Owest
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The term "owest" is an archaic English word meaning "owe" or "are obligated to." It appears in the context of financial or moral obligation, often used in older translations of the Bible. In the Berean Standard Bible , the term is not directly used, but the concept of owing or debt is prevalent throughout Scripture, both in literal and metaphorical senses.

Biblical Context

1. Financial Obligations: The Bible addresses the concept of owing money or goods in several passages. In the Old Testament, the Law given to Israel included regulations about lending and borrowing. For example, in Deuteronomy 15:1-2 , the Israelites were instructed to cancel debts every seven years, a practice known as the Year of Release: "At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite."

2. Moral and Spiritual Obligations: Beyond financial debts, the Bible speaks of moral and spiritual obligations. In Romans 13:8 , Paul writes, "Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law." Here, the concept of owing is expanded to include the perpetual obligation to love others, which is seen as a fulfillment of God's commandments.

3. Parables and Teachings of Jesus: Jesus often used the concept of debt in His parables to illustrate spiritual truths. In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-35), Jesus tells of a servant who, after being forgiven a great debt by his master, refuses to forgive a fellow servant a much smaller debt. This parable highlights the importance of forgiveness and the moral obligation to extend grace to others as we have received it from God.

4. The Lord's Prayer: In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). This petition underscores the reciprocal nature of forgiveness and the spiritual debt we owe to God, which is mirrored in our relationships with others.

Theological Implications

The concept of owing in the Bible is deeply tied to the themes of justice, mercy, and grace. Financial debts are regulated by laws that ensure fairness and compassion, reflecting God's character. Moral and spiritual debts, such as the obligation to love and forgive, are rooted in the transformative power of the Gospel. Believers are called to recognize their own forgiven status and to live out that reality by extending love and forgiveness to others.

Practical Application

Christians are encouraged to manage their financial obligations responsibly, reflecting integrity and stewardship. More importantly, they are called to live in a state of spiritual indebtedness to God, continually expressing gratitude through acts of love and forgiveness. This lifestyle not only honors God but also serves as a testimony to the transformative power of His grace in the believer's life.
Library

The Forgiveness of Sins.
... (Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity.) S. Matthew 18:28,. "Pay me that thou owest.". ...
"Pay Me that thou owest." And how can we pay? By doing what God bids us. ...
/.../the life of duty a years plain sermons v 2/sermon lvii the forgiveness of.htm

Philemon i. 17-19
... thee at all, or oweth thee aught, put that to mine account; I Paul write it with
mine own hand, I will repay it: that I say not to thee how thou owest unto me ...
/.../homily iii philemon i 17-19.htm

The Law.
... As thus: if I should owe to two creditors ten thousand talents, the one should say
unto me, "Thou owest me five thousand talents, pay that thou owest;" the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/v the law.htm

The Prudent Steward.
... So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first,
How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. ...
/.../arnot/the parables of our lord/xxv the prudent steward.htm

The Unrighteous Mammon
... So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first,
How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xxiv the unrighteous mammon.htm

Second Great Group of Parables.
... they [my lord's debtors] may receive me into their houses.5 And calling to him each
of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou unto my ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xcii second great group of 5.htm

The Unjust Steward.
... of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' And calling to him each
one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, 'How much owest thou unto ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barton/his life/the unjust steward.htm

And There came unto Him Publicans and Sinners to Hear his Word. .. ...
... houses. [1853] And he called one after another of his lord's [39] debtors,
and said to the first, How much owest thou my lord? [1854 ...
/.../hogg/the diatessaron of tatian/section xxvi and there came.htm

The Christian --A Debtor
... The beggar shivering in his rags, may owe thee something, if thou givest him alms;
but thou owest him something more. Charity to the poor is a debt. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/the christiana debtor.htm

Private Property and the Common Good
... And calling to him each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much
owest thou unto my lord? ... Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? ...
/.../the social principles of jesus/chapter viii private property and.htm

Thesaurus
Owest (4 Occurrences)
...Owest (4 Occurrences). ... Luke 16:5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto
him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? ...
/o/owest.htm - 7k

Owing (7 Occurrences)
... found one of his fellow-servants who was owing him an hundred denaries, and having
laid hold, he took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that which thou owest. ...
/o/owing.htm - 8k

Oweth (1 Occurrence)

/o/oweth.htm - 6k

Owes (3 Occurrences)

/o/owes.htm - 7k

Laid (552 Occurrences)
... out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he
laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest...
/l/laid.htm - 35k

Fellow-servants (4 Occurrences)
... out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and
he laid hold on him, and took 'him' by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest...
/f/fellow-servants.htm - 7k

Fellowservants (4 Occurrences)
... out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he
laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest...
/f/fellowservants.htm - 7k

Fellow-bondmen (4 Occurrences)
... owed him a hundred denarii. And having seized him, he throttled him, saying,
Pay me if thou owest anything. (DBY). Matthew 18:31 But ...
/f/fellow-bondmen.htm - 7k

Fourscore (33 Occurrences)
... and day. (KJV ASV). Luke 16:7 Then said he to another, And how much owest
thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he ...
/f/fourscore.htm - 16k

Throttled (1 Occurrence)
... fellow-bondmen who owed him a hundred denarii. And having seized him, he
throttled him, saying, Pay me if thou owest anything. (DBY). ...
/t/throttled.htm - 6k

Resources
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Concordance
Owest (4 Occurrences)

Matthew 18:28
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
(KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Luke 16:5
So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
(KJV ASV DBY WBS)

Luke 16:7
Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
(KJV ASV WBS)

Philemon 1:19
I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.
(KJV ASV DBY WBS)

Subtopics

Owest

Related Terms

Owing (7 Occurrences)

Owest (4 Occurrences)

Aught (52 Occurrences)

Ought (130 Occurrences)

Owes
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