All the people who lived together in the same family in Bible times. Israelite families were larger than ours today. The family included the immediate family and all who lived together in the same house. This included slaves, concubines, foreign residents, and servants. When Abraham circumcised all the males in his household , he included his servants and slaves. The household and their possessions moved as a unit <1 Sam. 27:3; 2 Sam. 15:16>. When Obededom kept the ark, he and his household were given a special blessing by David <2 Sam. 6:11>. In the New Testament, entire households were sometimes baptized together .

Household is also used in a spiritual or symbolic sense. United by God's election and salvation through Jesus Christ, Christians are included in God's household of faith .

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

(Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)