Grace Bestowed: χαριτόω (Strong’s G5487: charitoo) Reveals Divine Favor Extraordinary

Strong’s G5487: A verb derived from χάρις (grace), meaning to bestow grace, make graceful, or show favor. Used particularly in sacred texts to indicate divine favor and transformation, emphasizing God’s action of granting His special grace upon someone, making them acceptable or highly favored.

U- Unveiling the Word

The verb χαριτόω carries profound theological weight in New Testament usage, expressing the concept of being endowed with divine grace or favor. Unlike common words for blessing, χαριτόω emphasizes the transformative nature of God’s favor – it’s not just receiving grace but being fundamentally changed by it. The word appears notably in the angel’s greeting to Mary and in Paul’s description of believers’ standing in the Messiah. In early church writings, it became central to discussions about divine election and the transformation of believers. Today, it remains a powerful reminder that God’s grace doesn’t merely benefit us but transforms us from within.

N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: χαριτόω, charitoo, /khar-ee-TO-o/
• Detailed pronunciation: kha (as in Bach) – ree (as in reed) – TO (as in toe) – o (as in oh)
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:

• Root: χάρις (charis) – grace, favor
• Suffix: -όω (-oō) – causative verbal suffix indicating “to make” or “to cause to be”
• Function: Creates a causative verb meaning “to make graceful” or “bestow grace upon”

D – Defining Meanings

• To show favor or kindness to
• To make gracious, endow with grace
• To cause to find favor

For compound words: The base word χάρις provides the core meaning of “grace” or “favor,” while the -όω suffix transforms it into a causative verb, indicating the action of making something or someone gracious or favored.

Translation Options:

• “to grace” – emphasizes the active bestowal of divine favor
• “to highly favor” – captures the special status conferred
• “to make gracious” – highlights the transformative aspect

E – Exploring Similar Words

• χάρις (charis) /KHAR-iss/ – grace itself, the root word – See G5485
• χάρισμα (charisma) /KHAR-is-mah/ – gift of grace – See G5486
• εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteō) /yoo-kha-ris-TEH-oh/ – to give thanks – See G2168

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a verb, χαριτόω exhibits these features:

• Tense: Present, Aorist, Perfect
• Voice: Active, Passive
• Mood: Indicative, Participle
• Person: 1st, 2nd, 3rd
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Aspect: Imperfective (continuous action), Perfective (completed action)

The verb would transform as follows:

• Present Active: χαριτόω (I bestow grace)
• Aorist Active: ἐχαρίτωσα (I bestowed grace)
• Perfect Passive: κεχαρίτωμαι (I have been graced)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

The richness of χαριτόω emerges through various lexical sources. BDAG emphasizes its causative nature – the action of making someone the recipient of grace. Thayer’s highlights its connection to divine favor, particularly in the context of salvation. LSJ provides broader classical usage, showing its development from secular to sacred contexts. Vine’s emphasizes the transformation aspect – not just receiving grace but being changed by it. Moulton and Milligan’s papyri findings demonstrate its special religious significance in early Christian usage. The word consistently carries the idea of divine action resulting in human transformation, making it particularly significant in soteriological contexts.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one [χαριτόω], the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!'” Luke 1:28

Additional References:
Ephesians 1:6

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

The verb χαριτόω stands as a powerful testament to God’s transformative grace in action. It appears at crucial moments in Scripture, notably in the angelic announcement to Mary and Paul’s description of believers’ position in the Messiah. This word doesn’t merely describe receiving favor but being fundamentally changed by it. In the good news of King Jesus, it reminds us that His grace doesn’t just benefit us externally but transforms us from within, making us truly new creatures in Him.

D – Did You Know?

1. χαριτόω is one of the few Greek words that appears in the perfect tense when describing Mary’s state of grace
2. The word forms part of early Christian hymns and liturgical formulas
3. It’s one of the rare Greek verbs that maintained its specialized religious meaning throughout church history

Strong’s G5487: A verb derived from χάρις (grace), meaning to bestow grace, make graceful, or show favor. Used particularly in sacred texts to indicate divine favor and transformation, emphasizing God’s action of granting His special grace upon someone, making them acceptable or highly favored.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: grace, favor, transformation, Mary, divine action, salvation, blessing, New Testament Greek, biblical Greek, theological terms​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​