Greek word · G3776

οὐσία

ousia

estate

In everyday Greek: property, wealth, substance, estate. In philosophy (and later Christian doctrine): being, essence.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

οὐσία, -ας, ἡ

(οὖσα, fem. part. of εἰμί), [in LXX: Tobit 14:13, 3Ma.3:28 * ;]

substance, property: Luke 15:12-13.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Luke 15:13

Range of meaning

In everyday Greek: property, wealth, substance, estate. In philosophy (and later Christian doctrine): being, essence.

Against the English

KJV 'substance' and YLT 'substance' meant 'property, wealth' in 1611. Modern readers may hear 'substance' as material, as essence, or as 'substance abuse'. BSB 'wealth', ESV 'property' and NASB 'estate' are clearer.

How it drifted

The Latin Vulgate's substantia came into English as 'substance'. Its meaning 'wealth, possessions' ('a man of substance') has faded.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used in documentary papyri for property, and by Aristotle for a person's means in the passage on prodigality cited above. In the New Testament it occurs only in Luke 15:12–13.

Where it appears

Luke · 2

  1. Luke 15:12 οὐσίας. property.

    The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

  2. Luke 15:13 οὐσίαν estate

    After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living.

    Here: His property or wealth: the same word as 'share of the property' in v.12. It is his inherited means of living. Here it carries no philosophical sense of 'being' or 'essence'.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.