3785. ophelon

Lexicon

ophelon: "I wish," "would that," "if only"

Original Word: ὤφελον
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ophelon
Pronunciation: o-FE-lon
Phonetic Spelling: (of'-el-on)
Definition: "I wish," "would that," "if only"
Meaning: O that! I wish! Would that!, followed by indicative.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

would that, I wish

First person singular of a past tense of opheilo; I ought (wish), i.e. (interjection) oh that! -- would (to God).

see GREEK opheilo

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from opheiló
Definition
would that (used to express an unattainable wish)
NASB Translation
wish (4).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3785: ὄφελον

ὄφελον (for ὠφελον, without the augment, 2 aorist of ὀφείλω; in earlier Greek with an infinitive, as ὠφελον θανεῖν, I ought to have died, expressive of a wish, equivalent to would that I were dead; in later Greek it assumes the nature of an interjection, to be rendered) would that, where one wishes that a thing had happened which has not happened, or that a thing be done which probably will not be done (cf. Winers Grammar, 301f (283); Buttmann, § 150, 5): with an optative present Revelation 3:15 Rec.; with an indicative imperfect, Rev. ibid. G L T Tr WH; 2 Corinthians 11:1 (Epictetus diss. 2, 18, 15; Ignatius ad Smyrn. c. 12 [ET]); with an indicative aorist, 1 Corinthians 4:8 (Psalm 118:5 (); ὄφελον ἀπεθάνομεν, Exodus 16:3; Numbers 14:2; Numbers 20:3); with the future, Galatians 5:12 (Lucian, soloec. (or Pseudosoph.) 1, where this construction is classed as a solecism). Cf. Passow, ii., p. 603{a}; (Liddell and Scott, under the word ὀφείλω, II. 3).

Topical Lexicon

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

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for ὤφελον, similar expressions of wish or desire can be found in Hebrew using words like לוּ (lu) or מִי (mi), which are used to express wishes or hypothetical situations. These are not direct translations but serve a similar function in expressing longing or desire in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Usage: The word ὤφελον is used in the New Testament to express a longing or a hypothetical desire for a different reality or outcome. It is typically used in contexts where the speaker is expressing a wish for something that is not the case.

Context: The Greek word ὤφελον appears in the New Testament as an expression of earnest desire or regret, often reflecting a longing for a different situation. It is used to convey a sense of unfulfilled wishfulness, typically in contexts where the speaker is lamenting a current state of affairs or expressing a hypothetical longing for change.

In 1 Corinthians 4:8, Paul uses ὤφελον to express a wishful irony regarding the Corinthians' self-perceived spiritual status: "Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!" (BSB). Here, Paul uses ὤφελον to highlight the disparity between the Corinthians' perception and the reality of their spiritual maturity.

Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 11:1, Paul expresses a wish for the Corinthians to bear with him in his foolishness: "I hope you will bear with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that." (BSB). The use of ὤφελον underscores Paul's desire for the Corinthians' patience and understanding as he makes his case.

The word is also found in Revelation 3:15, where the risen Christ addresses the church in Laodicea: "I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other!" (BSB). Here, ὤφελον conveys a divine longing for decisiveness and commitment among the believers.

In each instance, ὤφελον serves to articulate a deep-seated wish or hypothetical longing, often highlighting a contrast between the current reality and a desired ideal.

Forms and Transliterations

Οφελον Ὄφελον ὄφελόν Ophelon Óphelon óphelón

Englishman's Concordance

1 Corinthians 4:8 Inj
GRK: ἐβασιλεύσατε καὶ ὄφελόν γε ἐβασιλεύσατε
NAS: us; and indeed, [I] wish that you had become kings
KJV: and I would to God ye did reign,
INT: you reigned and I wish surely you did reign

2 Corinthians 11:1 Inj
GRK: Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου
NAS: I wish that you would bear
KJV: Would to God ye could bear with me
INT: I wish you were bearing with me

Galatians 5:12 Inj
GRK: Ὄφελον καὶ ἀποκόψονται
NAS: I wish that those who are troubling
KJV: I would they were even
INT: I wish even they would cut themselves off

Revelation 3:15 Inj
GRK: οὔτε ζεστός ὄφελον ψυχρὸς ἦς
NAS: nor hot; I wish that you were cold or
KJV: nor hot: I would thou wert cold
INT: nor hot I wish cold you were

Strong's Greek 3785
4 Occurrences

ὄφελόν — 4 Occ.