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ὀφειλέτης

opheilétēs

G3781 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ὀφειλ- to owe, to be obligated, to be in debt

Definition

One who owes a debt or obligation; in most contexts, a person under legal, financial, or metaphorical indebtedness to another. In extended or figurative usage, an individual who is under obligation or guilty of failing to fulfill a duty, sometimes applied to moral, social, or religious responsibilities. In legal settings, refers specifically to a debtor; in moral or religious discourse, can refer to a person who has not fulfilled obligations or has committed an offense.

Semantic Range

debtor (financial or legal), person under obligation, one guilty of failing duty, moral or religious transgressor, someone owing compensation or restitution

Root / Etymology

Derived from the verb ὀφείλω (to owe, be obligated), formed with the agentive ending -της, denoting 'one who owes' or 'one obligated.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ὀφειλέτης refers primarily to a person who owes money or goods (a debtor) in personal or legal contexts. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, including the Septuagint and New Testament, the primary sense of financial debtor persists, but the term also regularly appears in ethical or religious contexts, where it conveys the idea of one who is morally obligated or guilty of an offense (cf. Matthew 6:12, 'forgive us our debts'; Romans 1:14). The Septuagint uses ὀφειλέτης to translate several Hebrew expressions for ‘one in debt’ or ‘guilty party.’ In Second Temple and early Christian literature, the term can refer not only to literal financial debtors but also to those who have transgressed societal, legal, or religious expectations, broadening towards the sense 'transgressor' or 'one who has failed in their duty.' Standard English translations often render it 'debtor,' but sometimes with the broader sense of 'sinner' or 'one who is morally obligated,' which is context-dependent and does not fully reflect the specific nature of the term in financial/legal versus moral/religious settings. Distinct from other Greek terms such as πτωχός ('poor person') and ἁμαρτωλός ('sinner'), although overlaps in certain metaphorical applications exist.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ὀφείλω; an ower, i.e. person indebted; figuratively, a delinquent; morally, a transgressor (against God):--debtor, which owed, sinner.

Root Family

ὀφειλέτης (opheilétēs) — one who owes, one obligated, debtor

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G3781-03 ὀφειλέτης opheiletes N NOM M SG a debtor obligated one 3
G3781-01 ὀφειλέται opheiletai N NOM M PL debtors debtors 3
G3781-02 ὀφειλέταις opheiletais N DAT M PL to debtors 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G3781-02 Matthew 6:12 ὀφειλέταις opheiletais N DAT M PL to debtors
G3781-03 Matthew 18:24 ὀφειλέτης opheiletes N NOM M SG obligated one
G3781-01 Luke 13:4 ὀφειλέται opheiletai N NOM M PL debtors debtors
G3781-03 Romans 1:14 ὀφειλέτης opheiletes N NOM M SG obligated one
G3781-01 Romans 8:12 ὀφειλέται opheiletai N NOM M PL debtors
G3781-01 Romans 15:27 ὀφειλέται opheiletai N NOM M PL they are debtors debtors
G3781-03 Galatians 5:3 ὀφειλέτης opheiletes N NOM M SG a debtor obligated one
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