllable)

Basic Definition

Strong’s G1554: ἐκδίδωμι (ekdidōmi) fundamentally means “to give out, let out for hire, lease out.” In biblical contexts, it specifically refers to leasing or renting out land, particularly vineyards. This term encompasses the concept of transferring temporary stewardship while maintaining ultimate ownership. In the Messiah’s parables, ἐκδίδωμι reveals יהוה’s pattern of entrusting His kingdom resources to human stewards while expecting righteous management and proper returns.

Etymology and Morphology

• Part of Speech: Verb
• Root Components: Preposition ἐκ (ek, “out from, out of”) + δίδωμι (didōmi, “to give”)
• Language Origin: Classical Greek
• Primary Usage: Narrative, particularly in parables about the Kingdom of Heaven
• Voice: Active
• Mood: Indicative, infinitive
• Tense: Aorist, future, present

ἐκδίδωμι Morphology:

• ἐκδώσω (ekdōsō) – I will lease out (future, 1st person singular)
• ἐξέδοτο (exedoto) – he leased out (aorist, 3rd person singular, middle voice)
• ἐκδώσεται (ekdōsetai) – he will lease out (future, 3rd person singular, middle voice)
• ἐκδοῦναι (ekdounai) – to lease out (aorist infinitive active)
• ἐκδεδομένον (ekdedomenon) – having been leased out (perfect participle passive)

Origin & History

The term ἐκδίδωμι has deep roots in ancient Greek economic practices. In classical Greek literature, it appears in legal and commercial contexts, such as in Demosthenes’ “Against Aphobus” where he discusses the leasing of property and slaves. The compound structure (ἐκ + δίδωμι) creates a nuanced meaning that extends beyond simple giving to include the concept of transferring with conditions and expectations.

In the Septuagint (LXX), ἐκδίδωμι appears in contexts related to agricultural arrangements and property management. Notable usage occurs in Exodus 22:10 regarding the temporary entrustment of animals, and in the apocryphal text Sirach 33:26-27, addressing the proper management of servants. This background provides essential context for understanding the term’s appearance in the Messiah’s parables, where it carries significant theological weight regarding divine stewardship expectations.

Expanded Definitions & Translation Options

• To lease out or rent property to someone else while retaining ownership
• To entrust resources temporarily with expectations of proper management
• To transfer limited rights and responsibilities while maintaining ultimate authority
• To give out for hire, with contractual obligations attached
• To place something valuable into another’s care with specific conditions

ἐκδίδωμι Translation Options:

• Lease out – Emphasizes the temporary and conditional nature of the arrangement, highlighting the expectation of returns and accounting
• Let out – Captures the transfer of use rights while maintaining ownership, appropriate in agricultural contexts like vineyards
• Rent out – Emphasizes the economic transaction and expected payment, though potentially missing spiritual dimensions
• Entrust – Highlights the relational aspect of the transaction, recognizing the owner’s continued interest and oversight
• Farm out – Particularly appropriate for agricultural contexts where labor and cultivation are expected

Biblical Usage

The term ἐκδίδωμι appears specifically in the context of vineyard parables, most notably in Matthew 21:33, where the Messiah describes a landowner who “planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a winepress, built a tower, and leased it out [ἐξέδοτο] to vinedressers and went into a far country.” This parable draws on imagery from Isaiah 5:1-7, where יהוה is portrayed as the vineyard owner and Israel as His vineyard.

The parallel accounts in Mark 12:1 and Luke 20:9 also employ this term, underscoring its theological significance. In each case, ἐκδίδωμι establishes the relationship between the divine owner and human stewards, setting up the subsequent narrative about accountability and judgment. This usage perfectly captures the biblical theology of stewardship – that humans are entrusted with divine resources but remain accountable to the ultimate Owner for their management of these gifts.

• “There was a landowner who planted a vineyard… and leased it out [ἐξέδοτο] to vinedressers and went into a far country.” Matthew 21:33
• “A man planted a vineyard… and leased it out [ἐξέδοτο] to vinedressers and went into a far country.” Mark 12:1
• “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it [ἐξέδοτο] to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.” Luke 20:9

Cultural Insights

In the agricultural economy of ancient Israel, vineyard leasing represented a significant business arrangement. The owner typically provided the land, vines, equipment (including the winepress), and protective structures. The tenant farmers (vinedressers) contributed their labor and expertise, caring for the vines throughout the year. Payment was usually made in the form of a percentage of the harvest, often between one-third to one-half of the produce, referred to as “the fruit in their seasons” in the parable.

This economic arrangement forms the backdrop of the Messiah’s usage of ἐκδίδωμι in the vineyard parables. His Jewish audience would have immediately recognized the cultural implications – the landowner had fulfilled all obligations by providing everything needed for success, while the vinedressers had clear responsibilities to tend the vineyard and render the appropriate portion of fruit. The owner’s sending of servants to collect the fruit (representing the prophets in salvation history) would have been recognized as a completely normal and expected practice, making the violence of the vinedressers all the more shocking to His listeners. This cultural context transforms ἐκδίδωμι from a simple business term into a powerful theological metaphor for Israel’s relationship with יהוה and their treatment of His prophets.

