Debtor
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
The Greek noun opheiletes describes a debtor or a person who owes something, and its uses range across financial debt, moral liability, covenant obligation, and grace-shaped duty. Jesus uses debt imagery in prayer and a parable of enormous forgiven liability.
Reader summary
Full entry for ὀφειλέτης (G3781) · Open the biblical lexicon
The Greek noun opheiletes describes a debtor or a person who owes something, and its uses range across financial debt, moral liability, covenant obligation, and grace-shaped duty. Jesus uses debt imagery in prayer and a parable of enormous forgiven liability.
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include obligated (2), [an] obligation (1), debtor (1), debtors (1), owe it (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 6:12. Its strongest book concentrations include Romans (3), Matthew (2), Galatians (1), Luke (1).
The Greek noun opheiletes describes a debtor or a person who owes something, and its uses range across financial debt, moral liability, covenant obligation, and grace-shaped duty. Jesus uses debt imagery in prayer and a parable of enormous forgiven liability. Paul can call himself obligated to preach across cultural groups, say that believers are not debtors to the flesh, and describe Gentile churches as owing material service after sharing spiritual blessings.
The noun does not make every obligation financial, nor does forgiveness erase lawful protection, restitution, or wise boundaries. Responsible teaching identifies the creditor, obligation, source, and governing metaphor. It refuses to exploit guilt for money, labor, sexual access, loyalty, silence, or reconciliation. Grace releases condemnation and creates free service, but no leader may turn another person’s gratitude into an unlimited debt.
Financial distress requires honest counsel and practical help rather than moral shame.
Opheiletes names a person with financial liability or a figurative obligation. Prayer, parable, gospel mission, life in the Spirit, and material partnership each specify a different kind of owing.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Jesus teaches disciples to ask forgiveness for debts while extending forgiveness to debtors, using relational and moral liability in prayer.
As he began the settlements, a debtor owing ten thousand talents was brought to him.
A servant’s unpayable account begins a parable about received mercy and the contradiction of withholding mercy from another.
I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.
Paul calls himself obligated to Greeks and non-Greeks, wise and foolish, expressing gospel stewardship across social boundaries.
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.
Believers are not debtors to the flesh as though compelled to live according to its death-producing direction.
They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings.
Paul describes Gentile believers’ material service to Jewish believers as a fitting response to shared spiritual blessing.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Denotes both financial debt and moral obligation—especially sin's debt owed to God.
Denotes both financial debt and moral obligation—especially sin's debt owed to God.
(ὀφείλω), a debtor: with genitive (of the amount), Mat.18:24. Metaphorical, of obligation or duty in general, with reference to favours received or injury done, etc.: Mat.6:12, Rom.1:14 8:12 15:27, Gal.5:3; of sinners, in relation to God (= Heb. חַיָּב; cf. Sir (Heb.8:5) (6)), Luk.13:4.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
7 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
a debtor, sinner
Read versea debtor, sinner
Read versea debtor, sinner
Read versea debtor, sinner
Read versea debtor, sinner
Read versea debtor, sinner
Read versea debtor, sinner
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 3 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 1 selected witness from 7 lexical occurrence verses.
ὀφειλέτης is built from this root:
It captures Paul’s missionary stewardship and sense of responsibility to all peoples.Romans 1:8-15
Opheiletes exposes liability while also protecting grace from manipulation. In the Lord’s Prayer, debt language helps disciples confess real wrongdoing and practice forgiveness under the Father’s mercy. Matthew 18 magnifies an unpayable account so the forgiven servant’s cruelty becomes unmistakable; the parable condemns mercilessness, not lawful safeguards for victims.
Paul’s debt to diverse peoples is a gospel stewardship received from Christ, not a claim that his hearers own him. Romans 8 announces that believers owe the flesh nothing; grace breaks a tyrannical claim rather than creating another human master. Romans 15 presents material sharing as reciprocal partnership across Jew and Gentile, not a fundraising weapon. Churches must distinguish guilt before God, financial contracts, restitution after harm, voluntary gratitude, and vocational responsibility.
Forgiveness can renounce revenge while still allowing distance, reporting, repayment plans, and consequences. No pastor, benefactor, spouse, parent, or institution gains unlimited access because it once helped someone. Gospel obligation is shaped by love, truth, freedom, and the good of the neighbor.
Matt.18.24
Opheiletes is a Greek noun derived from the language of owing. It can denote a financial debtor or extend metaphorically to moral liability and obligation, so the object owed and relational setting must be identified.
Israel’s law regulates loans, release, restitution, wages, and protection of poor debtors, while the prophets condemn economic exploitation. The New Testament announces forgiveness in Christ and commands believers to owe nothing except continuing love, joining grace with justice and generosity.