Post by Jim Pate on Feb 3, 2014 4:47:51 GMT -5
ὀφειλέτης
Greek transliteration: opheiletēs
Simplified transliteration: opheiletes
Definition:
a debtor, one who owes, Mt. 18:24; met. one who is in any way bound, or under obligation to perform any duty, Rom. 1:14; 8:12; 15:27; Gal. 5:3; in NT one who fails in duty, a delinquent, offender, Mt. 6:12; a sinner, Lk. 13:4, cf. v. 2*
(opheiletes from opheílo = owe, conveying the basic meaning of owing a debt) means one who owes another (of one who owes another money) having a strong moral obligation and personal duty) means a debtor, one who is bound by some duty, one who owes anything to another. It can refer to a literal debt (see Mt 18:24 below) or as used here in Romans 3 times (see below) by Paul figuratively to refer to a personal, moral obligation in contrast to that which is a necessity (which is the Greek verb dei = Click word study of dei) as dictated by the nature of the situation (such as we must eat, we must sleep. We are no longer debtors to the flesh -- what we once were no longer has any claim on us.
Opheiletes can describe one who has committed a misdeed and owes it to the law to make it right - in such case this person is called a guilty person, an offender or a sinner (see Lu 13:4 below). It is one who has not yet made amends to whom he has injured. For example, it describes one who owes God penalty or whom God can demand punishment as something due (eg, a sinner)
Richards writes that words in the opheilo word group (including opheiletes)...
Words in this group originally expressed the idea of a legal or personal obligation. The Greeks had both financial and, later, moral obligations in mind when they used this term. (Richards, L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)
NIDNTT adds that...
The word-group formed from the stem opheil- belongs originally to the sphere of law.
Opheilo, attested since Mycenaean Greek., means:
(a) when linked with an object, to owe someone something, e.g. money, a loan (cf. Egyptian sources in BGU III, 846, 16; IV, 1149, 35); and (b) with an infinitive, to owe in the sense of being indebted (Plato, Leg. 4, 717b).
An opheiletes is (a) a debtor (Plato, Leg. 5, 736d); (b) someone who is under an obligation to achieve something (not found in this sense in the LXX).
Opheile (rare, and not in the LXX) and the more common opheilema (in the LXX only in Deut. 24:10; 1 Macc. 15:8) denote a debt, particularly of a financial nature,
Ophelon, originally an aorist participle of opheilo with the addition of estin (is), became the set expression for the optative “O, that”, “would that”, “if only” (cf. Epict., Dissertationes 2, 22, 12).
2. Alongside financial there are also moral obligations in respect of people or of state laws. Thus a culprit is often punished by being required to pay compensation to the injured party (Plato, Cra. 400c: until he has made the necessary payments). Infringement of divine regulations and thanks which must be rendered in return for benefactions of the gods also make men debtors, in requiring from them some cultic penance or act. Thus in Plato, Phaedo 118, the dying Socrates says: “We owe Asclepius [the god of healing] a cock.” Correlates and formations from opheilo thus contain both the negative component of debt and the positive one of obligation. (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan)
The TDNT has a nice summary of the root word opheilo noting that it is...
Etymologically obscure, this word means “to owe someone something,” e.g. loans, debts, sums, or rents. The things owed may be spiritual, and the word is also used with the infinitive for “to be under obligation to,” “to have to.” The word is common in respect of revenge or law. Transgressors are in debt to injured parties. Secular and sacral penalties are owed. God’s goodness also makes people debtors. This gives rise to the idea of moral obligation. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)
Here are the 7 NT uses of opheiletes (not in the Septuagint - LXX) translated culprits, 1; debtors, 1; indebted, 1; owed, 1; under obligation, 3...
'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (opheiletes). (see notes Matthew 6:12) (Comment: Those who sin against us are viewed as our debtors whom we are to forgive just as God Himself forgave us a sin debt we could never repay).
"And when he had begun to settle them, there was brought to him one who owed (opheiletes) him ten thousand talents (such a large amount in essence it cannot be paid = Jesus is teaching about man's dependence on and responsibility to God who will settle accounts with His servants - ultimately only through the compassion of the creditor could such a high debt be remitted - and so men should forgive one another debts which by comparison are miniscule instead of insisting on their "legal" rights!). (Mt 18:24)
"Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits (opheiletes; KJV renders it "sinners") than all the men who live in Jerusalem? (Luke 13:4)
"I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish." (see notes Romans 1:14)
Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. (see notes Romans 15:27)
And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law (the law is viewed as a unit, thus obedience to it cannot be selective). (Galatians 5:3)
Now we are indebted to the Holy Spirit for all He has done and will do in and through us. But don't be confused...we cannot "earn" God's favor. God gives us the power (His indwelling Spirit - Ro 8:9, 10, 11 - see notes Romans 8:9, 8:10, 8:11) to "pay Him back" with works of righteousness (not works done in the flesh...these are dead works) done out of heart of obedience (see note Romans 6:17)...now we offer back to Him our obedience (1Sa 15:22) realizing that even that would not be possible unless He had changed our hearts from their godless, hostile, helpless, sinful (Romans 5:6-10-notes) condition to a new heart with new motivation that He provides that now we might be pleasing to Him.
