Abarim Publications' online Biblical Greek Dictionary

νομος

• Together with the particle of negation α (a): the adjective ανομος (anomos), meaning lawless, or being without a commonly agreed understanding of reality and thus existing in a state of enslavement. In the New Testament this word is mostly substantially used: a lawless [one], or the lawless [ones], and note that a strenuous adherence to some made up human law, still equals fierce lawlessness when the only real law is natural law. Our word occurs 10 times, see full concordance, and from it in turn derive:
  • The noun ανομια (anomia), meaning lawlessness (or adherence to a law that is no law). This word is used 15 times, see full concordance, consistently referring to the state of being out of synchronicity with God's natural law, and thus in a state of enslavement.
  • The adverb ανομως (anomos), meaning lawlessly (Romans 2:12 only).
• Together with the preposition εν (en), meaning in, on, at or by: the adjective εννομος (ennomos), meaning "legal" in the sense of being in accordance with the law: something naturally and spontaneously occurring and not stemming from some human's will or design; being an integral part of the natural law of God that humanity may collectively agree on (Acts 19:39 and 1 Corinthians 9:21 only; Jesus taps into this very principle when he says: "Where two or three have gathered together in my name, I am there in their midst" — Matthew 18:20).
• The verb νομιζω (nomizo), meaning to "legalize" in the sense of to make a matter of the law (agreed on truth, and thus collective value); to assume or to accept from custom. Science has very strict rules that govern the transition between hypothesis (an informed assumption) and theory (something tested and verified; something tried in the fire, so that it's either burnt up or else has emerged as a baked brick — or something metallic — you can build on). There is only so much you can test (Daniel 3:19), and a clever scientist won't fill his limited kiln with dubious ideas. Hastily forwarded assumptions and a smoldering fire may lead to brittle metals, which in turn make for weak tools and weapons, and worthless jewelry. Collective delusion based on untried assumptions is precisely what Exodus 23:2 intends to prevent and for which Jesus sternly warned (Matthew 5:17, 10:34). This verb is used 15 times, see full concordance, and from it in turn comes:
  • The noun νομισμα (nomisma), meaning "anything sanctioned by current or established usage, custom; especially current coin" (in the eloquent words of Liddell and Scott's A Greek-English Lexicon). This word occurs only once, in Matthew 22:19, where indeed it represents monetary currency.
• The adjective νομικος (nomikos), meaning pertaining to laws and legal matters. In our modern world this word means "scientific" or a "scientific one," a scientist; someone who tries to (1) understand how the world works, and (2) find ways to describe this working in such a way that others can agree upon it. In the most corrupt societies it happens that such lawyers/scientists stray from the path of sincerity and transparency and abuse their great office for the sake of personal gain, and publish oppressive nonsense. This kind of counterfeit wealth bleeds true wealth out of society's economy and is a terrible crime. Since it ultimately may cause the death of a human collective, it's on a par with or even exceeding murder. This word occurs 9 times in the New Testament, see full concordance, and mostly in plural and may actually denote some kind of formal sect (Luke 11:52, Titus 3:9) — perhaps something like the later Gnostics, who derived their self-congratulatory name from the noun γνωσις (gnosis), meaning knowledge.
• The adverb νομιμως (nomimos), meaning lawfully (1 Timothy 1:8 and 2 Timothy 2:5 only). This word does not simply mean legally (allowed by law) or law-abidingly (compliant with the law), but rather made possible by law: in a way that is made possible because law smooths out the chaos of anarchy and thus clears fields to operate and opens ways to navigate. This adverb actually stems from the adjective νομιμος (nomimos), lawful, or endowed with law. Also see the noun ελευθερια (eleutheria), or freedom due to law.
• Together with the noun διδασκαλος (didaskalos), meaning teacher: the noun νομοδιδασκαλος (nomodidaskalos), meaning teacher of the law: someone who takes the wisdom mined by scientists and delivers it to the people to use (Luke 5:17, Acts 5:34 and 1 Timothy 1:7 only). Such a teacher could of course be tempted to insert counterfeit wealth into society, in return for a wage, but only the most wretched and decrepit people would do such a thing. In Old Testament times, when someone — whether a true believer or willful deceiver — taught some skill or technique that was subsequently shown to not work because animals died, buildings collapsed, swords broke, harvests failed, wives ran off, wealth depleted (Proverbs 12:11, 28:19), the peddler of such misinformation was executed (Deuteronomy 18:20-22, 1 Kings 18:40).
• Together with the ever useful verb τιθημι (tithemi), meaning to place or set (from which also probably comes the familiar noun θεος, theos, meaning god or "setter"): the noun νομοθετης (nomothetes), meaning law-setter. For people who cling to the Roman ideal, a law-setter could be anyone who has the upper hand (the name Korah jumps to mind). But to people who cling to the Biblical model, only the Creator sets law (and humans can only mine law from creation and thus turn law into wealth). This word occurs in the New Testament only in James 4:12: "There's only law-setter, the One who has the ability to save and to destroy." From this noun in turn come:
  • The verb νομοθετεω (nomotheteo), meaning to law-set, or perhaps better: to handle the law that was set (by the Creator). This verb is used in Hebrews 7:11 and 8:6 only, and from it comes:
    • The noun νομοθεσια (nonothesia), meaning a law-set(ting): the act or result of legislation (Romans 9:4 only).
• Together with the preposition παρα (para), meaning near or nearby: the verb παρανομεω (paranomeo), meaning to act not in accordance to established law, custom or proper function: to behave irregularly, indecently, in an unregulated or improper way (Acts 23:3 only). This verb does not necessarily denote a criminal violation of law, but rather describes behavior that is not covered by law. But of course, when the situation requires adherence to protocol, this verb implies violation or at least neglect of established protocol. From this verb in turn derives:
  • The noun παρανομια (paranomia), which describes an act that is beside protocol or law: an act of transgression, indecency or disorder. This noun occurs in 2 Peter 2:16 only, where the implied law is obviously natural law and the natural order of things, which Balaam, the proverbial prophet-for-hire, who "loved the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Peter 2:15), tried to circumvent and ended up with a talking donkey.

