3784. opheiló

Lexicon

opheiló: To owe, to be indebted, to be obligated

Original Word: ὀφείλω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: opheiló
Pronunciation: o-fay'-lo
Phonetic Spelling: (of-i'-lo)
Definition: To owe, to be indebted, to be obligated
Meaning: I owe, ought.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

owe, ought

Or (in certain tenses), its prolonged form opheileo (of-i-leh'-o) probably from the base of ophelos (through the idea of accruing); to owe (pecuniarily); figuratively, to be under obligation (ought, must, should); morally, to fail in duty -- behove, be bound, (be) debt(-or), (be) due(-ty), be guilty (indebted), (must) need(-s), ought, owe, should. See also ophelon.

see GREEK ophelos

see GREEK ophelon

HELPS Word-studies

3784 opheílō (a primitive verb, NAS dictionary) – to owe, be indebted, i.e. obliged to rectify a debt ("ought").

3784 /opheílō ("owe") refers to being morally obligated (or legally required) to meet an obligation, i.e. to pay off a legitimate debt.

[3784 (opheílō) "originally belonged to the legal sphere; it expressed initially one's legal and economic, and then later one's moral, duties and responsibilities to the gods and to men, or to their sacrosanct regulations. . . . opheílō expresses human and ethical responsibility in the NT" (DNTT, 2, 662.663).]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
to owe
NASB Translation
had (1), have (1), indebted (2), must (1), obligated (3), ought (15), owe (4), owed (4), owes (1), responsible (1), should (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3784: ὀφείλω

ὀφείλω; imperfect ὤφειλον; present passive participle ὀφειλόμενος; from Homer down; to owe;

a. properly, to owe money, be in debt for: τίνι τί, Matthew 18:28; Luke 16:5; without a dative, Matthew 18:28; Luke 7:41; Luke 16:7; Philemon 1:18; τό ὀφειλόμενον, that which is due, the debt, Matthew 18:30; αὐτῷ (which L Tr WH omit), that due to him, Matthew 18:34.

b. metaphorically: τί, passive τήν εὔνοιαν ὀφειλομένην, the good-will due (A. V. (not R. V.) due benevolence), 1 Corinthians 7:3 Rec.; μηδενί μηδέν ὀφείλετε (here ὀφείλετε, on account of what precedes and what follows, must be taken in its broadest sense, both literal and tropical), εἰ μή τό ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν, owe no one anything except to love one another, because we must never cease loving and the debt of love can never be paid, Romans 13:8. absolutely, to be a debtor, be bound: Matthew 23:16, 18; followed by an infinitive to be under obligation, bound by duty or necessity, to do something; it behooves one; one ought; used thus of a necessity imposed either by law and duty, or by reason, or by the times, or by the nature of the matter under consideration (according to Westcott (Epistles of John, p. 5), Cremer, others, denoting obligation in its special and personal aspects): Luke 17:10; John 13:14; John 19:7 (ὀφείλει ἀποθανεῖν, he ought to die); Acts 17:29; Romans 15:1, 27; 1 Corinthians 5:10; (1 Corinthians 7:36 (A. V. need so requireth)); ; 2 Corinthians 12:14; Ephesians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 5:3, 12; 1 John 2:6; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:11; 3 John 1:8; ὤφειλον συνίστασθαι, I ought to have been commended, i. e. I can demand commendation, 2 Corinthians 12:11.

c. after the Chaldee (see ὀφειλέτης, b., ὀφείλημα, b.), ὀφείλω τίνι, to have wronged one and not yet made amends to him (A. V. indebted), Luke 11:4. (Compare: προσοφείλω.)

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the base of ὀφείλημα (opheílēma), meaning "debt" or "obligation."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of obligation or indebtedness in the Hebrew Bible is often expressed with terms like חוֹב (chov, Strong's H2321) meaning "debt," or חָיָב (chayav, Strong's H3775) meaning "liable" or "guilty." These terms similarly convey the idea of owing something, whether in a legal, financial, or moral sense.

Usage: The term ὀφείλω is used in the New Testament to express both literal and figurative indebtedness. It can refer to financial debts, moral obligations, or duties that one is bound to fulfill. It is often used in contexts that emphasize the ethical or spiritual responsibilities of individuals.

