In the biblical context, the concept of ownership is deeply intertwined with stewardship, responsibility, and divine providence. The Bible presents God as the ultimate owner of all creation, with humans serving as stewards of His resources.

Divine Ownership

The Bible begins with the assertion of God's ownership over the earth and everything in it. Psalm 24:1 declares, "The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein." This foundational truth establishes that all material possessions and living beings ultimately belong to God. In Genesis 1:28, God grants humanity dominion over the earth, entrusting them with the responsibility to manage and care for His creation.

Human Stewardship

While God is the ultimate owner, humans are called to be stewards of what He has entrusted to them. This stewardship is evident in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), where servants are given resources to manage on behalf of their master. The faithful servants are rewarded for their diligence and wise management, illustrating the biblical principle that humans are accountable to God for how they handle His possessions.

Property and Possessions

The Bible acknowledges the concept of personal property and the rights of individuals to own possessions. The Eighth Commandment, "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15), underscores the respect for personal property. However, ownership in the biblical sense is not absolute; it is subject to God's laws and purposes. Proverbs 3:9 instructs, "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest," emphasizing that possessions should be used to honor God.

Generosity and Sharing

Scripture encourages owners to be generous and to share their resources with those in need. Acts 4:32-35 describes the early Christian community as having "everything in common," with believers selling their possessions to support one another. This reflects the biblical ideal of using one's resources to serve others and advance God's kingdom.

Warnings Against Materialism

The Bible warns against the dangers of materialism and the love of money. In 1 Timothy 6:10 , Paul writes, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." Jesus cautions against storing up treasures on earth, where they are subject to decay and theft, and instead encourages storing up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21).

Conclusion

The biblical perspective on ownership emphasizes that while humans may possess material goods, they are ultimately stewards of God's creation. This stewardship carries with it the responsibility to manage resources wisely, to be generous, and to prioritize spiritual wealth over material accumulation.2935. ktetor -- a possessor
... Word Origin from ktaomai Definition a possessor NASB Word Usage owners (1).
owner. From ktaomai; an owner -- possessor. see GREEK ktaomai. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2935.htm - 6k

2962. kurios -- lord, master
... Word Usage lord (10), Lord (626), Lord of lords (2), Lord's (12), lords (1), master
(38), master's (3), masters (8), masters' (1), owner (6), owners (1), sir ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2962.htm - 7k

3423. yarash -- to take possession of, inherit, dispossess
... you to possess (1), heir (6), heirs (1), impoverish (1), impoverished (1), inherit
(8), leave it as an inheritance (1), makes poor (1), new owners (1), occupy ...
/hebrew/3423.htm - 7k

1167. baal -- owner, lord
... 1), due (1), husband (8), husbands (2), leaders (6), lords (1), man (3), married*
(2), master's (1), masters (1), men (14), owner (15), owners (2), possessors ...
/hebrew/1167.htm - 6k

Tenants who Wanted to be Owners
... VOLUME II: ST. LUKE Chaps. XIII to XXIV TENANTS WHO WANTED TO BE OWNERS.
'Then began He to speak to the people this parable; A certain ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/tenants who wanted to be.htm

The First Day in Passion-Week - Palm-Sunday - the Royal Entry into ...
... As they loosed it, the owners' and certain of them that stood by' [5050] asked their
purpose, to which, as directed by the Master, they answered: The Lord [the ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter i the first day.htm

Introduction to the Present Edition.
... Under his agreement with the owners of the copyright, he was bound to reproduce
the text and notes, etc., originally prepared by Mr. David Lewis without any ...
/.../teresa/the life of st teresa of jesus/introduction to the present edition.htm

Lies that Walk
... people come home with their baggage quite covered over with these slips of paper,
and one can easily see by these labels what a long distance the owners of the ...
/.../chidley/fifty-two story talks to boys and girls/lies that walk.htm

Christ Cleansing the Temple
... According to the reading adopted in the Revised Version, it was the sheep and cattle,
not their owners, whom He 'drove out.' And then, dropping the scourge, He ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/christ cleansing the temple.htm

Sojourners with God
... Every fiftieth year the land was to revert to its original owners, the lineal
descendants of those who had 'come in with the conqueror,' Joshua. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/sojourners with god.htm

Paul and Silas in Macedonia
... place of prayer, a slave girl met us who was under the control of a spirit that
made her clairvoyant, so that she brought great gain to her owners by fortune ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/paul and silas in macedonia.htm

How Constantius his Father, Being Reproached with Poverty by ...
... that on the present occasion he had taken this money into his own hands, but that
it had long been kept for his use in the custody of the owners, as securely ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter xiv how constantius his father.htm

The Seventh Book
... I cannot indeed think of any with whom we may be more justly compared than those
whom God has put into the very bosom of the state and made owners and lords of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the seventh book.htm

The King's Potters
... The patch of ground which he cultivates for his food and what grows on it, are his
master's. These workmen were not slaves, but they were not owners either. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the kings potters.htm

Owners (19 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Owners (19 Occurrences). Luke 19:33 As they were
untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you ...
/o/owners.htm - 12k

Owned (18 Occurrences)
... Acts 4:34 For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners
of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that ...
/o/owned.htm - 11k

Cattle (277 Occurrences)
... 2, 3). They are frequently mentioned among the booty taken in war (Numbers 31:32;
Joshua 6:21; 1 Samuel 14:32; 15:3). There were many who were owners of large ...
/c/cattle.htm - 52k

Kedar (11 Occurrences)
... The author of Second Isaiah introduces this tribe in company with Nebaioth, and
both are represented as owners of flocks (Isaiah 60:7). Evidence of their ...
/k/kedar.htm - 13k

Untying (5 Occurrences)
... NIV). Luke 19:33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them,
"Why are you untying the colt?" (WEB WEY NAS RSV NIV). Acts ...
/u/untying.htm - 7k

Unwalled (39 Occurrences)
... 25:31 But houses in small unwalled towns will be the same as property in the country;
they may be got back, and they will go back to their owners in the year ...
/u/unwalled.htm - 17k

Owner's (1 Occurrence)

/o/owner's.htm - 6k

Olive-gardens (4 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 9:25 And they took walled towns and a fat land, and became the owners of
houses full of all good things, water-holes cut in the rock, vine-gardens and ...
/o/olive-gardens.htm - 7k

Jubilee (25 Occurrences)
... at which time all the slaves of Hebrew blood were liberated, and all lands which
had been alienated during the whole period reverted to their former owners. ...
/j/jubilee.htm - 27k

Loosing (7 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT). Luke 19:33 And as they were loosing the colt, the owners
thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? (KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT). ...
/l/loosing.htm - 8k

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