ὀφείλωopheílō
to owe (pecuniarily); figuratively, to be under obligation (ought, must, should); morally, to fail in duty
Greek (New Testament) · G3784
Meanings
to owe, be a debtor: with accusative of thing, Matthew 18:28, Luke 7:41, Luke 16:7, Philemon 1:18; id. with dative of person, Matthew 18:28, Luke 16:5. Pass., to be owed, to be due: τ. ὀφειλόμενον, Matthew 18:30, Matthew 18:34. Metaph.: absolutely (= Rabbinic חַיָּב; see McNeile, in l.), Matthew 23:16, Matthew 23:18; with accusative of thing et dative of person, Romans 13:8; with infinitive, to be bound or obliged to do, Luke 17:10, John 13:14, John 19:7, Acts 17:29, Romans 15:1, Romans 15:27, 1 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Corinthians 7:36, 1 Corinthians 9:10, 1 Corinthians 11:7, 1 Corinthians 11:10, 2 Corinthians 12:14, Ephesians 5:28, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Hebrews 2:17, Hebrews 5:3, Hebrews 5:12, 1 John 2:6, 1 John 3:16, 1 John 4:11, 3 John 1:8; ὤφειλον συνίστασθαι, I ought to have been commended, 2 Corinthians 12:11. In peculiar Aram. sense of having wronged one, with dative of person, Luke 11:4 (cf. προσ-οφείλω).
Same root
- ὄφελοςóphelos · G3786gain
- ὀφειλήopheilḗ · G3782indebtedness, i.e. (concretely) a sum owed; figuratively, obligation, i.e. (conjugal) duty
- ὀφειλέτηςopheilétēs · G3781an ower, i.e. person indebted; figuratively, a delinquent; morally, a transgressor (against God)
- προσοφείλωprosopheílō · G4359to be indebted additionally
- ὀφείλημαopheílēma · G3783something owed, i.e. (figuratively) a due; morally, a fault
- ὄφελονóphelon · G3785I ought (wish), i.e. (interjection) oh that!
Where it appears
Appears 35 times in the Bible.
- Matthew 18:28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.
- Matthew 18:30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.
- Matthew 18:34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.
- Matthew 23:16 “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’
- Matthew 23:18 And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding.
- Luke 7:41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other.
See every passage
- Matthew 18:28, 18:30, 18:34, 23:16, 23:18
- Luke 7:41, 11:4, 16:5, 16:7, 17:10
- John 13:14, 19:7
- Acts 17:29
- Romans 13:8, 15:1, 15:27
- 1 Corinthians 5:10, 7:36, 9:10, 11:7, 11:10
- 2 Corinthians 12:11, 12:14
- Ephesians 5:28
- 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 2:13
- Philemon 1:18
- Hebrews 2:17, 5:3, 5:12
- 1 John 2:6, 3:16, 4:11
- 3 John 1:8
Source: G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), public domain.