Context: ὀφείλω appears in various contexts throughout the New Testament, highlighting the multifaceted nature of obligation and duty in the Christian life. In Matthew 18:28, it is used in the parable of the unforgiving servant to describe a literal financial debt: "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe!’" (BSB).

In a more figurative sense, ὀφείλω is used in Romans 13:8 to convey the perpetual moral obligation of love: "Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law" (BSB). Here, the term underscores the ongoing duty of love that believers owe to each other, transcending mere financial transactions.

The word also appears in contexts that emphasize the responsibilities of believers towards God and each other. In 1 John 4:11, it is written, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (BSB), where ὀφείλω conveys the moral imperative to emulate God's love.

The use of ὀφείλω in the New Testament reflects the broader biblical theme of living in accordance with divine principles, fulfilling both tangible and intangible obligations. It serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of financial, moral, and spiritual duties in the life of a believer.

Forms and Transliterations

οφειλει οφείλει ὀφείλει οφειλεις οφείλεις ὀφείλεις οφειλετε οφείλετε ὀφείλετε οφειλήσουσι οφειλήσουσιν οφειλομεν οφείλομεν ὀφείλομεν οφειλομένην οφειλομενον οφειλόμενον ὀφειλόμενον οφειλοντες οφείλοντες ὀφείλοντες οφειλοντι οφείλοντι ὀφείλοντι οφείλοντος οφειλουσιν οφείλουσιν ὀφείλουσιν οφείλων όφελον ώφειλε ωφειλεν ωφείλεν ὤφειλεν ωφειλετε ὠφείλετε ωφειλομεν ωφείλομεν ὠφείλομεν ωφειλον ώφειλον ὤφειλον opheilei opheílei opheileis opheíleis opheilen ōpheilen ṓpheilen opheilete opheílete ōpheilete ōpheílete opheilomen opheílomen ōpheilomen ōpheílomen opheilomenon opheilómenon opheilon ōpheilon ṓpheilon opheilontes opheílontes opheilonti opheílonti opheilousin opheílousin

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 18:28 V-IIA-3S
GRK: αὐτοῦ ὃς ὤφειλεν αὐτῷ ἑκατὸν
NAS: who owed him a hundred
KJV: which owed him
INT: of his who owed him a hundred

Matthew 18:28 V-PIA-2S
GRK: εἴ τι ὀφείλεις
NAS: Pay back what you owe.'
KJV: me that thou owest.
INT: if any you owe

Matthew 18:30 V-PPM/P-ANS
GRK: ἀποδῷ τὸ ὀφειλόμενον
NAS: he should pay back what was owed.
KJV: till he should pay the debt.
INT: he should pay that which was owing

Matthew 18:34 V-PPM/P-ANS
GRK: πᾶν τὸ ὀφειλόμενον
NAS: he should repay all that was owed him.
KJV: all that was due unto him.
INT: all that was owing

Matthew 23:16 V-PIA-3S
GRK: τοῦ ναοῦ ὀφείλει
NAS: of the temple is obligated.'
KJV: of the temple, he is a debtor!
INT: of the temple is bound by his oath

Matthew 23:18 V-PIA-3S
GRK: ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ ὀφείλει
NAS: by the offering on it, he is obligated.'
KJV: that is upon it, he is guilty.
INT: upon it is bound by his oath

Luke 7:41 V-IIA-3S
GRK: ὁ εἷς ὤφειλεν δηνάρια πεντακόσια
NAS: one owed five hundred
KJV: the one owed five hundred
INT: the one owed denarii five hundred

Luke 11:4 V-PPA-DMS
GRK: ἀφίομεν παντὶ ὀφείλοντι ἡμῖν καὶ
NAS: everyone who is indebted to us. And lead
KJV: every one that is indebted to us.
INT: we forgive every one indebted to us and

Luke 16:5 V-PIA-2S
GRK: πρώτῳ Πόσον ὀφείλεις τῷ κυρίῳ
NAS: How much do you owe my master?'
KJV: How much owest thou unto my
INT: first How much owe you to master

Luke 16:7 V-PIA-2S
GRK: δὲ πόσον ὀφείλεις ὁ δὲ
NAS: And how much do you owe?' And he said,
KJV: And how much owest thou? And
INT: moreover how much owe you and

