Property
Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words [1]
A. Noun.
'Ăchûzzâh ( אֲחֻזָּה , Strong'S #272), “property; possession.” This word appears 66 times, with most of its appearances being in Genesis-Joshua and Ezekel.
Essentially 'ăchûzzâh is a legal term usually used of land, especially family holdings to be passed down to one’s heirs. In Gen. 17:13 (an early occurrence of the word) Abram is promised the territory of Palestine as a familial or tribal possession until the indiscriminate future. In Gen. 23:20 (cf. vv. 4, 9) the word bears a similar meaning. The difference appears to be that here no feudal responsibilities were attached to this “possession.” However, the rather small lot belonged to Abraham and his descendants as a burial site: “And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the sons of Heth” (Gen. 23:20).
In Lev. 25:45-46 non-lsraelites could also be inheritable property, but a fellow Israelite could not. The “inheritable property” of the Levites was not fields but the Lord Himself (Ezek. 44:28).
B. Verb.
'Ăchaz ( אָחַז , Strong'S #270), “to seize, grasp, hold fast, bolt (a door).” This verb, which occurs 64 times in biblical Hebrew, occurs also in most other Semitic languages. The verb appears in Gen. 25:26: “… And his hand took hold on Esau’s heel.…” The meaning of “to bolt” (a door) appears in Neh. 7:3: “… Let them shut and bolt [KJV, “bar”] the doors” (NASB). In 2 Chron. 9:18, 'âchaz means “fastened.”
Webster's Dictionary [2]
(1): ( a.) That which is proper to anything; a peculiar quality of a thing; that which is inherent in a subject, or naturally essential to it; an attribute; as, sweetness is a property of sugar.
(2): ( a.) An acquired or artificial quality; that which is given by art, or bestowed by man; as, the poem has the properties which constitute excellence.
(3): ( a.) The exclusive right of possessing, enjoying, and disposing of a thing; ownership; title.
(4): ( a.) That to which a person has a legal title, whether in his possession or not; thing owned; an estate, whether in lands, goods, or money; as, a man of large property, or small property.
(5): ( a.) All the adjuncts of a play except the scenery and the dresses of the actors; stage requisites.
(6): ( a.) Propriety; correctness.
(7): ( v. t.) To invest which properties, or qualities.
(8): ( v. t.) To make a property of; to appropriate.
Holman Bible Dictionary [3]
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament [4]
See Wealth and Community of Goods.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [5]
prop´ẽr - ti . See Agrarian Laws; Jubilee; Poor; Portion; Primogeniture; Wealth .