Greek transliteration: opheiletēs
Simplified transliteration: opheiletes
Definition:
a debtor, one who owes, Mt. 18:24; met. one who is in any way bound, or under obligation to perform any duty, Rom. 1:14; 8:12; 15:27; Gal. 5:3; in NT one who fails in duty, a delinquent, offender, Mt. 6:12; a sinner, Lk. 13:4, cf. v. 2*
(opheiletes from opheílo = owe, conveying the basic meaning of owing a debt) means one who owes another (of one who owes another money) having a strong moral obligation and personal duty) means a debtor, one who is bound by some duty, one who owes anything to another. It can refer to a literal debt (see Mt 18:24 below) or as used here in Romans 3 times (see below) by Paul figuratively to refer to a personal, moral obligation in contrast to that which is a necessity (which is the Greek verb dei = Click word study of dei) as dictated by the nature of the situation (such as we must eat, we must sleep. We are no longer debtors to the flesh -- what we once were no longer has any claim on us.
Opheiletes can describe one who has committed a misdeed and owes it to the law to make it right - in such case this person is called a guilty person, an offender or a sinner (see Lu 13:4 below). It is one who has not yet made amends to whom he has injured. For example, it describes one who owes God penalty or whom God can demand punishment as something due (eg, a sinner)
Richards writes that words in the opheilo word group (including opheiletes)...
Words in this group originally expressed the idea of a legal or personal obligation. The Greeks had both financial and, later, moral obligations in mind when they used this term. (Richards, L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)
NIDNTT adds that...
The word-group formed from the stem opheil- belongs originally to the sphere of law.
Opheilo, attested since Mycenaean Greek., means:
(a) when linked with an object, to owe someone something, e.g. money, a loan (cf. Egyptian sources in BGU III, 846, 16; IV, 1149, 35); and (b) with an infinitive, to owe in the sense of being indebted (Plato, Leg. 4, 717b).
An opheiletes is (a) a debtor (Plato, Leg. 5, 736d); (b) someone who is under an obligation to achieve something (not found in this sense in the LXX).
Opheile (rare, and not in the LXX) and the more common opheilema (in the LXX only in Deut. 24:10; 1 Macc. 15:8) denote a debt, particularly of a financial nature,
Ophelon, originally an aorist participle of opheilo with the addition of estin (is), became the set expression for the optative “O, that”, “would that”, “if only” (cf. Epict., Dissertationes 2, 22, 12).
2. Alongside financial there are also moral obligations in respect of people or of state laws. Thus a culprit is often punished by being required to pay compensation to the injured party (Plato, Cra. 400c: until he has made the necessary payments). Infringement of divine regulations and thanks which must be rendered in return for benefactions of the gods also make men debtors, in requiring from them some cultic penance or act. Thus in Plato, Phaedo 118, the dying Socrates says: “We owe Asclepius [the god of healing] a cock.” Correlates and formations from opheilo thus contain both the negative component of debt and the positive one of obligation. (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan)
The TDNT has a nice summary of the root word opheilo noting that it is...
Etymologically obscure, this word means “to owe someone something,” e.g. loans, debts, sums, or rents. The things owed may be spiritual, and the word is also used with the infinitive for “to be under obligation to,” “to have to.” The word is common in respect of revenge or law. Transgressors are in debt to injured parties. Secular and sacral penalties are owed. God’s goodness also makes people debtors. This gives rise to the idea of moral obligation. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)
Here are the 7 NT uses of opheiletes (not in the Septuagint - LXX) translated culprits, 1; debtors, 1; indebted, 1; owed, 1; under obligation, 3...
'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (opheiletes). (see notes Matthew 6:12) (Comment: Those who sin against us are viewed as our debtors whom we are to forgive just as God Himself forgave us a sin debt we could never repay).
"And when he had begun to settle them, there was brought to him one who owed (opheiletes) him ten thousand talents (such a large amount in essence it cannot be paid = Jesus is teaching about man's dependence on and responsibility to God who will settle accounts with His servants - ultimately only through the compassion of the creditor could such a high debt be remitted - and so men should forgive one another debts which by comparison are miniscule instead of insisting on their "legal" rights!). (Mt 18:24)
"Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits (opheiletes; KJV renders it "sinners") than all the men who live in Jerusalem? (Luke 13:4)
"I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish." (see notes Romans 1:14)
Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. (see notes Romans 15:27)
And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law (the law is viewed as a unit, thus obedience to it cannot be selective). (Galatians 5:3)
Now we are indebted to the Holy Spirit for all He has done and will do in and through us. But don't be confused...we cannot "earn" God's favor. God gives us the power (His indwelling Spirit - Ro 8:9, 10, 11 - see notes Romans 8:9, 8:10, 8:11) to "pay Him back" with works of righteousness (not works done in the flesh...these are dead works) done out of heart of obedience (see note Romans 6:17)...now we offer back to Him our obedience (1Sa 15:22) realizing that even that would not be possible unless He had changed our hearts from their godless, hostile, helpless, sinful (Romans 5:6-10-notes) condition to a new heart with new motivation that He provides that now we might be pleasing to Him.