Theological Significance

The term ἐκδίδωμι, as employed by the Messiah in His parables, establishes a profound theological framework for understanding humanity’s relationship with God. The act of “leasing out” illustrates יהוה’s sovereign ownership of all creation while simultaneously highlighting His generous decision to entrust stewardship to humanity. This divine pattern of entrusting reveals both יהוה’s gracious character and His righteous expectation of faithful management.

In the vineyard parables, ἐκδίδωμι serves as the pivotal concept linking divine provision with human responsibility. The landowner’s comprehensive preparation of the vineyard before leasing it out (planting, hedging, digging a winepress, building a tower) mirrors יהוה’s thorough provision for Israel before entrusting them with covenant responsibilities. The subsequent narrative of the vinedressers’ rebellion against the owner’s representatives dramatically illustrates humanity’s tendency to usurp divine authority and reject accountability. Ultimately, the parable culminates in judgment, demonstrating that ἐκδίδωμι relationships—though generous—include genuine accountability. The Messiah’s usage of this term thus creates a theological tapestry weaving together divine sovereignty, human responsibility, covenant expectations, prophetic ministry, and ultimate judgment.

Personal Application

When we grasp the full meaning of ἐκδίδωμι, we are confronted with a transformative understanding of our relationship with יהוה. Everything we possess—our time, talents, resources, relationships, and opportunities—has been “leased out” to us by the divine Owner. We are not ultimate owners but stewards entrusted with resources that belong to another. This perspective should fundamentally alter how we view and use everything in our lives.

Consider performing a “stewardship inventory” this week, prayerfully examining each area of your life through the lens of ἐκδίδωμι. Ask yourself: “Am I managing this resource as if it belongs to me or as something entrusted to me by God? What ‘fruit’ is the Owner expecting from this area of my life? Am I prepared for the day when He will return to inspect the results of my stewardship?” Such reflection can lead to profound realignment with יהוה’s purposes and priorities in your daily life, transforming ordinary management into sacred service.

Related Words

• δίδωμι (didōmi, pronounced did’-o-mee) – The root word meaning “to give.” While ἐκδίδωμι specifically refers to leasing or renting out with continued ownership, δίδωμι refers to giving more generally, without necessarily implying continued ownership or expected returns. See G1325
• παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi, pronounced par-ad-id’-o-mee) – To deliver over, commit, or entrust. While ἐκδίδωμι focuses on leasing property with expectations of returns, παραδίδωμι emphasizes the transfer of something to another’s care or authority, as when the Messiah was “delivered over” to the Romans. See G3860
• μισθόω (misthoō, pronounced mis-tho’-o) – To let out for hire or wages. This term emphasizes the payment aspect of arrangement rather than the relationship between owner and manager that ἐκδίδωμι highlights. See G3409
• ἀποδίδωμι (apodidōmi, pronounced ap-od-id’-o-mee) – To give back, return, or repay. This term represents the expected counterpart to ἐκδίδωμι – after something is leased out, appropriate returns should be rendered to the owner. See G591
• οἰκονομέω (oikonomeō, pronounced oy-kon-om-eh’-o) – To manage as a steward. While ἐκδίδωμι focuses on the owner’s act of entrusting, οἰκονομέω describes the steward’s responsibility to manage what has been entrusted. See G3621

Did You Know?

• Did you know that archaeological evidence from ancient the Holy Land reveals detailed vineyard leasing contracts inscribed on pottery shards (ostraca)? These contracts specified the expected percentage of produce owed to the landowner, usually between 30-50% of the harvest, providing remarkable historical context for the Messiah’s use of ἐκδίδωμι in His vineyard parables. The precise expectations outlined in these contracts highlight the reasonableness of the landowner’s requests and the egregious nature of the vinedressers’ refusal in the parable.
• Did you know that the practice described by ἐκδίδωμι continues in modern Israeli agriculture through the institution of the “kibbutz”? While not identical to ancient practices, the kibbutz system involves collective farming on land that is leased rather than owned outright, creating a modern parallel to the ancient economic arrangements that formed the backdrop of the Messiah’s teaching. This continuity across millennia demonstrates the enduring relevance of the economic principles underlying ἐκδίδωμι.
• Did you know that the timing implied in the ἐκδίδωμι vineyard arrangement provides crucial context for understanding the parable? New vineyards typically required 4-5 years before producing harvestable fruit, meaning the landowner’s “going away for a long time” and subsequent sending of servants represents extraordinary patience—not abandonment or negligence. This timeline illuminates יהוה’s patient forbearance with Israel through centuries of covenant history, sending prophet after prophet before finally sending His Son.

Remember This

ἐκδίδωμι reveals the divine economy of stewardship—everything we have has been entrusted to us temporarily with the expectation of faithful management and appropriate returns to the ultimate Owner.