Luke 17:10 V-IIA-1P
GRK: ἐσμεν ὃ ὠφείλομεν ποιῆσαι πεποιήκαμεν
NAS: [only] that which we ought to have done.'
KJV: that which was our duty to do.
INT: are we that which we were bound to do we have done

John 13:14 V-PIA-2P
GRK: καὶ ὑμεῖς ὀφείλετε ἀλλήλων νίπτειν
NAS: you also ought to wash
KJV: ye also ought to wash one another's
INT: also you ought of one another to wash

John 19:7 V-PIA-3S
GRK: τὸν νόμον ὀφείλει ἀποθανεῖν ὅτι
NAS: and by that law He ought to die
KJV: our law he ought to die, because
INT: the law he ought to die because

Acts 17:29 V-PIA-1P
GRK: θεοῦ οὐκ ὀφείλομεν νομίζειν χρυσῷ
NAS: of God, we ought not to think
KJV: of God, we ought not
INT: of God not we ought to think to gold

Romans 13:8 V-PMA-2P
GRK: Μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλετε εἰ μὴ
NAS: Owe nothing to anyone
KJV: Owe no man any thing,
INT: To no one nothing owe you if not

Romans 15:1 V-PIA-1P
GRK: Ὀφείλομεν δὲ ἡμεῖς
NAS: we who are strong ought to bear
KJV: that are strong ought to bear
INT: we ought moreover we

Romans 15:27 V-PIA-3P
GRK: τὰ ἔθνη ὀφείλουσιν καὶ ἐν
NAS: in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister
KJV: spiritual things, their duty is also
INT: the Gentiles they ought also in

1 Corinthians 5:10 V-IIA-2P
GRK: εἰδωλολάτραις ἐπεὶ ὠφείλετε ἄρα ἐκ
NAS: for then you would have to go
KJV: for then must ye needs go out of
INT: idolaters since you ought then out of

1 Corinthians 7:36 V-PIA-3S
GRK: καὶ οὕτως ὀφείλει γίνεσθαι ὃ
NAS: she is past her youth, and if it must be so,
KJV: and need so
INT: and so it ought to be what

1 Corinthians 9:10 V-PIA-3S
GRK: ἐγράφη ὅτι ὀφείλει ἐπ' ἐλπίδι
NAS: the plowman ought to plow
KJV: that he that ploweth should plow in
INT: it was written that ought in order that hope

1 Corinthians 11:7 V-PIA-3S
GRK: γὰρ οὐκ ὀφείλει κατακαλύπτεσθαι τὴν
NAS: For a man ought not to have his head
KJV: a man indeed ought not to cover
INT: indeed not ought to have concealed the

1 Corinthians 11:10 V-PIA-3S
GRK: διὰ τοῦτο ὀφείλει ἡ γυνὴ
NAS: the woman ought to have
KJV: For this cause ought the woman to have
INT: Because of this ought the woman

2 Corinthians 12:11 V-IIA-1S
GRK: ἐγὼ γὰρ ὤφειλον ὑφ' ὑμῶν
NAS: me. Actually I should have been commended
KJV: for I ought to have been commended of
INT: I indeed ought by you

2 Corinthians 12:14 V-PIA-3S
GRK: οὐ γὰρ ὀφείλει τὰ τέκνα
NAS: but you; for children are not responsible to save
KJV: for the children ought not to lay up
INT: not indeed ought the children

Ephesians 5:28 V-PIA-3P
GRK: οὕτως ὀφείλουσιν καὶ οἱ
NAS: So husbands ought also to love
KJV: So ought men to love
INT: So ought also

Strong's Greek 3784
35 Occurrences

ὤφειλεν — 3 Occ.
ὠφείλετε — 1 Occ.
ὠφείλομεν — 1 Occ.
ὤφειλον — 1 Occ.
ὀφείλει — 11 Occ.
ὀφείλεις — 3 Occ.
ὀφείλετε — 2 Occ.
ὀφείλομεν — 7 Occ.
ὀφειλόμενον — 2 Occ.
ὀφείλοντες — 1 Occ.
ὀφείλοντι — 1 Occ.
ὀφείλουσιν — 2 Occ.