Debtor’s Grace: χρεοφειλέτης (Strong’s G5533: chreopheiletes) Reveals Divine Mercy

Strong’s G5533: A compound noun derived from chreos (debt) and opheiletes (debtor), referring to someone who owes a financial or moral debt. Used in parables and teachings about forgiveness, illustrating spiritual indebtedness to God and His mercy.

U- Unveiling the Word

χρεοφειλέτης embodies the concept of indebtedness in both financial and spiritual realms. This compound word powerfully illustrates human dependence on divine mercy. In the New Testament, it appears in key parables where Jesus teaches about forgiveness and grace. The word carries weight beyond mere monetary debt, extending to moral and spiritual obligations. Early church fathers used this term to emphasize humanity’s inability to repay our debt of sin and our complete dependence on God’s grace. Today, it reminds us that we are all debtors to divine mercy, unable to settle our spiritual accounts through our own means.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: χρεοφειλέτης, chreopheiletes, khreh-o-fi-LEH-tace
• Pronunciation Guide: khreh (as in ‘head’) + o (as in ‘go’) + fi (as in ‘fee’) + LEH (as in ‘let’) + tace (as in ‘taste’)
• Part of Speech: Noun (Masculine)

Etymology:

• χρέος (chreos) – debt, obligation
• ὀφειλέτης (opheiletes) – one who owes, debtor
• Suffix -της (-tes) – indicating agency or occupation

D – Defining Meanings

• One who owes a debt
• A person under financial obligation
• Someone bound by moral or spiritual duty

For compound words:
χρέος contributes the concept of what is owed
ὀφειλέτης adds the personal aspect of being the one who owes
-της emphasizes the state of being in this position

Translation Options:

• Debtor – captures the basic meaning but lacks spiritual depth
• One who owes – emphasizes the ongoing nature of the obligation
• Indebted person – reflects both financial and moral aspects

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ὀφειλέτης (opheiletes) – one who owes – See G3781
• δανειστής (daneistes) – money-lender – See G1157
• χρεωφειλέτης (chreōpheiletes) – alternate spelling – See G5533

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

• Case: Nominative, Accusative, Genitive, Dative
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Gender: Masculine
• Declension: First

The word follows regular first declension patterns:
Nominative: χρεοφειλέτης
Genitive: χρεοφειλέτου
Dative: χρεοφειλέτῃ
Accusative: χρεοφειλέτην

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

The major lexicons consistently emphasize the dual nature of χρεοφειλέτης as both a financial and moral term. BDAG highlights its use in Jesus’ parables to illustrate spiritual truths. Thayer’s emphasizes the compound nature of the word and its literal meaning. LSJ provides classical usage examples showing its development. Vine’s connects it to the broader theological concept of sin-debt. Strong’s emphasizes its literal meaning while acknowledging metaphorical uses. Moulton and Milligan provide papyri evidence showing its common usage in financial documents, helping us understand its impact on first-century audiences.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
Luke 7:41 “A certain creditor had two debtors [χρεοφειλέτης]. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.”

Additional References:
Luke 16:5

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

χρεοφειλέτης powerfully illustrates our relationship with God through its dual meaning of financial and moral debt. This word appears in Jesus’ teachings about forgiveness, emphasizing that we all stand as debtors before God, unable to repay our spiritual debt. Yet the good news is that through the Messiah’s sacrifice, our debt has been paid in full. This word reminds us that God’s mercy exceeds our greatest debts, and His forgiveness transforms us from debtors to heirs of His kingdom.

D – Did You Know?

• The word appears in ancient business documents found in Egyptian papyri
• It’s one of the few compound words used in Jesus’ parables
• The concept influenced early Christian understanding of salvation as debt cancellation

Strong’s G5533: A compound noun derived from chreos (debt) and opheiletes (debtor), referring to someone who owes a financial or moral debt. Used in parables and teachings about forgiveness, illustrating spiritual indebtedness to God and His mercy.

Part of speech: Noun

Tags: debt, debtor, obligation, forgiveness, mercy, parables, financial terms, spiritual debt, grace, salvation​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​