3781. opheiletés

Lexicon

opheiletés: Debtor, one who owes

Original Word: ὀφειλέτης
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: opheiletés
Pronunciation: o-fay-let'-ace
Phonetic Spelling: (of-i-let'-ace)
Definition: Debtor, one who owes
Meaning: (a) a debtor, one who owes, one who is indebted, (b) one who has sinned against another (an Aramaism), a sinner.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

debtor, which owed, sinner.

From opheilo; an ower, i.e. Person indebted; figuratively, a delinquent; morally, a transgressor (against God) -- debtor, which owed, sinner.

see GREEK opheilo

HELPS Word-studies

3781 opheilétēs (a masculine noun) – a debtor; someone under obligation to pay back (discharge) a debt.

For the believer, 3781 /opheilétēs ("being a debtor") ends at Calvary where Christ paid all our debt in His blood. He extends total release to us, forgiving the penalty for each time we spent His gift of life rather than invested it. Indeed, the blood of Jesus removes all the penalty (condemnation) of sin (Jn 19:30).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from opheiló
Definition
a debtor
NASB Translation
culprits (1), debtors (1), indebted (1), owed (1), under obligation (3).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3781: ὀφειλέτης

ὀφειλέτης, ὀφειλετου, ὁ (ὀφείλω), one who owes another, a debtor: properly, of one who owes another money (Plato, legg. 5, 736 d.; Plutarch; others); with a genitive of the sum due, Matthew 18:24. Metaphorically,

a. one held by some obligation, bound to some duty: ὀφειλέτης εἰμί, equivalent to ὀφείλω, followed by an infinitive, Galatians 5:3 (Sophocles Aj. 590); ὀφειλέτης εἰμί τίνος, to be one's debtor i. e. under obligations of gratitude to him for favors received, Romans 15:27; τίνι (dative commodi), to be under obligation to do something for someone, Romans 1:14; Romans 8:12.

b. one who has not yet made amends to one whom he has injured: Matthew 6:12; in imitation of the Chaldean חַיָב, one who owes God penalty or of whom God can demand punishment as something due, i. e. a sinner, Luke 13:4.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek verb ὀφείλω (opheilō), meaning "to owe" or "to be indebted."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct one-to-one correspondence between Greek and Hebrew terms, the concept of indebtedness is present in the Hebrew Scriptures. Some related Hebrew terms include:

• חָב (chab): A root word meaning "to owe" or "to be in debt."
• נָשָׁא (nasha): A verb meaning "to lend" or "to borrow," often used in contexts of financial transactions and obligations.

These Hebrew terms capture similar themes of obligation and indebtedness found in the Greek ὀφειλέτης, reflecting the universal human experience of owing and being owed, both materially and spiritually.

Usage: The term ὀφειλέτης is used in the New Testament to describe individuals who are in debt, either financially or morally. It appears in contexts that emphasize the obligation or duty one has towards another, often highlighting the spiritual or ethical dimensions of indebtedness.

Context: The term ὀφειλέτης is used in several key passages in the New Testament, each illustrating different aspects of indebtedness:

• Romans 1:14 (BSB): "I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish." Here, Paul uses ὀφειλέτης to express his sense of duty to preach the gospel to all people, indicating a moral and spiritual obligation rather than a financial one.

• Romans 8:12 (BSB): "Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it." In this context, Paul speaks of the believer's obligation to live according to the Spirit, contrasting it with the flesh. The term underscores the ethical responsibility of Christians to live a life led by the Spirit.

• Galatians 5:3 (BSB): "Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law." Here, ὀφειλέτης is used to describe the obligation of those who seek justification through the law, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of such a commitment.

• Matthew 18:24 (BSB): "As he began the settlements, a debtor was brought to him owing ten thousand talents." In the parable of the unforgiving servant, ὀφειλέτης is used in a literal sense to describe someone who owes a significant financial debt, illustrating the broader spiritual lesson of forgiveness.

The concept of ὀφειλέτης in the New Testament often transcends mere financial debt, pointing to deeper spiritual truths about human relationships, obligations, and the transformative power of grace and forgiveness. It serves as a reminder of the moral and ethical duties that believers have towards God and one another.

Forms and Transliterations

οφειλεται οφειλέται ὀφειλέται οφειλεταις οφειλέταις ὀφειλέταις οφειλετης οφειλέτης ὀφειλέτης opheiletai opheilétai opheiletais opheilétais opheiletes opheiletēs opheilétes opheilétēs

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 6:12 N-DMP
GRK: ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν
NAS: as we also have forgiven our debtors.
KJV: forgive our debtors.
INT: forgive the debtors of us

Matthew 18:24 N-NMS
GRK: εἷς αὐτῷ ὀφειλέτης μυρίων ταλάντων
NAS: [them], one who owed him ten thousand
KJV: unto him, which owed him
INT: one to him a debtor of ten thousand talents

Luke 13:4 N-NMP
GRK: ὅτι αὐτοὶ ὀφειλέται ἐγένοντο παρὰ
NAS: and killed them were [worse] culprits than
KJV: they were sinners above all
INT: that these debtors were beyond

Romans 1:14 N-NMS
GRK: καὶ ἀνοήτοις ὀφειλέτης εἰμί
NAS: I am under obligation both to Greeks
KJV: I am debtor both to the Greeks,
INT: and foolish a debtor I am

Romans 8:12 N-NMP
GRK: οὖν ἀδελφοί ὀφειλέται ἐσμέν οὐ
NAS: brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh,
KJV: we are debtors, not
INT: then brothers debtors we are not

Romans 15:27 N-NMP
GRK: γάρ καὶ ὀφειλέται εἰσὶν αὐτῶν
NAS: they were pleased [to do so], and they are indebted to them. For if
KJV: and their debtors they are. For
INT: indeed and debtors they are of them

Galatians 5:3 N-NMS
GRK: περιτεμνομένῳ ὅτι ὀφειλέτης ἐστὶν ὅλον
NAS: who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep
KJV: that he is a debtor to do the whole
INT: being circumcised that a debtor he is all

Strong's Greek 3781
7 Occurrences

ὀφειλέται — 3 Occ.
ὀφειλέταις — 1 Occ.
ὀφειλέτης — 3 Occ.