ὀφειλέτης
opheiletēs
debtor
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word ὀφειλέτης (opheiletēs) is translated to "debtor." It suggests an individual who owes a debt or has a financial obligation to someone else. The word carries a sense of responsibility and accountability for repaying or fulfilling a commitment. The word ὀφειλέτης occurs 7 times in the Bible, indicating its significance within the context of ancient Greek culture, where financial transactions and obligations were common. Its usage in various passages may imply a range of situations, such as personal loans, business transactions, or even social expectations. Despite its relatively limited occurrences, the word ὀφειλέτης contributes to a nuanced understanding of relationships and responsibilities in ancient Greek society. The concept of being a debtor (opheiletēs) in the Bible may also have deeper implications, such as acknowledging one's obligations to others or to God. However, these interpretations extend beyond the provided data and should be considered speculative.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences across the text
Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
Matthew 18:24When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
Luke 13:4Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them; do you think that they were worse offenders than all the men who dwell in Jerusalem?
Romans 1:14I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish.
Romans 8:12So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Romans 15:27Yes, it has been their good pleasure, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to serve them in fleshly things.
Galatians 5:3Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is a debtor to do the whole law.