κληρόω

κληρόω — klēróō

κληρόω, κλήρῳ: 1 aorist passive ἐκληρωθην; (κλῆρος); in classical Greek:

1. to cast lots, determine by lot.

2. to choose by lot: τινα (Herodotus 1, 94; others).

3. to allot, assign by lot: τινα τίνι, one to another as a possession, Pindar Ol. 8, 19.

4. once in the N. T., "to make a κλῆρος i. e., a heritage, private possession": τινα, passive ἐν ᾧ ἐκληρώθημεν (but Lachmann ἐκλλεθημεν) in whom lies the reason why we were made the κλῆρος τοῦ Θεοῦ (a designation transferred from the Jews in the O. T. to Christians, cf. Additions to Est 3:10 [Esther 4:234:17f] (4 line 12f (Tdf.)) and Fritzsche, in the place cited; (cf. Deu 4:20; Deu 9:29)), the heritage of God Eph 1:11 (see Ellicott, in the place cited). (In ecclesiastical writings it signifies to become a clergyman (see references under the word κλῆρος, at the end).) (Compare: προσκληρόω.)