νεμω

The derivations of this verb νεμω (nemo), meaning to dispense, that are used in the New Testament are:

• Together with the preposition απο (apo), mostly meaning from: the verb απονεμω (aponemo), meaning to dispense from (an implied or specified reservoir). This verb is used in 1 Peter 3:7 only, in the much contemplated statement that men should allot their women a fair share of respect out of their begotten knowledge and joy. Back then, the marriage contract was governed by property law, and this Pauline injunction was a big step toward the liberation of all parties involved, and onto a world in which no formal government has anything to say about how autonomous adults wish to organize their own lives and who with (see Galatians 5:1).
• Together with the preposition δια (dia), meaning through or throughout: the verb διανεμω (dianemo), meaning to spread or disperse throughout (Acts 4:17 only).
• Together with the noun κληρος (kleros), which denotes a share in the commercial sense of the word: the noun κληρονομος (kleronomos), meaning shareholder; the recipient of a revenue divided by share among holders of such shares. This word is often translated with "heir" of an "inheritance" but where in English the act of inheriting is commonly associated with the passing away of a relative, this Greek word clearly also describes the sharing of the revenues of an existing enterprise without the transfer of ownership (Matthew 21:38; see Romans 8:17 relative to Psalm 24:1 and 50:12). In the New Testament this amazing word often describes the recipients of the "revenue" of the whole of creation and occurs 15 times; see full concordance. From this word in turn come:
  • The verb κληρονομεω (kleronomeo), meaning to sharehold: to be or become a shareholder, to receive partial ownership or to receive dividend. This verb occurs 18 times; see full concordance.
  • The noun κληρονομια (kleronomia), meaning a shareholding: either the act of dividing property among shareholders, or else the dividend or portion that one shareholder receives. This word is used 14 times; see full concordance
  • Together with the preposition συν (sun), meaning together or with: the noun συγκληρονομος (sugkleronomos), meaning co-holder of one share and eventually a co-receiver of one portion. This word is used 4 times; see full concordance.
• The noun νομη (nome), which denotes the act of dispensing. In the classics this noun mostly describes the act of pasturage, or providing herd animals with their sustenance; their requirements and particularly their food, but it was also used in the context of monetary revenues or the division of property. This word occurs only twice in the New Testament, namely in John 10:9 and 2 Timothy 2:17.
• The noun νομος (nomos), meaning law. See above for this word's description and derivatives.
• Together with the noun οικος (oikos), meaning house: the noun οικονομος (oikonomos), which describes a house-manager, someone who gave everybody their share of provisions and managed the house's economy and books. That could add up to a huge deal, particularly if the "house" was substantial. Paul's friend Erastus was the oikonomos of the whole "house" of the city of Corinth (Romans 16:23). Note that our English noun 'lord' comes from the antique word hlafweard, which is literally 'loaf' + 'ward(en)', which obviously describes the same function. In more modern times, the word "lord" would mostly come to describe the master of the house, but in Biblical times the function of οικονομος (oikonomos) was commonly held by a hired servant or even slave (like Joseph; Genesis 39:4). This noun occurs 10 times, see full concordance, and from it in turn derive:
  • The verb οικονομεω (oikonomeo), meaning to be a house-manager (Luke 16:2 only). From this word comes:
    • The noun οικονομια (oikonomia), the office and administration of the house-manager; the affairs of the house. This word occurs 9 times, see full concordance, possibly most spectacularly in Ephesians 1:10 where Paul speaks of the "house-management" of the whole of creation in Christ (bringing to mind Isaiah 9:6).